A Snakes Story: Recovery Progress of the Lake Erie Watersnake

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A Snakes StoryRecovery Progress of the Lake
Erie Watersnake

• Kristin Stanford
• LEWS Recovery Plan Coordinator
• Northern Illinois University

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A Snakes Story.
Stupid
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The Lake Erie watersnake Nerodia sipedon
insularum
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Bellin 1755
Vaugondy 1749
Bonnecamp 1749
Zatta 1778
Pownell 1776
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Vaugondy 1749
Pownell 1776
Bonnecamp 1749
Bellin 1755
Zatta 1778
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Ca 1907
Ca 1920
Photos courtesy Mike Gora, www.middlebass2.org
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Chad Waffen 2006
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Put-in-Bay circa 1813
Put-in-Bay circa 2003
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• Photo RC searching for snakes w/quote

Well within my lifetime, the Lake Erie
watersnake has dwindled from an extraordinarily
abundant serpent, to one which we need to
worry. -Roger Conant, The Life and Times of
Roger Conant
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• Early Photo of RBK

Lake Erie watersnake capture rates declined from
10 snakes per hour (recorded during the 1930s
1950s) to less that 1 snake per hour (1980s), a
10 fold decline over a 30-50 yr period. Dr.
Richard King
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1746 - Les Isles Aux Serpentes
1768 - wreaths of water snakes bask in the sun
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1820 Pigs released on islands to kill snakes
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1930 Lack of snakes on RIproves how efficient
we have been in getting rid of snakes
1960 A campaign of extermination is being
waged
1977 - LEWS listed as Endangered in Ontario,
Canada
1985 - Listed as Candidate species for listing
by USFWS
1993 - Threatened status proposed by USFWS
1999 - Listed as Threatened by USFWS
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2000 - Listed as Endangered by ODNR
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Kent Bekker

• Primary Threats to the Lake Erie Watersnake
  Populations
• Low Population Size
• Habitat Destruction
• Human Persecution

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July 13, 2000
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Hibernation and Seasonal Movements of the Lake
Erie Watersnake (July 2000 July 2003)

• Were populations continuing to decline?
• How much shoreline habitat do snakes use?
• And do they hibernate near the shoreline, or do
  they go somewhere else?

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USFWS Lake Erie Watersnake Recovery Plan Accepted
19 September 2003

• Population Persistence
• Habitat Protection and Management
• Reduction of Human-induced Mortality

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• 1. Population Persistence 5555 adult snakes on
  all islands
• Subpopulations on 4 lg. islands
• All small islands persist
• 2. Habitat Protection and Management 4.6 mi shore
  126 inland ac
• Minimum amounts on 4 islands
• 3. Reduction of Human Induced Mortality Accidental
  mortality reduced
• Persecution no longer a threat

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OUTREACH
RESEARCH
MANAGEMENT
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RECOVERY
OUTREACH
RESEARCH
MANAGEMENT
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Addressing Population Persistence
Nerodia rodeo
Count Snakes!
So how do we count snakes?
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March 2008 Estimates of LEWS population
size.provide strong evidence that the Population
Persistence criterionhas been met
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• Photo of early island settlement

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Addressing Habitat Protection and Management
Total Needed
- 4.6 Mi
- 126 acres
North Bass Island
- 0.34 Mi
- 9.1 acres
Middle Bass Island
- 0.51 Mi
- 14.1 acres
South Bass Island
- 0.70 Mi
- 19.3 acres
- 20.5 acres
Kelleys Island
- 0.75 Mi
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Addressing Habitat Protection and Management
75 hibernate within 69 m of the shoreline
75 utilize 470 m or less shoreline during summer
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ODNR LEWS Habitat Management Plan

• ODNR willmonitor, avoid, and minimize adverse
  impacts to snake habitatincluding the island
  shoreline and inland habitat within (69 m) of the
  waters edge

ODNR LEWS Habitat Management Agreement,
Accepted Summer 2005
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LEWS Conservation Easement Initiative
A restriction that a private landowner may
voluntarily place on their property that
permanently protects its conservation values.
The Lake Erie Islands Chapter of the Black Swamp
Conservancy and Ohio Division of Wildlife
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Habitat Requirements
- ODNR
Total Needed
- 4.6 Mi
- 126 acres
North Bass Island
- 0.34 Mi
- 9.1 acres
Middle Bass Island
- 0.51 Mi
- 14.1 acres
South Bass Island
- 0.70 Mi
- 19.3 acres
- 20.5 acres
Kelleys Island
- 0.75 Mi
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Habitat Requirements
- ODNR
- Private
Total Needed
157.64 acres
5.95 Mi
North Bass Island
159.9 acres
6.53 Mi
Middle Bass Island
1.19 Mi
33.9 acres
South Bass Island
- 6.4 acres
- 0.20 Mi
16.4 acres
0.34 Mi
Kelleys Island
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Habitat Requirements
- ODNR
- Private
Update! June 5, 2008 The Western Reserve
Land Conservancy partnering locally with the
LEIBSC and The Put-in-Bay Park District have
finalized the purchase of 8.65 acres on South
Bass Island!
Total Needed
157.64 acres
5.95 Mi
North Bass Island
159.9 acres
6.53 Mi
Middle Bass Island
1.19 Mi
33.9 acres
0.02 Mi
2.3 acres
South Bass Island
- 4.9 acres
0.09 Mi
3.75 acres
South Bass Island
16.4 acres
0.34 Mi
Kelleys Island
0.018 Mi
0.004 acres
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Addressing Human Induced Mortality

• Persecution by humans is the most significant
  and well documented factor in the decline of the
  Lake Erie watersnake

Threatened Status for the Lake Erie Water Snake
(Nerodia sipedon insularum) on the offshore
islands of Western Lake Erie. USFWS. 1999
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Addressing Human Induced Mortality
Accidental Human Caused Mortality Ingestion of
fishing lures Drowning inside aluminum cans Road
mortality
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Addressing Human Induced Mortality
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Focus Local but General
Focus General but Local Audience

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Focus Local comment and involvement
Focus Local Comment and Involvement
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Focus Target Groups Some Regional
Focus Local Comment and Involvement
Stupid
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Focus Regional and Statewide
Focus Local Comment and Involvement
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Focus National/International
www.respectthesnake.com
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10,000,000
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Whats Left to Do?

• 2008
• Continue the monitoring and outreach work as in
  previous years.
• Additional formal surveys of island residents and
  tourists regarding their actions and attitudes
  toward the snake.

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Whats Left to Do?

• 2008
• Submit a formal 5-year review of the Recovery
  Plan and the progress made to the Regional office
  of USFWS with a strong recommendation to proceed
  with de-listing.

And Then???
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Acknowledgments and Thanks to

• United State Fish and Wildlife Service
• Ohio Division of Wildlife
• Northern Illinois University
• Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory
• Lake Erie Protection Fund
• Great Lakes Fishery Commission

And many others!
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How to catch a snake.
Photos By Marcus Ketner