Connectivity is essential for the maintenance of genetic diversity and stability of wildlife populations. Drought and changing precipitation regimes have caused natural aquatic amphibian breeding habitats to disappear or become isolated and have led to the replacement of natural surface water with artificial livestock water tanks. Terrestrial movement is the only means of responding to aquatic threats in arid landscapes and to allow population connectivity. Aridity may present an impenetrable barrier in hydrologically fragmented environments. We used a facultatively paedomorphic and federally endangered salamander to assess the challenges of movement across arid working lands. Sonoran tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi) are endemic to the San Rafael Valley of southeastern Arizona, United States of America, where they depend on livestock water tanks as breeding habitat. The ecology of this species' metamorphs outside of stock tanks is virtually unknown. To assess survival on the landscape during terrestrial movement we used radio‐transmitters to track 78 adult metamorphosed salamanders over 2 years. Sonoran tiger salamanders moved up to 1 km from the tank edge, and average distances moved of over 400 m were higher than most Ambystoma species. However, during the study period, none reached neighboring stock tanks. We found high mortality due to predation and desiccation. Individuals that dispersed to terrestrial habitat in summer survived longer than individuals that dispersed in spring. High mortality suggests terrestrial movement is exceptionally risky and may contribute to isolated subpopulations and elevated levels of inbreeding. Conservation actions that improve and maintain artificial aquatic habitats as well as increase connectivity may improve long‐term management for pond‐breeding amphibians in arid regions.

中文翻译：

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濒临灭绝的两栖动物在干旱的工作环境中移动的成本很高

连通性对于维持野生动物种群的遗传多样性和稳定性至关重要。干旱和不断变化的降水状况导致天然水生两栖动物繁殖栖息地消失或变得孤立，并导致天然地表水被人工牲畜水箱取代。陆地移动是应对干旱地区水生威胁并实现人口连通的唯一手段。干旱可能在水文破碎的环境中形成不可逾越的屏障。我们使用兼性幼态且联邦濒危的蝾螈来评估穿越干旱工作土地的活动挑战。索诺兰虎蝾螈（斯氏钝口螈）是美国亚利桑那州东南部圣拉斐尔山谷的特有种，它们依赖牲畜水箱作为繁殖栖息地。该物种在储罐之外的变体的生态实际上是未知的。为了评估陆地运动过程中的生存情况，我们使用无线电发射器在两年多的时间里追踪了 78 只成年变态蝾螈。索诺兰虎蝾螈距离水箱边缘最远可达 1 公里，平均移动距离超过 400 m，高于大多数钝口螈物种。然而，在研究期间，没有任何物质到达邻近的储罐。我们发现由于捕食和干燥而造成的高死亡率。夏季分散到陆地栖息地的个体比春季分散的个体存活时间更长。高死亡率表明陆地移动风险极高，可能导致亚群孤立和近亲繁殖水平升高。改善和维护人工水生栖息地以及增加连通性的保护行动可能会改善干旱地区池塘养殖两栖动物的长期管理。