Aquatic Snake Trapping

Aquatic Snake Trapping on the Savannah River Site, SC - Summer 2003

In the Summer of 2003 I undertook an aquatic snake trapping study with several other students from SREL. Our objective was to compare capture rates of different trap types and see how easily snakes escaped from traps. Also we were interested in how a severe drought that had just ended had effected snake populations. We eneded up captured lots of snakes, including some species that you seldom see except in aquatic traps.

Our first study site was Ellenton Bay, a large Carolina Bay located on the Savannah River Site, Aiken Co., SC. Drought had left Ellenton Bay completly dry for since 1999 and as the bay refilled in 2003 we used aquatic minnow trapping to assess the effects of drought on aquatic snake populations at Ellenton Bay. We set about a hundred aquatic traps in shallow water in the bay and checked them daily (sometimes with help).

Our trapping at Ellenton Bay yielded lots of Black Swamp Snakes (Seminatrix pygaea) and a few mud snakes (Farancia abacura), but very few watersnakes. It seems that the drought resulted in dramatic declines in banded and green watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata and N. floridana), while Seminatrix aestivated within the bay and persisted well during the drought.

Although generally not captured too often in aquatic traps we did catch a few small Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) in our aquatic traps.

Our next trapping site was a set of temporary wetlands that are intermittantly connected to a perminant stream. Thus these wetlands are inhabited by various fish and aquatic salamanders Siren intermedia and S. lacertina, and Two-Toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means).

In these wetlands we also captured a few Black Swamp Snakes (Seminatrix pygaea), but nowhere near the numbers that we caught at Ellenton Bay, along with quite a few mud snakes (Farancia abacura) and good numbers of Banded Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata). Although these watersnakes are generally pretty drab, one we caught here was especially pretty.

Our final trapping location was a stream delta where Pen Branch Creek enters the Savannah River Swamp, this is a large area of shallow, flowing water choked with aquatic vegetation. The fish and snake fauna of this site is espeically diverse and we captured lots of interesting animals in our traps. As was typically the case this spring Mud Snakes (Farancia abacura) were commonly captured, along with good numbers of watersnakes and a few cottonmouths.

I could have jumped for joy when I pulled a trap from a muddy hole and spied this swamp gem inside. Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma).

Me with two mud snakes and the rainbow snake caputred that day.

The final surprise came for me on the last day of trapping. Although we had caught several at Pen Branch, I had yet to actually capture a Glossy Crayfish Snake (Regina rdgida) myself. This was a lifer for me, and a gravid female to boot!

All in all it was a great few weeks of trapping with lots diversity of snakes captured and a few really good species mixed in as well. I can never get enough trapping, you never know what's going to be in a trap when you pull it out of the muck.