[00:00:09]
YOU CAN SAY, SO THIS IS A LITTLE AMERICAN ALLIGATORS, NOT A CROCODILE.
IN FACT, ONE OF THEM JUST FLEW
UM, THE SAND HILLS, SEVERE DRY HABITATS CHARACTERIZED BY GENTLE ROLLING HILLS AND DEEP CORE SANDS.
THESE ENVIRONMENTS CONTAIN NUTRIENT POOR SOIL AND THE UNIQUE ASSEMBLAGE OF PLANTS THAT LIVE HERE ARE ADAPTED TO THE ARID CONDITIONS.
MOST OF THE TREES ARE SMALL AND SHRUBBY OAKS AND PINES DOMINATE THE LANDSCAPE.
MANY OF THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, AND INVERTEBRATES THAT LIVE IN THIS REGION, RETREAT UNDERGROUND AND AWAY FROM THE ELEMENTS.
LET'S SPEND A DAY IN THE SANDHILLS, A HOT RUGGED, BUT ECOLOGICALLY DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM.
THIS IS SCOTT PAF AND HE'S THE CURATOR OF HERPETOLOGY FOR RIVERBANK ZOO.
AND IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN HIS CLASSIC SANDHILLS HABITAT.
I MEAN, IT IS HOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF WEIRD THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER, THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE ARE VERY ADAPTIVE TO DRY HOT CONDITIONS.
SO LET'S, LET'S LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND.
WE CAN FIND SCOTT, HERE'S SOME KIND OF COOL STUFF RIGHT OVER HERE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE AN OLD FIELD MOUSE BURROW DONE IT, RIGHT? PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT LIVES HERE IS GOING TO HAVE TO HIDE.
RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE UNDERGROUND BECAUSE IT'S SO HOT.
BUT I IMAGINE IT'S ALSO A GOOD PROTECTION FOR THAT ANIMAL TO LIVE UNDERGROUND AND BE AWAY FOR SOME OF THE TERRESTRIAL PREDATORS.
WELL, THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS WHERE THE ANIMAL DUG OUT, THE MOUSE DUG OUT THE SAND, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT IS SAND.
I MEAN, VERY LITTLE PEAT AND OTHER FIDGET VEGETATION MATERIAL IN IT.
WHY THEY CALL IT THE SAND HILLS? A LOT OF THIS IS SAND FROM THE OCEAN FROM MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.
AND IF WE GET A LOT OF RAIN HERE, IT'S MOSTLY GOING TO JUST PERCOLATE RIGHT DOWN TO YOUR SOIL.
SO ZURICH, AND YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS SPECIES, RIGHT? VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
SO THIS IS ONE CALLED PAGODA MIRAMAX, UH, THE HARVEST RANT, RIGHT.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, WESTERN HARVESTER ANTS USED TO BE WHAT THEY MADE AND FARM SET UP, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAD AN ANT FARM, IT WAS VERY LIKELY THE WESTERN VERSION OF THIS SPECIES.
BUT WHAT I LOVE IS THESE LITTLE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES.
SO FROM PAST BURNS AND THESE GUYS HAVE MINED UNDERGROUND AND IN THEIR PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR SEEDS AND DIGGING TUNNELS AND SUCH, THEY BRING ALL THIS STUFF.
IT'S ALSO A GOOD WAY OF FINDING FOSSILS.
YOU CAN LOOK INTO HERE AND SEE SMALL FOSSILS.
THEY BROUGHT FROM UNDERGROUND, BRING THEM UP TO THE TOP AND DEPOSIT THEM IN THE SPERM.
THE STING ON THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
THAT'S HOW THEY PROTECT THEMSELVES.
I MEAN, THESE GUYS DON'T LOOK LIKE THEY REALLY WANT TO, RIGHT? NOT COMING AFTER YOU, BUT IF YOU MESS WITH THEM, THEY'LL PICK UP THE CHARCOAL.
SO MAYBE WE'LL LET THESE GUYS LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE I'M ALONE.
THERE'S SOME CACTUS RIGHT OVER HERE.
IN FACT, THIS IS PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS, AND THIS IS COVERED WITH SOME REALLY NEAT STUFF.
SO THESE ARE SCALE INSECTS, UH, COCHINEAL INSECTS, AND THEY FORMED THIS KIND OF WHITE STUFF.
AND IF YOU PULL SOME OF THIS UP AND KIND OF SQUEEZE IT TOGETHER, LOOK AT THAT BRIGHT.
SO THIS WAS, UH, HAS BEEN USED FOR ALL KINDS OF FOOD PRODUCTS.
AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF SYNTHETIC ALTERNATIVES ARE USED NOW, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A DYE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT CACTUS IS SORT OF A WESTERN UNITED STATES PLANT, BUT IT'S COMMON HERE BECAUSE IT'S SO DRY AND CAN ADAPT TO, AND THESE CONDITIONS.
YEAH, THIS IS VERY DESERT-LIKE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, BUT THE SOILS THE WAY THEY VERY MUCH SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO SURROUNDED BY WIREGRASS LONGLEAF, PINE AND TURKEY OAK, WHICH HAS ALSO PLANTS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO THESE VERY DRY.
