DOCSLIB.ORG

Water Moccasin?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Water Moccasin? SUMMARY Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth (Venomous) Is It a WATER Adult water Do not occur naturally in most of northern Georgia. snakes They bask on land or on logs and stumps near the water and water surface, and swim with their heads elevated above the MOCCASIN? moccasins may water and their bodies riding on the water surface. They be very similar may vibrate their tails and gape their mouths when threatened. If banded, the bands are widest on the sides in general and narrow on top. They have a single row of scales on appearance. the underside of their tails, elliptical eye pupils, and a Adult red-bellied water snake Both are large, heat-sensing pit. heavy-bodied Eastern snakes with rough green scales and relatively However, this information is not provided to water snake point out which species to kill and which species dull coloration. not to kill. The water moccasin’s rumored However, the following characteristics of reputation as an aggressive snake far exceeds habitat, behavior and appearance should help Juvenile Adult- light phase its true character. Research has demonstrated differentiate between them. that this species rarely strikes defensively even when harassed, relying much more on bluffing RANGE AND HABITAT behaviors. Venom is a precious commodity that The first step in answering “Is it a water water moccasins use for subduing prey. Wasting moccasin?” should be to refer to the distribution venom on anything that is not food may prevent map that illustrates that species’ range. Adult – banded Adult- dark phase Some people ask this question when they a snake from catching its next meal. Further, the Collectively, water snakes can be found in every Water Snakes (Non-venomous) see a snake in the water. Unfortunately, many gaped display of the “cottony” inner-mouth of county of Georgia, unlike the water moccasin, Occur in aquatic habitats throughout Georgia. They people assume all snakes in the water are water a water moccasin is not an act of aggression, which does not occur in most of the northern bask in limbs overhanging water and typically swim moccasins and kill them “just in case.” Yes, but rather a warning of its toxicity—no different half of the state. Although it is difficult to below the water surface. If banded, the bands are some species of snakes, including the water than the rattling behavior of rattlesnakes or summarize the habitat preferences of these two widest on top and narrow on the sides. They have moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus), also known as the bright warning colors of the coral snake. snakes, in general water moccasins shy away round eye pupils, and a double row of scales on the Venomous snakes pose very little threat to from large, open reservoirs, whereas some water underside of their tails. the cottonmouth, are venomous and therefore potentially dangerous. However, of the 45 snake humans who leave them alone. The vast majority snake species thrive in them. Water moccasins species native to Georgia, only six are venomous of snakebites result from people attempting to tend to inhabit slow-moving streams, swamps —all others are harmless. Among the 39 capture, harass or kill them. and backwaters. harmless non-venomous snakes, five species of water snakes (Nerodia spp.) are often WATER MOCCASINS unfortunate victims of mistaken identity: People Red-bellied Juvenile Red-bellied (COTTONMOUTHS) think they are water moccasins. This brochure VS. WATER SNAKES was developed to highlight the differences Range (in green) of the water ATLANTA between water snakes and water moccasins moccasin (cottonmouth) Five species of large water snakes are native in Georgia. Major reservoirs with the hope that familiarity with these snakes to Georgia —eastern green water snake outside of the water will prevent further unnecessary killing of non- (Nerodia floridana), brown water snake moccasin’s range include Eastern Green Brown venomous snakes (which is illegal by state law) Lake Allatoona and (Nerodia taxispilota), red-bellied water snake Lake Lanier. commonly found in aquatic habitats in Georgia. (Nerodia erythrogaster), banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata) and northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon). Non-venomous water snakes, such as the brown water snake above, may be mistaken for venomous water moccasins Banded Northern the presence of a pit between the eye and BASKING BEHAVIOR nostril (absent in water snakes) are reliable characteristics of water moccasins. Stories of water moccasins falling from overhanging limbs into boats are most likely based on misidentification. nostril Water moccasins typically bask on land, stumps or logs Head alignment (angled) typical Mouth-gape warning behavior Water snakes, like this northern Well-defined dark stripe between of water moccasins typical of water moccasins water snake, have bands that are eye and corner of jaw on water near the water surface, and widest on the top moccasin nostril Water moccasins rarely climb, only occasionally climb to low moccasins cannot be positively identified based solely whereas water snakes, like this limbs when access is