Abstract
The Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) is a species that is federally threatened primarily because of habitat loss and fragmentation. Currently there is a paucity of data relating to populations in the southern portion of this species range, which are believed to be different from the northern populations due to climate and habitat factors. The objectives of this study were to provide baseline data pertaining to home range size, habitat use, seasonal activity patterns, and refugia use in disturbed habitats in south Florida using radio telemetry. The field site for this study is the home to the future C44 reservoir and stormwater treatment area included in the Central and Southern Florida Project of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. It is an abandoned citrus grove intersected with canals, ditches, and dirt roads located in western Martin County Florida. A total of five snakes including four males and one female were sufficiently tracked for analysis between the dates of January 2012 and March 2013. Total home range size varied from 9.71 – 65.78 ha. Several of the individuals tracked showed a preference for canal habitats particularly during the winter months. All individuals tracked remained active all year long and showed no significant difference in activity based on mean meters traveled per day when compared between seasons. The two male snakes tracked for the longest period of time showed a significant preference for artificial refugia in cooler temperatures and natural refugia in warmer temperatures. D. couperi using the C44 reservoir site demonstrate trends in home range size, habitat use, seasonal activity patterns, and seasonal refugia preferences that differ from other populations of this species. These differences highlight the need for conservation biologists to consider ecological and behavioral differences across the range of a species, and within human dominated landscapes, when developing management plans. Understanding the role of disturbed habitats as possible acceptable habitat for endangered and threatened species is integral to their continued survival.