Herpetofaunal communities have been monitored intermittently on the Matador Wildlife Management Area for the past 12 years in an attempt to understand and track species’ responses to habitat changes. This study analyzed data from all available years (2004, 2013, 2014, and 2016) with the goal of assessing habitat preference, species presence, and population trends. Herp sampling was conducted using standard Y-array drift fences with pitfall traps as well as informal road cruising and documentation of fortuitous encounters. The number of drift fences used each sampling year ranged from 10-17 and were opened for varying periods of time (9 to 61 days). A total of 23 species were trapped over all years combined, plus 11 new species documented during fortuitous encounters, compared to 43 species known from Cottle County. A species accumulation curve indicated trapping effort was insufficient to detect all species in the area. Jaccard’s dissimilarity values between trapping arrays were high, indicating little overlap in species assemblages among sites (mean dissimilarity value: 0.71). Trapping data revealed coarse habitat affinities for common species, but sample sizes limited our ability to infer specific habitat preferences or assess population trends. To meet the goal of monitoring long-term trends in herp communities and species, I recommend implementation of longer, more consistent sampling periods, a stratified sampling protocol with replication, incorporation of time-constrained searches, and improvements to the drift fence design