afforded on the color of their inner-mouth lining. pit brown water snake, typically UNDERSIDE OF TAIL bask on limbs that hang over by vines or gradually sloping (Caution: Venom may remain fully toxic in dead snakes. It is the water Water moccasins have a single row of scales (similar A heat-sensing pit present in water moccasins (left) is absent in water branches. Water snakes, best to leave dead snakes of uncertain identification alone.) snakes like the banded water snake (right). Water moccasins also have however, are very agile climbers and spend a great to the belly scales) on the underside of their tail. Water elliptical pupils, while non-venomous water snakes have round pupils. deal of time basking on the limbs of shrubs and trees TAIL VIBRATION snakes have a double row of scales. (Caution: If uncertain overhanging the water. as to the species, scale characteristics should only be examined In addition to mouth-gaping, water moccasins will often on dead snakes and shed skins.) SwIMMING BEHAVIOR rapidly vibrate their tail when agitated or threatened. Although several other non-venomous snakes also exhibit this behavior (black racers, for example), water snakes do not. PATTERN For additional information on snakes please contact: Water moccasin swimming GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF When disturbed, water moccasins either hold their ground or swim away. When swimming, their head NATURAL RESOURCES is usually elevated above the water and their body HEAD SHAPE AND FEATURES WILDLIFE RESOURCES DIVISION appears overly buoyant, riding on, or nearly on, the NONGAME CONSERVATION SECTION water surface. Water snakes, on the other hand, do not The shape of the head is not a reliable way to swim high on the water and their head is not elevated. differentiate these species since water snakes can 116 RUM CREEK DRIVE When water snakes are disturbed, they almost always flare out their head when they feel threatened, making FORSYTH, GEORGIA 31029 flee by diving beneath the water. The two most common water snakes in Georgia, it look triangular. However, the elliptical shape of banded and northern, have bands that are widest on the pupil (the pupil of water snakes is round) and 478.994.1438 | FAX 478.993.3050 HEAD POSITIONING AND top. Juvenile and patterned adult water moccasins have WWW.GEORGIAWILDLIFE.COM MOUTH-GAPING BEHAVIOR “hollow” bands that are widest on the sides and appear to be hourglass-shaped when viewed from above. Also, Funding provided by The Environmental Resources Network Water moccasins typically keep their head cocked most water moccasins have a very well-defined dark (TERN). Photographs provided by Jim Flynn, Pierson Hill, at an approximately 45-degree angle, and when stripe on the side of the head that runs from the back John Jensen, and Dirk Stevenson. threatened will gape their mouth, revealing the whitish of the eye toward the corner of the jaw. The only water inner lining. Although water snakes do not display snake species with any semblance of a dark stripe on either of these behaviors they, too, may have whitish the side of the head is the banded water snake, and the coloration in the mouth lining. Therefore, dead water stripe is a poorly-defined one, at best. A banded water snake in a defensive posture, with head flared.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Yellow-Bellied Water Snake Plain-Bellied Water
    Nature Flashcards Snakes All photos are subject to the terms of the Creative Commons Public License Based on Nature Quiz Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 United States unless copyright otherwise By Phil Huxford noted. TMN-COT Meeting November, 2013 Texas Master Naturalist Cradle of Texas Chapter Cradle of Texas Chapter Yellow-bellied Water Snake Plain-bellied Water Snake Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster Elliptical eye pupils Bright yellow underneath Found around ponds, lakes, swamps, and wet bottomland forests 2 – 3 feet long Cradle of Texas Chapter Broad-banded Water snake Nerodia fasciata confluens Dark, wide bands separated by yellow Bold, dark checked stripes Strong swimmer Cradle of Texas Chapter 2 – 4 feet long Blotched Water Snake Nerodia erythrogaster transversa Black-edged; dark brown dorsal markings Yellow or sometimes orange belly Lives in small ponds, ditches, and rain-filled pools Typically 2 – 5 feet long Cradle of Texas Chapter Diamond-back Water Snake Northern Diamond-back Water Snake Nerodia rhombifer Heavy-bodied, large girth Can be dark brown Head somewhat flattened and wide Texas’ largest Nerodia Strikes without warning and viciously 4 – 6’ long Cradle of Texas Chapter Photo by J.D. Wilson http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/ Western Mud Snake Mud Snake Farancia abacura Lives in our area but rarely seen Glossy black above Red belly with black lines in belly Found in wooded swampland and wet areas Does not bite when handled but pokes tail like stinger 3 – 4 feet long Cradle of Texas Chapter Texas Coral Snake Micrurus fulvius tenere Blunt head; shiny, slender body Round pupils Colors red, yellow, black Lives in partly wooded organic material Cradle of Texas Chapter Usually 2 – 3 feet long Record: 47 ¾ inches in Brazoria County ‘Red touches yellow – kill a fellow.
