The Nerodia Erythrogaster Neglecta: On The Path to Extinction

The Nerodia Erythrogaster Neglecta:

On The Path to Extinction

Amanda Sandoval

Biology 227-01

(Copperbelly Water Snake,oepos.ca.uky.edu)

Background and Habitat:

The Nerodia Erythrogaster Neglecta, also known as the Copperbelly Water Snake, is a midwestern
sub-species of the Plainbelly Water Snake that ranges from the central and southeastern United States.
It can be found specifically in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, as well as Illinois and Kentucky. This water
snake can grow on average up to 3 to 4 feet in length. Female Copperbelly snakes usually grow up to be
longer than 30 inches which is how biologist distinguish male from female. Adult Copperbelly snakes can
be found as dark brown or black on the top and bottom, while their bellies are a beautiful bright orange-red
and even yellow color extending from their chin. These colorful characteristics is how the Copperbelly Water
Snake got their names. These snakes are tend to hibernate in wetland forests from early November to early
May. The Copperbelly snake is a non-venomous snake species that mainly feeds on small amphibians, like
tadpoles and frogs that can be found in shallow waters. Their mating season begins in the fall and carry into
some of the winter. Their offspring number can reach up to 20 per litter.

Preferred Habitat and Population Success:

The Copperbelly snake live in an environment that ranges from forest uplands to shallow wetlands throughout
a large area. The two main areas they can be found is divided up by northern and southern regions. The Southern
population is found in southern Illinois, northwestern Kentucky, and southern Indiana.The northern region where
these snakes can be found include southern Michigan, northeastern Indiana, southern Illinois, and northwestern
Kentucky. The northern population of Copperbelly snakes are classified as “threatened,” and on the protected
radar under the Endangered Species Act. The declining number of overall snakes indicated in the surveys over
the past 20 years reported back that only five small sub-populations exist in the northern region. This decline is
mainly caused by human development and and had caused habitat destruction and fragmentation.

(Copperbelly Water snake regions, shorelandmanagement.org)

Main Threats to Population:

Due to Habitat loss and fragmentation, the Copperbelly snake populations has declined dramatically over the past
20 years. The population was very small to begin with, which only was made up of roughly a few hundred snakes in
the Northern region. They are mostly threatened because of pet trading which is popular because of their largeness
and unique color characteristics. Because pet trading has drastically impacted this species, the Endangered Species
Act has made it illegal to collect them without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. These permits are only
given out when the concern of conservation is of high importance for a certain species. Copperbelly snakes move from
wetland to wetland as water levels rise and fall and prey numbers dwindle and rise.  This is why predation is another
reason for the decline of the Copperbelly snake. As the snakes move from region to region, they are exposed to predators
like raptor birds, raccoons, and snapping turtles, but the main cause of the Copperbelly snakes’ dwindling numbers is due
to humans. Human development of transportation, residential homes, flooding control, and agricultural practices causes
fragmentation of the large area that the Copperbelly snakes require to survive. The Copperbelly snakes require a large
area of land that consists of wetlands and uplands. When human development imposes on their living space, it fragments
the necessary habitat, and the fragmented habitat can no longer support the Copperbelly water snake population.

Listing and Reinforcements Made:

The latest data shows that actions have been made in early March of 1996 when the Copperbelly snakes were
listed as threatened and protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA made it illegal to collect, harm,
or kill these species that occupy the northern population region and even a little further past this northern boundary.   

(Pet Copperbelly Water Snake, daviessaudubon.net)

How to Recover Species:

A Copperbelly Water Snake Recovery Plan has been made Under the Endangered Species Act
in order to help the northern population prevent extinction. This plan depends on the interaction of the
local community. The more the community knows how much their actions effect the Copperbelly species,
the more that can be done for their recovery. The private landowners can play a large part in assisting
researchers in the protection the habitat in which the Copperbelly snakes occupy. Financial assistance by
conservation organizations has been used to support wetland restoration and maintenance. The money is
used for planting, future research, and developing improvements to the wetland regions. All of these actions
will help to improve the Copperbelly suffering habitat and decrease habitat fragmentation. This protection of
wetland areas will also protect the amphibians like frogs and tadpoles in this region, therefore enhancing
the food available for the Copperbelly snake.

How Can We Prevent Extinction?
The most important thing we can do to prevent the Copperbelly snake from going extinct is raise awareness about their struggling
conditions as a threatened species. Humans of all other things impact this species the greatest. The majority of individuals that
cause harm to the Copperbelly snakes habitat are unaware of their actions impact. Most of these people are farmers, construction
developers, and property owners on the wetland areas. In order for the snake species to thrive, they require a large area of land
that has both wetlands and uplands. Fragmentation is a main reason for their threatened  status, so the more people understand
how important it is to respect the habitat of Copperbelly snakes, the greater chances we have of reducing the vulnerability of this
species. If local communities work together and are educated about this situation, the closer we are to determining ways to minimize
fragmentation and habitat destruction.

Resources:

https://oepos.ca.uky.edu/content/copperbelly-water-snake

http://www.shorelandmanagement.org/quick/ei.html

http://www.daviessaudubon.net/cop_water_snake.html

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/12/23/E8-30489/approved-recovery-plan-for-the-copperbelly-water-snake-northern-distinct-population-segment

https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/abstracts/zoology/Nerodia_erythrogaster_neglecta.pdf

http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/pub/speciesRecovery.jsp?sort=2

https://www.fws.gov/Midwest///Endangered/reptiles/cws/cwsFactSht.html

https://www.fws.gov/Midwest/endangered/reptiles/cws/index.html

http://www.nature.org/cs/groups/webcontent/@web/@greatlakes/documents/document/prd_064462.pdf

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/081223.pdf