Research Idea Details

Research Idea Scope

TERI Database Administrator Notes:  Not recommended at present time by 2009 Natural Systems Subcommittee. 

The copperbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta), which is federally listed as threatened, occurs in the tri-state area of <st1:state w_st=”on”>Michigan, <st1:state w_st=”on”>Ohio, and <st1:state w_st=”on”><st1:place w_st=”on”>Indiana.  The Draft Recovery Plan identifies roads as detrimental to the copperbelly, either as sources of mortality or as psychological barriers.  Research is needed to provide a more thorough understanding of the impacts of roads on copperbelly patterns of movement and mortality.

Urgency and Payoff

This research would result in the development of guidance to minimize road mortality and best management practices for roads and transportation corridors.  Ultimately, the benefit of such research would be to reduce one of the identified threats to the copperbelly, resulting in recovery of this listed species.