    [Show full text]
  • Upper Apalachicola-Chattahoochee
    Georgia: Upper Apalachicola- Case Study Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin Water Resource Strategies and Information Needs in Response to Extreme Weather/Climate Events ACF Basin The Story in Brief Communities in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin (ACF) in Georgia, including Gwinnett County and the city of Atlanta, faced four consecutive extreme weather events: drought of 2007-08, floods of Sep- tember and winter 2009, and drought of 2011-12. These events cost taxpayers millions of dollars in damaged infrastructure, homes, and businesses and threatened water supply for ecological, agricultural, energy, and urban water users. Water utilities were faced with ensuring reliable service during and after these events. Drought of 2007-2008 and 2012 Impacts Northern Georgia saw record-low precipitation in 2007. By late spring 2008, Lake Lanier, the state’s major water supply, was at 50% of its storage capacity. The drought, combined with record-high temperatures, caused an estimated $1.3 billion in economic losses and threatened local water utilities’ ability to meet demand for four million people. Similar drought conditions unfolded in 2011-2012, during which numerous Water Trends Georgia counties were declared disaster zones. The Chattahoochee River, its tributaries, and Reduced rain affected recharge of the surface-water- Lake Lanier provide water to most of the dependent reservoir. It reduced flows, dried tributaries, “There is nothing simple, nothing one sub-basin Atlanta and Columbus metro populations. The and caused ecological damage in a landscape already river is the most heavily used water resource in affected by urbanization, impervious cover, and reduced can do to solve the problem.
    [Show full text]
  • COTTONMOUTH Agkistrodon Piscivorus
    COTTONMOUTH Agkistrodon piscivorus Agkistrodon is derived from ankistron and odon which in Greek mean “fishhook” and “tooth or teeth;” referring to the curved fangs of this species. Piscivorus is derived from piscis and voro which in Latin mean “fish” and “to eat”. Another common name for cottonmouth is water moccasin. The Cottonmouth is venomous. While its bite is rarely fatal, tissue damage is likely to occur and can be severe if not treated promptly. IDENTIFICATION Appearance: The cottonmouth is a stout- bodied venomous snake that reaches lengths of 30 to 42 inches as adults. Most adults are uniformly dark brown, olive, or black, tending to lose the cross banded patterning with age. Some individuals may have a dark cheek stripe (upper right image). The cottonmouth has the diagnostic features of the pit-viper family such as a wedge-shaped head, sensory pits between the eyes and nostrils, and vertical “cat-like” pupils. Juveniles are lighter and more boldly patterned with a yellow coloration toward the tip of the tail (lower right image). Dorsal scales are weakly keeled, and the subcaudal scales form only one row. Cottonmouths also have a single anal Mike Redmer plate. Subspecies: There are three subspecies of the cottonmouth. The Western Cottonmouth (A. p. leucostoma) is the only subspecies found in the Midwest. The term leucostoma refers to the white interior of mouth. Confusing Species: The non-venomous watersnakes (Nerodia) are commonly confused with Cottonmouths across their range, simply because they are snakes in water. Thus it is important to note that Cottonmouths are only found in southernmost Midwest.
