Ecology
of the Southeastern Crowned Snake, Tantilla coronata
Brian D. Todd1, John D. Willson1, Christopher
T. Winne1, Raymond D. Semlitsch2,
and J. Whitfield Gibbons1
1The
University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E,
Aiken, SC 29802
2University of Missouri, Division of Biological Sciences,
105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO 65211-7400
Abstract:
There are very few comprehensive studies of the ecology of small-bodied
snakes. Here, we describe the ecology and demography of the Southeastern
Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata) based on 1,640 captures on the
Savannah River Site in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA
from 1951–2007. Female T. coronata were significantly longer,
heavier, and heavier-bodied than males but had relatively shorter tails.
Clutch size based on oviductal eggs was positively correlated to maternal
body mass and length. Snakes exhibited a unimodal seasonal activity pattern
that peaked in summer. Pitfall captures were significantly male-biased
from July–October, corresponding to the suggested mating period for
this species in this part of its range. We identified three classes of
animals in the population: neonates, second year animals, and older animals
that included both non-reproductive subadults and reproductive adults.
Longevity was at least five years for two recaptured males originally
captured as mature adults. Centipede species were the exclusive prey identified
from T. coronata collected on the Savannah River Site. Our study
demonstrates that research on underrepresented species is possible and
can contribute to understanding of snake ecology.
SREL Reprint #3069
Todd, B.
D., J. D. Willson, C. T. Winne, R. D. Semlitsch, and J. W. Gibbons. 2008.
Ecology of the Southeastern Crowned Snake, Tantilla coronata. Copeia
2008(2): 388-394.
