Texas A&M Species Management Natural Resources Institute itiuinatoie oUS oenetAece only. Agencies Government U.S. to authorized Distribution Roel and Kramm Lopez Mathew R. Ryberg, Burkett, A. Wade David Zappalorti, Fitzgerald, Ryan T. Robert Schneider, W. David Report Annual (PTFL18NR04) Management Timber Species Snake, Rattlesnake Corn Snake, Pine and Turtle (PTFL180413) Bog Force) Air Base (U.S. McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Joint at Support Resources Natural eebr2019 December Species Management ii

Natural Resources Support at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (U.S. Air Force) Bog Turtle (PTFL180413) and Pine Snake, Corn Snake, Timber Rattlesnake Species Management (PTFL18NR04) Annual Report David W. Schneider, Robert T. Zappalorti, David Burkett and Ryan Fitzgerald Herpetological Associates, Inc. 405 Magnolia Road Pemberton, NJ 08068 Phone: 732-833-8600

Wade A. Ryberg, Mathew Kramm and Roel R. Lopez Texas A&M University Natural Resources Institute 578 John Kimbrough Blvd. 2260 TAMU College Station, TX 77840-2260 Phone: 979-845-1851

Annual Report Distribution authorized to U.S. Government Agencies only. Species Management iii

Table of Contents

Executive Summary…………………………………………………….iv

Contact Information……………………………………………………..v

Introduction……………………………………………………………….1

Materials and Methods………………………………………………….5

Results of the Invesitigation………………………………………….10

Summary…………………………………………………………………71

Literature Cited………………………………………………………….73

Species Management iv

Executive Summary

This report describes 2018-19 survey results for bog turtles, northern pine snakes, corn snakes, and timber rattlesnakes on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (U.S. Air Force; JB MDL). Where appropriate, captured snakes were monitored using telemetry methods over their entire activity season to characterize summer habitat use, determine their home range size, and to locate critical winter den sites. Below we summarize the major findings of this species management project.

 Wetland surveys did not reveal any habitat on JB MDL for the federally threatened bog turtle.

 A total of 16 northern pine snakes and 6 corn snakes were captured or observed during visual surveys over 69 days between June 6 and November 1, 2018.

 A total of 25 northern pine snakes and 10 corn snakes were captured or observed during visual surveys over 87 days between May 1 and October 1, 2019.

 No timber rattlesnakes were detected during surveys on JB MDL in 2018-19.

 No threatened or endangered snake species were captured in 3 drift fence trap arrays in 2018. Six additional drift fence trap arrays were installed in 2019. That same year the 9 arrays captured 5 northern pine snakes and 1 eastern kingsnake, which was new to the study. The eastern kingsnake is listed as a species of special concern in New Jersey.

 Radio-telemetry was used to characterize summer habitat use, home range size, and winter den sites for 3 pine snakes and 2 corn snakes throughout their activity season in 2018. Those individual snakes were tracked again in 2019, although one male corn snake experienced transmitter failure and a male pine snake was lost to predation. Detailed results from this telemetry monitoring are located on pages 42-52.

 In 2019, an additional 7 pine snakes and 3 corn snakes were implanted with transmitters and tracked throughout the field season. One female pine snake was lost to predation. Detailed results from this telemetry monitoring are located on pages 53-70.

 A total of 9 northern pine snakes and 3 corn snakes are currently being tracked on JB MDL. Telemetry monitoring of these individuals will continue through August 2020.

2019 Important Habitats and Future Management of Northern Pine Snake, Corn Snake and Timber Rattlesnakes at Joint Base – McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst, New Jersey

Prepared by: David W. Schneider, Robert T. Zappalorti, David Burkett and Ryan Fitzgerald Herpetological Associates, Inc., 405 Magnolia Road, Pemberton, New Jersey 08068 12/1/2019

Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

INTRODUCTION

Herpetological Associates, Inc. (hereafter HA) was retained by Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute as their sub-consultant to conduct intensive habitat evaluations to identify suitable areas for the northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus - state-listed threatened), red corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus - state-listed endangered) and timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus - state-listed endangered), on an approximate 6,000-acre study area within the larger Joint Base, McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (hereafter JB MDL). This joint base military complex is located in Ocean and Burlington Counties, New Jersey (Figures 1 and 2).

The goal of HA’s investigation was to provide baseline information regarding the status of these state-listed species on JB MDL to the Department of Defense in preparation of an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP). The INRMP will be used as a guideline for possibly avoiding potential impacts from the development of new and improved training facilities, improvements of firing ranges, and other upgraded military training facilities. Some of these actions may infringe upon the important habitat of these state-listed snake species. The results presented in this report are the preliminary findings from visual random searching efforts, drift fence trapping surveys and radio-telemetry studies conducted between May 24 and November 1, 2018 and May 1 and November 1, 2019 on JB MDL.

HA is an environmental consulting company that specializes in endangered, threatened, and rare (ETR) plant and wildlife species, with particular emphasis on herpetology. HA has 42-years of experience working with rare plants, birds, reptiles and amphibians and has studied them extensively in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. The results of some of HA’s research has been published in scientific journals and are available at HerpetologicalAssociates.com. All survey methods used are proven methods, used by researchers in various parts of the country for wildlife sampling. HA’s survey methods for endangered and threatened wildlife have been used successfully in the past and have been accepted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the New Jersey Pinelands Commission (NJPC).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

After all contract negotiations were completed, a kick-off phone conference was held on May 23, 2018, with representatives from Texas A&M, the Army Corps of Engineers, JB MDL and key HA staff members. Roel Lopez of Texas A&M Natural Resource Institute (NRI) conducted an online Power Point presentation. The various topics presented and discussed were aspects of the project overview, general herpetological methods to be employed, HA’s study plan, the time-line of field work, and the project deliverables. The phone conference set the stage for the planning and methods to be employed during this investigation.

In March 2019, because of the lack of suitable bog turtle habitat on JB MDL, the contract was amended to shift the funds allocated for bog turtle surveys to additional snake surveys. This would increase the trapping effort from 3 drift fences to 6 and double the radio-tracking effort from 6 snakes to 12. In addition, in April, 2019, a new contract was awarded to extend the study to August, 2020 and increase the trapping effort to 9 drift fences and the radio-tracking to 16 snakes.

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OUTLINE OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SNAKE SURVEYS

T&E Snake Survey Objectives

The 2018 portion of the investigation was focused on the following tasks:

 Through the use of three, approximately 3-hundred foot drift fences in conjunction with intensive visual survey efforts to capture snakes for a mark, release and recapture study, as well as an intensive radio-tracking study.

 Identification and documentation of any potential critical habitat such as hibernacula (winter dens) and nesting areas (pine snakes).

 An intensive search for gravid female pine snakes and/or their nesting areas.

 The mapping of all initial snake capture locations, nesting locations and hibernacula via GPS/GIS and the marking of all target snakes (pine, corn, timber rattlesnake) with micro-chip PIT Tags.

 The photo-documentation of all target species and critical habitat features via digital camera.

 The surgical implantation of 3 adult northern pine snakes and 3 adult corn snakes (preferably 1 - 2 miles apart from each other) with radio-transmitters and monitor them throughout the 2018 and 2019 active seasons. Although permission was requested by HA, the NJDEP does not allow the radio-tracking of endangered snakes to identify the impacts of development on such species. HA was granted permission to radio-track corn snakes on JB MDL because they were added to an existing conservation based survey HA is conducting on Pine Barrens corn snakes. Based on a request from John Joyce (he has a lot of information from previous pine snake surveys conducted at the Lakehurst section of JB MDL), no pine snakes were radio-tracked from the Lakehurst section of JB MDL.

 Submission of monthly progress reports via e-mail.

 The preparation of a final report presenting the results of the 18 month investigation along with recommendations.

2019:

In addition to the tasks listed above, the trapping effort was increased to 9 drift fences (6 on Fort Dix and 3 on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL) and the radio-tracking effort was increased to 16 snakes. Permission from NJDEP to track timber rattlesnakes was also obtained.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS

SURVEYORS

The following HA staff participated in the surveys: Matthew P. McCort, Herpetologist/Wildlife Ecologist; David W. Schneider, Herpetologist/Wildlife Ecologist; Raymond Farrell, USFWS Recognized/Qualified Bog Turtle Surveyor; Bill Callaghan, Field Biologist; Ryan Fitzgerald, Field Biologist; Andrew Scarpulla, Field Biologist and Patrick Slaby, Field Biologist.

HABITAT EVALUATIONs

HA has three criteria for judging the potential value of the available habitat and its existing conditions for endangered, threatened or rare species (ETR species). These are:

1. Structure of Available Habitat: Both the biotic and abiotic components are considered. These are good indicators for the possible occurrence of particular ETR species within a specific study area (Burger and Zappalorti, 1986; Reinert and Zappalorti, 1988a and 1988b; and Heyer et al., 1994).

2. Historic Evidence: Known sightings of the target ETR species in the State Natural Heritage Program database, and historic records on or in the vicinity of a study site, are important to the overall evaluation of a site as habitat for ETR species (Zappalorti and Johnson, 1982, Golden and Jenkins 2003, Golden et al. 2009).

3. Indicator Species: The presence of plant and animal species that are often found in association with a target ETR species is highly informative when evaluating the suitability of a study site. Such indicator species may include food/prey organisms, or species that typically occur in similar or identical habitats as the target ETR species. The presence of associated or indicator species demonstrates the ecological value of the habitat within a particular study site (Frier and Zappalorti 1983, Brown 1993, Kingsbury and Gibson 2002).

Snake Survey Techniques

Snakes are often difficult to census due to their highly secretive nature and ability to remain hidden for long periods of time. Environmental conditions such as ambient temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, relative humidity, light intensity, wind, and season have strong influences on snake activity patterns (Vogt and Hine, 1982). Unsuitable weather conditions may lead to increased fossorial behavior (burrowing), markedly reduced activity, shifts in habitat usage, and/or estivation (dormancy during hot and dry conditions). Therefore, the use of several sampling techniques which take into account the various aspects of an animals’ biology will often result in the best assessment of the target species’ relative abundance (Zappalorti and Torocco 2002). The following visual search methods were performed.

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Visual Search Techniques

Random Opportunistic Sampling (ROS) - A simple method used by the trained herpetologist, ROS was employed in conjunction with other sampling techniques on the study site. Habitats that showed potential for target species were searched. This search method is not constrained or standardized in time transects, but instead relied on the experience and professional judgement of the investigators. This method is effective if there are no time constraints, however detailed surveys will be performed as a follow-up (Campbell and Christman 1982; Karns 1986). Qualitative impressions were determined as to the relative abundance and habitat use of certain species during ROS. All wildlife encountered was recorded to supplement the species list generated by other field methods.

