Snakes

Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel (Editor)

Description

Destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl, pollution, and deforestation has caused population declines or even extinction of many of the world's approximately 2,600 snake species. Furthermore, misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most persecuted of all animals, despite the fact that less than a quarter of all species are venomous and most species are beneficial because they control rodent pests. It has become increasingly urgent, therefore, to develop viable conservation strategies for snakes and to investigate their importance as monitors of ecosystem health and indicators of habitat sustainability.In the first book on snakes written with a focus on conservation, editors Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel bring together leading herpetologists to review and synthesize the ecology, conservation, and management of snakes worldwide. These experts report on advances in current research and summarize the primary literature, presenting the most important concepts and techniques in snake ecology and conservation. The common thread of conservation unites the twelve chapters, each of which addresses a major subdiscipline within snake ecology. Applied topics such as methods and modeling and strategies such as captive rearing and translocation are also covered. Each chapter provides an essential framework and indicates specific directions for future research, making this a critical reference for anyone interested in vertebrate conservation generally or for anyone implementing conservation and management policies concerning snake populations.Contributors: Omar Attum, Indiana University Southeast; Steven J. Beaupre, University of Arkansas; Xavier Bonnet, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Frank T. Burbrink, College of Staten Island-The City University of New York; Gordon M. Burghardt, University of Tennessee; Todd A. Castoe, University of Colorado; David Chiszar, University of Colorado; Michael E. Dorcas, Davidson College; Lara E. Douglas, University of Arkansas; Christopher L. Jenkins, Project Orianne, Ltd.; Glenn Johnson, State University of New York at Potsdam; Michael Hutchins, The Wildlife Society; Richard B. King, Northern Illinois University; Bruce A. Kingsbury, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; Thomas Madsen, University of Wollongong; Stephen J. Mullin, Eastern Illinois University; James B. Murphy, National Zoological Park; Charles R. Peterson, Idaho State University; Kent A. Prior, Parks Canada; Richard A. Seigel, Towson University; Richard Shine, University of Sydney; Kevin T. Shoemaker, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York; Patrick J. Weatherhead, University of Illinois; John D. Willson, University of Georgia

Sujets

• Sciences et techniques
• Reptiles
• Environmental science
• Reptile

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801459092
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

SNAKES

SNAKES

Ecology and Conservation

E D I T E D BY

STEPHEN J. MULLIN DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

RICHARD A. SEIGEL DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES TOWSON UNIVERSITY

COMSTOCK PUBLISHING ASSOCIATES A DIVISION OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS ITHACA AND LONDON

Copyright © 2009 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For informa tion, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2009 by Cornell University Press

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Snakes : ecology and conservation / edited by Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel.  p. cm.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 9780801445651 (cloth : alk. paper)  1. Snakes—Ecology. 2. Snakes—Conservation. I. Mullin, Stephen J., 1967– II. Seigel, Richard A. III. Title.

QL666.O6S655 2009 597.96'17—dc22

2008046823

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publish ing of its books. Such materials include vegetablebased, lowVOC inks and acidfree papers that are recycled, totally chlorinefree, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Cloth printing

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S. J. M.:In memory of Francis Joseph Mullin, PhD (1906–1997),

professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Chicago,

and in memory of his son, my father, Michael Mahlon Mullin, PhD

(1937–2000), professor of oceanography at Scripps Institution of

Oceanography, for sharing innumerable cultural and educational

opportunities with me.

R. A. S.:To my parents (Harald and Harriet Seigel) for passing on

their love of learning to me, and to Nadia and Ben Seigel for all their

love and support. A special dedication to James D. Anderson, whose

enthusiasm and love of herpetofauna got all of this started for me.

Although his career was cut tragically short, his memory lives on in

his students, of which I am proud to have been one.

Preface

Contents

Acknowledgments

List of Contributors

Introduction: Opening Doors for Snake Conservation Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel

Chapter 1. Innovative Methods for Studies of Snake Ecology and Conservation Michael E. Dorcas and John D. Willson

Chapter 2. Molecular Phylogeography of Snakes Frank T. Burbrink and Todd A. Castoe

Chapter 3. Population and Conservation Genetics Richard B. King

Chapter 4. Modeling Snake Distribution and Habitat Christopher L. Jenkins, Charles R. Peterson, and Bruce A. Kingsbury

Chapter 5. Linking Behavioral Ecology to Conservation Objectives Patrick J. Weatherhead and Thomas Madsen

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Chapter 6. Reproductive Biology, Population Viability, and Options for Field Management Richard Shine and Xavier Bonnet

Chapter 7. Conservation Strategies: Captive Rearing, Translocation and Repatriation Bruce A. Kingsbury and Omar Attum

Chapter 8. Habitat Manipulation as a Viable Conservation Strategy Kevin T. Shoemaker, Glenn Johnson, and Kent A. Prior

Chapter 9. Snakes as Indicators and Monitors of Ecosystem Properties Steven J. Beaupre and Lara E. Douglas

Chapter 10. Combating Ophiophobia: Origins, Treatment, Education, and Conservation Tools Gordon M. Burghardt, James B. Murphy, David Chiszar, and Michael Hutchins

Chapter 11. Snake Conservation, Present and Future Richard A. Seigel and Stephen J. Mullin

References

Taxonomic Index

Subject Index

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Preface

This book follows in the footsteps of two previous efforts—Snakes: Ecol ogy and Evolutionary Biology (1987) andSnakes: Ecology and Behavior (1993)—to provide established and new researchers with a current synopsis of snake ecology. In the preface to each of these earlier works, one of us (R. A. S.) admitted that he had erred in assuming that another “Biology of the Serpentes” book was not worth tackling. And after the first two books, we thought that perhaps yet another book was not needed—we were wrong again. Because our understanding of snake ecology continues to evolve, this field of study provides a seemingly inexhaustible source of research topics to pursue. Furthermore, even more time has now elapsed between this book and its predecessor than between the publications of the first and second books. As such, the need to enlighten our audience about recent advances in method ology and analysis is obvious. Like the two previous volumes, we developed the concept for this book with three goals in mind: (1) to summarize what is known about the major aspects of snake ecology and conservation, (2) to provide a compilation of the primary literature on this topic that is equally valuable to experienced and developing researchers, and (3) to stimulate new and innovative research on snakes by drawing attention to those areas in which there is a paucity of effort. Given the everincreasing number of quantified declines in both popula tion size and species diversity among a variety of taxa, this book has an urgent fourth purpose that almost overshadows the previous three—to pro vide an awareness of the threats to snake populations and examine the strat egies available to protect these unique organisms from further population declines or extinction. Indeed, if the reader is familiar with the contents of