MCDONALD, Elizabeth A.; University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Habitat Use By the Eastern Hognose Snake, Heterodon platirhinos, at Multiple Spatial Scales

Eastern hognose snakes were collected in northern Michigan and surgically implanted with temperature-sensitive radio transmitters before release. The snakes were relocated approximately every two days between May 2001 and October 2002. A set of 38 climatic and structural variables were recorded at each location and an associated random site. Each radio location was logged using a hand-held GPS receiver then characterized with respect to land cover type using GIS. An information-theoretic approach utilizing paired logistic regression was employed to determine the two best models, those involving climate and structure, of microhabitat use. Compositional analysis was used at the macrohabitat level to examine whether disproportionate use was occurring with respect to land cover type. The best climatic model of microhabitat use included surface temperature and relative humidity as well as ambient light intensity. Structurally, percent canopy cover, percentage and height of vegetative ground cover, and distance to the nearest cover item accounted for differences between the snake locations and random sites. At the macrohabitat scale, H. platirhinos selected both grassland-herbaceous and deciduous forest areas.