Time-constrained Searching (TCS) - A specific habitat (e.g., oak/pine forest, pine/oak forest, and a wetland corridor) was selected, and all potential hiding places for reptiles and amphibians were searched. Fallen logs, stones, leaf-litter, artificial cover objects (discarded sheets of wood or metal, rugs, and furniture), were overturned. Open, sunny areas were searched for surface active or basking snakes. Spatial boundaries for each search were limited to the selected habitat. Time limits ensured that each habitat was adequately, but not excessively, examined. When target species congregate in particular habitats (e.g., nesting area, hibernacula) for important life history events, TCS is highly productive and superior to other types of surveys methods (Campbell and Christman 1982; Karns 1986).

Diurnal and Nocturnal Road Cruising - Roads which border potential habitat often yield both living and road-killed (referred to as DOR, Dead on Road) reptiles, amphibians, and other animals. Identification of species found while road cruising can provide useful information on migration routes, activity patterns, and habitat utilization/partitioning. The basic presence or absence of a species in a particular area can also be determined by the identification of their remains alone. Road cruising was used passively, such as while driving to and from the site or while driving/walking to and from areas on the site, or it was initiated as a specific surveying technique. This method involves driving a vehicle at slow speed along sand trails and paved roads at various times of the day and/or night. Road cruising is often highly productive on warm, humid or rainy spring nights, or during other periods of high activity. Animals moving across roads and those killed were collected and/or identified (Campbell and Christman, 1982; Karns, 1986; Zappalorti and Torocco 2002).

Pine Snake Nest Survey - Surveys for pine snake nests were conducted by HA staff during the nesting period (late June-early July), as well as in late August and early September when the eggs were hatching. Typical pine snake nesting habitat consists of sandy uplands with few shrubs or tree cover and characteristic plants such as Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pennsylvanica) and golden heather (Hudsonia spp.) – (Burger and Zappalorti, 1986; 1991). Pine snake nests can be located by the characteristic sand dump pile left by the nesting female after nesting (Burger and Zappalorti, 1991). Additionally, pine snake nesting areas can be found by locating the hatchlings (or their fresh shed skins) in early September when the effects of weather makes the sand dump piles difficult to find (Zappalorti, personal observations). The primary goal of these surveys was to delineate critical pine snake nesting habitat.

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Figure 3. Drift fence trapping array number one, showing a snake trap attached to the base of the nylon fabric.

Drift Fence Trapping Survey

Surveys for corn snake, pine snake and timber rattlesnakes also included intensive drift fence surveys. The drift fences were constructed of black nylon silt fencing, three (3) feet in height, and supported with four (4) foot long wood fence posts (Figure 3). Approximately three (3) to five (5) inches (8 - 12 cm) of the fence material was buried and back-filled in a trench, thereby preventing snakes from escaping under the fence. A small hole (approximately four inches in diameter) was cut into the fence material (at the ground surface), and a box trap was connected to the hole, thereby providing a place for snakes to crawl through the fence and become trapped.

Traps are placed on each side and at the ends of the fences in an alternating fashion to capture snakes traveling in each direction (Figure 4). The traps were constructed from treated plywood and one quarter (1/4) inch mesh galvanized hardware cloth. The traps measure approximately three (3) feet long, one (1) foot high, and one (1) foot wide. Each trap has one plastic funnel placed with the wide end attached to the trap entrance and the narrow end two (2) inches wide extending into the trap.

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Figure 4. The terminus of each drift fence array has V-shaped arms on the ends which guides snakes crawling along the fence into the end trap. A snake trap works on a principle similar to that of a minnow (funnel) trap, where fish (and in this case, snakes) are able to enter the trap but have great difficulty in finding their way out. Leaves and damp sphagnum moss were placed in each trap to provide a cool, moist retreat for trapped snakes, and a wooden cover was placed over the top to reduce the snake’s exposure to the sun.

In 2018, three (3) drift fence trapping arrays (Fences 1, 2 & 3) totaling 1,500 linear feet and 18 snake traps were installed at three (3) locations distributed throughout JB MDL to increase the chances of capturing free-ranging snakes (Figure 5). The trapping arrays were installed at specific locations based on their potential to harbor snakes as well as accessibility. Each fence is 500 feet long fence and has six (6) traps attached. The traps were checked every day (e.g., 24 hours) while in operation.

Drift fence No. 1 was located where pine and corn snakes were captured or observed in 2010 and 2011. Drift fence No. 2 was located in the close vicinity where a road killed (DOR) adult male timber rattlesnake was found on Ft. Dix in 2009 (confirmed by HA). Drift fence No. 3 was located where 2 corn snakes were found at Lakehurst in 2017 (Figure 5).

In 2019, six (6) additional trapping arrays FY 18 Modified (Fences 4, 5 & 6) and FY 19 (Fences 7,

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8 & 9) were added to the study to further increase the chances of capturing the target species (Figure 5).

Drift Fence No. 1: South of Cooks Road and northwest of COL Victory – Ft. Dix.

Drift Fence No. 2: Bivouac Area 12-A, south of Range Road – Ft. Dix.

Drift Fence No. 3: North side of Scorpion Drop Zone (Jump Circle) at Lakehurst.

Drift Fence No. 4: Southwest corner of Lakehurst, just north of South Boundary Road.

Drift Fence No. 5: West of Cookstown Road – Browns Mills Road – Ft. Dix.

Drift Fence No. 6: East side of Bivouac 22 – Ft. Dix.

Drift Fence No. 7: South of Test Track 5 – Lakehurst.

Drift Fence No. 8: East of Cookstown – Browns Mills Road – Ft. Dix.

Drift Fence No. 9: West of Cooks Corner Road – Ft. Dix

Monitoring Snakes Via Radio-telemetry

Radio-tracking is a method used to monitor the movements, habitat use and behavior of free-ranging snakes. Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc. R1535 or R1680 transmitter units were used. Transmitters were designed so that their mass represents less than 5% of the snake’s body weight. The typical reception range of the transmitters was 400 to 1000 meters. Snakes with transmitter implants were located in the field once every 48 hour period using a Wildlife Materials International (Model TRX-2000S) receiver, unless weather conditions forced changes to the tracking schedule interval. Equipment problems (either transmitter or receiver) also affected the radio-tracking frequency intervals, but that aside, attempts to locate each snake were made every 48 hours (Mech 1983). Each snake re-location was recorded in the field using a GPS unit along with all weather and habitat use data.

Transmitter Surgeries

Transmitters were surgically implanted in the coelomic cavity following the general procedure of Reinert and Cundall (1982), with improvements and modifications (Mech 1983; Reinert 1992). All snakes radio-tracked in 2018 had surgeries performed by qualified HA staff members in HA’s laboratory in Pemberton, New Jersey.

After pine and corn snakes were captured they were assessed for size and fitness, then implanted with transmitters. Three pine snakes and 3 corn snakes were systematically collected from the field for the surgical procedure. HA staff assessed the overall health of each snake. Time frames for implantation and eventual release varied with the condition of each specimen (gravid females, snakes in a shed cycle). All snake surgeries were completed before August 1, 2018 (Rudolph et al, 1998).

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Activity Range Analysis

Radio-telemetry and GPS plotted points provided the data necessary for the calculation of activity ranges for all radio-tracked monitored pine and corn snakes. Activity range is defined as the area each snake used for all life history activities over the course of a season, which includes emergence from hibernation until winter ingress back into its den (Gregory et al, 1987). One method was used to arrive at the activity range for each snake: 100% Minimum Convex Polygon (Samuel et al, 1985; Tiebout and Carey 1987; Tufto et al, 1996; Seaman and Powell 1996).

Minimum Convex Polygon

The Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) method of activity range analysis has historic prominence in the literature due to its relative ease of use. This MCP method uses the outer most points plotted on a map which includes 100% of the relocation points to calculate activity ranges for each snake. The outermost points on the map are connected to form a polygon. The area of the polygon is then calculated to arrive at the MCP activity range. Activity range maps were produced using ArcView 3.2 (Environmental Systems Research Institute, ESRI, Inc., 1992-1999) and activity range maps/calculations were done with the Animal Movement Program 2.0 (Hooge and Eichenlaub, 1997, USGS, Alaska Biological Science Center).

RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION

Description of Existing Conditions and Habitats

Threatened and Endangered snake surveys in 2018 were focused on habitats on the western portion of the Lakehurst section of JB MDL and areas south and east of the impact area on the Dix section. These areas were chosen based on historic and recent records of observations/captures of timber rattlesnakes, red corn snakes and pine snakes. These areas consist of a mixture of habitats, comprised mostly of upland pine/oak forests, wetlands and disturbed open fields (training areas, airfields etc.). Route 539 bisects the study area from north to south. Manchester Wildlife Management Area is east of Route 539 and Brendan Byrne State Forest (including White’s Bogs) forms the southern boundary of the Dix section. Route 70 is to the south of both the Dix and Lakehurst sections of JB MDL (Figures 1 and 2).

The upland Pine Barrens habitats on the Fort Dix and Lakehurst sections of JB MDL represents a post-Pleistocene sand ridge area with unique geomorphic features that support unique plant and animal communities adapted to dry nutrient-poor habitat conditions. Much of the habitat on these areas has been altered, since this has been a military training center for 100 years (Dix and Lakehurst sections).

The forested habitat consists mainly of pine/oak forests dominated by pitch pine and oak species such as chestnut oak (Quercus prinus), black oak (Q. velutina) and white oak (Q. alba). However, in many areas the oaks are more dominant than the pines. Other common species observed include blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), post oak (Q. stellata), sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and American holly (Ilex opaca) (Figures 6 and 7).

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The understory vegetation consists mainly of saplings of the above mentioned species. The shrub layer is consistent with other forested Pine Barrens habitats in that it varies depending on the location and elevation. In higher and drier areas the understory is dominated by scrub oak (Q. Ilicifolia), whereas, in slightly lower areas, the shrub layer is dominated by members of the family Ericaceae such as black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), dangleberry (G. frondosa), inkberry (Ilex glabra) and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia). In low and transitional areas, highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) is common to abundant. Other species observed include: staggerbush (Lyonia mariana), sheep laurel (Kalmia latifolia), turkey beard (Xerophyllum asphodeloides), and northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica). The ground cover consists mainly of dead trees, branches, leaves and pine needles. The vegetation on the forest floor includes teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens), greenbrier, false reindeer lichen (Cladonia subtenuis) and various other moss species.

Because of the nature of JB MDL as a training facility for the U.S. military, there are many open fields used for various military exercises such as firing ranges, runway buffers, driver training areas and mock villages for combat training (Figures 8 and 9). Most of these areas are maintained by periodic mowing of brush and shrubs. The dominant vegetation observed in these areas and along roadside edges consists of various grasses such as broom sedge (Andropogon virginicus), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switch grass (Panicum virgatum), Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) and the nonnative and invasive African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula). Other common vegetation observed in the open canopied areas include: golden heather (Hudsonia ericoides), Pine Barrens sandwort (Arenaria caroliniana), sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa).

