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Brome McCreary

I am a member of the Adams Herpetological Research Team where I primarily hire, train, and supervise the lab’s seasonal field crew. I also lead the writing of our research Standard Operating Procedure sampling protocols.

I spent my childhood exploring and engrossed in the woods, streams and meadows on and around the small mountain farm where I grew up. My interest in amphibians began early, catching Coastal Giant Salamander larvae in our small stream and hatching Pacific Treefrog egg masses in mayonnaise jars on my bedroom windowsill, raising them to juvenile frogs and releasing them. This fostered a profound appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the natural world that quickly grew into a desire for life-long study. I am passionate about doing work and living a life that contributes to our understanding of the ecological systems around us.

My professional goals are to facilitate the precise, accurate and repeatable collection of data in the field during the completion of our scientific research while ensuring our lab personnel’s safety as they conduct field research in an often-unpredictable outdoor environment.

My personal interests are: 

  • My family
  • Just about all aspects of natural history... 
  • Indigenous technology and skills, ancestral knowledge
  • Emergency preparedness 
  • Photography 
  • Woodworking, and
  • Designing, fabricating, and restoring cutlery

Science and Products

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Filter Total Items: 22

Using spatiotemporal models and distance sampling to map the space use and abundance of newly metamorphosed Western Toads (Anaxyrus boreas)

High variability in abundance, cryptic coloration, and small body size of newly metamorphosed anurans have limited demographic studies of this life-history stage. We used line-transect distance sampling and Bayesian methods to estimate the abundance and spatial distribution of newly metamorphosed Western Toads (Anaxyrus boreas) in terrestrial habitat surrounding a montane lake in central Washingto
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Non-native species impacts on pond occupancy by an anuran

Non-native fish and bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are frequently cited as contributing to the decline of ranid frogs in the western United States, so we hypothesized that non-native species, habitat, or a combination of these relate to the probability of local extinction for northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora) in Oregon, USA. We also hypothesized that the probability of colonization rela
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) in southeastern Oregon: A survey of historical localities, 2009

The Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) occupies a large range in western North America and is comprised of at least three genetic units. Concern exists regarding the status of the Great Basin populations in Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada. We surveyed target and nearby alternate sites on public lands in southeastern Oregon where there was evidence that Columbia spotted frogs were historically pre
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Using occupancy models to understand the distribution of an amphibian pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a fungal pathogen that is receiving attention around the world for its role in amphibian declines. Study of its occurrence patterns is hampered by false negatives: the failure to detect the pathogen when it is present. Occupancy models are a useful but currently underutilized tool for analyzing detection data when the probability of detecting a species is
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Short-term effect of cattle exclosures on Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris) populations and habitat in northeastern Oregon

Livestock grazing is a common land use across the western United States, but concerns have been raised regarding its potential to affect amphibian populations. We studied the short-term effects of full and partial livestock grazing exclosures on Rana luteiventris (Columbia Spotted Frog) populations using a controlled manipulative field experiment with pre- and posttreatment data (2002–2006). Despi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

A Protocol for Aging Anurans Using Skeletochronology

Age distribution information can be an important part of understanding the biology of any population. Age estimates collected from the annual growth rings found in tooth and bone cross sections, often referred to as Lines of Arrested Growth (LAGs), have been used in the study of various animals. In this manual, we describe in detail all necessary steps required to obtain estimates of age from anur
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Asymmetrical effects of introduced Rana catesbeiana on native ranid frogs in Oregon, USA

Introduced American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) have become widely established in the Pacific Northwest over the last century and are thought to be an important predator of native amphibians throughout the western United States. The Northern Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora aurora) and Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa) historically coexisted in portions of the Pacific Northwest now invaded by R. ca
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Cannibalism and predation by western toad (Bufo boreas boreas) larvae in Oregon, USA

Larval amphibians have been widely used as model organisms in studies of community ecology of freshwater systems (Morin 1983, Alford 1999). Much of this work has assumed that trophic effects of larval anurans are focused on periphyton and planktonic algae (Dickman 1968, Seale 1980, Duellman and Trueb 1986), a view that has recently been questioned. Recent experiments suggest that anuran larvae can
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Asymmetrical effects of introduced Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) on native Ranid Frogs in Oregon

Introduced American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) have become widely established in the Pacific Northwest over the last century and are thought to be an important predator of native amphibians throughout the western United States. The Northern Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora aurora) and Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa) historically coexisted in portions of the Pacific Northwest now invaded by R. ca

Rana cascadae (Cascade frog). Cannibalism

No abstract available.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
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Herpetological research at the USGS FRESC

Herpetological Research Team (FRESC)

The Herpetological Research Team focuses on issues related to conservation and management of amphibians and other aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Among our current studies are effects of invasive species, disease, and land use change on the dynamics of amphibian communities to inform conservation and management decision making.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link

Herpetological Research Team (FRESC)

The Herpetological Research Team focuses on issues related to conservation and management of amphibians and other aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Among our current studies are effects of invasive species, disease, and land use change on the dynamics of amphibian communities to inform conservation and management decision making.
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If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

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Science and Products