Conservation Target : Timber Rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridus ) Management Goal: Conserve Timber Rattlesnake population while minimizing human-snake conflict. Biological Conditions Contributed Service Conservation Strategies
non-native invasive species, stable habitat, variable population/ slow reproduction, human persecution
Biodiversity, Public Health, Cultural
Inventory
History and Adaptive Process: Timber Rattlesnakes (also known as Canebrake Rattlesnakes and ᎤᏦᏅᏗ ) have a storied history in Cherokee culture and on EBCI lands. Revered and feared, they have been at best avoided and at worst actively persecuted. Stories, like rattlesnakes' revenge, historically taught Cherokee children to walk away from these potentially dangerous animals, which is exactly what modern biologists recommend today. However, a settler-colonial perspective of natural resource subjugation has been adopted by many tribal citizens as well. Timber rattlesnakes have been almost entirely extirpated from the middle part of North Carolina. Noticing these trends, our team decided to expand upon our more generalized herpetofauna inventorying project to focus efforts on Timber Rattlesnakes. We plan to begin implementing road-cruising methods during the times that these animals are most likely to be observed. Haphazard and opportunistic survey methods will also be used. Morphological and habitat data will be collected on each individual and then they will be PIT tagged in the event of capture to potentially transition this project into a monitoring program.
MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
Current Methodology for Conservation Strategies Inventory: Opportunistically capture and uniquely mark (with a PIT tag) Timber Rattlesnakes when found. Results and Discussion for Information Transfer and Processing This project is still in development and will be discussed at future adaptive management meeting.
Adaptive Decision for 2023
Management or Methodological Changes: Develop and implement road-cruising & haphazard sampling methods.
Move from only inventorying opportunistically to monitoring with more captures, effort-based sampling procedures and by implementing radio telemetry methods to further understand range, habitat use and for locating more individuals through den discoveries. Work with academic and state partners to expand our venomous snake capture training. Social & Cultural Changes: Develop methods and outreach material for education of the public of the cultural and ecological importance of this species. Use the help of citizen scientists to locate and respond to calls about venomous snakes. Partners: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC)
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