A variety of wetland habitats exist within JB MDL, such as Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), swamps, lakes, ponds, streams, abandoned cranberry bogs, pitch pine lowlands, deciduous hardwood swamps and emergent wetlands (Figure 10). The dominant tree species associated with the wetlands are typical Pine Barrens species which include: Atlantic White Cedar, red maple (Acer rubrum) and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica). Although not considered a wetland species, pitch pine can also be found in seasonally wet habitats.

Dominant shrub species observed consists of high bush blueberry, sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), fetterbush (Leucothoe racemosa) and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata). The vegetative ground cover observed consists of American cranberry (V.macrocarpon), sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.), sedges, Phragmites, bur-reed (Sarganium americanum), broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia), swamp loosestrife (Decodon verticillatus), arrow arum (Peltandra virginica), soft rush (Juncus effusus), and woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus).

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Figure 6. Upland pitch pine forest on JB MDL. This is the dominant forest type in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Figure 7. Oak/pine forest on JB MDL. This tract of forest was burned in a prescribed fire in the spring of 2018.

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Figure 8. Field habitat at JB MDL. This field appears to be an old dump on the Dix section of JB MDL. Hidden in the tall grasses are piles of old concrete and cut logs. Several snake species were found here including pine and hognose snakes.

Figure 9. Field habitat on Range 86 (Dix section of JB MDL). This field is kept in an early successional stage by being periodically mowed. Open sandy habitats are preferred by nesting female pine snakes.

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Figure 10. Pond at Lakehurst. The dominant tree species around the pond consists of red maple, gray birch and pitch pine.

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RESULTS OF HABITAT EVALUATIONS - WETLAND SURVEYS

Searches for Possible Bog Turtle Habitat

Initially, one of the main components of the threatened and endangered species surveys at JB MDL was to conduct intensive Phase II (presence/absence) and Phase III (trapping) surveys for the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii - federally listed as threatened), at pre-designated wetland areas. However, based on initial site visits to these locations on May 24, 25, and 30; and on June 4, 2018 to delineate areas for the installation of turtle traps, it was determined that no suitable habitat was present for bog turtles.

Bog turtles inhabit unpolluted, open, Sphagnum bogs and wet meadows with a soft, deep muddy bottom. Their habitat is usually vegetated with various sedges, grasses, cattail, jewel-weed, skunk cabbage, and alders (Zappalorti, 1976; Kiviat, 1978; Herman, 1994). Site visits were conducted by USFWS recognized/qualified bog turtle surveyor Raymond Farrell, and assisted by David Schneider and Matthew McCort.

Wetland 1 (Lakehurst section) - Wetland 1 is a former cranberry bog on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL near the southeast border of the base by the Borough of Lakehurst. Lake Street forms the southeastern border of the open wetland. However, it appears that over time it has now turned into a large lake (Figures 11 and 12). The northern border of the wetland is bordered by a channelized creek. Although there are large patches of tussock sedge (Carex stricta) scattered throughout the wetland, which is often found in bog turtle habitat, the water is too deep (6-12 inches) for bog turtles to survive. The trees observed consist of dead standing Atlantic white cedar, red maple, with black gum and pitch pine along the wetland edges. Other vegetation observed includes high bush blueberry, sweet pepperbush, swamp loosestrife and bur-reed.

Wetland 2 (Lakehurst section) - This wetland, located west of, and hydrologically connected to Wetland 1 is an Atlantic White Cedar swamp where, apparently, because of frequent inundation by deep water over time, the majority of the standing trees are dead (Figures 11 and 13). Because of the dead trees, the canopy is open, however, because of the depth (4-8 inches) of the water and a hard packed bottom, it is not suitable habitat for bog turtles. Other tree species observed include pitch pine and black gum growing along the wetland edge. The vegetation observed consists of tussock sedge, burr-reed, sweet pepper bush, high bush blueberry, greenbrier (Smilax spp.) and winterberry (Ilex verticillata).

Wetland 3 (Lakehurst section) - This wetland is located to the west of, and is hydrologically connected to Wetlands 1 and 2. It consists of a flood plain along the east side of a creek (Figures 11 and 14). The wetland is not spring fed and appears to be periodically inundated with deep water from the creek and is not suitable habitat for bog turtles. A small bridge crosses the creek to the west of the open canopied wetland. The trees observed consist of several dead standing red maple and Atlantic white cedar with pitch pine along the edges and adjacent uplands. The vegetation included thick growths of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), Phragmites, broad-leaved cattail, swamp loosestrife, arrow arum, soft rush, highbush blueberry and sweet pepperbush.

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Wetland 4 (Lakehurst section) - Located to the east of Allen Road between Cullinan Road and Broome Road, this wetland is a large shallow pond and adjacent to a partially flooded mowed field located along the eastern approach to Runway 33 (Figures 11 and 15). Although the wetland is open canopied, the bottom is hard packed and the water too deep for bog turtles (3 + inches). The vegetation along the edge of the pond and field consists of various asters (Aster spp.), grasses, Lycopodium, American cranberry, leatherleaf, red maple, black huckleberry, false reindeer lichen and broom sedge .

Wetland 5 (Lakehurst section) - Located at the western end of the Test Runway, this wetland is an open canopied pond along Harris Branch (Figures 11 and 16). The vegetation on the edge of the wetland consists of highbush blueberry, leatherleaf, sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.), various sedges (Carex spp.), soft rush, broom sedge and sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia). The tree species observed along the wetland edge consists of gray birch, red maple and pitch pine. Because of the depth of the water, hard packed soils and is not spring fed, this wetland is not suitable habitat for bog turtles.

Wetland 6 (Dix section) - This wetland is located near the intersection of Buck Swamp/Pinehurst Road and Range 85 Bypass (Figure 11). Although open canopied, the entire wetland is covered with a thick growth of leatherleaf which would be impenetrable to bog turtles. Other vegetation observed in the vicinity of the wetland includes highbush blueberry, catbrier, sweet pepperbush, red maple, black gum and pitch pine.

Wetland 7 (Dix section) - Located along Hockamic Road and northwest of Wetland 6 (Figure 11), this wetland is very overgrown with thick patches of old growth highbush blueberry and leatherleaf . Because of the thick growth of the vegetation, access was limited. However, in areas that were partially accessible, the water was too deep (4+ inches) to be suitable for bog turtles. The vegetation along the wetland edge consists of catbrier, sweet pepperbush, red maple and pitch pine.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 17 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 18 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

Figure 12. Wetland 1. This former cranberry bog is now a large lake and is too deep to support bog turtles.

Figure 13. Wetland 2. Although the canopy is open, the water is too deep and the soil too hard packed for bog turtles.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 19 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

Figure 14. Wetland 3. This wetland consists of a floodplain along a creek that is not spring fed and appears to be periodically inundated with water.

Figure 15. Wetland 4. The pond in the background and the flooded field in the foreground are not bog turtle habitat. They are not spring fed and the soil is too hard packed for bog turtles.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 20 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

Figure 16. Wetland 5. This open canopied pond at the end of the test runway on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL is not bog turtle habitat.

Figure 17. Eastern mud turtle found nesting at the Lakehurst section of the JB MDL.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 21 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

SNAKE SURVEYS

Visual Survey Results for 2018

Visual surveys for T&E snake species were conducted on JB MDL for 69 days between June 6 and November 1, 2018. The survey dates that HA spent conducting field work were:

June 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, and 29.

July 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31.

August 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 22, 24, 27, 29, and 31.

September 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 18, 20, 26, and 27.

October 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 26, 30 and November 1, 2018.

HA’s survey team consisted of 1- 4 researchers. Every effort was made to conduct surveys using the aforementioned techniques and under suitable weather conditions for observing snakes in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The surveys days were scattered throughout the late spring, summer and fall in order to encompass specific seasonal aspects of snake biology, including the breeding and nesting (pine snakes) seasons, as well as, the fall ingress to their hibernacula (dens).

In 2018, 16 northern pine snakes and 6 corn snakes were captured or observed via visual surveys (Tables 5 and 6; Figures 20 – 23 & 27). No timber rattlesnakes were captured or observed during the 2018 field season. Northern pine snakes consisted of 12 adults (2 males, 9 females, 1 unidentified adult), 3 juveniles and one 2018 hatchling. Three of the pine snakes were found dead on the road (DOR - 1 adult, one juvenile and one 2018 hatchling). Five of the 9 female pine snakes were gravid females. Thirteen of the pine snakes were from the Dix section of JB MDL and three were gravid females from historic nesting areas at the Lakehurst section of JB MDL.

One gravid female pine snake from the Dix section (2018.27) laid 10 eggs in HA’s laboratory before she was surgically implanted with a radio-transmitter. Six of the ten eggs successfully hatched and the neonate snakes were processed and released near the initial capture location of their mother. Of the 2 unidentified adults that were found concealed in hollow logs, one was observed to be opaque (in a shed cycle). Neither of the snakes could be extricated from the logs without destroying important habitat or possible injury to the snakes.

All of the red corn snakes captured or observed were adults. Five of the corn snakes were found concealed in hollow logs and one was found in a partially hollow, standing live oak tree (Figure 24). Only 2 of the 5 corn snakes concealed in trees could be safely extricated. On June 20, one corn snake (an adult gravid female), was found on Range Road at night while road cruising. She laid 12 eggs in HA’s laboratory before she was surgically implanted with a radio-transmitter. All 12 of the eggs successfully hatched and the neonates were released in the vicinity of where their mother was captured. In addition to pine snakes and corn snakes, several common species of reptiles and amphibians were also captured or observed during the 2018 field surveys (Table 1).

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 22 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

Visual Survey Results for 2019

Visual surveys for T&E snake species on JB MDL were conducted between May 1 and October 30, 2019 for a total of 87 days. The survey dates that HA spent conducting field work were:

May 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23, 24, 26, 28 and 29.

June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, and 28.

July 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25 and 28.

August 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26 and 28.

September 3, 4, 6, 9 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 30.

October 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28 and 30.

In 2019, 25 northern pine snakes and 10 corn snakes were captured/observed via visual surveys. (See Figures 25, 26, 34 and Tables 5 & 6). No timber rattlesnakes were captured or observed in 2019. The northern pine snakes captured/observed consisted of 14 adults, 1 juvenile, three 2018 yearlings and seven 2019 hatchlings. Of these, there were 8 males, 12 females and 5 whose sex was undetermined. Seven of the pine snakes were found dead on the road (3 adult males, 2 adult females, 1 unidentified juvenile and one 2019 hatchling). Eighteen of the pine snakes captured /observed were from the Fort Dix section of JB MDL and 7 were from the Lakehurst section.

One of the 12 adult female pine snakes (2019.26), captured on the Fort Dix section, was the only gravid female observed this year. In order to determine her nest location, HA attached an external transmitter and tracked her to her nest site. After she had deposited her eggs in the field, she was recaptured and implanted with an internal transmitter, and radio-tracked throughout the summer. Unfortunately, in October her transmitter and some of her remains were found in the field.

