This research study focused on the long term effects of the Northern Pinesnake’s hibernacula in New Jersey. The Northern Pinesnake is found in the Pine Barren area of the state. Sub species of the Pinesnake are also found in the south in the areas such as Tennessee and Mississippi; however the hibernation of the Northern Pinesnake differs from their southern counterparts because of “temperature and a limited number of available sites.”(598) The snakes hibernation behavior is most profound in the Pine Barren area because this is the most northern area range for Pituophis melanoleucus and the winters experienced in New Jersey would be harsher than in the southern area range. In addition profound habitat loss has led to unavailable sites for the snake to excavate their hibernacula. As stated by the journal article, New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation and the Pinesnake experiences loss of habitat at 0.29%/year. (596) Hibernation in the Northern Pinesnake’s hibernacula is crucial for their survival, not just for the winter months but also from the threat of predation by skunks and foxes and also as a place to return in subsequent winters. The research concentrated on a set of particular hibernacula, and focused on the questions of how the site was chosen, how many snakes use a particular hibernacula over a long period of time, how often a particular hibernacula was used, the probability it would be used again in the following years and the “relationship between the number of snakes in a hibernacula and its use in successive years” (596).
The results of the research found that the hibernacula were consistently used by the Pinesnakes in successive years, even if the hibernacula had not been used in a previous year. Also a main objective was to determine if the number of snakes that inhabited a particular hibernacula would have bearing on that hibernacula being used again. It was determined that the “hibernacula with six or more snakes were almost always used the following year and all were used two years later.”(598)
The results showcase the behavior of the Pinesnake to consistently use previously inhabited hibernacula even after events such as predation. This research is most significant for the conservation of this reptile and their habitat, and also for the conservation of other species. For the Northern Pinesnake in the state of New Jersey the department of environmental protection classifies Pituophis melanoleucus as threatened. A petition was filled as recently as 2009, by the New Jersey builders association to remove the Pinesnake as a threatened species. The results outlined in this research are substantial because it indicates the behavior of the Northern Pinesnake to frequent particular hibernacula in subsequent years. If their habitat was lost, this snake would experience irreversible harm.
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