Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
specimens found in a single county. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to development and silviculture are some of the biggest reasons for these declines, as well as road mortality and outright killing. Another significant issue for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is limited refugia. Refugium sites are limited to tree stumps, as many of the other refugia used by this species in other parts of its range are absent in North Carolina—no Gopher Tortoise, Pocket Gopher, or armadillo burrows; however, armadillos are expanding their range into NC thereby creating burrows that could be used by other animals. Stumps that are large enough for use by an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake are uncommon across the landscape. Winter temperatures are likely an important factor in limiting the distribution of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. Thus, any limits on potential refugia may have an even bigger impact on the species. Recent work by NCWRC staff on stump-dependent species has shown great promise in the creation of artificial stump holes, and this work will continue. • Monitoring of Southern Hognose Snakes, a state threatened species, has been ongoing for more than 25 years in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain. These snakes are strongly tied to sandy soils and large tracts of well-managed Longleaf Pine forests (NCWRC 2023) . They are extremely secretive during most of the year but can be monitored by finding them crossing roads when they become more active in the fall. A recent publication suggests that no discernable trend in the captures of Southern Hognose Snakes was found over a long-term study in the Sandhills (Beane et al. 2014) . However, outside the Sandhills, this species is extremely rare and infrequently encountered. Many coastal counties with historical records of the Southern Hognose Snake have no records within the last 20 years, despite considerable effort to detect the species. • The Eastern Hognose Snake is a species rarely encountered within EBCI lands but is known historically in surrounding habitats. Despite being non-venomous, the species suffers from misidentification and persecution, and its populations are declining across much of its range. • Species located at the edge of their natural range are also emphasized in EBCI’s work due to their increased sensitivity to habitat change and shifting climate regimes. Rare sightings of the Northern Pinesnake, colloquially known as bull snakes, have been found very near the EBCI lands and may represent one such edge-of-range species with potential presence in suitable upland areas. • The Slender Glass Lizard is another locally rare species that is known from only a few historical specimens in western North Carolina (Palmer and Braswell 1995) . Due to its cryptic appearance and use of grassland and open woodland habitats, it is easily overlooked in standard surveys and remains a high priority for targeted detection. It is one of several species currently being evaluated for presence and habitat association within EBCI-
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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