All of the 10 corn snakes captured/observed in 2019 were found via visual surveys. Seven were found on the Fort Dix section of JB MDL and 3 were found at Lakehurst. Of these, there were 8 adults (6 males, 2 females), 1 juvenile male and one 2019 hatchling. Three corn snakes consisting of 2 adult males and 1 juvenile male were found dead on the road at Fort Dix.

On April 23, 2019, while checking on 2 radio-tracked corn snakes hibernating in their den on the Fort Dix section of JMDL, 2 adult corn snakes (1 male and 1 female) were found under a metal cover object that was placed by the den in the fall of 2018. Both of these snakes were new to the study. Because one of the snakes was a female (2019.25), HA requested and was granted permission from John Joyce to radio-track the female. During the 2019 field season, the radio-tracked female became gravid and led researchers to her nesting location. Because the nest location was located in a small berm on the edge of a sand road, HA feared the nest could be destroyed by a vehicle, so the nest was excavated and the eggs were incubated in HA’s lab. Six of the 8 eggs successfully hatched and were released at the den where their mother was captured. On the evening of May 26, a young adult male corn snake was found while road cruising Range Road

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 23 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL on the Fort Dix section of JB MDL. Unfortunately, although it was an adult, it was too small to be implanted with a transmitter. The snake was processed and released at its initial capture location. On May 30, 2109, an adult male corn snake (2019.42) was captured as he crawled along Drift Fence 7 (FY 19) on the Lakehurst section of JBMDL. This snake was implanted with a transmitter and is currently being tracked. On June 12, 2019, a gravid female corn snake (2019.44) was captured on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL. On June 30, 2019 she laid 9 eggs in HA’s lab. After a short rest period she was implanted with a transmitter and is currently being tracked. Seven of the 9 eggs successfully hatched. The neonates were processed and then released at their mothers’ original capture location. In October, 2019, one 2019 hatchling corn snake (2019.52) was found under a metal cover object at the Lakehurst section of JBMDL and a 2 year old (2019.61) was found under the metal cover object at the corn snake den at Fort Dix. In addition to pine snakes and corn snakes, several common species of reptiles and amphibians were also captured or observed during the 2019 field surveys ( Figures 27 and 28 and Table 2).

Pine Snake Nesting Surveys

2018

Surveys for pine snake nests were conducted at JB MDL throughout the June 15 - July 25 nesting season. Historic nesting areas at Lakehurst were used as a gauge to determine when pine snakes would begin nesting. Open sandy areas (preferred nesting habitat) were consistently searched for nesting burrows often while searching for snakes in general or radio-tracking. Fields, sandy road shoulders and clearings in the forest were specifically surveyed for the tell-tale sign of pine snake nests such as a sand-fan apron and nest burrow entrance hole (Figure 18). Searches for hatchlings and shed skins of newly hatched neonate pine snakes were conducted in late summer and early fall. Six pine snake nests were observed and these were from two previously known historic areas at the Lakehurst section of JB MDL. Unfortunately, the only 2018 hatchling pine snake observed was found dead on Range Road.

2019

In 2019, surveys for pine snake nests were conducted during the June 15 – July 25 nesting period at historic nesting areas on the Lakehurst and Fort Dix sections of JB MDL. In addition, areas with habitat determined to be suitable for nesting were also surveyed. Surveys for hatchlings were conducted in the late summer and early fall. The only pine snake nest observed by HA in 2019 was from a gravid female pine snake that HA attached an external transmitter in order to find the nest site (Figure 19). Monitoring this nest in the fall resulted in the capture of 5 neonate pine snakes as they were found basking under a small scrub oak after emerging from their nest burrow. All of the neonate snakes were processed and released.

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Figure 18. Pine snake nest at the Lakehurst section of JB MDL. Northern pine snakes dig their own nests and leave a telltale pile of sand outside of the entrance. The snake trails in the sand indicate that it has recently been excavated.

Figure 19. Female pine snake 2019.26 in the process of excavating her nest on the Fort Dix section of JB MDL

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Herpetological Associates, Inc. 26 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JB MDL

Table 1. Reptiles and Amphibians Observed During Visual Surveys Conducted on JB MDL in 2018.

Common Name Scientific Name

Snakes

Northern Pine Snake* Pituophis melanoleucus

Corn snake** Pantherophis guttatus

Northern black racer Coluber c. constrictor

Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platyrhinos

Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon

Southern ring-necked snake Diadophis p. punctatus

Eastern ribbon snake Thamnophis sauritus

Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis

Lizards

Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus

Ground skink Scincella lateralis

Turtles

Spotted turtle*** Clemmys guttata

Woodland box turtle*** Terrapene carolina

Eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum

Frogs and Toads

Fowler’s toad*** Anaxyrus fowleri

Eastern spadefoot Scaphiopus holbrookii

Green frog Lithobates clamitans

Southern leopard frog Lithobates sphenocephalus

American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeiana

Northern gray treefrog Hyla versicolor

Pine Barrens treefrog (calling) Hyla andersonii

*State-listed threatened species **State-listed endangered species ***Species of special concern

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 27 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Figure 21. Adult northern pine snake 2018.24 as it was found under a piece of discarded plywood on Range 86 at the Dix section of JB MDL. This snake was radio-tracked during the 2018 and 2019 active season.

Figure 22. Adult male corn snake 2018.57 found in a hollow log on the Dix section of JB MDL in 2018. This snake was tracked in 2018.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 28 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Figure 23. Juvenile northern pine snake found on the Dix section of JB MDL.

Figure 24. Corn snake found in crevice in a standing (live) oak tree.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 29 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Table 2. Reptiles and Amphibians Observed During Visual Surveys Conducted on JB MDL in 2019. Common Name Scientific Name Snakes Northern Pine Snake * Pituophis melanoleucus Corn Snake ** Pantherophis guttatus Northern black racer Coluber c. constrictor Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platryhinos Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon Southern ring-necked snake Diadophis p. punctatus Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis Lizards Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus Ground skink Scincella lateralis Turtles Spotted turtle Clemmys guttata Woodland box turtle*** Terrapene carolina Eastern painted turtle Chrysemys p. picta Northern red-bellied cooter Pseudemys rubriventris Eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum Snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina Eastern musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus Frogs and Toads Fowler’s toad Anaxyrus fowleri Eastern spadefoot Scaphiopus holbrooki Green frog Lithobates clamitans Southern leopard frog Lithobates sphenocephalus American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus Northern gray treefrog Hyla versicolor Wood frog Lithobates sylvatica

*State-listed threatened species **State-listed endangered species ***Species of special concern

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Figure 25. Male corn snake 2019.40 that was found crossing Range Road at night on 5/26/2019.

Figure 26. Female pine snake 2019.11 as found under a large piece of metal at Fort Dix section of JB MDL in the spring of 2019.

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Figure 27. Neonate eastern hognose snake observed on a sand road at the Lakehurst section of JB MDL in 2019.

Figure 28. Northern gray treefrog observed on the Fort Dix section of JB MDL in 2019.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 32 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Results of 2018 Drift Fence Trapping Surveys

The 3 drift fence trap arrays were installed on 6/4 and 6/5/2018 and were operational from 6/5 - 7/15 and 9/1 - 11/1/2018. As per the New Jersey Pinelands Commission protocol the traps were closed down on 7/16/2018 and became operational again on 9/1/2018. Although no threatened or endangered snake species were captured in the traps, several common reptiles and amphibians were (Figures 29 and 30). Please see Table 3 below for a list of reptiles and amphibians captured in drift fence traps at JB MDL in 2018.

Table 3. Reptiles and Amphibians Observed During Drift Fence Surveys Conducted on JB MDL in 2018. Common Name Scientific Name Snakes Northern black racer Coluber c. constrictor Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platryhinos Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon Lizards Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus Turtles Woodland box turtle*** Terrapene carolina Frogs and Toads Fowler’s toad Anaxyrus fowleri Eastern spadefoot Scaphiopus holbrooki Green frog Lithobates clamitans Southern leopard frog Lithobates sphenocephalus Mammals White-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus

***Species of special concern

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Figure 29. Adult eastern hognose snake captured in a box trap at JB MDL shows its displeasure by flattening its neck out in a threatening display.

Figure 30. Northern black racer captured in a snake trap on JB MDL. This is one of the most common snakes in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 34 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Results of 2019 Drift Fence Trapping Surveys

Six new drift fence trap arrays (FY 18 Modified and FY 19) were installed between 4/17 and 4/20/2019 on the Lakehurst and Fort Dix sections of JBMDL. In addition, repairs were made to the three existing trap arrays (FY18) from 2018. The 9 trap arrays became operational 5/1 and were operational from 5/1 - 7/15 and 9/1 - 11/1/2019. As per the New Jersey Pinelands Commission protocol the traps were closed down on 7/15/2019 and became operational again on 9/1/2019. Although no corn snakes or timber rattlesnakes were captured in the traps, 5 northern pine snakes consisting of 1 adult male, 3 adult females and 1 hatchling female were captured (Figure 31). Two adult females and 1 hatchling female were captured on the Fort Dix section of JBMDL and 1 adult male and 1 adult female were captured on Lakehurst. In addition, several species new to the study in 2019 including eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus), New Jersey chorus frog (Pseudacris kalmi), pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris), four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum), eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) were captured in the new drift fence arrays. Please see Table 4 and (Figures 32 and 33) below for a list of reptiles and amphibians captured in drift fence traps at JB MDL in 2019.

In, May, 2019, an adult eastern kingsnake was captured in a trap on Fort Dix. This was a new species for the study. After the snake was processed and released, a suggestion was made to John Joyce about tracking a couple of kingsnakes because of the lack of timber rattlesnakes being found on JB MDL. The state of New Jersey would be interested in the data because the eastern kingsnake is listed as a species of special concern in New Jersey. John agreed, however, after that the only kingsnake captured/observed by HA was a 2018 neonate captured in a trap that was too small to be implanted (Figure 32).

Figure 31. Adult male northern pine snake captured in a trap on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL in 2019.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 35 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Table 4. Reptiles and Amphibians Observed During Drift Fence Surveys Conducted on JB MDL in 2019. Common Name Scientific Name Snakes Northern Pine Snake * Pituophis melanoleucus Eastern kingsnake *** Lampropeltis getulus Northern black racer Coluber c. constrictor Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platryhinos Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon Southern ring-necked snake Diadophis p. punctatus Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis Lizards Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus Ground skink Scincella lateralis Turtles Common Snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina Frogs and Toads Fowler’s toad*** Anaxyrus fowleri Eastern spadefoot Scaphiopus holbrooki Green frog Lithobates clamitans Southern leopard frog Lithobates sphenocephalus American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus Northern gray treefrog Hyla versicolor Wood frog Lithobates sylvatica New Jersey chorus frog Pseudacris kalmi Carpenter frog Lithobates virgatipes Pickerel frog Lithobates palustris Salamanders Four-toed salamander Hemidactylium scutatum Eastern red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus Northern red salamander Pseudotriton ruber *State-listed threatened species ***Species of special concern

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 36 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Figure 32. A juvenile eastern kingnake captured in a trap on Fort Dix. This snake was too small to be implanted with a transmitter.

