The wood turtle is a Species in Greatest Need of Conservation, according to the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan. (Charles Werth photograph)

The milk snake is among reptile species common to the Upper Valley. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department photograph)

The wood frog is among amphibian species common to the Upper Valley. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department photograph)

Concord — Whether you’re out searching for salamanders, snakes and frogs, or just happen to come across them, New Hampshire’s Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program wants to hear from you.

Reports submitted by volunteers help biologists monitor the state’s reptile and amphibian populations, and track the locations of vernal pools, “small, isolated wetlands that are full of water for only part of the year, making them easily overlooked,” according to a news release from the state’s Fish and Game Department.

Citizen reports help fill in gaps in the data for seldom-seen species, information that influences conservation efforts. Locally, those include wood turtles and smooth greensnakes, both listed as species of greatest conservation need on the state’s Wildlife Action Plan.

“We don’t really know what’s going on with (the snakes),” which are hard to see and not often reported, Brendan Clifford, a wildlife biologist with the department, said in a telephone interview. Anecdotally they’ve heard from people who years ago saw them a lot, “but not so much anymore.”

In addition to threatened and endangered populations, biologists also wants to hear about common reptiles and amphibians. Those reports help the Fish and Game Department track where species are occurring across the state over long periods of time, generating data on trends, and whether populations are disappearing due to development, Clifford said.

In the 15 or so years since the Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program was founded, it’s received more than 10,000 wildlife records from more than 500 volunteers.

Thanks to camera phones, the internet and email, reports have ramped up in the past decade, Clifford said.

Pictures of wildlife and vernal pools can be mailed or emailed to the department, or uploaded online. For guidelines and forms for documenting vernal pools or reporting wildlife sightings, go to wildnh.com/nongame/reptiles-amphibians.html.

Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.