Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This post (The replies actually) will illustrate clearly and beyond a shadow of doubt that public roads and right of ways are NOT in any way shape or form Wildlife Sanctuaries.

If you have data or photos that illustrate the carnage that takes places on our public roads and right of ways 24/7 365 days a year even when we sleep, post it as a reply right here.

total number of snakes seen: 11
total number of live snakes seen: 0
total number of DOR's: 11

Species breakdown:
10 DOR atrox (1 monster, 4 large, 5 small)
1 DOR southwestern ratsnake (5' )

of yesterday was a member of our T&E list
one DOR Texas Horned Lizard

Is any herp on the T&E list better off today than it was before it was granted “protection” at the state level? (Not talking about the Federal ESA, which has had some notable successes, e.g., Alligator).

The Texas Tortoise and the Horned Lizard have been “protected” for more than 40 years and each appears to become scarcer every year. Both of these “protected” animals seem to be disappearing at about the same rate (in south Texas, at least) as the Ornate Box Turtle, which has never been “protected.”

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Tom Lott
Thornscrub

probably only Tantilla cucullatta numbers remain unchanged but I bet no one has that data.

several other of T&E species may be holding their own in certain areas but it would be hard to argue that they are better off.

I would argue that the following species probably ought to come off the state T&E list

Tantilla cucullata (huge range, no threat, no demand)

Trimorphodon vilkinsoni (huge range, no threat, limited demand)

Drymarchon corais (huge range, mostly protected habitat = huge ranches, limited demand)

Syrrophus guttilatus (range much larger than previously though, no threat, no demand)

I would argue (but probably loose) that Coleonyx reticulatus ought not be protected - over 95% of its known range in TX is protected by state or federal land, tiny fraction is road-accessible and although it is a relatively "high demand" species, just don't put it on the "white list" so it can't be commercialized.

A few other species on the "list" that seem to be doing well

Coniophanes imperialis - supposedly common in flower beds and vacant lots in cities of LRGV

Ambystoma talpoideum - lots of new locales for this species have been discovered in past few years as we gain a better understanding of its natural history in Texas

Some stuff that ought to go on the list

Ambystoma maculatum - very difficult to find outside of a few well known localities

Ambystoma t. tigrinum (Eastern Tiger) - extremely difficult to find outside of a few well known localities

Thamnophis sirtalis, all races found in Texas - extremely rare, habitat for annectans mostly gone

Holbrookia lacerata (both races) absent from most historic locales

Holbrookia maculata perspicua (Eastern Lesser Earless) absent from most historic locales - hasn't been seen in Texas since the '70s

Those are off the top of my head . . . kind of a consensus list from my own observations and anecdotal information passed around amongst herpetologists. For example, the Holbrookia stuff is well documented (Axtell, museum records, etc)

Troy

(I only keep specific #s on snakes)

2007 - so far 9 snakes DORs
2006 - 134 DOR snakes
2005 - 271 DOR snakes
2004 - 253 DOR snakes

etc

I have records that are relatively easily accessible (you have to go through an count) dating back to sometime in 1996. From 1996 onward, my records are in "journal/sequential" format - from 1982 until 1996, my records are "by species account" format and not so easy to data such as you're requesting.

Troy

Here is a beautiful photo from TX of threatened species in a “wild life sanctuary”.

>>Here is a beautiful photo from TX of threatened species in a “wild life sanctuary”.
>>
>>
>>

It's beautiful, That's how TP&W is proposing to manage our non-game resources in the new wildlife sanctuaries. Just beautiful.

Send a hard copy to Representative Harvey Hilderbran please.

This year we should take a digital of as many DOR animals as we can to be sent Isett's and Hilderbran's email to document the success of this idea of a roadway wildlife sanctuary. One thought though is we do want to be very careful about sending carnage pictures in a way that might be looked at as a threat... Make it clear that it is documentation with all relevant data (Time / Date / Location / current traffic and weather conditions).. And remember it does not just have to be snakes, anything hit by a car will work.

and since that is REALLY what I will be doing, that will be my canned response when asked what I'm doing.

right along with the now infamous quote from the TP&W canned response "Wildlife Sanctuary".

oh this is no joke, I'm "dead" serious. sorry for the pun.

From the last three nights in So. Brewster:

Live on Road (sort of):
1 Tex banded gecko -relocated to a rock cut
1 small diamondback -escorted off the road
1bull snake -spotted alive, killed by a car before I could rescue him
1ground snake -lower 1/3 crushed but still living

Dead on Road
2 ground snakes
1 black head
1 longnose
1 mojave (rattle and head mysteriously missing)
2 diamondbacks
2 coachwhips

I also have to wonder if this is to be designated a wildlife sanctuary then what is the annual budget and who will monitor it?

Total smoke screen, and they know it.

Lance

that they issued? I'd like to know which Einstein worded that.

Just referring back the comment we dug up before..