return to main index
  mobile - desktop
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube link to us on LinkedIn
International Reptile Conservation Foundation  
click here for Rodent Pro
Mice, Rats, Rabbits, Chicks, Quail
Available Now at RodentPro.com!
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
events by zip code list an event
Search the forums             Search in:
News & Events: Herp Photo of the Day: Mangrove Snake . . . . . . . . . .  Herp Photo of the Day: Glass Lizard . . . . . . . . . .  Herp Photo of the Day: Glass Lizard . . . . . . . . . .  Calusa Herp Society Meeting - May 01, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  Southwestern Herp Society Meeting - May 03, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  Greater Cincinnati Herp Society Meeting - May 07, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  St. Louis Herpetological Society - May 11, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - May 17, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - May 18, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  San Diego Herp Society Meeting - May 20, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  Bay Area Herpetological Society Meeting - May 23, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  Suncoast Herp Society Meeting - May 24, 2025 . . . . . . . . . .  DFW Herp Society Meeting - May 24, 2025 . . . . . . . . . . 
Free Nationwide Ground Shipping on All Frozen Food Orders Totaling $99 Or More at RodentPro.com!

Happy Snake Families II

[ Login ] [ User Prefs ] [ Search Forums ] [ Back to Main Page ] [ Back to Kingsnake Forum ]

Posted by: Tony D at Mon Feb 16 07:52:41 2009   [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Tony D ]  
   

Okay some pretty good thoughts came out of the last thread and I'd like to build on this a bit more. The one thing that caught my imagination most was the idea that in good times a population's territory may expand very slowly and that such times are primarily manifest by an increase in population density. Conversely, during bad times populations tend to disperse more quickly. The concept that bad times may more effectively spread a populations influence than good times is a bit counter intuitive but it has a beauty all its own.

Anyway here is my question, any ideas or observations of what happens to a "fat" population once things start to go south? I can infer drops in reproductive rates and recruitment into the adult population are the first things that happen to bring the population back into equilibrium but at what point does inter-population competition become intense enough that actual dispersion begins and could incidence of cannibalism be a measure of this?

Here on the east coast I find few habitats that are in anything near pristine condition. Perhaps the reason I'm so certain that our kings are completely cannibalistic is because kings here are almost always in a stressed dispersal mode.

-----
“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

   

[ Hide Replies ]


>> Next topic:  Finding Kings in Their Environment - indictment, Mon Feb 16 15:56:17 2009
<< Previous topic:  Mostly Brooksi and Some Others - JTColubrids, Sun Feb 15 23:31:41 2009