This little guy was a captive hatched obsoleta from '03 that I head started last year as part of a F&W study to see if head starting would increase survival rates. Obsoleta are very, very scarce in MA and this was an effort to give them a leg up. I wish I had taken a photo in the spring last year when I handed him over for release. He was big and so dark that there wasn't much pattern left to his dorsal. I hope to talk to F&W this year about photographing some adults and head starting again if they do it again.
John
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Central Massachusetts juvie black rat
jfirneno
Jan 30, 2005 05:48 PM
Replies (2)
mike z
Jan 30, 2005 07:14 PM
hi John, glad to see you got involved with that black rat project. Several people I know through the New England Herp Society also raised up some of those little guys. It will be interesting to see if the Massachsetts balck rat will ever sustain a sizable population. The little tiny slice of Mass they occupy is the absolute north-eastern border of their range. I believe this is a case where the natural range limitation is the factor in this species' rarity in Massachusetts more than any human interference. In the heart of their range black rats don't seem to mind living in close proximity to human. I've found them in urban areas in Virginia and North Carolina.
PS watch for an email regarding smooth greens.
jfirneno
Jan 30, 2005 08:26 PM
I hope they do well too. It would be interesting to see if headstarting has any impact. Any info on smooth greens would be appreciated.
Regards
John
