World Snake Population Mysteriously Declining
Studies Show Many Species of Snake Are Dramatically Shrinking in Numbers
The findings are based on the research of 17 different snake populations around the world, and for some reason the numbers of most of these shrank dramatically around 1998, which researchers say is alarming. Many of these populations are also not showing any signs of recovery, which leaves them vulnerable to any new condition that causes a further decrease in numbers.
Of these 17 populations being studied, only one increased in number, but some shrank to dangerous levels.
There are no obvious reasons why this has happened, but with studies being undertaken in Australia, France, Italy and Nigeria, it is obvious that this is happening on a global scale, and it is more than just a coincidence.
The only clues so far as to why this should have begun in 1998 is that it was the warmest year on record in recent years, due to strong El Nino conditions.
Scientists so far do not know what other factors might be causing the population change, but some species suffered a loss even though they were living in protected areas, so this cannot be attributed to loss of habitat.
One of the biggest problems faced with this study is the lack of data. Many studies require the tagging of snakes with micro-chips so that they can be tracked, but this type of study often takes years to complete.
Scientists are concerned that because some of these species of snakes are the main predators in ecosystems such as rice fields. As a result, the population decreases could have serious worldwide impacts, especially if this were to result in increased damage to rice crops.
Foraging snakes seem to be the most vunerable, in particular those species that lie in wait for their prey to come within range. Any changes to the patterns of their prey have a direct impact on their survival.
According to The Guardian in the UK, these are the results for those species that have been part of the studies:
Declines
Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) in the UK
Asp viper (Vipera aspis) in France and Italy
Orsini's viper (Vipera ursinii) in Italy
Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) in Nigeria
Rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) in Nigeria
Royal or ball python (Python regius) in Nigeria
Western whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) in France
Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) in France
Stable
Grass snake (Natrix natrix) in the UK and France
Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) in France
Jameson's mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni) in Nigeria
Eastern tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) in Australia
Slight increase
Western whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) in France
Sources:
Published by Tony Payne
Tony Payne is a freelance writer who lives on the South Coast of England with his wife Debbie. He has worked in the IT Industry all his life, and has been writing on various sites for the last 10 years. T... View profile
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34 Comments
Post a CommentWe have the same number - they are now politiians in Washington D.C.
I used to own a Ball Python; they are all beautiful creatures. They help control so many factions of the ecosystem, it'll be difficult to maintain more than just the rice crops if they finally become endangered or extinct. It's a shame it is happening, but in many cases, snakes-all kinds-are used for food, especially in areas when there is nothing else. Great report, Tony! ~JC Torpey
Tony, you'd think snake-population decline would be a good thing! They're forbidden in Hawaii, all islands.
I have to admit that I helped "decline" the snake population in NW FL recently. Nasty 3 foot-long diamond back rattler at my poolside. He was NOT invited to the pool party.
This is terrible. I love all animals. They should all be protected.
I can't say as I have a problem with that. I hate snakes!
This is interesting because where I live (Florida), it's constantly in the news that Pythons are over-populating the FL Everglades from people turning them loose (and then they are all mating and producing more Pythons). There's fear that all the pythons will kill all the other animals that reside in the Everglades, thereby upsetting the Everglades' delicate balance.
The decline could be a result of a number of things, or even a problem with data collection/instrumentation. If the populations are declining, count me in as someone who would be heartbroken. Snakes are fascinating and essential for reducing pest populations the world over. Though this is purely anecdotal (and we all know that the plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data') I was shocked by how few snakes I've seen this year. Last week I was hiking in Joshua Tree for the sole purpose of getting a glimpse of a sidewinder, and didn't see a single snake the entire time.
Interesting. If only we could say the same about the two-legged ones - like the public serpents and the bankers! Good article.
Very interesting! I like Jack's comment. The problem with analysing this is the complexity of the ecosystem. Maybe there is a decline the rodent population.