As always when doing field work, one must be careful when our work interferes and causes changes in our subjects behavior.



One of the interesting aspects of hognose is that, what causes interference.



I visited a field forum for a while and watched as they struggled to define what interference is. That field forum was actually more of a photo contest forum using snakes, then about the snakes themselves. So they could not include anything that hindered their photo shoots. So picking up, posing, taking and placing them in coolers overnight, was all OK and not interference. Field biologist,REMOVE the animals from their habitat and known system of travel, cut them open, place a radio inside and say, they are normal the next day.(Which is both behaviorally and physically impossible) Of course then follow them daily with giant antennas.



I do have a definition, based on ethology(behavior) which is, any contact or near contact that causes the subject to alter behaviors from Safe behaviors, to risky, unsafe behaviors, is interference. Snakes practice repetition of safe movement. That becomes routine. Interference causes them to alter that and take flight to unsafe areas or routines.



Examples, with our rattlesnakes, rattles, hissing, striking etc are defensive behaviors. But if breached, that is, you still pick them up, they will often take flight and and avoid their normal routine. In studys on reptile removal, 95% or more of individuals moved over 1/2 mile perish within a year.

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