![]() candidate at University of Massachusetts) has shed fascinating new light on the behavior, movements, and habitat use of this species. During the breeding season (October–March), male home ranges average 295 acres, more than four times larger than the average area used by females (63 acres).īy combining their Highlands County data with similar indigo tracking data collected in Brevard, Indian River, and Polk counties during 1998–2003, the research team led by Javan Bauder, a wildlife ecologist with Orianne (now a Ph.D. As a result their annual home range sizes sometimes exceed 1,100 acres for males and 370 acres for females. As the data ultimately showed, Eastern Indigo Snakes in southern Florida remain active year-round due to warmer temperatures. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Orianne indigo trackers was keeping up with these highly mobile creatures. These methods allowed researchers to learn a tremendous amount about where indigos live and their movements that would never have been possible otherwise. After 18-24 months each snake was recaptured for surgical removal of the transmitter, then released back to the wild. After a 2- to 14-day recovery period the snakes were released back at their capture locations. ![]() For this study, specially trained veterinarians at University of Florida implanted a small radio transmitter in each captured indigo. In particular, any tracking has to be safe and not affect the animals’ survival. The Eastern Indigo Snake is a federally threatened species, which means researchers had to abide by strict permitting requirements regarding handling of the animals. The presence of tortoise burrows also boosts feeding opportunities for indigos, since many of their preferred prey are found in active and abandoned tortoise burrows. Betsie Rothermel, has shown that Gopher Tortoise burrows tend to be much more abundant in scrub habitats than in wetter habitats, such as wet pinelands. Research at Avon Park Air Force Range led by Archbold biologist Dr. ![]() Photo by Rebecca Tucker.Įastern Indigo Snakes regularly use such upland habitats, in part because of their close relationship with the Gopher Tortoise, a species that digs deep burrows used by indigos for shelter. Patrick Barnhart, an Orianne Society Indigo Tracker, using a radio tracking device to search for Eastern Indigo Snakes. ![]()
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