Jackson Group was contracted to assist in conducting faunal surveys at Fort Eustis Military Reservation, a 9,000 acre army training facility near Newport News, Virginia. Target taxa included salamanders, anurans, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds. A total of 103 species were documented on the base, eight of which had not been previously recorded.
Duties included multiple faunal surveys across the military reservations. Six sites were selected for drift fences. In conjuncture with the drift fences, pitfall traps, Sherman small mammal traps, and funnel traps were deployed. Visual encounter surveys were used throughout the installation targeting salamanders, anurans, turtles, and snakes. Anuran surveys included both day and night monitoring, as well as auditory call identifications. Metal cover boards were deployed to assist in snake visuals. Team members also documented incidental observations of fauna observed during the time spent on the installation. When possible, all species on base were photographed to provide corroboration with field identifications. Jackson Group also assisted with final report preparation.
