Massasauga Home Range Patterns in the Midwest

The massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) has drastically declined throughout its range mainly due to habitat loss and human persecution. Populations of the massasauga that occur north and east of the Missouri River, USA, are currently candidates for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of wildlife management 2008-04, Vol.72 (3), p.754-759
Main Authors: Durbian, Francis E, King, Richard S, Crabill, Trisha, Lambert-Doherty, Heather, Seigel, Richard A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
animal ecology
Birds
Endangered & extinct species
endangered species
Field study
Gravid females
Habitat conservation
Habitat loss
Habitats
Herpetology
History
Management and Conservation
massasauga
Population
Population ecology
rattlesnake
rattlesnakes
reptile conservation
Reptiles and Amphibians
Sistrurus catenatus
snake movements
Snakes
Spatial ecology
Wildlife conservation
wildlife habitats
Wildlife management
Wildlife refuges
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) has drastically declined throughout its range mainly due to habitat loss and human persecution. Populations of the massasauga that occur north and east of the Missouri River, USA, are currently candidates for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. In areas where land managers wish to improve habitat for existing populations or create habitat for repatriation efforts, an understanding of massasauga spatial ecology is necessary to ensure that adequate sized blocks of habitat are created and properly managed. We studied spatial ecology of massasaugas at 2 sites in Wisconsin and 3 sites in Missouri over an 11-year period. Our results indicated that male massasaugas had larger spatial requirements than all other cohorts. Our study sites supporting viable populations indicated that managers interested in restoring or enhancing massasauga habitat should use 100 ha as a minimum restoration or management target.
ISSN:0022-541X
1937-2817
DOI:10.2193/2007-710