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Book Thermal Preference and Habitat Use of Eastern Garter Snakes Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis in a Southern Ontario Peatland

Download or read book Thermal Preference and Habitat Use of Eastern Garter Snakes Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis in a Southern Ontario Peatland written by Curtis Abney and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Garter snakes are the most widespread reptile in North America. Despite occupying vastly different biogeoclimatic zones across their range, evidence suggests that the thermal preference (Tsel) of garter snakes has not significantly diverged among populations or different Thamnophis species. The reason for garter snake's wide thermal tolerance could lie in their flexible thermoregulatory behaviours and habitat use. I aimed to investigate this relationship by first identifying the Tsel of a common garter snake species (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) via a thermal gradient in the lab. I used this Tsel parameter (27.82 - 32.15 oC) as a benchmark for calculating the thermal quality of open, mixed, and forested habitats all used by the species. I measured the thermal profiles of these habitats by installing a series of operative temperature models that mimicked the thermal properties of living garter snakes and recorded environmental temperatures as living snakes experience them. Lastly, I used coverboards to survey the habitat usage of T. s. sirtalis. Of the three habitats, I found that the open habitat offered the highest thermal quality throughout the snake's active season. In contrast, I recorded the greatest number of snakes using the mixed habitat which had considerably lower thermal quality. Although the open habitat offered the greatest thermal quality on average, environmental temperatures regularly exceeded the upper limits of the animals' thermal tolerance, greatly restricting the activity window for Eastern garter snakes. Therefore, the open habitat may be less thermally attractive to T. s. sirtalis. My data show that not all habitat types used by Eastern garter snakes share the same quality and the relationship is not as simple as warm, open habitats are better. Rather, these animals may preferentially seek out areas that offer a mix of both open and closed-canopy spaces to suit their thermoregulatory needs. In conclusion, T. s. sirtalis may select more thermally stable habitats over those that present them with thermal extremes and greater constraints to their surface activity.

Book Habitat Use and Abundance of the Common Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis at the Northern Limit of Its Range in Manitoba

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.

Book Thermal Ecology of the Garter Snakes Thamnophis Sirtalis Concinnus Hallowell and Thamnophis Ordinoides Baird Girard

Download or read book Thermal Ecology of the Garter Snakes Thamnophis Sirtalis Concinnus Hallowell and Thamnophis Ordinoides Baird Girard written by Glenn R. Stewart and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, studies dealing with temperature regulation, temperature sensitivity, and physiological responses to temperature in lizards and other reptiles have increased tremendously. It is notable that snakes have been largely ignored in such studies. This no doubt is due to their less direct relationship to ancestral endotherms. However, problems in the ecology of snakes themselves may be elucidated by studies of this kind. The present study deals with two species of garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus and Thamnophis ordinoides) which are abundant in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The species sirtalis is the most wide ranging snake in the United States. It is commonly found near permanent water, though occasionally it is encountered in rather dry situations. In contrast to sirtalis, the monotypic species ordinoides is a strictly terrestrial northern Pacific Coast form, which typically is associated with areas of dense vegetation. T. s. concinnus is often seen basking on mild days of the coldest winter months (November-February) while T. ordinoides rarely emerges during these months. The distinct differences in habitat preference and winter behavior exhibited by these snakes suggest differences in thermal preferences and critical levels. To examine this possibility, and the responses of the snakes to thermal acclimation, comparative data on the following variables have been sought: 1) Body temperature of snakes in the field and its relationship to environmental temperatures; 2) body temperature of snakes in a thermal gradient box; 3) critical thermal maximum and minimum; 4) metabolic rate; 5) the effect of thermal acclimation on items two, three, and four. While more investigations are needed to confirm and clarify the results of this study, some tentative conclusions may be stated here: 1) T. s. concinnus and T. ordinoides are diurnal, heliothermic snakes which consistently maintain body temperatures higher than the air and substrate temperatures. 2) T. s. concinnus is more tolerant of seasonally extreme temperatures than T. ordinoides. 3) T. s, concinnus prefers slightly higher body temperatures than T. ordinoides. 4) If temperature tolerances and preferred temperatures are heritable characteristics developed in the phylogeny of the species, these differences probably are primarily related to the difference in distribution of each species as a whole, and secondarily to differences in habitat preference and habit which have resulted from competetive interactions with other species. 5) There are sexual differences in the preferred temperatures of both species, the most significant of which is the relatively high preferred temperature of pregnant females. 6) Initially, the preferred temperatures of both species are inversely related to acclimation temperature. Later, they may be directly related to acclimation temperature. 7) The critical thermal maxima and minima are similar in both species and are directly related to acclimation temperature. However, reacclimation affects the original response differently in the two species. 8) Both species exhibit typical metabolic rate responses to thermal acclimation. 9) Since metabolic rate responses are the same in both species, the greater cold tolerance of T. s. concinnus cannot be attributed to a greater ability to compensate for low temperature.

