Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Question for all field herpers: recently a couple of posts in various forums have seemed to suggest an abundance of certain species in the field (ie -- copperheads, corns) that rivals or even surpasses the numbers of "yesteryear". This certainly seems to go against what many if not most people who have been around long enough to REALLY know (Bartlett comes to mind) have written. My guess is the people suggesting this abundance simply don't have the perspective to really compare what they are seeing now with what HAS been in the past. Any thoughts? (Please don't bother "flaming" me -- I pose the question mainly for discussion, and not to indicate my own point of view).
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Carl

Well my friend. I live in kansas and do alot of field herping every year for the past 6 or so around here. I have noticed it has gotten alot easier to find emorys and coppers around here. 5 years ago, i was lucky to see 5 to 10 coppers a year, and now there is a good chance of seeing 5 or more in a day. I think it has to do with more people looking for them and more people willing to go to the right places to find them. For me, I have found more and more good spots that produce every year. Others may have other opinions, so lets hear them.

Carl,
Habitat and species go hand in hand. Given relatively static environmental conditions (temperature, moisture, food, etc.), a decrease in the amount of favorable habitat will result in the decline in numerical abundance of species. Increase the amount of favorable habitat and species will increase in numerical abundance.

With the resultant loss of habitat and habitat degradation that has resulted from the increase in the human population, the vast majority of native species around the world have declined to varying degrees. That being said, many species are doing well because there remains large amounts of suitable habitat. It should be pointed out that human activities sometime create favorable habitat or produce more favorable environmental conditions for some species which can result in higher densities and numerical abundance.

An example of this latter situation is where impoundments are created on rivers and streams that increase the amount of favorable habitat for certain aquatic species.

Richard F. Hoyer

That is what I am talking about, Richard! I see the indigos using the tumbledowns of bridges for deep, humid environs to promote shedding and for nesting. It also creates more habitat for prey species like the cotton rat. These giant piles of broken concrete also help hold moisture in, creating more leopard frog and fish habitat. I think snakes are where the water and food are, for the most part.
Todd Hughes

I believe you are right for the most part, but I think the most successful species can be quite abundant in certain areas due to being forced to move from habitat destruction. You may find an "overabundance" of a few hardy snakes but I believe more people are finding hibernaculum now than ever before because there are more herpers looking. We have put it all down for everyone to view, where can I flip in Fla. for instance. But I think man encroaches closer and closer into their world, thus you see more reports of what each person views.
Todd Hughes

This is a good question that warrants closer examination. It would be difficult to make broad sweeping generalizations and be accurate except in those areas that one is most familiar with. For example. I have no frame of referrence how things may have been in California in former times as compared to today, and in fact I have never visited the west coast so anything I would say would be assumption or based on second hand information. The same would apply to any other number of situations across the U.S.

However, I am very familiar with the areas in which we field herp in Kentucky and I have both practical experience that spans quite a few years and a clear understanding of land management practices here from throughout the past century. I know that within the the time frame of the memory of even the most senior of herpers the quality of habitat was less desirable in former times than the present. In the early 20th century the land was brutalized. Entire forest were chopped down, swamps were drained and later the indiscriminate use of pesticides was rampant. There was very little if any land management. In more recent years development and urban sprawl has taken its toll, but overall our ecosystems are probably healthier now than they have been for decades. In the last decades thousands of acres have been put aside and the establishment of park systems and wildlife management areas have enabled many herp population to rebound and thrive in these sanctuaries. Greater public awareness of the value of herps in their environment has also played a positive role. The clearing of land for light agriculture has also been an asset to many species that require open habitats to thrive. A great many of the smaller farms from years past have now been abandoned and these places have now become "old field" and savannah type microhabitats where herps flourish. This coupled with the re-emergence of mature forest and legislation that has afforded greater protection of wetlands has created a setting where herp populations in general are clearly doing well.

We see more herps in the field now than ever before. I would attribute some of this to us having a better understanding of how to look for them and when based upon an accumulation of our experience through the years, but it is also my opinion that much of our success has been directly related to the numbers of herps increasing. Phil
Snake Hunting in Kentucky

I've seen alot more garter snakes here in the past 3 years or so, used to see about 10 a day or so now I can see 20 or more on a good day, I think it's from helping along gravid snakes and releasing the babies, lots of females are road kills the area they like is about 2 foot from the road and often bask in it and are squished I catch about 20 gravid females keep them till they give birth and release them all back to where they were from
wayne

For So Cal in the Palos Verdes Hills:
My brother used to say that if he didn't see a snake per day in Spring in our neighboring fields, it was a bad year. That was in the 70s. I was a little kid. Snakes were seen all the time.

Now, we rarely see any snakes in those same areas. Some fields have a good number if you put boards out, but those fields are the ones that have been fenced off for many years. Too much intersecting of fields with roads and human traffic I suppose.

Curiously, one area that was plowed, a nature center built, and a restoration (native habitat, plants, etc) project going on, the lizard population has been swelling, or at least one can see lizards all over there now. This is in a place where 5 years ago even a fence lizard was not all that commonly seen out in the open. I'm anxious to see if we see any kingsnakes there this year.

Thanks for all the good input. I grew up in Wisconsin, and we've seemingly never had an abundance of herps, though I find more and more each year, probably because my knowledge is broadening and my connections with other area herpers and private land-owners are becoming more numerous. I'm hoping to photograph species this year that I've never encountered in Wisconsin before and I'm thrilled at the opportunities that await! Happy herping!
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Carl