Fifteen junior high school and high school age science students and their two sponsors from the Seaman School District in Shawnee County, Kansas traveled to Sumner County, Kansas during April 2008 to conduct the 32^nd Annual Survey of the Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of  southern Sumner County.  The survey took place from noon on Wednesday, 23 April to noon on Saturday, 26 April 2008.  During the survey the group was assisted by members of the Carson Ward family, students and parents from Ms Gail Feely’s science classes at Caldwell Elementary School, and several interested persons from the Caldwell area.  The total number of participants assisting with either part or all of the survey was approximately 70 individuals.  Many of those participating had attended at least one past survey, and several had attended and participated in at least 20 of the past surveys.

            The survey took place in an area bordered on the south by the Oklahoma line, on the east by the Kansas Turnpike, and on the north by US Highway 160.  The western border was a north/south line running south from Highway 160 at Argonia to the Oklahoma border.  All of the collecting took place within a mile of one of the following rivers or streams within the collecting area:  Chikaskia River, Bluff Creek, Fall Creek, Slate Creek.

            The methods of collecting included rock turning, seining, searching large areas on foot, searching around abandon farm sites, and road cruising.  All collecting took place on private lands with the permission of the landowners.  Most of the animals were set free where they were originally found after being identified.  A few animals were returned to the groups base camp in Caldwell where they were photographed before being released the following day.  A few animals were also donated to Fort Hays State University for DNA studies.

            All animals were verified by Larry L. Miller, Cory Ward, and Quinn Ward.  Only animals that were identified with 100% certainty (except for the species of tree frogs) were included in this report. The hundreds of small toad and frog tadpoles that were observed in standing water near Bluff Creek southwest of Drury were not included.

            A total of 562 individuals representing 32 species were documented during the survey.