Hibernacula of the Copperbelly Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta) in Southern Indiana and Kentucky

Abstract

The copperbelly water snake, Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta, is the midwestern representative of the redbellied water snake (Conant, 1934; Conant and Collins, 1991). At the state level, the copperbelly is listed as Endangered by the states of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, and conferred special protected status in Illinois and Kentucky. At the federal level, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) lists the northern populations (in southern Michigan, northeastern Indiana, and northwestern Ohio) as Threatened. The southern populations (in southeastern Illinois, southern Indiana, and northwestern Kentucky) are protected by the Copperbelly Water Snake Conservation Agreement. A poorly understood aspect of the natural history of copperbellies is where they hibernate, both in terms of the structure of the hibernacola and location within the habitat. Understanding copperbelly hibernation has important implications for their conservation, impacting decisions concerning those human activities which remove suitable habitat, as well as governing recommendations for habitat reclamation and resto-