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Friday, September 10th, 2010
Inventory and Monitoring Print E-mail

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Scoping a gopher tortoise burrow, photo credit Dirk Stevenson
The primary focus of the Inventory and Monitoring program is to determine the status and distribution of eastern indigo snake populations, and to implement long-term monitoring programs for the Altamaha River basin and other sites in southern Georgia.

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Measuring an Eastern Indigo snake

 







Our emphasis on eastern indigo snake populations in the Altamaha River basin is with good reason; this region has been identified as a current stronghold for the species, and we are interested to learn how habitat management and other land use practices affects these snake populations in the future. Biologists with the Department of Defense–Fort Stewart and South Georgia College (Douglas) are collaborating with us on these efforts.

 

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Collecting data on an Eastern Indigo snake, photo credit Dirk Stevenson

 We now use canine surveys  in addition to visual encounter surveys (i.e., walking around tortoise burrows searching for basking snakes) to locate eastern indigo snakes. This current field season, we are conducting field surveys to determine the distribution and status of the eastern indigo in Georgia. As part of this effort, we are surveying for eastern indigos on the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

 

 

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Dirk Stevenson with an Eastern Indigo
We are developing a plan to monitor changes in the distribution and abundance of eastern indigos in the Altamaha Drainage of Georgia. We are monitoring eastern indigo snake distribution by annually surveying many properties distributed throughout the Altamaha Drainage for the presence of eastern indigos. We are monitoring the species abundance by conducting mark recapture studies or collaborating with partners at 4 focal sites; Mopani Preserve, Broxton Rocks Preserve, Fort Stewart, and the Rayonier Tract. Snakes captured at focal sites are sexed, measured, weighed, and uniquely marked by implanting a PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder, like a microchip used to mark pets) tag beneath its skin. In addition to abundance estimates, such mark recapture efforts will be used to monitor growth rates, survival, and recruitment.

 

Have you recently observed an eastern indigo snake?
In Florida? Go to:
http://www.fnai.org/fieldreportingforms.cfm
In Georgia? Go to: http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/1380?cat=conservation

 

 

 
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The Kaplan family and Project Orianne are fully dedicated to the conservation and restoration of eastern indigo snake populations. We will continue to tirelessly dedicate our time, energy, expertise, and resources to saving this “Emperor of the Forest”. As we move forward into 2010 and beyond, we envision our programs growing and creating a different landscape in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. A landscape where the forests are protected, prescribed fires in the growing season are common, indigo snakes hunt for rattlesnakes and rodents, and the people appreciate these resources that allow them to maintain their cultural connection to the land and their rural way of life. I have made this one of my personal missions. My staff and I are and will continue to dedicate everything we have into achieving our vision.

 

Christopher L. Jenkins, PhD,
Executive Director, Project Orianne


 

 

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 As human population growth and land development continue to increase, the need for conservation of our endangered reptiles and amphibians becomes critical. While some species that were once game animals or species that are generally considered more charismatic species receive overwhelming attention in the conservation arena, others, such as most reptiles and amphibians, are often overlooked. By focusing our efforts on the conservation of these species, we are changing this.

 

No matter what level of funding you wish to dedicate, Project Orianne guarantees that 100% of every dollar donated to our cause will go towards field conservation of threatened and endangered species. Together, we can continue our efforts of conserving eastern indigo snakes and rare reptile and amphibian populations on a global scale.

 

We sincerely thank you for your donation; we appreciate and respect your dedication to conservation.

 

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