    [Show full text]
  • Northern Watersnake Selection of Fish Prey in Western Kentucky
    Northern Watersnake Diet . Perkins and Eason Northern Watersnake Selection of Fish Prey in Western Kentucky Micah W. Perkins 1, Department of Biology, University of Louisville, 139 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, KY 40292 Perri K. Eason, Department of Biology, University of Louisville, 139 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, KY 40292 Abstract: Watersnakes serve a variety of important roles in aquatic ecosystems with many species being of conservation interest. The northern water- snake (Nerodia sipedon) has some populations of concern, but is found in a wide variety of aquatic habitats throughout North America. Although pre- vious studies have examined the diet of this typically piscivorous species, research has not addressed whether the northern watersnake is preferentially selecting particular fish as prey. In this study, we sampled snake stomach contents and used Chesson’s alpha selection index α( i) to investigate whether northern watersnakes are eating fish families in proportion to their availability or are preferentially selecting or avoiding specific fish families. At the Sloughs Wildlife Management Area in western Kentucky, the northern watersnake fed on fish from six families in 2013 (n = 15) and 2014 (n = 36). Five of those fish families were eaten in proportion to their availability but avoided pirate perch (Aphredoderus sayanus), the lone member of the family Aphredoderidae. This is the first study testing prey preferences in the northern watersnake. Key words: northern watersnake, Nerodia sipedon, diet selection, fish family, pirate perch Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 5:144–149 Many watersnakes are of conservation concern and can poten- igan shifted from a heavily amphibian-based diet to feeding only on tially be used as indicators to understand harmful human impacts fishes (Meyer 1992, Carbone 1993).
    [Show full text]
  • Cottonmouth Snake Bites Reported to the Toxic North American Snakebite Registry 2013–2017
    Clinical Toxicology ISSN: 1556-3650 (Print) 1556-9519 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ictx20 Cottonmouth snake bites reported to the ToxIC North American snakebite registry 2013–2017 K. Domanski, K. C. Kleinschmidt, S. Greene, A. M. Ruha, V. Berbata, N. Onisko, S. Campleman, J. Brent, P. Wax & on behalf of the ToxIC North American Snakebite Registry Group To cite this article: K. Domanski, K. C. Kleinschmidt, S. Greene, A. M. Ruha, V. Berbata, N. Onisko, S. Campleman, J. Brent, P. Wax & on behalf of the ToxIC North American Snakebite Registry Group (2019): Cottonmouth snake bites reported to the ToxIC North American snakebite registry 2013–2017, Clinical Toxicology, DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2019.1627367 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2019.1627367 Published online: 13 Jun 2019. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 38 View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ictx20 CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2019.1627367 CLINICAL RESEARCH Cottonmouth snake bites reported to the ToxIC North American snakebite registry 2013–2017 K. Domanskia, K. C. Kleinschmidtb, S. Greenec , A. M. Ruhad, V. Berbatae, N. Oniskob, S. Camplemanf, J. Brente, P. Waxb and on behalf of the ToxIC North American Snakebite Registry Group aReno School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA; bSouthwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA; cBaylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; dBanner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA; eEmergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA; fAmerican College of Medical Toxicology, Phoenix, AZ, USA ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Introduction: The majority of venomous snake exposures in the United States are due to snakes from Received 9 April 2019 the subfamily Crotalinae (pit vipers).
    [Show full text]
  • Checklist Reptile and Amphibian
    To report sightings, contact: Natural Resources Coordinator 980-314-1119 www.parkandrec.com REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN CHECKLIST Mecklenburg County, NC: 66 species Mole Salamanders ☐ Pickerel Frog ☐ Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis) ☐ Spotted Salamander (Rana (Lithobates) palustris) Whiptails (Ambystoma maculatum) ☐ Southern Leopard Frog ☐ Six-lined Racerunner ☐ Marbled Salamander (Rana (Lithobates) sphenocephala (Aspidoscelis sexlineata) (Ambystoma opacum) (sphenocephalus)) Nonvenomous Snakes Lungless Salamanders Snapping Turtles ☐ Eastern Worm Snake ☐ Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) ☐ Common Snapping Turtle (Carphophis amoenus) ☐ Southern Two-lined Salamander (Chelydra serpentina) ☐ Scarlet Snake1 (Cemophora coccinea) (Eurycea cirrigera) Box and Water Turtles ☐ Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) ☐ Three-lined Salamander ☐ Northern Painted Turtle ☐ Ring-necked Snake (Eurycea guttolineata) (Chrysemys picta) (Diadophis punctatus) ☐ Spring Salamander ☐ Spotted Turtle2, 6 (Clemmys guttata) ☐ Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus) ☐ River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna) ☐ Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) ☐ Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) ☐ Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) ☐ Eastern Hognose Snake ☐ Mud Salamander (Pseudotriton montanus) ☐ Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta) (Heterodon platirhinos) ☐ Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) ☐ Red-eared Slider3 ☐ Mole Kingsnake Newts (Trachemys scripta elegans) (Lampropeltis calligaster) ☐ Red-spotted Newt Mud and Musk Turtles ☐ Eastern Kingsnake
