Management for Herps at Neithercut Woodland
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Transcript of Management for Herps at Neithercut Woodland
Management for Herps at Neithercut Woodland
Patrick SheehanRachel Himes
Michael MaurerStevie Chilcote
Management GoalsIncrease diversity in Neithercut WoodlandIncrease wetlands and coarse woody debris by removing student clean-upsMaintain open areas through mowing and controlled burnsIncrease public awareness through presentations at schools, seminars for educators, and polling to determine effectiveness of programs
The Common Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis
Garter Snake Description• Scientific Name: Thamnophis sirtalis
• They can be found as far North as Ontario and as far South as Texas extending their way to the Atlantic Ocean
• Their colors may be different shades of gray, green and yellow and they usually have three yellow or red stripes longitudinally down their backs. The bottom is usually light yellow or white
• Adult size is 20-30 inches
• Environment temperature is between 60 to 93
degrees F
Garter Snake Distribution in North America
Garter Snake Environment and diet• Meadows, piles of
debris, forests, hillsides, fields, marshes, woods, city parks, wetlands, areas around lakes and suburban backyards
• Opportunistic eaters and prey mostly on earthworms, salamanders, small fish, frogs, tadpoles, insects and small birds and mammals
Garter Snake Mating and BirthHibernation in late October and end in early AprilMating right after hibernationGarter snakes are livebearers, having 5-50 babiesThey musk
when scared
Garter Snake ManagementEducate the public on snakes, programs at local schools, zoos and community functionsControlled burns and mowing
Blue-Spotted Blue-Spotted SalamanderSalamander
Blue-Spotted SalamanderRangeNorth America
Southeastern Canada,
Northeastern United States
Great Lakes BasinMichigan
Statewide Distribution
Blue-Spotted Salamander
Habitat: Moist Deciduous Hardwood Swamp Woodlands
Breeding/Early Development: Ephemeral WetlandsAdult Life: Adjacent Uplands
-Under logs, rocks, leaf litter
High tolerance of anthropogenic disturbance.
Ephemeral WetlandsSeasonal Transformation
Spring Summer
FallWinter
Blue-Spotted Salamander•Diet• Carnivorous•Worms, snails, slugs, insects, centipedes, spiders
• Larval Stage •Water fleas, copepods, insects and insect larvae, specifically mosquito larvae.
Blue-Spotted SalamanderManagement Plan Objectives
Protect natural water-level fluctuations in ephemeral wetlands.Reduce sediment and chemical (pesticides, herbicides, etc.) runoff into wetland areas from roads, livestock operations, agricultural fields.Conserve upland areas surrounding ephemeral wetlands.Expand education programs to inform the general public of the significant role ephemeral wetlands play within their ecosystems.
The Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
The Spotted SalamanderDescription
Average size of an adult is 5-7 inches long, with some over 9 inches longDorsal color is black, dark brown or dark gray with yellow spots in two irregular rows running from head to tail.
Photo by Victor Young
Photo by Eric Aldrich
Range and Habitat
Range•Found throughout most of the eastern USA and adjacent southern Canada
Habitat•Found in hardwood and mixed coniferous-deciduous forest habitats•During breeding they migrate to vernal pools.•The vernal pools are fishless, improving reproduction success.
Photo taken by Mike Marchand
Photo from www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naa)
Life HistoryFound mainly in mature upland forests except during breeding season they migrate to vernal poolsBreeding
Males court females with head nudging and rubbingmale drops a spermatophore, which female then picks up.Males may drop nearly 100 spermatophores in one season.
larvae hatch within 2-4 weeks and feed and grow for 2-4 months.When fully grown, the adults leave the pools and enter the forest for winter.
Photo by Mike Marchand
DietLarvae size-selective feeders, ingesting a range of aquatic invertebrates
zooplankton, Beetles, small crustaceans, odonates.
Adultsgeneralists on forest floor invertebrates
mollusks, earthworms, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, and a wide variety of insects.
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake
Sistrurus catenatus catenatus
Eastern Massasauga RattlesnakeRanges in size from 18.5 to 39.5 inchesDiet includes small mammals, reptiles, and invertabratesIn summer, it will avoid open areas and meadows and prefers wetlands and fensJuly to Sept., gravid females seek out dryer areasOct. and Nov., hibernate in wetland areas
Eastern Massasauga RattlesnakeStatus
MI--Species of special interestUS--Under consideration for listing
Habitats necessaryOpen wetlands for hibernation and thermoregulationConifer forest for hunting
Prairie Fen Rich ConiferSwamp
Eastern Massasauga RattlesnakePrescribed burns and mowing in the open areas around Elm CreekDike built on the creek to increase wetlands
Thank you for your time
Questions?