Wetland habitat use by the Black Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta, in eastern Ontario

Abstract

Wetland habitat use by the Black Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta, in the form of a swamp, is documented at Charleston Lake Provincial Park, Ontario. Three of seven individuals radio-tracked during the summers of 1990 and 1991 were found to exhibit a seasonal pattern of wetland habitat use, with the snakes initially spending the majority of their time in a swamp during the month of June. As the summer progressed, the percentage of total observations of the snakes in the swamp decreased. This observed pattern of use of a wetland habitat may have coincided with breeding activity of birds or perhaps the snakes were responding to the forest/swamp ecotone. In light of this species, limited range in Canada and the idea fostered in the literature that associates this snake with non-aquatic habitats, potential use of wetlands by Black Rat Snakes should be examined to aid in the better understanding of this species, and hence lead to better management in the northern periphery of its range.