Behavioral and life history responses of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) to human disturbance

Abstract

Parks and nature reserves protect important natural habitats but also provide public opportunities for outdoor recreational activities that may have unintended negative effects on wildlife. We examined the response of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) to inadvertent disturbance by humans in Killbear Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Radio telemetry of 25 adult snakes over two active seasons revealed that, as disturbance increased, gravid females were less visible to observers, but the visibility of non-gravid females and males did not change. Mean distance moved per day decreased and mean time between moves greater than 10 m increased in gravid females, non-gravid females and males with increasing exposure to human disturbance. However, mark-recapture data revealed no differences in the condition or growth rates of snakes, or in the litter size of gravid females, between individuals captured in disturbed and undisturbed study areas. While it is possible that the behavioral responses we observed are not sufficient to have life history consequences, more detailed information on the exposure of individual snakes to human activity is necessary before the conclusion that disturbance is not detrimental to snakes can be accepted. Similarly, other potential negative effects of human disturbance not investigated here remain to be explored.

Distribution and abundance of pit vipers (Reptilia: Viperidae) along the Western Ghats of Goa, India

“…It was seen that all the three species were distributed in all study locations, barring BWS, where T. malabaricus and H. hypnale were not recorded during the present study. This could be due to the anthropogenic activities in and around the sanctuary as human disturbances can affect the snakes in terms of their distribution (Greene 1988;Peterson 1990;Brown 1993;Parent & Weatherhead 2000). Terrestrial and arboreal habitats differ profoundly in many ways including the types and amount of food availability, vulnerability to predators, and physical factors such as temperature and humidity.…”

Road avoidance and its energetic consequences for reptiles

“…Daily movement of snakes did not increase with cumulative road distance within their home range (F = 1.93, df = 1, 13, p = .19, Figure S4), but we had low power to detect an effect. Therefore, the predicted increase in annual energy expenditure represents 14% of the energy required to produce one neonate or 1% of a mean litter of 13 neonates (Parent & Weatherhead, 2000). Producing one neonate snake requires 65 kJ, assuming 6.75 kJ/g of snake (Dyke & Beaupre, 2011) and a mean neonate mass of 9.6 g (Jellen & Kowalski, 2007).…”

The behavioral response of emerging pine snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) to people: implications for survival and protection

“…Further, Parent and Weatherhead (2000) found that snakes continued to respond to people as if they were predators in disturbed areas, regardless of the level of disturbance. When an encounter situation occurs between a hatchling snake and a person, either the snake or the person detects the approach first.…”