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Crotalus horridus |
The presence of
rattlesnakes is a reminder that America has wild places. Unlike many of the
natricids (garter snakes, water snakes, brown snakes) that common and are often present in
urbanized habitat, rattlesnakes often survive better in places with lower human
populations. To be sure humans have altered the habitat at times so that rattlesnakes
are favored. Cutting old growth forests that offered minimal basking
opportunities resulted in increased rattlesnake populations in many areas of
the eastern US. At times this resulted in bounties being placed on the pit
vipers, and extirpation sometimes followed.
Thus it is welcome
news that a well developed eastern state, in this case Connecticut, are
interested in protecting remaining populations of timber rattlesnakes. Peter
Marteka of the Hartford Courant (October 19, 2010) reports that the town of
Glastonbury, CT received a $180,000 grant from the state Department of
Environmental Protection to buy the Tiboni property, a 55-Acre parcel in the
town's eastern highlands. Connecticut law prevents people from trapping or
killing snakes, and most snake mortality these days is from traffic. "This
whole area is prime rattlesnake country," town planner John Rook said.
"One of the town's goals has been to piece together properties and protect
a large, unfragmented area, especially in this part of town." The local,
state and the federal governments, as well as groups like the Nature
Conservancy, have targeted the 17,500-acre Meshomasic highlands in central
Connecticut as an area to be preserved. The highlands run through Bolton, East
Hampton, Glastonbury, Hebron, Marlborough and Portland. It seems unusual, but
when development has been proposed near a snake habitat, Glastonbury has enforced
its strict guidelines that protect the snake's denning and foraging areas.
Developers are required to hire herpetologists, educate homeowners about the
snake, and limit work to winter, when snakes are hibernating. "It's not
only the snakes, but there are neotropical songbirds that thrive in the
unfragmented forest areas," Rook said. "These properties have been on
the radar screen for a long time and have been a priority for years."