Factors affecting pitfall capture rates of small ground vertebrates in arid South Australia. I. The influence of weather and moon phase on capture rates of reptiles

Abstract

The effect of temperature, humidity, cloud cover, wind and rainfall on capture rates of small reptiles in pitfall traps was assessed in the South Australian arid zone. Capture rates increased significantly with increased ambient temperature. Captures of diurnal reptiles were highest when the minimum temperature was greater than 26°C, while captures of nocturnal reptiles peaked when maximum temperatures exceeded 34°C. Dark nights, particularly those with cloud cover, yielded higher captures of nocturnal reptiles than moonlit or cloudless nights. Representative sampling periods to record a wide range of reptile species should extend for at least 8 days, which is the modal period of a major change in daily temperature during the summer months.