The Potential of the Hose-bridge to Mitigate Snake Mortality on Low Volume Roadways

Measuring Sexual Size Dimorphism and Sexual Body Component Dimorphism in Snakes: Sexual, Population, and Seasonal Variation in Body Size Relationships...

Snakes in the Subarctic: Fall Phenology of the Red-Sided Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) at a Northern Range Extreme

Seasonal Variation in Metabolism and Immunity in the Rubber Boa (Charina bottae)

Influence of Prey Size on Reproduction among Populations of Diamond-backed Watersnakes (Nerodia rhombifer)

Effects of Wildfires on Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) Growth and Microhabitat Use in Washington State

Neuromuscular Activity and Prey Specificity of North American Coral Snake Venoms: Micrurus browni as a Case Study

Genetic Diversity of the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) in Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Southwest Michigan

Do Free-ranging Rattlesnakes Use Thermal Cues to Detect and Evaluate Prey?

Mind the Gap: Effects of Habitat and Climate on Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) Distribution in Maine

Please reload

Accepted Abstracts

Rattlesnakes on the Edge: The Effect of Long- and Short-Distance Translocation on the Movement Patterns of Red Diamond Rattlesnakes (Crotalus ruber) in Conflict with Human Residential Development

Corbit, Aaron G.

Hayes, William K.

Department of Earth and Biological Sciences

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA, 92350 USA

Mitigation of human-rattlesnake conflict generally involves euthanizing or translocating the offending rattlesnake. Of these, translocation is generally considered more humane, especially by the general public. However, it may significantly impact the individual snake that is translocated. We studied the effect of short-distance translocation (SDT) and long-distance translocation (LDT) on Red Diamond Rattlesnakes (Crotalus ruber) located near residential development in Southern California. Depending on measure (minimum convex polygon, local convex hull, range length), activity ranges of LDT snakes were 38.6–67.1% larger than those of SDT snakes, which, in turn, had activity ranges that were 77.0–152.9% larger than those of non-translocated (NT) snakes. Snakes moved closer to human modified areas during the summer, and were translocated most often during that season at the behest of property owners. Analysis using Cox regression revealed that both SDT and LDT snakes were more likely to move into human-modified areas subsequent to translocation than NT snakes. For translocated snakes, every 1 m increase in distance moved resulted in a 1.2% decreased risk of moving into a human-modified area, and a 1.5% decreased risk of returning to the site of capture. We found no differences in the survival rate between translocated snakes (LDT an1d SDT) and NT snakes. Our findings suggest that LDT of nuisance snakes may be a viable option for at least some rattlesnake species. To reduce confusion arising from different meanings of the terms SDT and LDT among different studies, we propose standardizing the terms for distance of movement as alpha- (within the individual's home range), beta- (within the local deme), gamma- (beyond the local deme), and delta-translocation (to regions unoccupied by the species, including inter-continental).

Please reload