Download or read book Natural History of the Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis Radix at the Northern Limit of Its Range in Alberta Canada written by Krysia Tuttle and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Natural history is a cornerstone of both theoretical and applied ecology, and provides the context for comparative and experimental studies. I studied the natural history of the Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix) near the northern limit of its range in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. Alberta, Canada. As is typical of garter snakes, T. radix at Miquelon were sexually dimorphic as adults - females grew faster, reached larger sizes and had relatively shorter tails than males. Mating occurred in spring and females gave birth in August; litter size ranged from 8-50 and was correlated with size of female. These snakes were generalist predators, but fed mainly on anurans when small, adding mammals and other prey as they grew. Despite sexual size dimorphism, I found no difference in diet between adult males and females. Feeding frequency was low overall (22%). especially in gravid females. In summer, snakes were found mainly near cover on south-facing field edges or in marshes, but not in forests, and moved relatively little. However, movement distances increased in fall as snakes sought hibernating sites. Snakes hibernated for up to eight months, either individually or in pairs, in rodent burrows. This study also revealed the importance of radiotelemetry when studying movements of small, secretive animals, as there were significant differences between the results obtained through opportunistic captures versus telemetry: habitat descriptions from opportunistic captures therefore were biased, although they still captured some elements of microhabitat use by T. radix. The data from this study will be important for comparative studies of the ecology of garter snakes and for the management of this species on the human-altered landscape surrounding Miquelon Lake.
Download or read book Natural History of the Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis Radix at the Northern Limit of Its Range in Alberta Canada written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Natural history is a cornerstone of both theoretical and applied ecology, and provides the context for comparative and experimental studies. I studied the natural history of the Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix) near the northern limit of its range in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. Alberta, Canada. As is typical of garter snakes, T. radix at Miquelon were sexually dimorphic as adults - females grew faster, reached larger sizes and had relatively shorter tails than males. Mating occurred in spring and females gave birth in August; litter size ranged from 8-50 and was correlated with size of female. These snakes were generalist predators, but fed mainly on anurans when small, adding mammals and other prey as they grew. Despite sexual size dimorphism, I found no difference in diet between adult males and females. Feeding frequency was low overall (22%). especially in gravid females. In summer, snakes were found mainly near cover on south-facing field edges or in marshes, but not in forests, and moved relatively little. However, movement distances increased in fall as snakes sought hibernating sites. Snakes hibernated for up to eight months, either individually or in pairs, in rodent burrows. This study also revealed the importance of radiotelemetry when studying movements of small, secretive animals, as there were significant differences between the results obtained through opportunistic captures versus telemetry: habitat descriptions from opportunistic captures therefore were biased, although they still captured some elements of microhabitat use by T. radix. The data from this study will be important for comparative studies of the ecology of garter snakes and for the management of this species on the human-altered landscape surrounding Miquelon Lake.
Download or read book Occurrence of the Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains written by T. Paul Maslin and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-11-22 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Occurrence of the Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains is a work by T. Paul Maslin. Garter snake is a common place name for largely innocuous, small to medium-sized serpents fitting to the genus Thamnophis in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus Thamnophis can be discovered from the subarctic plains of Canada to Costa Rica.
Download or read book Plains Garter Snake thamnophis Radix written by Terry A. Messmer and published by . This book was released on 1995* with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Habitat Use and Abundance of the Common Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis at the Northern Limit of Its Range in Manitoba written by Jonathan P. Wiens and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is a wide-ranging species that reaches the northern limit of its range in central Manitoba. Although Thamnophis sirtalis (and especially the subspecies parietalis) has been the subject of intense biological research, there are large gaps of knowledge regarding the ecology of this species in extreme northern latitudes. A recently discovered northern hibernaculum in the boreal forest region near Jenpeg, Manitoba, provided an ideal opportunity for comparing the ecology and biology of this species with geographically distant populations. The climate at Jenpeg is sub-arctic continental and consists of cold winters, and cool short summers. The area lies on the Canadian Shield. and is characterized by surface outcrops of granitic bedrock. Garter snakes were found colonizing artificial habitat features for winter habitat including dikes and rock quarries. Research on the ecology of this species was conducted from May 2005 to May 2007. Snakes emerged in late April and early May. Activity at the den lasted approximately two weeks before snakes dispersed for the summer. Mark-recapture results from 2005 indicate that this population is small (~79 individuals +_ 10.6) and exhibits a wide variation in adult sizes (350-1340 mm total length). Radio telemetry and funnel trapping have shown that summer habitat use is concentrated around wetlands. with wood frogs (Lithobates sylvatica) constituting the most common food source (56%). Many snakes dispersed over distances exceeding two kilometres, despite the apparent abundance of prey species near the den site. Analysis of colour patterns revealed substantial variation in the skin folds between the lateral scales. The majority of snakes expressed no red colouration on the lateral scales (45%) while some individuals expressed rare examples of bright red colouration (erythristism) (6%) and dark colouration (melanism) (1%). Traditional local knowledge gathered from aboriginal hunters, fishers and trappers outlined the long-term presence of garter snakes in the region, and provided local distribution data for the species. Aboriginal peoples stated that the overall population density of snakes in the region was low, and provided additional support for the findings of large variation in body sizes and colour. It is hypothesized that relative reproductive isolation and a prolonged overwintering period are factors contributing to the uniqueness of this northern population. Information from this study will benefit our understanding of garter snake biology and provide valuable information to assist the conservation efforts of wildlife and landscape managers in the region.
