Under IC 4-22-2-24, notice is hereby given that on August 3, 2011, at 1:00 p.m., at the Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N501, Division of Hearings Main Conference Room, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Natural Resources Commission will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to 312 IAC 9-5-4 to remove the four-toed salamander from and add the plains leopard frog and mole salamander to the list of endangered species of reptiles and amphibians.

IC 4-22-2-24(d)(3) Justification Statement: The DNR has the statutory authority to provide for the protection, reproduction, care, management, survival, and regulation of wild animal populations in IC 14-22-2-3. The DNR is required to review the list of endangered species every two years and make appropriate amendments under IC 14-22-34-11. The DNR believes that if the plains leopard frog and mole salamander are not added to the list of endangered species, these species could become extinct in Indiana. Extensive research has been conducted on the four-toed salamander over the past five years in Indiana to determine its population in this state. Seven new county records were found, and older records were verified or reconfirmed, or both, with a population found in at least 20 Indiana counties. Their distribution is scattered throughout the state but appears to be stable. The mole salamander is proposed to be added to the list because of its isolated, small geographic range in Indiana, narrow habitat tolerance, and small population size. It was only recently discovered in Indiana and is known only to exist in a single population in one county. The plains leopard frog is also proposed to be added to the list as a result of new population information and habitat loss. Recent surveys in Indiana have not found the plains leopard frog, even in areas where they were found in the past 10 years. Furthermore, some locations where they were found in the past have been converted to agriculture and no longer provide habitat suitable for this species. The only requirement upon a regulated entity would be related to the species of reptiles and amphibians that may be taken from the wild under 312 IAC 9-5-6 and this requirement is necessary for the conservation and management of these species based upon data that was obtained from herpetologists from around the state and staff of the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife in addition to the following literature:

Brodman, R., S. Cortwright, and A. Resetar. 2002. Historical Changes of Reptiles and Amphibians of Northwest Indiana Fish and Wildlife Properties. American Midland Naturalist 147: 135-144.

Brodman, R. 2003. Amphibians and reptiles from 23 counties of Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 112:43-54.

Brown, L.E. 1992. Rana blairi. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. 536, 1-536.6.

Brown, L.E. and M.A. Morris. 1990. Distribution, habitat, and zoogeography of the plains leopard frog (Rana blairi) in Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes, Number 136, Champaign, Illinois.

Christiansen, J.L. and R.M. Bailey, 1991. The salamanders and frogs of Iowa. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Nongame Technical Series (3):1-24.

Minton, S.A. 2001. Amphibians and reptiles of Indiana. Indiana Academy of Science, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Parris, M.J., C.W. Laird, and R.D. Semlitsch. 2001. Differential predation on experimental populations of parental and hybrid leopard frog (Rana blairi and Rana sphenocephala) larvae. Journal of Herpetology 35:479-485.

Phillips, C.A., R.A. Brandon, and E.O. Moll. 1999. Field guide to amphibians and reptiles of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Manual 8.

Petranke, J.W. 2008. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.

Raymond, L.R. and L.M. Hardy. 1990. Demography of a population of Ambystoma talpoideum (Holbrook), in southeastern Louisiana. Tulane Studies in Zoology 8:65-82.

Semlitsch, R.D. 1981. Terrestrial activity and summer home range of the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum).

Williams, R.N. and B.J. MacGowan. 2004. Natural history data on the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum) in Indiana. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 113:147-150.

Williams, R.N., B.J. MacGowan, B. Kingsbury, and Z. Walker. 2006. Salamanders of Indiana. Purdue University.

Copies of these rules are now on file at the Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N501 and Legislative Services Agency, Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N201, Indianapolis, Indiana and are open for public inspection.