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USGS · 1007511

Distribution, habitat, and future of Harter's water snake, Nerodia harteri, in Texas

N.J. Scott·T.C. Maxwell·O.W. Thornton·L.A. Fitzgerald·J.W. Flury
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Abstract

Detailed studies of the distribution and habitat use of the endemic Texas snake Nerodia harteri were conducted from 1979 to 1987. The Brazos water snake N. h. harteri is restricted to the upper Brazos River drainage; it is found in about 303 km of stream plus two reservoirs, Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Granbury. The Concho water snake, N. h. paucimaculata occupies 396 stream-km in the Concho-Colorado River drainage, and about 25 km of lake. As such, Harter's water snake has one of the smallest ranges of any North American snake species. Medium to large, flat rocks on an unshaded shore for hiding places and rocky shallows for feeding grounds appear to be important for juveniles. There is an ontogenetic habitat shift in N. harteri that may also be common in many other Nerodia. We found that adult N. harteri are not restricted to rocky riffles in flowing rivers but can inhabitat a much wider range of habitats in pools and lakes. Several sections of both the Brazos and Colorado rivers are uninhabited by N. harteri, apparently because juvenile habitat is lacking or scarce. Riffles are more isolated on the uninhabited stretches, and they may be too far apart to recolonize after catastrophic local population extinctions. Past dam projects have eliminated populations of Nerodia harteri through habitat destruction by inundation and siltation. Fragmentation of populations may also prevent recolonization after local extinctions. A major dam being constructed on the Colorado River near Stacy, McCullough County, will inundate about 18% of the known habitat of Nerodia h. paucimaculata and perhaps degrade another 8% or more. A unique agreement whereby the dam-constructing authority will construct artificial habitats and fund biological studies could ameliorate the negative effects of the dam and reservoir on populations of the Concho water snake.

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N.J. Scott, T.C. Maxwell, O.W. Thornton, L.A. Fitzgerald, J.W. Flury. 1989. Distribution, habitat, and future of Harter's water snake, Nerodia harteri, in Texas. https://doi.org/10.2307/1564049

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