infernalis
04-28-11, 01:25 AM
I'm somewhat expecting the worse case scenario, But I am quite convinced that the extreme hard winter we had that lasted longer than usual followed immediately by flooding that subsequently froze up and then melted fast causing additional flooding has taken a hard toll on the local snake population.
Every spring for more years than I care to admit I have always went out looking for snakes, I grew up on this property and have been a herp nut since before a lot of members were even born yet, so I can honestly say I have a firm working knowledge of the populations around me here.
Lately we have had some nice sun mixed in with the rain and storms, reptiles normally take advantage of that and will bask when they can.
I went out today and turtles were basking everywhere, the peepers were chirping, everything seemed par for spring EXCEPT not one snake anywhere to be seen.
They are resilient, this has happened before, 1996 was a freak winter, the population was recovered within 3 years of that.
Odds are quite a few shallow underground den sites got obliterated by this chain of weather events..
Makes me glad that my big girls were inside all cozy and warm eating fuzzy mice and basking under a lamp.:)
Contemplating putting my normal male in with them, 2 litters of indigenous garters would be up to 50 snakes, "jump start" them into healthy feeding responses and let them go near my habitat project.
Every spring for more years than I care to admit I have always went out looking for snakes, I grew up on this property and have been a herp nut since before a lot of members were even born yet, so I can honestly say I have a firm working knowledge of the populations around me here.
Lately we have had some nice sun mixed in with the rain and storms, reptiles normally take advantage of that and will bask when they can.
I went out today and turtles were basking everywhere, the peepers were chirping, everything seemed par for spring EXCEPT not one snake anywhere to be seen.
They are resilient, this has happened before, 1996 was a freak winter, the population was recovered within 3 years of that.
Odds are quite a few shallow underground den sites got obliterated by this chain of weather events..
Makes me glad that my big girls were inside all cozy and warm eating fuzzy mice and basking under a lamp.:)
Contemplating putting my normal male in with them, 2 litters of indigenous garters would be up to 50 snakes, "jump start" them into healthy feeding responses and let them go near my habitat project.