Figure 33. A 2019 hatchling black racer captured in a trap on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL. This snake will turn almost totally black in color over the next year or so.

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Herpetological Associates, Inc. 38 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Table 5. Date of Initial Captures, Field Numbers, GPS, Age Class and Sex of all Northern Pine Snakes Captured or Observed at JB MDL in 2018.

Date Field No. Pit Tag No. GPS Sex Adult Juvenile Hatchling

June 6, 2018 2018.22 602-798-079 40.038090 female - 1 - -74.457940

June 8, 2018 2018.24 602-794-040 40.037830 male 1 - - -74.457320

June 13, 2018 2018.27 602-792-265 40.022290 female 1 - - -74.436340 (gravid)

June 20, 2018 2018.34 602-791-279 40.023390 female 1 - - -74.447350 (gravid)

June 20, 2018* - - 40.034950 - 1 - - -74.455600

June 21, 2018 2018.31 602-789-314 40.018126 female 1 - - -74.424063 (gravid)

June 21, 2018 2018.32 602-793-553 40.015912 female 1 - - -74.401837 (gravid)

June 25, 2018 2018.36 602-788-284 40.018275 female 1 - - -74.424195 (gravid)

July 3, 2018 2018.37 602-791-554 39.964150 - - 1 - -74.441530

July 27, 2018 2011.11 041-085-083 39.975120 male 1 - - -74.440860

July 31, 2018** - - 39.975420 female 1 - - -74.486560

August 24, 2018 2018.40 603-002-288 39.964287 female - 1 - -74.441637

August 27, 2018* - - 40.022196 - 1 - - -74.436165

August 30, 2018* - 603-003-007 40.022427 - 1 - - -74.436835

October 9, 2018** - - 39.979070 - - - 1 -74.499210

November 1, 2018** - - 39.979060 female 1 - - -74.457500

* observed in hollow log. Not captured ** found dead on road (DOR)

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 39 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Table 6. Initial Captures, Field Numbers, Age Class and Sex of Red Corn Snakes Captured at JB MDL in 2018.

Date Field # Pit Tag # GPS Sex Adult Juvenile Hatchling

June 8, 2018* - - 39.966367 - 1 - - -74.440770

June 20, 2018 2018.45 602-793-884 40.003360 female 1 - - -74.434490

June 22, 2018* - - 40.036370 - 1 - - -74.455170

July 27, 2018 2018.56 603-008-285 39.980110 male 1 - - -74.442090

July 27, 2018 2018.57 603-006-787 39.975680 male 1 - - -74.438350

September 24, 2018* - - 39.976470 - 1 - - -74.438700

Totals 5 Snakes

* observed in hollow log. Not captured

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 40 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Table 7. Northern Pine Snakes Captured or Observed at JB MDL in 2019. Date Field # PIT Tag # GPS Sex Adult Juvenile Hatchling

May 2, 2019** - - 39.968730, -74.422640 F 1 - -

May 3, 2019*** 2019.11 839-017-528 39.967630, -74.412830 F 1 - -

May 12, 2019 2019.12 839-030-032 40.018952, -74.424496 M - 1 -

May 17, 2019*** 2019.13 603-890-293 40.04470, -74.461080 F 1 - -

May 20, 2019 2019.16 603-885-104 40.028780, -74.350970 M 1 - -

May 21, 2019** - - 40.025090, -74.374350 - - - 1

May 25, 2019** - - 40.017670, -74.549060 M - - 1

May 30, 2019 2019.19 839-020-279 40.028969, -74.379628 M 1 - -

May 31, 2019 2019.21 025-570-808 40.033822, -74.362233 M 1 - -

June 2, 2019*** 2019.20 839-039-775 40.003060, -74.417130 F 1 - -

June 5, 2019*** 2018.34 602-791-279 40.023100 ,-74.447410 F 1 - -

June 13, 2019*** 2019.22 839-029-335 40.023200, -74.548180 F 1 - -

June 18, 2019 2019.23 839-029-115 40.024110, -74.359620 M 1 - -

June 21,2019 2019.25 839-017-334 40.023960, -74.547900 F 1 - - F June 22,2019*** 2019.26 839-021-007 39.970470, -74.423170 1 - - Gravid June 26, 2019** - - 39.976690, -74.425350 M 1 - -

June 27, 2019*** 2010.03 041-052-615 40.003350, -74.430980 M 1 - -

July 17, 2019** - - 39.973530, -74.424290 F 1 - -

July 30, 2019 2016 043-118-374 40.028970, -74.383374 F 1 - -

August 24,2019** - - 39.959960,-74.419670 F 1 - -

August 29, 2019 2019.29 839-022-556 39.994425, -74.546969 F 1 - -

September 4, 2019 2019.30 839-011-521 39.994392 ,-74.546808 F - - 1

September 16, 2019 2019.32 838-865-623 39.968240, -74.417850 F - - 1

September 16, 2019 2019.33 838-894-544 39.968240, -74.417850 M - - 1

September 16, 2019 2019.34 838-875-877 39.968240 -74.417850 F - - 1

September 16, 2019 2019.35 838-895-782 39.968240 ,-74.417850 F - - 1

September 23, 2019 2019.36 839-002-031 39.968240, -74.417850 F - - 1

October 1, 2019 2019.37 838-882-544 40.023200, -74.548180 F - - 1

October 2, 2019 2019.38 838-884-013 40.029670, -74.370790 F 1 - -

October 7, 2019** - - 40.011990, -74.437420 - - - - **found dead on road ***Currently being radio-tracked

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 41 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Table 8. Red Corn Snake Captures at JBMDL in 2019. Date Field # PIT Tag # GPS Sex Adult Juvenile Hatchling 39.976670 April 23, 2019 2019.24 839-025-636 M 1 - - -74.439040 39.976670 April 23, 2019*** 2019.25 839-888-102 F 1 - - -74.439040 39.999980 May 26, 2019 2019.40 839-000-037 M 1 - - -74.433000 39.971922 May 27, 2019** - - M 1 - - -74.423698 40.028976 May 30, 2019*** 2019.42 839-037-773 M 1 - - -74.380581 40.029170 F June 12, 2019*** 2019.44 839-023-823 1 - - -74.381630 Gravid 39.974420 July 22, 2019** - - M 1 - - -74.424580 39.992570 October 2, 2019 - - M - 1 - -74.545880 40.027258 October 8, 2019 2019.52 9821260584266941 F - - 1 -74.379916 39.976720 October 25, 2019 2019.61 982126058426955 M - 1 - -74.439180 **found dead on road ***Currently being radio-tracked

Results of Radio-telemetry Monitoring in 2018 and 2019

Initially, in 2018, HA’s radio-tracking study at JB MDL included a total of 3 pine snakes and 3 corn snakes being monitored throughout a portion of the active field season. Unfortunately, one of the tracked corn snakes was found dead soon after it was released (See 2018.45 Adult Female Corn Snake below). Telemetered snakes were attempted to be relocated every 2 days (48 hrs.) in accordance with NJDEP protocol. However, occasional factors such as rain events and access restrictions to certain areas because of active military exercises sometimes prevented some of the snakes to be tracked on schedule. After November 1, 2018 the snakes were relocated once per month throughout the winter as per the conditions of our scientific collecting permit.

2018.24 Adult Male Northern Pine Snake (Frequency # 151.420)

This snake was initially captured on June 18, 2018 under a sheet of discarded plywood at Range 86 Figure 21. Range 86 is a large facility consisting of open canopied field habitat, with mock buildings used for training purposes. Scattered throughout the field are piles of concrete, old vehicles and other debris that snakes often use for shelter and foraging. The grassy fields attract seed eating rodents that the snakes will readily consume. After capture, the snake was taken to HA’s facility and processed (weighed, measured and PIT tagged). The snake was in the process of going through a shed cycle so it was housed in HA’s lab until it shed its skin. On 6/25/2018, the snake was implanted with a 2 year transmitter and was radio-tracked until it entered hibernation. The snake was successfully relocated 54 times between 6/28 and 12/19/2018. The exact location of the snake could not be determined on 16 days, because of active training in the field (15 days) and rain (1 day). The snake spent the majority of the season near the eastern end of Range 86 as well as in the forested habitat to the north and east. At one point the snake was located in a burrow near the edge of Route 539. The snake hibernated in a burrow on a ridge in a pine/oak forest just to the north of Range 86. This was the same location where another radio-tracked pine snake spent the winter in 2010-2011.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 42 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

This snake had already emerged from its winter hibernaculum when radio-telemetry began again on 05/01/2019. It was relocated 95 times in 2019. On its first relocation it was underground below a fence that surrounds part of the old National Guard Compound at the northeast corner of the base. This is an area that the snake was not found in during the 2018 telemetry season. However, the snake soon moved onto Range 86, where it was repeatedly located in 2018, and concealed itself in some large concrete blocks that had been discarded on the range. It remained there for approximately a week before heading back towards the old National Guard compound where it was relocated under a very old piece of plywood on 05/17/2019 with an adult female pine (Female Study Snake 2019.13) and a young northern black racer. For the majority of the 2019 activity season, this snake moved between its 2018 established home range on Range 86 and the pine-oak forest to the north. When relocated on Range 86, it would often be concealed under the large connex boxes used for training purposes on the range. It would also be located foraging along the grass berms that traverse the range, likely looking for small mammals and other potential prey items. This snake also spent considerable time in a large earth mound on the side of a dirt road in the pine-oak forest north of Range 86. There were no discernible holes leading into this mound, however the snake was located inside the mound for the majority of September. This snake also spent five days, in the beginning of August, underground beneath a mountain laurel where female pine snake 2019.13 is currently hibernating. On 10/07/2019, this snake returned to its winter hibernaculum from the 2018/19 winter and is currently over-wintering there. The combined home range for 2018 and 2019 was 246 acres/99 hectares. Please see Figure 37 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home ranges and winter hibernacula for 2018 and 2019.

2018.27 Adult Female Northern Pine Snake (Frequency # 151.300)

This gravid female was captured on 6/13/2018 as she was found basking against a hollow log in a pine/oak forest on the east side of Route 539 near the border with Lakehurst. She was taken to HA’s facility and processed. However, because she was gravid she could not be implanted with a transmitter until she laid her eggs. On 7/14/2018 she laid 10 eggs in HA’s lab and on 7/17/2018 she was implanted with a 2 year transmitter and released the following day. Between 7/19 and 12/19/2018 she was successfully relocated 56 times. On 3 occasions she could not be located because of radio frequency interference (2 days) and rain (1 day). She spent the majority of the season in the pine/oak forest east of Route 539 south of the old BOMARC Missile Site, and north of the New Jersey National Guard facility. On 5 relocations she was observed just over the border on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL.

