This collection contains herptile specimens collected as bycatch during ground beetle sampling (NEON sample class: bet_sorting_in.subsampleID.herp). Ground beetles are sampled using pitfall traps (16 oz deli containers filled with 150 or 250 mL of propylene glycol). Four traps are deployed in each of 10 plots at each terrestrial NEON site (40 traps per site), with traps arrayed approximately 20 meters from the center of the plot in each of the four cardinal directions. Sampling occurs biweekly throughout the growing season (when temperatures are above 4 degrees C). Vertebrate bycatch is stored in 95% ethanol and archived in a temperature (17-18°C) and humidity controlled environment. See related links below for protocols and NEON related data products.
NEON Biorepository Data Portal (2023). NEON Biorepository Herptile Voucher Collection (Ground Beetle Sampling Bycatch Trap Sorting). Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/zhkuay accessed via the NEON Biorepository Data Portal, https://biorepo.neonscience.org/ on 2023-09-22.