Terrestrial buffer zones and the spatial
ecology of the red-bellied watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster).
Jeffrey D. Camper
Department of Biology
The amount of
terrestrial habitat surrounding wetlands for wildlife remains an important and
unresolved aspect of conservation biology. In an attempt to answer questions
about terrestrial buffer zone width, I used radiotelemetry to study the
movements and habitat use of red-bellied watersnakes. Snakes were studied from
2001 – 2005 in the upper coastal plain of South Carolina. Seventeen adult Nerodia
erythrogaster were fitted with surgically implanted radiotransmitters. All
but two specimens over-wintered within a few meters of a wetland. Home ranges averaged
44.13 ha (range 3.24 to 123.88 ha) calculated using the fixed kernel method. The maximum distance each snake moved out of a
wetland ranged from 52 – 388 m (mean 270.25 m). Red-bellied watersnakes used
pine forest, deciduous forest, southern mixed hardwood forest and pine
plantations more than expected and agricultural fields less than expected.
Terrestrial buffer zones need to be 344 m in width to encompass 95% of
terrestrial localities used by these snakes. Data will be presented on distance
moved from wetlands, amount of time spent out of wetlands, terrestrial habitat
use and home range size.
2007
Banos
Conference Abstract