Female Pine Snake 2018.27 had already emerged from her winter hibernaculum when radio-telemetry began in 2019. It was relocated 82 times during the 2019 activity season. Her initial relocation on 05/01/2019 found her concealed inside a fallen log not far from her winter den. The forest surrounding her den location had been burned by the forest fire service during the winter. As a result, much of the understory vegetation was gone. This could explain why during the 2019 field season, she was often located concealed inside various fallen logs scattered throughout the pine-oak forest that had been recognized as her home range during the 2018 activity season. Many times these logs had small mammal feeding stations beside them, indicating potential prey items for the snake. An interesting observation occurred with this snake on 05/25/2019, when she was found with her head inside the knot hole of a dead standing tree. A pair of Carolina Chickadees were clearly agitated in the vicinity of the snake. The observer also noted small down feathers on the tree around the knot hole. It is highly likely this snake was

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 43 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL raiding a chickadee nest. As mentioned previously, for the majority of the activity season this snake was found concealed in logs or traveling through habitat established as part of its home range during the telemetry work in 2018. However, on several occasions this snake was relocated much further east than in 2018, having crawled under the fence separating Dix from Lakehurst and being found several hundred feet into the forest on the Lakehurst side. On 10/25/2019, this snake entered hibernation not far from where it over-wintered last season. The location is a medium sized depression in the ground; however there are no discernible holes in the ground at the snake’s location. The combined home range of this snake in 2018 and 2019 was 137 acres/56 hectares. Please see Figure 38 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home ranges and winter hibernacula for 2018 and 2019.

2018.45 Adult Female Corn Snake (Frequency # 151.612)

On 6/20/2018, this gravid female corn snake was captured as it crossed Range Road. The snake was observed crawling from west to east near Bivouac 18A. The snake was taken to HA’s lab in Pemberton, NJ where it was processed. On July 1, 2018 she laid 12 eggs and was implanted with a 1 year transmitter on 7/2/2018. She was then released in the forest near her initial capture location. Unfortunately, on 7/4/2018 she was found dead approximately 40 meters from where she was released. An examination of the carcass revealed she was attacked and partially eaten by a mammal.

2018.56 Adult Male Corn Snake (Frequency # 151.600)

This snake was initially captured on July 27, 2018 in a hollow log in a pine oak forest east of the intersection of Saw Mill Break Road and Range Road. He was taken to HA’s lab and processed then implanted with a 1 year transmitter on 7/30/2018. The snake was released at the point of capture and was relocated a total of 46 times between 8/2 and 11/2/2018. On 2 days (10/7 and 10/9) the snake could not be located (no signal). He spent the majority of the late summer and fall season in forested habitat east of the intersection of Saw Mill Break Road and Range Road. The snake was observed mainly concealed under leaf litter or in a hollow log (Figure 36).

Male Corn Snake 2018.56 had already emerged from its den when radio-telemetry began on 05/01/2019. It was relocated 48 times during the 2019 field season. For the majority of May, this snake was consistently located inside, or just outside of, a large fallen log approximately 200 feet from its den location. Another study snake, female corn snake 2019.25, was concealed inside the same log during this time period. On 05/27/2019, this snake finally left the confines of the fallen log and was observed traveling through dense shrubs a half kilometer to the northwest. It appeared to have recently shed, and could have been actively foraging for food based on its deliberate movements and tongue flicking. The next relocation found the snake had moved a half kilometer back to the southeast into a very small log that had no visible entrance holes. It remained here for two relocations until moving into another log only a few meters away. This log was the same log study male corn snake 2018.57 was originally captured in. This snake then moved back into the large log near its den, where female corn 2019.25 was still located. It remained here through mid-June, until finally leaving the log, and moving a half kilometer back to the northwest. It spent most of the remainder of June and July moving between a small network of fallen logs within a sixty meter radius of each other. One of these logs was the same log it had originally been found in during the 2018 summer. On two occasions, this snake did make large forays south into upland pine-oak habitat, likely in search of prey items. In the middle of July this

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 44 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL snake was observed going through another shed cycle. It was pulled from the study on 07/26/2019 because the transmitter was about to expire. The combined home range of this snake in 2018 and 2019 was 94 acres/33 hectares (Figure 39).

2018.57 Adult Male Corn Snake (Frequency # 151.490)

This snake was initially found concealed in a hollow log on July 27, 2018 in a pine/oak forest south and east of the intersection of Range Road and Saw Mill Break Road. The snake was taken to HA’s facility in Pemberton, NJ where it was processed and then implanted with a one year transmitter. The snake was released and was relocated 49 times between 8/1 and 12/19/2018. The snake spent the majority of the latter part of the 2018 field season in an upland pine/oak forest that is bordered to the north by Range Road, to the south by Cooks Lane, to the west by Saw Mill Break Road and an unnamed sand road to the east. Several other unnamed sand roads crisscross this area. The snake’s home range was calculated to be 71 acres/28 hectares (Figures 40).

A monthly check on this snake at its den in April, 2019 revealed the absence of a radio signal. HA made numerous attempts to locate the snake throughout the 2019 field season to no avail. Speculation as to the reason for the loss of this animal were either transmitter failure or attack by a predator that either resulted in the snake being carried out of range of the transmitter signal or severe damage to the transmitter that resulted in the loss of the signal. However, in October, 2019, the snake was found alive and healthy under a piece sheet metal that had been placed by its den in the winter of 2018-2019. Because of the lateness of the season, HA was given permission by NJDEP to keep the snake over the winter and remove the transmitter in the spring of 2020.

2011.11 Adult Male Pine Snake (Frequency # 151.261)

This large male (Figure 35) was initially captured on 4/20/2011 after emerging from hibernation at a den that HA had erected a fence around in early 2011. The location was discovered after radio tracking another pine snake there in the fall of 2010. The den is in a pitch pine forest near the southwest edge of COL Victory, north of Route 70. The snake was processed and released at the initial capture location. On 6/3/2018, the snake was captured by a colleague of HA on a sand ridge at White’s Bogs in the Brendan Byrne State Forest. This site is approximately 2.2 miles due west from its initial capture location. Because the June 2018 capture location was off site from JB MDL, a decision was made not to radio-track the snake. However, on July 27, 2018, the snake was found in a hollow log in an oak/pine forest northwest of COL Victory on JB MDL and a decision was made to track the snake. The snake was implanted on 8/1/2018 with a transmitter and radio-tracked for the remainder of the season. The snake was relocated 43 times. On 3 occasions he could not be located because of signal interference (2) and rain (1). The snake spent the rest of the season on JB MDL in a pine/oak forest south of Range Road, east of Saw Mill Break Road and north of Cooks Lane. The snake hibernated in an abandoned mammal burrow in the forest north of COL Victory.

This snake had already emerged from its winter den when telemetry began for the 2019 activity season. It was relocated 72 times during the 2019 field season. Its first relocation on 05/01/2019 found it concealed inside a large fallen log near Sawmill Break Road, where it remained for the first half of May while going through a shed cycle. After shedding, this snake moved west into upland pine-oak habitat that borders the northern edge of the White’s bog wetlands. This habitat was located off base and is part of Brendan T. Byrne State Forest and is an area the snake was not

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 45 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL located in during the 2018 field season. For the majority of June and early July, it remained in this tract of forest, foraging along the edge of the wetlands, or resting under small shrubs on the forest floor. In mid-July this snake returned to the upland pine-oak forest east of Sawmill Road on the Fort Dix property. On several occasions, it was relocated inside a very large fallen pitch pine tree, where it would sometimes go through a shed cycle. The snake continued to make small moves around this area of forest before being found dead on 09/18/2019, on top of a small knoll not far from its previous relocation. The only trauma visible was the head and neck was missing; the remainder of the snake’s body was intact. The cause of death was likely the result of mammal predation. Figure 41 is a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernacula for 2018. The combined home range of this snake in 2018 and 2019 was 792 acres/320 hectares.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 46 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Figure 35. 2011.11. Adult male pine snake (Frequency # 151.261). This snake was originally captured by HA at JB MDL in 2011. In 2018, the snake hibernated in an abandoned mammal burrow on JB MDL.

Figure 36. 2018.56. Adult male corn snake as found (via radio-tracking) basking in the leaf litter in September, 2018 on JB MDL.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 47 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 48 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 49 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 50 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 51 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 52 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Results of Radio-telemetry Monitoring of Snakes Implanted in 2019

In 2019, a total of 10 snakes (7 pine snakes and 3 corn snakes), were implanted with transmitters and radio-tracked throughout the 2019 field season. Three of the snakes (2 corn snakes and 1 pine snake) were from the Lakehurst section of JBMDL and 6 pine snakes and 1 corn snake were from Fort Dix.

Female Corn Snake 2019.25 (Frequency 151.921) was originally captured under a large piece of tin with another male corn snake (2019.24) on 04/23/2019. This piece of tin had been placed next to the den where corn snakes (2018.56 and 2018.57) hibernated during the 2018/19 winter. This female was implanted with a transmitter and released back under the tin on 05/10/2019. It was relocated 94 times during the 2019 field season. On its first relocation on 05/11/2019, it had moved into the large fallen log not far from the tin and den site where male corn snake 2018.56 was also concealed. She essentially remained inside the log, only being observed outside of it on a handful of relocations, until the middle of June when she was relocated approximately 300 meters to the east along the edge of a sand road. She remained inside a mole tunnel that ran along the edge of the road for the remainder of June. On 07/01/2019, a fresh corn shed was discovered outside of the mole tunnel and she was found in duff layer approximately 15 meters from the tunnel. The following relocation found that she had made a large move of half a kilometer away from the tunnel to the south. HA staff concluded that the snake had likely laid eggs inside the mole tunnel, based on the time of year, her duration inside of the tunnel, and what was most likely her post-egg laying shed outside of the tunnel. The potential nest site was considered to be in danger of being compromised, due to its proximity to the sand road and vehicular traffic. It was decided to excavate the tunnel and collect any eggs inside to prevent them from being squashed. A total of eight corn snake eggs were found inside the tunnel and brought back to HA’s lab, where six neonate corn snakes successfully hatched out. They were processed, PIT-tagged and released at the known den location which is not far from the nest site. Following the laying of her eggs, this snake spent the remainder of the field season in upland pine-oak forest south of her den. She would often spend consecutive days concealed in the duff layer, or underground, beneath a thick layer of waist high shrubs in the same location. A majority of these relocations would find her in the forest directly along the edge of a sand road, or just a few meters in from the road. She also spent two weeks concealed inside a live pitch pine tree, approximately two meters off the ground, during this period. On 10/03/2019, she was relocated back under the tin where she had originally been found in April. She remained concealed under the tin until the beginning of November when her signal indicated she was underground at the previous den location for study snakes 2018.56 and 2018.57. This snake’s home range in 2019 was calculated to be 55 acres/22 hectares. Please see Figure 45 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

