A Long-Term Study on Massasaugas (Sistrurus catenatus) Inhabiting a Partially Mined Peatland: A Standardized Method to Characterize Snake Overwintering Habitat
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“… Fig. 2 Technical illustration of an artificial snake hibernaculum installed in soil showing the approximate relative locations of the frost level, groundwater table and life zone [ 14 ] relative to the ground surface. The fully assembled hibernaculum is ∼160 cm long, with ∼125 cm of the inner housing below the ground surface (exact lengths will depend on the brand of HDPE end cap used, and how accurately pipe sections are measured and cut).…”
“… Fig. 2 Technical illustration of an artificial snake hibernaculum installed in soil showing the approximate relative locations of the frost level, groundwater table and life zone [ 14 ] relative to the ground surface. The fully assembled hibernaculum is ∼160 cm long, with ∼125 cm of the inner housing below the ground surface (exact lengths will depend on the brand of HDPE end cap used, and how accurately pipe sections are measured and cut).…”
“…We assumed that ectotherms are buried in soil or in burrows (thus not under rocks or in rock crevices, which have different thermal properties) and that T b equals adjacent T soil (Supporting Information). We assumed that moisture (or ice), desiccation or gas (oxygen, CO 2 ) tensions did not influence results (but see, Costanzo, 1989; Burke et al ., 2002; Berman et al ., 2016; Rossi et al ., 2020; Yagi et al ., 2020). For most simulations we assumed that ectotherms did not change depths within a sample period (but see Macartney et al ., 2011).…”
In cold environments ectotherms can be dormant underground for long periods. In 1941 Cowles proposed an ecological trade‐off involving the depth at which ectotherms overwintered: on warm days, only shallow reptiles could detect warming soils and become active; but on cold days, they risked freezing. Cowles discovered that most reptiles at a desert site overwintered at shallow depths. To extend his study, we compiled hourly soil temperatures (5 depths, 90 sites, continental USA) and physiological data, and simulated consequences of overwintering at fixed depths. In warm localities shallow ectotherms have lowest energy costs and largest reserves in spring, but in cold localities, they risk freezing. Ectotherms shifting hourly to the coldest depth potentially reduce energy expenses, but paradoxically sometimes have higher expenses than those at fixed depths. Biophysical simulations for a desert site predict that shallow ectotherms have increased opportunities for mid‐winter activity but need to move deep to digest captured food. Our simulations generate testable predictions to eco‐physiological questions but rely on physiological responses to acute cold rather than to natural cooling profiles. Furthermore, natural‐history data to test most predictions do not exist. Thus, our simulation approach uncovers knowledge gaps and suggests research agendas for studying ectotherms overwintering underground.
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