Why reptiles?

There are many reasons why we are interested in monitoring and conserving reptile populations. To the right is a brief list.

Western Hog-nosed Snakes, such as this one observed on Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado, are typically found in areas with sandy soils.  Small rodents, toads, and lizards make up much of their diet.  While they look superficially like a rattlesnake, they lack a rattle (although they often curl their tail up to mimic a rattlesnake) and have an upturned snout to help them navigate through sand.  

• Reptiles are ectotherms, meaning they rely on their environment to maintain a normal operating body temperature.  As the climate warms, many reptile species would be expected to expand their geographic ranges northward. 

• However, expanding geographic ranges can prove difficult for reptiles because there is a high degree of native habitat loss and fragmentation (especially in the Great Plains), and many reptile species are not as capable of moving long distances across inhospitable habitats - such as croplands - relative to birds or larger mammals. 
• We have no idea what the current status is for most reptile species.  Are they stable, increasing, or decreasing in distribution or abundance?  Some species are thought to be doing fine, while others are thought to be declining.  Those observations are anecdotal for most species.  
• A large-scale monitoring program for reptiles would improve our ability to determine what environmental factors may drive changes in reptile occurrence.  Our project is currently testing standards for such a program that could be used in most arid / semi-arid environments.

If you're interested in more details, click here!