SREL Reprint #3107

Innovative Methods for Studies of Snake Ecology and Conservation

Michael E. Dorcas1 and John D. Willson2

1Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-7118 USA
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina 29802 USA

Abstract: Snakes are fascinating to many laypeople and scientists alike, and numerous studies of snake ecology and natural history have been conducted. For nearly all snake species, however, a comprehensive understanding of their ecology, and especially population biology, is lacking. Such gaps in our knowledge limit our ability to develop effective conservation and management strategies or, more often, prohibit arguments that conservation is needed at all. We argue that snakes, although often challenging to study, offer many opportunities for ecological study unparalleled by other taxa.

SREL Reprint #3107

Dorcas, M. E. and J. D. Willson. 2009. Innovative Methods for Studies of Snake Ecology and Conservation. pp. 5-37 In: Snakes: Ecology and Conservation. S. J. Mullin and R. A. Seigel (Eds.). Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).