BiodiversityWorks shares a top accomplishment for 2023.
To: Bluedot Living
From: BiodiversityWorks
Subject: If You Build It, They Will Come
In 2023, we successfully collaborated with The Trustees to build two snake hibernacula and a road underpass for small animals at Long Point Wildlife Refuge to offer them safe spaces for winter slumber and safe passage under a busy dirt road to the beach.’As ectotherms, black racers and other snakes need to bask in sunny places to increase their body temperature for active hunting. Roads are an attractive death trap for them, and the growing number of roads from development over the past thirty years has only increased this risk. The road underpass at Long Point was a test project to see how racers, a very active snake that climbs, might respond to a drift fence and underpass in proximity to a hibernation site.
We were thrilled when we captured the first racers on drift fence camera traps and through the road underpass in June. At the hibernacula, we first noted mice, voles, and chipmunks moving into the underground spaces, which meant that predators would soon follow. In July, we began seeing black racer snake activity at both hibernacula. Soon after, racers began entering and exiting them, as we had hoped. Other predators also visited, such as skunks, raccoons, and even a barn owl! Our camera traps even captured birds and butterflies using the rocks and brush piles on top of one hibernaculum. Racers settle into their winter hibernation spaces in November, and we hope they see our ‘vacancy with breakfast’ signs!
We’re grateful to The Trustees of Reservations for partnering with us on this racer conservation project and to MassWildlife for the Habitat Restoration Grant.
