The impact of roads on the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in eastern Texas

Craig Rudolph; Shirley J. Burgdorf; Richard N. Conner; James G. Dickson

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The impact of roads on the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in eastern Texas

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Craig Rudolph, Shirley J. Burgdorf, Richard N. Conner, James G. Dickson

Year:

1998

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Southern Research Station

Source:

In: Evink, G.L.; Garrett, P.; Zeigler, D.; Berry, J., eds. Proceedings of the international conference on wildlife ecology and transportation. FL-ER-69-98. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of Transportation: 236-240

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Abstract

Roads and associated vehicular traffic have the potential to significantly impact vertebrate populations. In eastern Texas we compared the densities of paved and unpaved roads within 2 and 4 km radii of timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) ocations and of random points. Road networks were significantly more dense at random points than at snake localities. A similar relationship was detected within permanent stream corridors where extant populations of rattlesnakes are concentrated. Our data suggest that roads and associated vehicular tr&c have had a detrimental impact on the current distribution of C. horridus in eastern Texas.

Citation

Rudolph, D. Craig; Burgdorf, Shirley J.; Conner, Richard N.; Dickson, James G. 1998. The impact of roads on the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in eastern Texas. In: Evink, G.L.; Garrett, P.; Zeigler, D.; Berry, J., eds. Proceedings of the international conference on wildlife ecology and transportation. FL-ER-69-98. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of Transportation: 236-240.