Female Pine Snake 2019.11 (Frequency 150.252) was originally found on 05/03/2019 concealed under a piece of large metal cover not far from the edge of North/South Boundary Road on the east side of Fort Dix. It was implanted with a transmitter on 05/10/2019 and released back at its capture location. It was relocated 84 times during the 2019 activity season. Upon its initial release, the snake moved north through the forest along the edge of North/South Boundary Road. On 05/17/2019, it was observed basking on a fallen cedar log in a large Atlantic White Cedar Swamp a half kilometer northeast of its prior relocation. This habitat was located on private property adjacent to the eastern border of Fort Dix. HA received permission to track the snake on the private land. Following this relocation deep inside the cedar swamp, this snake moved into a

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 53 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL log in upland pine-oak forest not far from Route 539 still on private land. The snake remained here for approximately two weeks while going through a shed cycle. Once it shed, the snake moved back south through the wetland (Figure 42) and into mixed deciduous-pine lowland forest and upland pine-oak forest. This entire area is a rather large expanse of undisturbed privately owned forest between the eastern border of Fort Dix and Route 539. The snake remained in this tract of habitat for the majority of the summer before moving back onto Fort Dix in late August. Once it was back on Dix, the snake moved into a large stump hole/mammal burrow complex on a small upland knoll not far from where it was originally captured. It remained in this underground hide for almost three weeks before finally leaving and moving into an old small mammal burrow almost half a kilometer to the northeast. An old pine snake shed was observed outside of this burrow. The snake remained here for a few relocations, before moving west and concealing itself inside a fallen pitch pine along the edge of Pinehurst/Grand Concourse Road. There was an active small mammal feeding station beside the log. It stayed in the log for approximately a week, before moving back into the stump hole/mammal burrow complex it had been in for most of September. It remained at this location for two days, before returning to the small mammal burrow that had the old pine snake shed beside it. The snake is currently overwintering at this location. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 325 acres/131 hectares. Please see Figure 46 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

Female Pine Snake 2019.13 (Frequency 150.031) was originally captured by HA staff on 05/17/2019. It was located under a very old and rotted piece of plywood in an open field near the old National Guard compound at the northeast corner of the base. It was found when an observer radio-tracked male pine snake 2018.24 to that location. There was also a young northern black racer under the plywood. This snake was implanted with a transmitter on 05/24/2019. It was released back at its capture location the following day and relocated 80 times during the 2019 activity season. Following its release, this snake traveled onto the compounds of the old National Guard station where it remained for the first half of June while going through a shed cycle. Often times, it was hidden among rocks in a drainage culvert along the north side of a building inside the compound. A rather old pine snake shed was also observed on top of the rocks during this time. After coming out of shed, the snake moved almost a kilometer to the southwest onto Range 85. On 06/22/2019, it was observed basking on rocks around a firing pit on Range 85. Another large male pine snake shed was observed at this location. It remained here for a week, before moving north back into the pine-oak forest around the old National Guard compound, where it was often observed foraging along the edges of the sand roads that traverse the forest. When not on the move, this snake would be relocated concealed in the thick shrub layer, or underground, escaping the daytime heat and avoiding predators. In late July, this snake returned to the drainage culvert on the old National Guard compound where it spent a week next to, or under, a large concrete “Jersey” barrier going through another shed cycle. After shedding, the snake returned to the pine-oak forest surrounding the compound and would occasionally venture into the dense forested wetland habitat along the northeast corner of the base. When relocated in the wetland habitat, it was often hidden in the root mats of mountain laurels and other large shrubs. Towards the end of August, this snake concealed itself for two weeks under a large connex box located in a mock village in the forest northwest of the old compound. Once it emerged from under the connex box, it spent the remainder of the activity season foraging along the edges of the aforementioned wetland habitat; with one more foray into the drainage culvert on the old compound. On 10/07/2019, this snake was relocated underground beneath a mountain laurel in the upland pine-oak forest just east of the old compound. Male study snake 2018.24 was found beneath this

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 54 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL same mountain laurel for a few days during the middle of the field season. There are no visible holes at this location; however, it would appear that this is where this snake is spending the 2019/20 winter. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 1423 acres/57 hectares. Please see Figure 47 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

Male Corn Snake 2019.42 (Frequency 151.981) was initially captured on May 30, 2019 as he was crawling along Drift Fence 7 (FY 19) on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL (Figure 43). The drift fence array is located between an unnamed sand road and Test Track 5. On May 31, 2019, the snake was implanted with a one year (corn snake) transmitter. After a brief recovery period the snake was released in the vicinity of where it was captured and tracked for the remainder of the 2019 field season. After release, the snake spent several relocations in an upland pine/oak forest located east of the drift fence array, south of the test track and north of the sand road. The snake was observed basking in the leaf litter, as well as, hiding in a hollow log. After a couple of relocations it became apparent the snake was going through a shed cycle. The snake spent the majority of the field season moving back and forth between a grassy berm that had been previously forested between Test Tracks 4 & 5 and pitch pine lowland that borders an Atlantic white cedar swamp to the south of the unnamed sand road. Any time the snake moved into the Test track area, permission was sought from base personnel operating the test track to radio-track the snake. On a couple of occasions the snake could not be relocated because of ongoing testing. Based on field observations, it appears the snake used the test track area to shed its skin as it was relocated for several days in a row in the same spot, and was physically observed to be in a shed cycle. The pitch pine lowland to the south appears to be a favorite foraging area for this snake as it was observed quite often crawling slowly through the leaf litter and rapidly tongue flicking. The snake is currently hibernating under a large patch of dangleberry approximately 10 meters north of an old sand road that borders the pitch pine lowland to the north and south of the test tracks and the unnamed sand road. The snake was relocated 71 times in 2019. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 44 acres/ 18 hectares. Please see Figure 48 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season

Female Corn Snake 2019.44 (Frequency 151.604) was initially captured on June 12, 2019, under a hollow log just north of the western end (Trap 1) of Drift fence 7 on the Lakehurst section of JB MDL. She was determined to be gravid and was taken to HA’s lab where she laid 9 eggs on July 1st. After going through a shed cycle she was implanted with a transmitter on 7/12. This snake spent the majority of the field season in an upland pine /oak forest on both sides of the unnamed sand road, south of the test tracks, as well as a patch of linear field habitat that runs parallel to the south side of the sand road. The field habitat was once a dumping ground for leaves and other vegetative debris from the base. This area is just to the west and southwest of Drift fence 7. Unlike male corn snake 2019.42 (above), she never ventured to the test track area to the north or into the pitch pine lowland to the south. In addition, this snake was found to be concealed for the majority of her relocations and was only observed on the surface a couple of times in September and October when she was observed basking because of the cooler temperatures. On a couple of relocations she was found to be concealed inside of a hole in a live but heavily leaning mature pitch pine, but was primarily hidden under leaf litter, in a clumps of grass or underground. She is currently hibernating under a small patch of dangleberry along an old road, north of the pitch pine lowland about 50 meters northwest of where male 2019.42 is hibernating. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 14 acres/ 5 hectares. Please see Figure 49 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 55 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL

Female Pine Snake 2019.20 (Frequency 151.940) was initially captured in Drift Fence 4 (FY 18 Modified) on June 2, 2019. Initially, John Joyce (JB MDL Natural Resources Manager) did not want any pine snakes radio-tracked from Lakehurst. However, he gave his approval to track this snake as there was not much information on pine snakes from the southwest area of the base (Figure 44). The trap array is located to the north of South Boundary Road, west of Interior Road in the southwest corner of the Lakehurst section of JB MDL. The snake was implanted with a 1 year transmitter on June 3, 2019 and released on June 5th. Unfortunately, after the snake was released it immediately traveled south into the adjacent Manchester Wildlife Management Area and never came back on to the base. The snake spent the majority of the 2019 field season between a forested stream corridor and an unnamed sand wildlife management area access road to the south and south east. The snake used a variety of habitats including upland pine/oak forests, oak/pine forests, forested stream corridors and pitch pine lowlands. On several occasions the snake was observed to be actively foraging in mole tunnels, concealed in logs and stumps, or underground in abandoned mammal burrows. The snake is currently hibernating underground in a small patch of mountain laurel in an open canopied oak/pine forest. This snake was relocated 71 times in 2019. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 162 acres/ 65 hectares. Please see Figure 50 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season

Female Pine Snake 2018.34 (Frequency 150.194) was originally captured by HA staff on 06/20/2018 under a slab of concrete in a mock village on the east side of Fort Dix. It was not implanted with a transmitter at that time. It was only processed, implanted with a PIT tag and then released back at its capture site. However, this snake was once again captured by HA staff on 06/05/2019, when it was found concealed inside a hollow log in an open field on HSTL (Home Station Training Lane) East. This recapture location was approximately 250 meters (800 feet) south from where it was found in 2017. This time it was implanted with a two year transmitter and released back into the hollow log on 06/15/2019. It was relocated 69 times in 2019. During the 2019 activity season, this snake never traveled far from the open sandy habitat on HSTL East and the Driver’s Training Area adjacent to the south. It would sometimes travel into the pine-oak forest that surrounds the training area to the west and north, more than likely searching for prey items. On several occasions, it was relocated in, or next to, a large fallen log in upland pine-oak forest just east of the mock village it was found at in 2017. When seen outside of the log, it was opaque, indicating this was a shedding station for the snake. On two separate occasions, this snake safely crossed Pinehurst/Range Road and was found concealed in the forest along the edge of the impact area bordering the west side of the road. This paved road runs north/south on the east side of the base and at times is heavy with military traffic. Several dead snakes have been observed on this road. Fortunately, this snake always returned safely to its preferred hunting areas east of the road. On 10/02/2019, this snake was relocated in a small earth mound underneath a small American Holly tree. This earth mound and small holly tree is located on a small vegetated island in the middle of the open sandy area of HSTL East. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 98 acres/ 40 hectares. Please see Figure 51 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

Female Pine Snake 2019.22 (Frequency 150.701) was originally found by HA staff in trap 1 attached to trap line 9 at Fort Dix. It was implanted with a one year transmitter on 06/18/2019 and released the following day at its capture location. It was relocated 61 times in 2019. After its release, this snake moved a few hundred feet to the northwest into a lowland oak dominated forest,