Download or read book Demography and Life History of an Urban Population of Plains Garter Snakes Thamnophis Radix written by Kristin M. Stanford and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Morphology and Behavior of the Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis Radix written by Jennifer H. Cline and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecology of the Common Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis at the Northern Limit of Its Range microform written by Karl W. (Karl Walter) Larsen and published by National Library of Canada. This book was released on 1986 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Subspecies of the Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis Radix written by Albert G.. Smith and published by . This book was released on 1949 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Red sided Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis Relocation and Education Project written by Danielle Lisa Takats and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Garter Snakes written by Douglas Athon Rossman and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology is the first comprehensive review of the genus Thamnophis in nearly ninety years. The book includes color plates of all species (many never previously figured in color); extensive discussion of ecology, behavior, and captive care; and a modern key to all species - as well as species-by-species summaries of the systematics and natural history of the thirty different garter snakes now recognized. Of particular interest are the descriptions of lesser-known species in Mexico. Because interest in reptiles has grown dramatically in recent years, this comprehensive guide is designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible - to both the professional herpetologist interested in the biology of Thamnophis and the hobbyist who wants to know more about these diverse and widespread snakes, both in the home aquarium and in the wild. This up-to-date, appealing book, written by the world's leading authorities, will be extremely useful not only to herpetologists but also to conservationists, ecologists, pet owners, and other readers generally interested in natural history.
Download or read book Variation in Thermal Biology as a Function of Body Size in the Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis Radix written by James M. Kerfin and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Variations and Genetic Relationships of the Garter snakes written by Alexander Grant Ruthven and published by . This book was released on 1908 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper is an attempt to do classification on the garter-snake group to help define differences between natural groups and clarify the systematic arrangements.
Download or read book A Quantitative Niche Comparison of the Western Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis Radix Haydeni and the Red Sided Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis in Allopatric and Sympatric Regions of Manitoba s Interlake District written by Donald Ray Hart and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Thamnophis radix haydeni) and the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) in the Interlake district of Manitoba were compared with respect to feeding habits and six environmental factors. Thamnophis sirtalis occuring in sympatry with T. radix altered its feeding habits, but not in such a way as to produce niche displacement. Its feeding habits did not differ significantly from those of T. radix either in allopatry or in sympatry. Changes in its feeding habits are attributed to changes in the relative availability of food items. Of the environmental factors examined, habitat, air temperature and substrate temperature contributed most strongly to niche discrimination in allopatry, T. radix occurring near meadow ponds at high air but low substrate temperatures and T. sirtalis occurring near fen-like marshes of the aspen forest at lower air but higher substrate temperatures. Thamnophis sirtalis was adapted to lower air temperatures than T. radix by virtue of its greater ability to absorb radiant energy. In sympatry the contributions of habitat and air temperature to niche discrimination were reduced whereas those of light intensity and substrate temperature were increased, T. radix selecting a higher value of both than T. sirtalis. This shift in the importance of environmental factors to niche discrimination need not be attributed to species interaction but may be explained in terms of behavioral compensation for concurrent changes in the available niche. The shift was produced, in part, by changes in the daily activity pattern, towards mid-day for T. radix and away from mid-day for T. sirtalis. The degree of bimodality in the activity pattern was directly proportional to temperature, available temperatures being lower in sympatry for T. radix and higher in sympatry for T. sirtalis.