    [Show full text]
  • Rule 391-3-6-.03. Water Use Classifications and Water Quality Standards
    Presented below are water quality standards that are in effect for Clean Water Act purposes. EPA is posting these standards as a convenience to users and has made a reasonable effort to assure their accuracy. Additionally, EPA has made a reasonable effort to identify parts of the standards that are not approved, disapproved, or are otherwise not in effect for Clean Water Act purposes. Rule 391-3-6-.03. Water Use Classifications and Water Quality Standards ( 1) Purpose. The establishment of water quality standards. (2) W ate r Quality Enhancement: (a) The purposes and intent of the State in establishing Water Quality Standards are to provide enhancement of water quality and prevention of pollution; to protect the public health or welfare in accordance with the public interest for drinking water supplies, conservation of fish, wildlife and other beneficial aquatic life, and agricultural, industrial, recreational, and other reasonable and necessary uses and to maintain and improve the biological integrity of the waters of the State. ( b) The following paragraphs describe the three tiers of the State's waters. (i) Tier 1 - Existing instream water uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect the existing uses shall be maintained and protected. (ii) Tier 2 - Where the quality of the waters exceed levels necessary to support propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water, that quality shall be maintained and protected unless the division finds, after full satisfaction of the intergovernmental coordination and public participation provisions of the division's continuing planning process, that allowing lower water quality is necessary to accommodate important economic or social development in the area in which the waters are located.
    [Show full text]
  • Agkistrodon Piscivorus)
    BearWorks MSU Graduate Theses Fall 2019 Behavioral Aspects Of Chemoreception In Juvenile Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus) Chelsea E. Martin Missouri State University, [email protected] As with any intellectual project, the content and views expressed in this thesis may be considered objectionable by some readers. However, this student-scholar’s work has been judged to have academic value by the student’s thesis committee members trained in the discipline. The content and views expressed in this thesis are those of the student-scholar and are not endorsed by Missouri State University, its Graduate College, or its employees. Follow this and additional works at: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses Part of the Behavior and Ethology Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Chelsea E., "Behavioral Aspects Of Chemoreception In Juvenile Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus)" (2019). MSU Graduate Theses. 3466. https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3466 This article or document was made available through BearWorks, the institutional repository of Missouri State University. The work contained in it may be protected by copyright and require permission of the copyright holder for reuse or redistribution. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF CHEMORECEPTION IN JUVENILE COTTONMOUTHS (AGKISTRODON PISCIVORUS) A Master’s Thesis Presented to The Graduate College of Missouri State University TEMPLATE In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science, Biology By Chelsea E. Martin December 2019 Copyright 2019 by Chelsea Elizabeth Martin ii BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF CHEMORECPTION IN JUVENILE COTTONMOUTHS (AGKISTRODON PISCIVORUS) Biology Missouri State University, December 2019 Master of Science Chelsea E. Martin ABSTRACT For snakes, chemical recognition of predators, prey, and conspecifics has important ecological consequences.
    [Show full text]
  • Checklist of Reptiles and Amphibians Revoct2017
    CHECKLIST of AMPHIBIANS and REPTILES of ARCHBOLD BIOLOGICAL STATION, the RESERVE, and BUCK ISLAND RANCH, Highlands County, Florida. Voucher specimens of species recorded from the Station are deposited in the Station reference collections and the herpetology collection of the American Museum of Natural History. Occurrence3 Scientific name1 Common name Status2 Exotic Station Reserve Ranch AMPHIBIANS Order Anura Family Bufonidae Anaxyrus quercicus Oak Toad X X X Anaxyrus terrestris Southern Toad X X X Rhinella marina Cane Toad ■ X Family Hylidae Acris gryllus dorsalis Florida Cricket Frog X X X Hyla cinerea Green Treefrog X X X Hyla femoralis Pine Woods Treefrog X X X Hyla gratiosa Barking Treefrog X X X Hyla squirella Squirrel Treefrog X X X Osteopilus septentrionalis Cuban Treefrog ■ X X Pseudacris nigrita Southern Chorus Frog X X Pseudacris ocularis Little Grass Frog X X X Family Leptodactylidae Eleutherodactylus planirostris Greenhouse Frog ■ X X X Family Microhylidae Gastrophryne carolinensis Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad X X X Family Ranidae Lithobates capito Gopher Frog X X X Lithobates catesbeianus American Bullfrog ? 4 X X Lithobates grylio Pig Frog X X X Lithobates sphenocephalus sphenocephalus Florida Leopard Frog X X X Order Caudata Family Amphiumidae Amphiuma means Two-toed Amphiuma X X X Family Plethodontidae Eurycea quadridigitata Dwarf Salamander X Family Salamandridae Notophthalmus viridescens piaropicola Peninsula Newt X X Family Sirenidae Pseudobranchus axanthus axanthus Narrow-striped Dwarf Siren X Pseudobranchus striatus
