Amphibian and reptile communities associated with beaver (Castor canadensis) ponds and unimpounded streams in the Piedmont of South Carolina

We used drift fence arrays with pitfall traps to compare amphibian and rept ile assemblages at the peripheries of beaver (Castor canadensis) ponds of t wo age-classes ("new": less than or equal to 5 yr old, and "old": greater t han or equal to 10 yr old) and unimpounded streams in the Piedmont of South Carolina. The richness and total abundance of amphibians were not signific antly different among new beaver ponds, old beaver ponds, and unimpounded s treams, although several species of anurans were captured predominantly or exclusively at beaver ponds. Amphibian community overlap and diversity also were similar among the three habitats. In contrast, the richness and total abundance of reptiles were significantly higher at old beaver ponds when c ompared to new beaver ponds and unimpounded streams. The degree of reptile community overlap also was relatively low, with significant differences in diversity among all three habitats. Differences in amphibian and reptile co mmunity attributes between beaver ponds and unimpounded streams likely were related to the lentic or lotic habitat requirements of individual species and the effects of beaver impoundments on surrounding upland habitats.