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Snake Ecology in the Red Hills of Georgia and Florida

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Snake Ecology in the Red Hills of Georgia and Florida SNAKE ECOLOGY IN THE RED HILLS OF GEORGIA AND FLORIDA by Seth Patrick Stapleton (Under the Direction of John P. Carroll) ABSTRACT Land management practices are implemented in the Southeast to maintain upland habitats but potential implications are not wholly understood. Snakes represent an ecosystem component in need of greater research. I used radio telemetry and systematic trapping on 3 sites to address objectives of community ecology and to describe resource partitioning and survival of sympatric rat snakes. I documented 1956 captures representing 16 species during 2002 – 2003 trapping. Commonly captured species demonstrated variability in activities by season and habitat. Using radio telemetry, seasonal partitioning of movements was not evident among rat snakes, but species did exhibit habitat partitioning: corn snakes focused activities around upland ground structures, and arboreal eastern rat snakes frequented hardwood trees and bottomlands. Survival estimates were comparable to figures reported elsewhere and suggest an acclimation period. Current management strategies such as prescribed fire are essential in maintenance of upland forests and are thus important for upland snake communities. INDEX WORDS: Eastern rat snake, Corn snake, Pantherophis , Snake communities, Resource partitioning, Habitat use, Movements, Radio telemetry, Trapping, Upland pine forests SNAKE ECOLOGY IN THE RED HILLS OF GEORGIA AND FLORIDA by Seth Patrick Stapleton B.S., The College of William and Mary, 1999 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE ATHENS, GEORGIA 2005 © 2005 Seth Patrick Stapleton All Rights Reserved SNAKE ECOLOGY IN THE RED HILLS OF GEORGIA AND FLORIDA by Seth Patrick Stapleton Major Professor: John P. Carroll Committee: Steven Castleberry William E. Palmer Robert J. Warren Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School University of Georgia August 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank John Carroll and William Palmer for giving me the opportunity to complete my research at the University of Georgia and Tall Timbers Research Station. Robert Warren and Steven Castleberry also provided me with valuable guidance throughout my studies. I thank the other faculty and staff at WSFR at UGA, in particular Robert Cooper, Clint Moore, and James Peterson for their assistance with statistical issues. The staff at TTRS provided logistical support during my field research. I thank my peers at WSFR for their advice and support throughout my years at UGA. I am particularly indebted to my technicians, K. Sash, B. Shamblin, and L. Walston, as well as the technicians of the gamebird lab for their assistance with field work and data collection. Dr. Alex “Steve” Steverson and Dr. Kitty Remington provided invaluable assistance with implantation of radio-transmitters. Joe Noble and Tripp Lowe provided assistance with GIS issues. Finally, I thank my wife Carol and our families for their love, support, and encouragement throughout this process. It would not have been possible without them. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW .....................................................1 Introduction..............................................................................................................1 Literature Review.....................................................................................................2 Objectives ..............................................................................................................11 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................11 2 SPATIAL ECOLOGY AND HABITAT USE OF EASTERN RAT SNAKES AND CORN SNAKES IN MANAGED UPLAND PINE FORESTS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A. ..........................................................................................18 Abstract..................................................................................................................19 Introduction............................................................................................................20 Study Areas............................................................................................................23 Methods..................................................................................................................24 Results....................................................................................................................36 Discussion..............................................................................................................42 Conclusions............................................................................................................55 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................56 v 3 ECOLOGY OF SNAKE COMMUNITIES IN MANAGED UPLAND PINE FORESTS IN THE RED HILLS OF GEORGIA AND FLORIDA............................86 Abstract..................................................................................................................87 Introduction............................................................................................................87 Study Areas............................................................................................................90 Methods..................................................................................................................92 Results....................................................................................................................96 Discussion..............................................................................................................99 Conclusions..........................................................................................................110 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................110 4 SURVIVAL OF EASTERN RAT SNAKES AND CORN SNAKES IN THE RED HILLS OF GEORGIA AND FLORIDA ...................................................................132 Abstract................................................................................................................133 Introduction..........................................................................................................133 Study Areas..........................................................................................................136 Methods................................................................................................................137 Results..................................................................................................................141 Discussion and Recommendations ......................................................................143 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................146 5 CONCLUSIONS AND MANAGEMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS ....................154 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................160 vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Upland forests dominated by longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) have dwindled across the southeastern United States. (Frost 1993, Ware et al. 1993). Concurrently, wildlife species dependent on these landscapes, such as the Northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ; hereafter bobwhite) and red-cockaded woodpecker ( Picoides borealis ), have diminished. The bobwhite in particular has contributed to a rich cultural tradition and makes a significant economic impact in the southeastern United States (Burger et al. 1999). In some areas of the Southeast (e.g., the Red Hills of southern Georgia and northern Florida), intensive land management focused on the maintenance of open upland habitats has thus become widespread under the premise that targeted species will benefit. However, a full understanding of the faunal communities within these habitats and of the potential implications of such management is absent. Snakes are integral members of southeastern ecosystems and are undoubtedly impacted by intensive management. Although it is generally accepted that snake and herpetofaunal populations are declining on a global scale (Dodd 1987, Gibbons et al. 2000), little data exists that assesses the current status of snake communities and population trends (Parker and Plummer 1987, Vitt 1987). Basic ecological information is sparse for some common and ecologically important snakes (Parker and Plummer 1987, Dodd 1987, Dodd 1993, Dodd 1995). In addition to their own conservation status, snakes are of particular because of their role in the trophic hierarchy. They serve as prey to raptors and meso-mammalian predators, and 1 some species are in turn substantial predators of bobwhite and songbird nests as well as a host of small mammals and other species (Hamilton and Pollack 1956, Fitch 1963, Jackson 1970, Brown 1979, Fendley 1980, Mirarchi and Hitchcock 1982, Hensley and Smith 1986, Phillips and Gault 1997, Staller 2001, Ernst and Ernst 2003, Thompson and Burhans 2003, Thornton 2003, Staller et al. 2005). Given the potential effects of management for bobwhites, both habitat management and manipulation of the
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