| The general reasons as to why certain cover boards of a different material are more effective than others in capturing reptiles and amphibians are still misunderstood. To discover preferential factors leading to herptiles following certain behaviors, abiotic factors of soil acidity, soil moisture, and ambient temperature were recorded at various intervals underneath metal and wood cover board pairs, while noting herptile presence. This study took place at a field site on the Chorro Creek Preserve of San Luis Obispo, California. The data was captured and compared for significant differences and only the abiotic factor of soil moisture showed change while temperature and acidity had the promise of significance in the future with continued study and increased rainfall. Species occurrence, while minimal, also showed the possible trend of wood cover board preference over metal, but cannot be confirmed until further studies and more data collection has been conducted. |