nakes in the Neighborhood

Effects of urbanization on amphibians and S By Joanne Littlefield

The tiger ( tigris) is found in the Southwest in arid, rocky,

Chris Scott desert foothills from sea level to 4,800 feet. It feeds on rodents and will eat lizards as well.

esert dwellers are a curious lot. We around the eastern portion of Saguaro Dwant sweeping vistas and inspiring National Park. What he and his assistants sunsets. The haunting sound of have discovered could help developers as howling in the distance evokes nostalgia for they plan for the future. Using radio the wild West. But are a different telemetry, which involved placing story. Most people don’t want them transmitters into the body cavity of the slithering through their backyards and snakes, they were able to track the snakes perhaps into their homes. Each year the as they moved about. Rural Metro Fire Department is called to “The snakes tend to overwinter on steep, remove thousands of snakes from rocky slopes, and then they go down into backyards in the city foothills as the parade surrounding washes in the summertime, of new houses marches farther into the where they forage and mate,” Goode says. desert. He notes that planners for a local resort Until a few years ago, if a developer in have placed home sites on the precise area Arizona said “show me the data” about the that the use as a major travel potential impact of development on corridor between the slopes and the wash. wildlife, there was very little solid research “I guarantee you they’re going to have a to offer. Yet most wildlife biologists agree lot of tiger rattlesnakes crawling through The presence of wildlife is often that development is probably the main the resort after it’s built,” he predicts. considered one of the benefits threat to wildlife in the state. Because the tiger rattlesnake is not an of desert living. “When you take a bulldozer and grade endangered species, landowners are not off a piece of desert, then whatever was required to comply with specific living there probably isn’t going to be there environmental regulations for it. Goode anymore,” says Matt Goode, a University of and his colleagues are not actively trying to Arizona herpetologist with the College of stop developments, but rather are Agriculture and Life Sciences School of investigating how to make them more Renewable Natural Resources. compatible with wildlife species in the For five years Goode has studied the region, even rattlesnakes. ecology and behavior of the tiger “I don’t think any of us is going to be rattlesnake in Tucson’s Rincon Mountains happy sometime down the road if all we do

16 The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is populate the desert with people,” Goode says. The presence of wildlife is often considered one of the benefits of desert living. Studies have shown that when removed Chris Scott from a housing development, snakes tended to travel to find their way back home. Some snakes stopped eating and even died. “Translocating a gets it out of By placing radio transmitters in the body cavity of the snake, biologists are better able to gather infor- people’s yards, but will likely have serious mation on feeding and breeding habits over time. consequences for the snake,” Goode explains. “What you get is a snake that moves around a lot more than it would have By obtaining baseline data in places that in the first place, because it’s trying to find its are going to be developed, Goode and his way back home. The key is to move the research team can make comparisons to snake as short a distance as possible, such as areas that are not going to remain just outside your yard. Then it will likely undeveloped. This scientific framework move on, but still be within its home range.” should yield some important information on Goode is currently studying the effects of how urban developments affect amphibians The key is to move the snake as urban development on amphibians and and reptiles over time. short a distance as possible, such reptiles in the Tortolita Mountains, near the “Learning what it takes to coexist with as just outside your yard. Then Rancho Vistoso/Stone Canyon development wildlife is really what we’re after, says it will likely move on, but still be just north of Tucson. The golf course and Goode, “and it’s going to take some within its home range. surrounding landscape are already in place. enlightened attitudes on the part of the Goode’s preliminary findings indicate that public. After all, the snakes were here first, the golf course environment seems to attract right?” snakes and lizards. Goode’s work is funded by the Arizona “Because it’s supplying water, which is in Game and Fish Department Heritage Urban short supply in the desert, the golf course Wildlife Program, which earmarks nearly and surrounding landscaping are probably $200,000 annually for projects related to urban a boon to most ,” he says. wildlife conservation and education. 

THE DESERT SOUTHWEST COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT The Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit is a consortium of federal agencies, universities and non-governmental organizations in the Southwest Desert region (Arizona, California, New , Nevada, and Texas) hosted by the University of Arizona and the School of Renewable Natural Resources. The partnership addresses research, educational and technical assistance needs for the management of federal lands. The objectives of the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit are to: • Provide research, technical assistance and education to federal land management, environmental and research agencies and their potential partners; • Develop a program of research, technical assistance and education that involves the biological, physical, social, and cultural sciences needed to address resources issues and interdisciplinary problem-solving at multiple scales and in an ecosystem context at the local, regional, and national level; and CONTACT Matt Goode • Place special emphasis on the working collaboration among federal agencies and universities and (520) 626-2393 their related partner institutions. [email protected] For more information see cals.arizona.edu/srnr/dscesu

2003 Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report 17