closer to home , the Saltwater Crocodile ) is much more challenging .
Another consideration is the specific ecology of the snake in question . For instance , the mortality rates following translocation were much lower for Tiger Snakes than for Dugites . Perhaps it is easier for the Tiger Snake , a much more generalist predator , to find suitable prey items in unfamiliar territory , while the Dugite struggles to find new grounds to hunt rodents and lizards . Or it may be that , since these studies haven ’ t been replicated in different areas , the suburbs surrounding Perth where the Dugite study took place are more hostile to snakes in general than the wetland park where the Tiger Snake study occurred . Previous work by Wolfe et al . ( 2017 , 2018 ) found that , compared to those found elsewhere , urban Dugites were in worse condition , generally smaller and less likely to have prey in their stomachs . It might be interesting to examine how several sympatric snake species , like Eastern Brown Snakes and Red-Bellied Black Snakes , fare around large , urban centres such as Brisbane , Sydney , and Melbourne .
Until more is known , like a snake catcher under a house , we must continue to grope around in darkness ! However , as a snake catcher , I believe we can try to live by a couple of basic rules , based on what we do know :
1 . Try not to move snakes . It ’ s counter-intuitive , but the best job is one where you ’ ve educated a frightened caller and not moved anything . You don ’ t get paid , but that ’ s life .
2 . If you must move an animal , minimize the distance and choose appropriate habitat , taking into account the species ’ ecology , in particular , movement patterns and home ranges , if these are known .
Thus , what is appropriate must be decided on a species by species basis . This , again , gets complicated . For example , Eastern Brown Snakes have been shown to have a larger home range than Tiger Snakes , suggesting that the former species may handle more distant translocations , although this is contradicted by mortality rates in Dugites . Further , the size of home ranges can vary hugely , even within a single species . Carpet Pythons ’ home ranges have been shown to vary from 17.6 hectares up to 52 hectares ; similarly those of Red-bellied Black Snakes may be anything between 0.02-40 hectares , or even more for males during breeding season . Home ranges are thus probably better used as guides , and only relied upon if the spatial ecology of the species is well studied .
Unfortunately , rarely do we have a good understanding of a snake species ’ movement ecology , though there are exceptions , and generalizations are certainly possible . Invasive Burmese Pythons ( Python bivittatus ) clearly move further than Carpet Pythons , which move further than Brown Snakes , which move further than Tiger Snakes . What movement ecology means for survivorship following translocation , I would suppose , depends on the distance to , extent of , and quality of the new habitat , as well as the condition of the animal before and after handling . Ideally , controlling for these factors , translocation can be improved upon , as appears to have been the case with increasing success rates over the last few decades , likely due to improved methodology . While hardly ideal , an appraisal of each species ’ home range and ecology , and the local ecosystems at capture and release seems to me the best way forward for now . Nonetheless , while it ’ s not a huge sample size , four out of four dead Dugites speaks for the need for more research , and the potential for our well-meaning actions to cause more harm than good .
A final thought . What might be the outcome if we abandon snake translocation entirely ? Would snake populations ( and the humans that interact with them ) be any worse off if we left an educated general public to deal with snakes on their own , without using professional snake handlers ? And what viable options other than translocation are available to us ? I don ’ t know the answer to these questions , but it seems that for now , we will continue to use the less-thanperfect tool of translocation for snake management in urban areas . More research into its impacts on various species and local ecosystems certainly would not go awry . Let ’ s stay on our toes .
References :
Barve , S ., Bhaisare , D ., Giri , A . ( 2013 ) A preliminary study on translocation of “ rescued ” King Cobras ( Ophiophagus hannah ). Hamadryad . 36 ( 2 ): 80-86 . Brown , J . R ., Bishop , C . A ., Brooks , R . J . ( 2009 ) Effectiveness of short-distance translocation and its effects on western rattlesnakes . Journal of Wildlife Management . 73 ( 3 ): 419-425 . Butler , H ., Malone , B ., Clemann , N ., ( 2005 ) Activity patterns and habitat preferences of translocated and resident tiger snakes ( Notechis scutatus ) in a suburban landscape . Wildlife Research . 32 ( 2 ): 157- 163 . Campbell , H . A ., Dwyer , R . G ., Irwin , T . R ., Franklin , C . E . ( 2013 ) Home Range Utilisation and Long-Range Movement of Estuarine Crocodiles during the Breeding and Nesting Season . PLoS ONE . 8 ( 5 ): e62127 . Devan-Song , A ., Martello , P ., Dudgeon , D ., Crow , P ., Ades , G ., Karraker , N . E . ( 2016 ) Is long-distance translocation an effective mitigation tool for white-lipped pit vipers ( Trimeresurus albolabris ) in South China ? Biological Conservation . 204 ( B ): 149-468 . Dubey , S ., Zwahlen , V ., Mebert , K ., Monney , J ., Golay , P ., Ott , T ., Durand , T ., Thiery , G ., Kaiser , L ., Geser , S . N ., Ursenbacher , S . ( 2016 ) Diversifying selection and color-biased dispersal in the asp viper . BMC Evolutionary Biology . 15 ( 99 ). Fearn , S ., Robinson , B ., Sambono , J ., Shine R . ( 2001 ) Pythons in the pergola : the ecology of ‘ nuisance ’ carpet pythons ( Morelia spilota ) from suburban habitats in south-eastern Queensland . Wildlife Research . 28 : 573-579 . Fischer , J . & Lindenmayer , D . B . ( 2000 ) Review : An assessment of the published results of animal relocations . Biological Conservation . 96 : 1-11 . Germano , J . M . & Bishop , P . J . ( 2008 ) Review : Suitability of Amphibians and