Download or read book A Comparative Study of Behavior in Neonate Gartersnakes Thamnophis Butleri and T Radix Colubridae in an Area of Potential Hybridization written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An isolated population of Butler's gartersnake, Thamnophis butleri (Colubridae), in southeastern Wisconsin has recently been listed as Threatened by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. One of the possible reasons for the decline of T. butleri in Wisconsin is pressure from a closely related species, the plains gartersnake, T. radix. The possibility of hybridization between T. butleri and T. radix has received recent attention because T. butleri is threatened in the area where the hybridization may be occurring. This study addresses the issue of hybridization by studying the behavior of neonatal T. butleri born to females originating from areas where the ranges of the species overlap (southeastern Wisconsin), as well as from areas outside the range of T. radix (Michigan and northern Ohio). Neonatal T. radix from northern Illinois were used as a T. radix "control", Pregnant females were collected from 4 counties in southeastern Wisconsin, with the southernmost county closest to the range of T. radix. I examined antipredator behavior, prey chemosensory responses, prey preference, and morphological size traits. Several hypotheses have been put forth as to the interactions that occur when two species are sympatric, including character displacement, the importance of local ecology, and gene flow. Morphological and genetic evidence support the hypothesis of gene flow between T. butleri and T. radix, but this hypothesis has yet to be tested with only behavioral data. I had several predictions concerning the hypothesis of hybridization in these species: (1) the behaviors of T. butleri in Wisconsin would differ from the behaviors of Michigan and Ohio T. butleri in the direction of being more like T. radix; (2) the behaviors of T. butleri from the different counties and populations in Wisconsin would differ from one another; (3) T. butleri from the northern part of the Wisconsin range, further removed from the range of T. radix, would show behaviors more like Michigan T. butleri and less like T. radix than would T. butleri from the southern part of their range in Wisconsin. Michigan and Ohio T. butleri were heavier and longer than Wisconsin T. butleri, thus making the Wisconsin snakes less like T. radix. Populations within southeastern Wisconsin differed, and snakes from the population closest to T. radix were greater in length and mass than snakes from the population furthest from the range of T. radix. Snakes from Wisconsin were found to be more similar in body condition to T. radix than to Michigan and Ohio T. butleri. Differences were found in antipredator behaviors across the populations of T. butleri from southeastern Wisconsin, with snakes from the population closest to the range of T. radix striking more frequently and therefore more similar to the T. radix studied than to Michigan and Ohio T. butleri. Thamnophis butleri from Michigan and Ohio were more likely to flee than T. butleri from southeastern Wisconsin. Within Wisconsin populations, snakes further removed from T. radix were more likely to flee, and were therefore more similar to Michigan and Ohio T. butleri. Chemosensory preferences of the snakes also differed among the populations of T. butleri from southeastern Wisconsin. Snakes from the southernmost population showed a chemosensory preference for fish over worms, whereas snakes from the northern part of the range showed a chemosensory preference for worms over fish. Hence, the behaviors of T. butleri from the southern part of their range in Wisconsin, closer to the range of T. radix, are more similar to T. radix than are the behaviors of T. butleri elsewhere in their range. The implications of these findings for the conservation and genetic study of Wisconsin T. butleri are discussed.
Download or read book Occurence of the Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains written by Henry Sheldon Fitch and published by . This book was released on 1961 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Garter Snake Thamnophis Natural History written by Michael J. Edgehouse and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Communication and recognition are closely intertwined and have been well documented in closely related species over the past several decades. These two types of behaviors often will aid in fostering or disrupting coexistence of similar species. Frequently, it is through different diet patterns that similar species will be able to coexist. This study uses data from 1972 through 2006 to demonstrate the diet of Thamnophis sirtalis, T. atratus, T. elegans, and T. couchii throughout their California range of sympatry with Taricha torosa. Additionally, an in-depth examination of the diet of T. sirtalis, T. elegans, and T. atratus was conducted at the Santa Lucia Preserve (SLP) in Monterey County, California. The results of both data sets indicate that when alone T. sirtalis and T. atratus consume primarily anurans as their main food source. However, when sympatric, T. atratus consumes prey such as earthworms and slugs. Thamnophis sirtalis and T. atratus consume Taricha torosa throughout their California range. The differences of sympatric and allopatric diet of T. sirtalis and T. atratus led to ask the question; are the snakes utilizing different microhabitats? This study demonstrates that T. sirtalis and T. atratus prefer the same habitat when alone. In opposition, when together, T. sirtalis will frequently (21 of 24 individuals) use aggression to manipulate the spatial occupation of T. atratus as well as the position of T. elegans at SLP. This behavior is not consistent throughout T. sirtalis, T. atratus, T. elegans, and T. couchii range in California and appears to be unique to the SLP.
