Rare snakes released into the wild
Image - USDA Forest Service
The Memphis Zoo, Louisiana Department of Wildlife, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners have released a group of seven Louisiana pine snakes bred in captivity into the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, USA. The species is believed to be one of the rarest species of snake in the United States and is a candidate for being listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
The species largely lives in underground burrows hunting Baird's pocket gophers, which is the Louisiana pine snake's preferred prey. However, the habitat both predator and prey thrive in was affected by commercial logging and fire suppression. It is hoped that the deliberately restored environment of the Kisatchie National Forest will prove able to support a recovery in the population of both species.
However, there are concerns amongst the team reintroducing the snakes to the wild that the small known population may not be sufficient to ensure adequate genetic diversity. Commenting, Craig Rudolph of the Forest Service Southern Research Station said that "In the best-case scenario, there would still be Louisiana pine snakes out there that we've never caught that can breed with the released snakes...We have traps operating for thousands of trap days a year in Texas, for instance, and haven't caught a single snake in three years. When we find better ways to monitor our releases, perhaps we'll find some additional populations."
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