Book Phenotypic Variation in Common Garter Snakes Thamnophis Sirtalis in the Southeastern United States in Relation to Sex and Habitat Use

Download or read book Phenotypic Variation in Common Garter Snakes Thamnophis Sirtalis in the Southeastern United States in Relation to Sex and Habitat Use written by Zachary William Martin and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Variations and Genetic Relationships of the Garter snakes

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.

Book Ecology of the Common Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis at the Northern Limit of Its Range microform

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:

Book Occurrence of the Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains

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.

Book The Garter Snakes

    The Garter Snakes

    Book Details:
  • Author : Douglas Athon Rossman
  • Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
  • Release : 1996
  • ISBN : 9780806128207
  • Pages : 402 pages

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.

Book COMPARATIVE ECOLOGY OF THE COMMON GARTER SNAKE THAMNOPHIS S SIRTALIS THE RIBBON SNAKE THAMNOPHIS S SAURITUS AND BUTLER S GARTER SNAKE THAMNOPHIS BUTLERI IN MIXED POPULATION

Download or read book COMPARATIVE ECOLOGY OF THE COMMON GARTER SNAKE THAMNOPHIS S SIRTALIS THE RIBBON SNAKE THAMNOPHIS S SAURITUS AND BUTLER S GARTER SNAKE THAMNOPHIS BUTLERI IN MIXED POPULATION written by Charles Congden Carpenter and published by . This book was released on 1951 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Feeding Behavior of Eastern Garter Snakes Thamnophis S Sirtalis

Download or read book The Feeding Behavior of Eastern Garter Snakes Thamnophis S Sirtalis written by Alicia Ekwall and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Natural History of Common Gartersnakes Thamnophis Sirtalis in East central British Columbia

Download or read book Natural History of Common Gartersnakes Thamnophis Sirtalis in East central British Columbia written by Jillian McAllister and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Widely distributed species typically exhibit variation in various aspects of their ecology throughout their range. Such variation offers opportunities for fundamental studies in evolution, including local adaptation, biogeographic rules, distributional limits, and speciation. Geographic variation also limits our ability to extrapolate from one population to another, making site-specific knowledge of ecology essential for wildlife management and conservation. I studied the natural history of Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) at two sites in east-central British Columbia, where active seasons are short and cool. I used opportunistic sampling of snakes to study general features of their ecology and radiotelemetry to study movements and habitat selection, including hibernating sites. In September, snakes move from summer habitats to hibernating sites and then emerge from hibernation in April or May. Adult female T. sirtalis overwintered with 0 to 16 other adults in inconspicuous underground hollows, typically in forested habitats, near water and/or coarse woody debris; this is distinct from the large-scale communal hibernation seen in other northern populations. Hibernacula were typically distant from summer habitat (mean = 1485 ± 937 m SD, n = 8, range = 148-2657 m). Under the assumption that snakes exhibit site fidelity to hibernacula in consecutive years, I estimated the cumulative distance moved over the entire active season to be 7011 ± 3756 m SD (n = 9, range = 3510-15015 m). Gravid female snakes moved at significantly lower rates, followed more tortuous paths, and inhabited areas that were more open-canopied than their nongravid counterparts (n = 13). Nongravid snakes used locations with a higher percentage of ground cover than gravid snakes. Mating occurred in early spring near the hibernacula and parturition in early to mid August in summer habitat; litter size ranged from 3 to 25 and was not significantly correlated with the size of the female. Adult snakes preyed exclusively on adult Western Toads (Anaxyrus boreas) and juvenile snakes fed on leeches and metamorphosing toads. Through the identification of migratory routes, relevant summer and winter habitat characteristics, and hibernation sites, my study contributes to the protection and conservation of northern reptiles, which are particularly vulnerable to population declines compared to southern populations due to the restrictive cold climate.