| | Accession Number | 5005099 |
| | Title | Spatial Ecology and Habitat Use of the Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) in Georgia |
| | Project Description | Abstract: The indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), a large non-venomous reptile with a maximum |
| | length of 2.6 m, inhabits xeric sand ridges to hydric forests and wetlands in Alabama, Georgia, |
| | and Florida. The US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species as threatened in 1978, but only |
| | preliminary research has been completed since that time. Information is lacking to develop |
| | suitable management guidelines for indigo snakes in Georgia. We propose to study adult indigo |
| | snakes at replicated sites in Georgia by using radiotelemetry to determine the homerange, |
| | survival, movement patterns, microhabitat use, landscape ecology, habitat selection, and site |
| | fidelity by groups for sex, season, and year. Indigo snakes will be captured near winter denning |
| | sites and fitted with implanted radio transmitters with a battery life expectancy of 36 months. |
| | Growth rates will be calculated annually by recapturing snakes to determine if habitat differences |
| | are related to survival and growth. Radiolocations will be collected for each snake for up to three |
| | years during active seasons by locating the individuals visually when possible. Home range will be |
| | analyzed by minimum convex polygon and kernel methods for use in comparison with other |
| | studies and for use in understanding the snakes habitat requirements in space and time. |
| | Information will be used to develop management guidelines and to provide basic life history data |
| | for conservation of the indigo snake and its critical habitat. |
| | Keywords | drymarchon couperi, georgia, habitat, home range, indigo snake, reptiles, spatial ecology, |
| | telemetry, |
| | Principal | Joseph M Meyers, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: joe_meyers@usgs.gov; Michael J |
| | Investigators | Conroy, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: conroy@smokey.forestry.uga.edu; |
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