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A Day in the Field: Disease Sampling
This week our team was able to get out for a fantastic day of research, filled with exciting finds, team-ups, and important data collection as we continue to persevere in understanding snake diseases and their effects on wild populations.
The morning started out hazy and damp, which in my opinion constitutes a good sign for a "snakey" day. Sean and I met at the gate to the site and linked up with FWC's Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) out surveying the same property. After brief conversation, we decided to put a quick viper on the scoreboard, and I directed our driver to a manmade pond - what we call a "borrow pit" - and as promised we were greeted by a pair of Florida Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon conanti) resting near rootmasses near the water's edge. One gave us the slip, disappearing into the tangle of palmetto and aquatic vegetation but the other was captured and processed. Upon releasing the cottonmouth, I checked a burned complex of logs and stumps and noticed a Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) coiled in the shade. A second species spotted, sampled, rehydrated and released where found.
Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), Ferlaviruses, Adenoviruses and Cryptosporidium are just a few of the diseases we sample for. Many of these pathogens remain poorly studied, and new diseases continue to be discovered. Some such illnesses have been implicated in severe die-offs or reduced health in captivity, but their effects on wild snake populations remains unknown.
By the time we released the Pygmy and broke for lunch, the daytime was getting hot in spite of being early February. With the sun bearing down on the open-canopy pinewoods of the property, we hopped back into the truck and proceeded to drive the empty roads criss-crossing the wilderness. Umpteen many miles later, the day was getting late and our hopes for a fourth and final snake were slowly fading when the unmistakable silhouette of a rattlesnake appeared in down the road...
An adult Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) had made its appearance, and we were all ecstatic! This species is one of our major focal species, a Crotalid of Special Concern (CSC), and with jovial glee yet professional focus we went to work tubing and getting samples of this awesome beast of a snake.
Sampling opportunities like these are crucial for our ongoing research into snake disease, and more. Unraveling questions regarding the frequency of these diseases, which areas they are and are not found, and the symptoms they cause are all necessary to categorize these potential threats to the snakes and ecosystems they support.
If you are interested in supporting our mission and contributing to the conservation of these vital species, please consider donating or becoming a member! Your contribution will directly impact our research and conservation efforts, helping us protect wildlife for future generations!
