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Posted by dan felice on February 09, 2002 at 04:51:30:
In Reply to: good points...more posted by Dean Alessandrini on February 08, 2002 at 17:44:25:
: One of the biggest obstacles to indigo conservation is that there are no good survey methods. It is done now simply by walking habitat, looking for shed skins and other evidence. It is my opinion that although indigos seem to thrive using gt burrows as a primary retreat, they do not NEED them. Research on KSC indicated that they are just as likely to use mammal burrows, tree stumps and even trash piles as retreats and possible nesting sites.
: It would seem the best place to try an introduction may be RESTORED habitat, where populations have died off because of habitat destruction or fragmentation, but the habitat has now been restored and protected. Do those areas even exist???
: True where suitable habitat has never been corrupted, it is likely that the snakes are still there and holding their own, with no need for interference.
: The one point I disagree with you on is releasing year old cb snakes. Although it makes sense that they would be larger and stronger, it has been shown that snakes rasied in captivity for any period adjust and their instincts even change to adjust to their captive conditions.
: Maybe is they were raised in an outdoor encloser and left to hunt on their own...but that would not be easy to accomplish.
dean, having read thru this post, this now comes under 'asked and answered' but i was just wondering. do you really think that yearlings released into an area where there is food supply abundant that they would not be able feed themselves? i would think that if a hungry indigo came across a suitably sized meal that it's instincts would kick in and the prey would be seized....pronto. i have no real facts to base this on mind you [one incident involving a LTC bullsnake] but i just don't really see these powerful predators starving to death or being picked-off and that within a reasonable time their 'real' instincts would kick back in and that most would quickly adjust. i'm just saying that i think i would put my money on a cb yearling vs a neonate in the wild................i think[?]
