Introduction
Drift Fence 
Drift Fence and Pitfall Arrays
Drift fence and pitfall arrays (hereafter, drift fence arrays, DFA) have been used to monitor amphibian movements to and from seasonal ponds and also in terrestrial habitats not associated with breeding ponds. It is a labor intensive technique but provides a clear picture of the movements of many of the amphibians using these ponds.
Drift fence arrays for this study were constructed from 1-meter (~3 feet) tall black, nylon silt fencing. This material, supported by wooden stakes about every 8-10 feet, completely encircled the pond [see photo at right]. Pitfall traps, made from two large coffee cans duct-taped together (30 cm deep) [see photo below], were placed every 10 meters (or a little under 30 feet) around the perimeter of the drift fence (i.e., both on the inside and outside of the fence. Specially cut funnels were placed over the pitfalls at certain times of the year to further increase trap success by limiting escapes by larger frogs with strong jumping abilities.
Arrays are checked a minimum of once daily, always early in the morning, to minimize mortality and stress to organisms. Arrays are also being checked on rainy evenings to permit animals leaving ponds to travel under ideal conditions (i.e., cover of night on wet evenings).
Our field season for the DFA's run from the middle of Feburary through November.
