An endangered narrow-headed garter snake. Photo courtesy of Doug
Hotle.
BioPark Herpetologists Search for Rare Native Snakes
Jun 7, 2011GILA
MOUNTAINS, NM— ABQ BioPark herpetologists recently
completed an eight-day search for the Mexican garter snake (Thamnophis eques megalops) with help from
the N.M. Department of Game and Fish and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The
trip began an intense conservation program aimed at protecting and understanding
native New Mexican reptiles and amphibians.
The group set up drift fences with humane traps to
capture the snakes and organized day and night visual searches. As part of an
ongoing study by state herpetologist Charlie Painter, every snake caught would
be microchipped for future identification and fecal samples would be taken to
better understand the snake’s diet. Any caught snakes on the conservation list
would be transferred to the Zoo to create a breeding population. Despite the
group’s efforts, no Mexican garter snakes were captured.
“The Mexican garter snake hasn’t been seen in New Mexico for almost 20
years,” said Doug Hotle, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians. “It’s an aquatic
snake, and we’re in the worst drought in New Mexico’s history. It was understandable we
didn’t find anything.”
The group did collect a pair of narrow-headed garter
snakes, another threatened species in New Mexico. BioPark herpetologists will search
for the Mexican garter snake again next month using the already-installed drift
fences. “I’d like to think they still exist,” Hotle said. “You always want to
hold out hope for rare species.”
The species conservation program gives BioPark
herpetologists a chance to understand and protect rare New Mexican reptiles and
amphibians. The program focuses on conserving six species, including the Mexican
garter snake, sand dune lizard, northern leopard frog, Sacramento Mountains
salamander and Jemez Mountains salamander. More excursions will
be scheduled to find, study and collect assurance populations of each
species.
The trip was made possible by a grant from the New
Mexico BioPark Society Conservation Fund. BioPark herpetologists will also seek
grants from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the N.M. Department of
Game and Fish.
The BioPark is an accessible facility and
a division of the City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department. For
more information, visit http://www.cabq.gov/biopark or call
311 locally or (505) 768-2000 (Relay NM or 711).
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