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 56 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL where it went into a shed cycle following the surgery. After the shed cycle, this snake moved northeast across Cooks Corner Road into an upland oak-pine forest inside the impact area just north of Range 6A. It was relocated inside a dead standing oak tree in this upland forest on 07/15/2019. Following this relocation, the snake moved onto Range 6A where it remained for the rest of July and early August. Range 6A is a manicured small arms firing range, surrounded by thick earth berms with knee high grass. The snake was usually found concealed in the grass on the berms, however on one occasion its signal indicated it was underground in one of the concrete firing pits. On 08/08/2019, it moved back across Cooks Corner Road to the northwest, where it was found in a forested wetland concealed under a thick understory of dangleberry, young sweetgum trees and blackberry. It remained at this location for most of August, before returning to the open field habitat of firing Range 6A. The first half of September found this snake consistently concealed in the tall grass on the earth berms surrounding Range 6A. In mid-September this snake again moved back across Cooks Corner Road and was relocated down slope from our trap line in a small mammal burrow in an open-canopied oak-pine forest. It remained in the general area of this mammal burrow for approximately two weeks, before returning to Range 6A at the end of September. For the first half of October, this snake was consistently concealed in the thick grass on the northern edge of the range. On October 15th the snake was relocated underground, beneath a large metal vehicle chassis buried in the soil, in the pine-oak forest just north of Range 6A in the impact area. The location was just a few feet from the edge of the berm that borders the north side of the range. There was a medium sized hole in the ground leading under the discarded metal chassis. This is where the snake is currently hibernating. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 52 acres/ 21 hectares. Please see Figure 52 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

Female Pine Snake 2019.26 (Frequency 151.823) was originally captured on 06/22/2019 while crossing Pinehurst/Grand Concourse Road. It was determined by HA staff that it was gravid and an external transmitter was affixed to its body so that its nest location could be discovered. On 07/01/2019, this snake was observed digging a nest along the edge of a sand road east of Pinehurst/Grand Concourse Road. It was determined that by 07/03/2019 she had deposited her eggs, so she was re-captured and had the external transmitter removed. She was then implanted with a two year transmitter on 07/05/2019 and released back at her nest site. After her release, this snake made a large move of almost two kilometers to the southeast, into mixed oak-pine forest near Route 539 where it went into a shed cycle. After shedding, the snake moved west onto the Manchester Township Recycling Center property where it was relocated on a large man-made earth mound next to the mulching area. The habitat adjacent to the mulching area was highly disturbed and contained thick vegetation consisting of Phragmites, cattail and arrow leaf tear thumb, indicating a wet environment. The snake was relocated concealed in this vegetation or traveling in the disturbed habitat on the Township property for approximately a week, before heading east again into the oak-pine forest near Route 539. There it entered a fallen log and went through another shed cycle. It then returned to the same disturbed habitat adjacent to the mulching area on the Manchester Township property. It remained on the township property for approximately one week, before once again returning to the fallen log near Route 539 where it remained for the first half of September. In early October, it returned to the Township property and found its way into what appeared to be a small mammal burrow near the police firing range on the west side of the property. The snake remained underground in this burrow for most of October. However, on 10/28/2019 the signal from the transmitter indicated it had moved back on to Fort Dix. Unfortunately, when the observer located the transmitter, it was evident that the

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 57 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL snake had been predated upon. The only remains of the snake were a few small scales and bones. The condition of the transmitter wire indicated that raptor predation was the cause of death. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 303 acres/ 123 hectares. Please see Figure 53 for this snakes original capture location, nest location, home range and location of death.

Male Pine Snake 2010.03 (Frequency 151.852) was originally captured and radio-tracked by HA staff in 2010. It was then recaptured in April of 2011 and implanted with a transmitter for a telemetry study at Fort Dix that summer. That transmitter was removed the following spring. HA staff once again captured this snake in 2019. It was found under a piece of discarded wooden fence behind Bivouac 18 on the east side of Fort Dix on 06/27/2019. It was implanted with a transmitter and released back at its capture location on 07/05/2019. It was relocated 60 times in 2019. After being released this snake spent the first half of July concealed in a large fallen tree just behind Bivouac 18. On 07/15/2019, it made a fairly large move of just over a kilometer to the south, where it was relocated in upland pitch forest near Artillery Firing Posts (AFP) 14 and 15. The forest in this area has a very dense understory consisting mainly of scrub oak and often times the snake would be observed traveling along the forest floor concealed from predators by this thick shrub layer. On 07/31/2019, it was found next to an abandoned rusted chassis from a military vehicle in this forest. There was an old pine shed next to the chassis. For the remainder of the season, this snake moved between the area of dense understory pine forest adjacent to AFP 14 and 15 and the more open pine-oak forest behind Bivouac 18. When it was behind Bivouac 18, it was often found concealed inside large fallen logs that had active small mammal feeding stations in their vicinity. This snake is currently hibernating in a large depression not far from where it was captured. The den appears to be an old foxhole or ordnance crater that a small mammal burrowed into at one time. The snakes’ home range in 2019 was calculated to be 71 acres/ 28 hectares. Please see Figure 54 for a detailed map of this snake’s original capture location, home range and winter hibernaculum for the 2019 field season.

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Figure 42. Adult female pine snake 2019.11 as found traveling through a wetland on a mat of sphagnum moss in 2019. Although known as an upland species, pine snakes will often forage in wetlands for small rodents.

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Figure 43. Male Lakehurst corn snake 2019.42. This snake spent a lot of time foraging in a pitch pine lowland adjacent to a cedar swamp in 2019.

Figure 44. Adult female pine snake 2019.20. This snake was caught in a drift fence trap at Lakehurst, implanted with a transmitter and radio-tracked in 2019. She spent the whole field season on the adjacent Manchester WMA.

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SUMMARY

2018 The original goal of this investigation was to conduct intensive presence or absence trapping surveys for both bog turtles and rare snakes. However, our wetland surveys did not reveal any marshy habitat for the federally threatened bog turtle. After discussions with all agencies involved, it was recommended that the bog turtle surveys be dropped because of the lack of suitable habitat. At that point, all efforts were concentrated on studying endangered and threatened snake species on the JB MDL. Surveys for T&E snake species were conducted for 69 days between June 6 and November 1, 2018. Over that period, 16 northern pine snakes and 6 corn snakes were captured or observed. No timber rattlesnakes were observed or found during the 2018 field season. Pine snakes consisted of 12 adults (2 males, 9 females, 1 unidentified adult), 3 juveniles and one 2018 hatchling. Three of the pine snakes were found DOR (1 adult, one juvenile and one 2018 hatchling). Five of the 9 female pine snakes were gravid females. Thirteen of the pine snakes were from Fort Dix and three were gravid females from Lakehurst. One gravid female pine snake from Fort Dix (2018.27) laid 10 eggs in HA’s laboratory before she was surgically implanted with a radio-transmitter. Six of the ten eggs successfully hatched and the neonate snakes were processed and released near the initial capture location of their mother. Six adult red corn snakes were observed, and 3 were captured. Five corn snakes were found concealed in hollow logs/trees. Only 2 of the 5 corn snakes concealed in trees could be safely extricated and captured. One gravid female was found alive on Range Road at night while road cruising. She laid 12 eggs in HA’s laboratory before being implanted with a transmitter. However, shortly after being released, she was killed by a mammal predator. All 12 of the eggs hatched and the neonates were processed and released near where their mother was captured.

2019

In March 2019, because of the lack of suitable bog turtle habitat on JB MDL, the contract was amended to shift the funds allocated for bog turtle surveys to additional snake surveys. This would increase the trapping effort from 3 drift fences to 6 and double the radio-tracking effort from 6 snakes to 12. In addition, in April, 2019, a new contract was awarded to extend the study to August, 2020 and increase the trapping effort to 9 drift fences and the radio-tracking to 16 snakes.

In April 2019, six new 500 foot drift fence trap arrays were installed on the Fort Dix (4) and Lakehurst (2) sections of JB MDL. In addition, repairs were made to the 3 existing arrays and all 9 trapping arrays became operational on May 1, 2019.

Surveys for T&E snake species were conducted for 87 days between May 3 and November 1, 2019. A total of 30 northern pine snakes and 10 corn snakes were captured or observed. No timber rattlesnakes were captured or observed in 2019. Twenty five of the pine snakes were captured/observed via visual surveys and 5 by trapping. All of the 10 corn snakes were found via visual surveys. The 25 northern pine snakes captured/observed via visual surveys consisted of 14 adults, 1 juvenile, three 2018 yearlings and seven 2019 hatchlings. Of these, there were 8 males, 12 females and 5 whose sex was undetermined. Seven of the pine snakes were found dead on the road (3 adult males, 2 adult females, 1 unidentified juvenile and one 2019 hatchling). Eighteen of the pine snakes captured /observed were from the Fort Dix section of JB MDL and 7 were from the Lakehurst section. The five pine snakes captured via trapping consisted of 1 adult male, 3 adult females and 1 hatchling female. Only 1 female pine snake was observed to be gravid in 2019. HA

Herpetological Associates, Inc. 71 Important Habitats and Future Management of Corn Snake, Pine Snakes and Timber Rattlesnakes at JBMDL attached an external transmitter to this adult female and it led researchers to a nest site. This resulted in the capture of 5 neonate pine snakes as they basked outside their nest burrow in September. The 10 corn snakes consisted of 8 adults (6 males, 2 females), 1 juvenile male and 1 unidentified hatchling. Two adult males and one juvenile male were found dead on the road. One young adult male was found by road cruising at night. Unfortunately, it was too small to be implanted with a transmitter. One gravid female corn snake from Lakehurst laid 9 eggs in HA’s lab, out of which 7 successfully hatched. She was then implanted with a transmitter and radio-tracked throughout the 2019 field season.

In 2019 several new species were captured in the new drift fence arrays, including eastern kingsnake, New Jersey chorus frog, pickerel frog, four-toed salamander, eastern red-backed salamander and northern red salamander.

In 2019, HA continued radio-tracking the five snakes (3 pine snakes and 2 corn snakes) from 2018. One adult male corn snake’s (2018.57) transmitter went dead in the spring but, fortunately, it was captured in October under a piece of sheet metal near the den where it hibernated last year. One corn snake (2018.56) was pulled from the field in late July because the transmitter was due to expire. The transmitter was removed and the snake was released. One radio-tracked pine snake (2011.11) was found dead while being tracked this year. It appeared to have been attacked and partially eaten by a predator.

A total of 10 snakes (7 pine snakes and 3 corn snakes) were implanted with transmitters in 2019 and radio-tracked throughout the 2019 field season. Three of the snakes (2 corn snakes and 1 pine snake) were from the Lakehurst section of JB MDL and 6 pine snakes and 1 corn snake were from Fort Dix. The female corn snake (2019.25) from Fort Dix became gravid in the field and led researchers to her nest site. Because her nest was on the edge of a sand road, the eggs were dug up and hatched in the lab. Six out of 8 eggs successfully hatched and the neonates were processed and released. Unfortunately, the adult gravid female pine snake (2019.26) that led researchers to her nest site (mentioned above) was found dead in the field in October.

To date, a total of 9 northern pine snakes and 3 corn snakes are currently being radio-tracked at JB MDL. This has led researchers to important critical habitat such as a new pine and corn snake nesting area, hibernacula, as well as, important foraging areas for these threatened and endangered snake species on JB MDL.

Respectfully submitted,

Herpetological Associates, Inc.

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