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents List of Figures
    SANDHILL LAKES MITIGATION BANK (FITZHUGH CARTER TRACT) OF ECONFINA CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA ANNUAL REPORT 2009-2010 Prepared by Justin Davis, Wildlife Biologist Division of Habitat and Species Conservation Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................4 LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................8 LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................11 HABITAT ....................................................................................................................11 Ecological and Land Cover Classification .............................................................11 Water Levels ..........................................................................................................12 Photo Plots .............................................................................................................13 FISH AND WILDLIFE POPULATIONS ...................................................................14 Freshwater Fish ..........................................................................................................15 Fish Population Assessment ..................................................................................15
    [Show full text]
  • Snakes of the Everglades Agricultural Area1 Michelle L
    CIR1462 Snakes of the Everglades Agricultural Area1 Michelle L. Casler, Elise V. Pearlstine, Frank J. Mazzotti, and Kenneth L. Krysko2 Background snakes are often escapees or are released deliberately and illegally by owners who can no longer care for them. Snakes are members of the vertebrate order Squamata However, there has been no documentation of these snakes (suborder Serpentes) and are most closely related to lizards breeding in the EAA (Tennant 1997). (suborder Sauria). All snakes are legless and have elongated trunks. They can be found in a variety of habitats and are able to climb trees; swim through streams, lakes, or oceans; Benefits of Snakes and move across sand or through leaf litter in a forest. Snakes are an important part of the environment and play Often secretive, they rely on scent rather than vision for a role in keeping the balance of nature. They aid in the social and predatory behaviors. A snake’s skull is highly control of rodents and invertebrates. Also, some snakes modified and has a great degree of flexibility, called cranial prey on other snakes. The Florida kingsnake (Lampropeltis kinesis, that allows it to swallow prey much larger than its getula floridana), for example, prefers snakes as prey and head. will even eat venomous species. Snakes also provide a food source for other animals such as birds and alligators. Of the 45 snake species (70 subspecies) that occur through- out Florida, 23 may be found in the Everglades Agricultural Snake Conservation Area (EAA). Of the 23, only four are venomous. The venomous species that may occur in the EAA are the coral Loss of habitat is the most significant problem facing many snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius), Florida cottonmouth wildlife species in Florida, snakes included.
    [Show full text]
  • Check List 17 (1): 27–38
    17 1 ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES Check List 17 (1): 27–38 https://doi.org/10.15560/17.1.27 A herpetological survey of Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary Dillon Jones1, Bethany Foshee2, Lee Fitzgerald1 1 Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. 2 Houston Audubon, 440 Wilchester Blvd. Houston, TX 77079 USA. Corresponding author: Dillon Jones, [email protected] Abstract Urban herpetology deals with the interaction of amphibians and reptiles with each other and their environment in an ur- ban setting. As such, well-preserved natural areas within urban environments can be important tools for conservation. Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary is an 18-acre wooded sanctuary located west of downtown Houston, Texas and is the headquarters to Houston Audubon Society. This study compared iNaturalist data with results from visual encounter surveys and aquatic funnel traps. Results from these two sources showed 24 species belonging to 12 families and 17 genera of herpetofauna inhabit the property. However, several species common in surrounding areas were absent. Combination of data from community science and traditional survey methods allowed us to better highlight herpe- tofauna present in the park besides also identifying species that may be of management concern for Edith L. Moore. Keywords Community science, iNaturalist, urban herpetology Academic editor: Luisa Diele-Viegas | Received 27 August 2020 | Accepted 16 November 2020 | Published 6 January 2021 Citation: Jones D, Foshee B, Fitzgerald L (2021) A herpetology survey of Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. Check List 17 (1): 27–28. https://doi.
    [Show full text]