Lab #3

Date: February 3rd, 2016

Location: Lumber River Conservancy

Activity: Placement of articial coverups 

Habitat: Pine/Hardwood Forest

Temperature: 73.1 F

Wind: 8.8 mph

Humidity: 90.4%

    During this lab, we placed cover boards in various places around the Lumber River Conservancy. A coverup is exactly what it sounds like, in the case of our lab it was just a wooden board we threw on the ground although cover ups can be made of anything. 

    There are advantages to using different material for your coverups. A wooden board will remain moist underneath and is more likely to attract amphibians to come and seek shelter underneath. Metal coverups will heat up during the day remaining dry underneath and will attract reptiles such as snakes, but would be undesirable to an amphibian which tries to retain its moisture.

 

Top tier technology.

Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)

    This species was found underneath one of the pre-setup coverups, probably looking for centipedes to eat. These snakes use venom to kill their prey and though they can be quite deadly to a small insect are incapable of doing any real damage to a large mammal. 

    This is a fossorial snake, meaning it borrows underground, and is rarely seen by humans. Although if you want to find one you should start looking under rocks, logs, leaf litter and anywhere a small fossorial snake might hide.