Snakes

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus)

Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus) are the world's largest rattlesnake species and largest venomous snake in the United States. Their range extends from the coastal plains of the Carolinas down to Florida, and west to eastern Louisiana. This top predator is incredibly important in maintaining ecosystem balance. While many people view them as a threat and persecute the species, these snakes are beneficial due to the population control they exert on small mammals as well as the emerging medical uses of their venom. Eastern diamondbacks have been petitioned for protection under the Endangered Species Act as their populations are in decline due to direct human conflict, and habitat loss and degradation. The threats they face are compounded by the naturally slow rate at which they produce offspring, with females giving birth once every two or three years. Additionally, as these snakes are ectotherms and rely upon external temperature for their biological processes, the highly variable winter temperatures in coastal climates may negatively impact their populations. For these reasons, we study these animals to better understand their habitat use, survivability, reproduction, and overwintering ecology during times of changing climates.

Canebrake/Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

The timber/canebrake rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) occupies much of the southeast United States, with their range extending north to New Hampshire and west to the Midwestern states. In the Southeast they are referred to as “canebrakes” due to their use of the coastal plains and cane forests. Canebrakes have been decreasing at similar rates as the EDBs in the Southeast, and they have received protection in the Northeast due to more rapid declines. Our research with this species at Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina focused on their response to development and roads.

Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi)

The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is native to sandhills ecosystems in the eastern United States and is restricted to Florida and southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. They are the longest snake in the US, ranging from 5-7 feet as adults. Indigo snakes also are able to dine on adult rattlesnakes and have an all-around diverse diet of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, making them an important ecological predator of other vertebrate species. Indigo snakes are federally listed through the Endangered Species Act managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service due to declines in their populations that have been associated with habitat development, degradation, and fragmentation along with diseases, such as snake fungal disease. Our research on indigo snakes focuses on their spatial ecology and habitat use of gopher tortoises burrows who have been re-introduced from lands undergoing development.

Eastern Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula)

As a predator, Eastern kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula) are vital to the ecosystems they inhabit. Kingsnakes prey upon other snakes, as well as rodents, birds, and lizards. They are most well-known for a high resistance to snake venom, allowing them to consume venomous snakes such as the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake and the copperhead. Due to their consumption of rodents and venomous snakes, kingsnakes are considered to be important in controlling the populations of what many consider nuisance species.

The kingsnake’s distribution extends throughout much of the eastern United States, with slight variation in physical appearance (especially in banding) occurring in different geographical areas. They can do well in many habitat types, but studies have shown declines in population numbers throughout their range, likely due to habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, and persecution. We are interested in how humans can coexist with kingsnakes in urban landscapes. Due to the Eastern kingsnake being a fossorial species, they can be quite elusive, making it more difficult to observe how development and human interactions are impacting the population. Our lab focuses on collecting natural history information on the Eastern kingsnake to learn more about their spatial ecology, and understand which habitats (both natural and human-made) are being utilized by the species.