Ecology of a Population of the Narrow-Headed Garter Snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) in New Mexico: Catastrophic Decline of a River Specialist

Abstract

Abstract We studied natural history and ecology of Thamnophis rufipunctatus at San Francisco Hot Springs, Catron County, New Mexico. Gee minnow traps were more effective at sampling adults than opportunistic captures. Females were larger than males in snout–vent length and mass, but males had longer tails. Although females were larger, rates of growth for juvenile males and females were similar. In 1996, the population was ca. 7.2 adult snakes/ha; however, we did not detect snakes in subsequent visits. Thamnophis rufipunctatus was most likely to be captured at sites with steep riverbed slope and large rocks of uniform size. Diet was exclusively fish, of which a large proportion was the introduced Gambusia affinis. This population of T. rufipunctatus was one of the most robust in the United States and it has completely disappeared in <10 years.