Hatchling survival to breeding age in Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) in the New Jersey Pine Barrens: Human effects on recruitment from 1986 to 2017

PloS One
J BurgerMichael Gochfeld

Abstract

To conserve threatened/endangered species, we need to understand the factors contributing to reproductive success and recruitment to reproductive stage. Obtaining this information is difficult for snakes because they are secretive, are not easy to locate at the same stage each year, and are sometimes sparsely distributed. We determined nest fate, hatchling growth and survival to age 5 years, and recruitment to breeding age of Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) in New Jersey Pine Barrens from 1986 to 2017. Pine Snakes are 'threatened' in New Jersey and in other states, and are at risk because of increased human population, habitat loss, predation, and poaching. Age of first-breeding was 4-years, based on snout-vent length of gravid and laying females, and snout-vent length of females followed as hatchlings to 5-years. Mean clutch size (+ 1 SE) was 9.5 + 0.3 (N = 53). The annual percent of nests in which eggs hatched averaged 25% (N = 288 nests), and varied among 5-year periods (5% to 30%/year). Of lab-reared hatchlings released into natal nests (N = 90), 26% (2015) and 32% (2016) reached hibernacula excavated in 2016 and 2017. The sex ratio of hatchlings reaching hibernation sites (N = 181) between 1986 and 2015 was s...Continue Reading

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