Publication Date
Fall 11-2019
School
School of Behavioral Sciences; School of Health Sciences
Major
Zoo and Wildlife Biology
Keywords
queen snake, ecology, long term, urban
Recommended Citation
Beiler, Rachel, "Long-Term Study on the Population Ecology of Urban Queen Snakes (Regina septemvittata) in Central Virginia" (2019). Senior Honors Theses. 916.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/916
Abstract
As parts of the world are becoming more urbanized, species living in urban habitat fragments are more at risk of extirpation. We conducted, in an urban environment, a 12-year (2008-2019) mark/recapture study on a Queen snake (Regina septemvittata) population in Rock Castle Creek, Lynchburg, VA to determine population viability. Ninety-nine individual Queen snakes were marked to determine stable population estimates (range 3 - 43 snakes) and an annual survival rate of 52%. Our research found that despite the challenges of urban living, this population is stable and similar to rural Queen snake population studies. Certain life-history traits are advantageous to urban Queen snakes' survivability, but other traits make them extremely vulnerable should habitat quality change in the future.
