Protecting Native Amphibians and Reptiles

The Disappearing Act Nobody Is Watching

Somewhere in a New York wetland, a wood frog is calling. A spotted salamander is moving through leaf litter toward a vernal pool. A box turtle is making its slow, patient way across a meadow.

These animals have been part of this landscape for millions of years. And right now, we are losing them — quietly, steadily, and largely without notice.

Assembly Bill A6581 is a modest but urgent step to stop making it worse.

What the Law Currently Allows

Under existing New York law, native frogs, salamanders, lizards, and most turtles are classified as "small game" — the same legal category as squirrels and rabbits. That means anyone with a basic hunting or fishing license can legally take them, with bag limits set annually by the state.

There is no requirement to study whether local populations can sustain this pressure. There is no baseline count to measure losses against. The state simply does not know how many of these animals exist — or how many we are losing each year.

The Numbers Are Alarming

This bill does not come from sentiment alone. It comes from science:

• 40% of amphibian species worldwide are threatened with extinction

• 60% of the world's turtle species are threatened or already gone

• In New York, 2 amphibians and 10 reptiles are already listed as threatened or endangered, with 10 more species on the special concern list

• New York has no comprehensive population inventory for native frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, snakes, lizards, or turtles — meaning we cannot even measure the decline

Anecdotal reports from naturalists, ecologists, and volunteers helping the DEC's own Atlas mapping project tell a consistent story: many local populations are already in severe decline or have vanished entirely from areas where they once thrived.

What This Bill Does

A6581 would remove most native amphibians and reptiles from the "small game" definition and reclassify them as protected wildlife — meaning they could no longer be taken under a hunting or fishing license. Specifically protected under the bill:

• All native frogs (other than bullfrogs)

• All native salamanders, newts, and toads

• All native lizards

• All native turtles other than common snapping turtles

Bullfrogs and common snapping turtles would remain regulated but still legal to take, with methods determined by the DEC. Nuisance permits and farmers' existing rights on their own land are also preserved.

Why This Matters Beyond the Numbers

Amphibians and reptiles are not charismatic megafauna. They don't appear on charity fundraising posters. But they are essential. Frogs and salamanders are indicator species — their health reflects the health of entire ecosystems. When they disappear, it is a warning that something is deeply wrong with the water, the soil, the habitat around them.

They have survived mass extinctions, ice ages, and millions of years of change. What they are struggling to survive now is us — habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and the casual legal right for anyone with a fishing license to scoop them out of a pond.

Removing that last pressure costs nothing. It changes nothing for hunters and anglers in any meaningful way. But for the wood frog calling in a wetland this spring, it could mean the difference between a population that holds — and one that doesn't.

A Simple Fix for a Serious Problem

This bill is not a ban on all interaction with these animals. It is a recognition that we are in a crisis, that New York's own data is incomplete, and that the precautionary thing to do — the responsible thing — is to stop adding pressure to populations we cannot even count.

Some things are worth protecting before we fully understand what we're losing. These animals are one of them.