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HABITAT USE AND SEASONAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED SNAKES ON JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA

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Date Issued:
2004
Abstract/Description:
An intensive, replicated monthly sampling of snake communities inhabiting four habitat types was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida from November 2002 through October 2003. Thirteen species (580 individuals plus 74 recaptures) plus one hybrid were captured. The three most commonly captured species, Coluber constrictor, Thamnophis sirtalis, and Thamnophis sauritus, combined made up 85% of the sample. These three species were active during every month of the year, but showed modal activity patterns typical of Temperate Zone snakes. Monthly snake captures were correlated with monthly captures of potential prey species and with mean monthly temperature. Species richness in the four habitat types varied from nine to 12. Drift fences in ruderal habitats had the highest species richness, while fences in swales captured the greatest number of individuals. The most dissimilar habitat pair was scrub and swale, while the most similar pair was ruderal and hammock. Box traps proved more effective for targeting the largest snake species, while funnel and box traps were equally effective for targeting other species.
Title: HABITAT USE AND SEASONAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED SNAKES ON JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA.
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Name(s): Dyer, Karen, Author
Stout, I. Jack, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2004
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: An intensive, replicated monthly sampling of snake communities inhabiting four habitat types was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida from November 2002 through October 2003. Thirteen species (580 individuals plus 74 recaptures) plus one hybrid were captured. The three most commonly captured species, Coluber constrictor, Thamnophis sirtalis, and Thamnophis sauritus, combined made up 85% of the sample. These three species were active during every month of the year, but showed modal activity patterns typical of Temperate Zone snakes. Monthly snake captures were correlated with monthly captures of potential prey species and with mean monthly temperature. Species richness in the four habitat types varied from nine to 12. Drift fences in ruderal habitats had the highest species richness, while fences in swales captured the greatest number of individuals. The most dissimilar habitat pair was scrub and swale, while the most similar pair was ruderal and hammock. Box traps proved more effective for targeting the largest snake species, while funnel and box traps were equally effective for targeting other species.
Identifier: CFE0000237 (IID), ucf:46264 (fedora)
Note(s): 2004-12-01
M.S.
Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): snakes
habitat use
seasonal activity
drift fencing
Kennedy Space Center
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000237
Restrictions on Access: campus 2006-01-31
Host Institution: UCF

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