Abstract
Georges Island supports an unusually dense and morphologically diverse population of Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus. Between May and October 1993, a total of 391 garter snakes were marked. The total male:female ratio was 0.8:1.0; population density of snakes > 1 year old was minimally estimated at 120/ha. Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus on Georges Island were docile: 50% of encounters showed no response or only a delayed anti-predator response to human handling. The population is unusual morphologically; it contains melanistic and partly melanistic individuals and an unusually high proportion (48%) of individuals with abnormal ventral and/or subcaudal scales. Adult garter snakes on Georges Island are slightly smaller than adults in mainland Nova Scotia populations. Despite a less diverse diet than is available to its mainland counterparts, the island population appears to thrive.
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