AND OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS GREAT HABITAT FOR REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN SPECIES LIKE PINE SNAKES, FOR INSTANCE, WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO THESE DRY CONDITIONS AND CAN DIG THEIR OWN BURROWS IN THIS REALLY SANDY SOIL, SOUTHERN HOGNOSE SNAKES, COACH WHIPS A LOT OF, MANY OF OUR FAVORITE, BUT WE LIKE, I THINK WE'LL THEM DIMINISH.
IT'S JUST DOWN THE ROAD WHEN YOU GO SEE, HI, WELL, THIS IS WIL DILMAN WHO'S HERPETOLOGIST FOR THE SOUTH KINDA DEPARTMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO SCOPING A BOROUGH, HUH? YEAH.
TODAY WE'RE OUT HERE LOOKING AT, AT GOPHER TORTOISE BURROWS AND WE USE THIS SCOPE TO LOOK INTO THE BURROWS.
DO YOU SEE SOME ACTIVITY AROUND THIS? THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY HERE.
SO WE THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY A GOOD LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE'S A TORTOISE IN HERE.
AND THIS IS THE WAY WE DETERMINE IF THERE'S A TORTOISE PRESENT IN A BOROUGH.
AND I KNOW THESE BURROWS CAN BE WHAT, 20 FEET LONG OR LONGER, THEY CAN BE 20 FEET LONG OR LONGER AND 10 FEET PLUS DOWN ON THE GROUND AT THE TERMINUS OF THE BOROUGH.
AS WE GO ALONG HERE, YOU CAN SEE INTO THE BOROUGH.
YOU MIGHT ENCOUNTER SOME OF THE MANY COMMENSALS THAT OCCUR IN THE BOROUGH WITH THE TORTOISE.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU SEE IN THESE BURROWS RATTLESNAKES OBVIOUSLY? AND WHAT ELSE?
[00:05:01]
WE'LL SEE.EASTERN DIAMOND BACK RATTLESNAKES.
OCCASIONALLY WE'LL SEE BIRDS THAT HAVE FLED DOWN INTO THESE BOROUGHS.
YOU SEE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT INSECTS AND SOMETIMES SOME AMPHIBIANS WE'RE COMING UP ON A TORTOISE RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, HERE'S THE SHELL OF A TORTOISE.
SO CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA HOW FAR DOWN IT IS? IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL THE WAY DOWN AT THE END, RIGHT? THIS ONE, SOMEWHERE MIDWAY IN THE BOROUGH.
IF WE TAKE A MEASURE HERE ON THIS CABLE, AS WE PULL IT OUT, WE CAN TELL EXACTLY HOW FAR IT IS IN THE PORTLAND.
I THINK ONE OF THE REALLY NEAT THINGS ABOUT THESE GOPHER TORTOISE BURROWS IS THE ANIMALS CAN REALLY THERMOREGULATE BY GOING UP AND DOWN THE BOROUGH TO GET THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE.
SO THIS BUREAU PROVIDES A VERY CONSTANT TEMPERATURE FOR THEM BOTH TO ESCAPE THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER, AS WELL AS THE COLD AND W YEAH.
AND A WARM UP IN THE SUN TO COME OUT AND SIT ON THE APRON IF THEY NEED TO AS WELL.
UH, NO, IT'S HOT ON THE SURFACE, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TEMPERATURE IS DOWN AT THE END OF THIS SPARROW DOWN AT THE CHAMBER WHERE THESE BIRDS ARE RELATIVELY AGAIN, THEY'RE GOING TO BE RELATIVELY STABLE YEAR ROUND, SO PROBABLY CAVE TEMPERATURE, 55 OR SO DEGREES.
YOU, YOU FIND THAT WHEN YOU SCOPE THESE BOROUGHS, DOES IT SCARE THE TORTOISE FURTHER BACK DOWN IN THE BOROUGH AT DIFFERENT REACTIONS? SOMETIMES THEY SEEM TO BE STARTLED IN THE FLEE, BACK DOWN THE BURROW.
SOMETIMES THEY'LL ACTUALLY COME UP.
THIS HAS A LIGHT ON THE END, AND SOMETIMES THEY ACTUALLY SEEM TO BE ATTRACTED AND COME TOWARDS THAT LIGHT.
SO WILL, WHY ARE YOU SCOPING ALL THESE BURROWS? WELL, WE USE THIS BURROW SCOPE TO ACTUALLY SEE IF TORTOISES ARE PRESENT.
AND OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES TRYING TO PROVIDE POPULATION ESTIMATES FOR THE NUMBER OF TORTOISES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND THIS IS THE WAY WE GO IN AND ACTUALLY COUNT TOWARD.
AND THIS IS STILL A PROTECTED SPECIES IN THE STATE, RIGHT? YES, IT IS.
THIS IS A STATE, THE SPECIES AND DNR IS ACTIVELY MANAGING PROPERTIES SPECIFICALLY FOR GOPHERS.
THIS IS ONE OF TWO SITES THAT DNR HAS ACQUIRED AND MANAGED SPECIFICALLY BEFORE GOPHER TORTOISE.
AND OF COURSE, AN AWFUL LOT OF OTHER ANIMALS AND PLANTS ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM ABSOLUTE BARILLA.
THE MANAGEMENT THAT'S DONE FOR THE TORTOISES BENEFITS, A HOST OF OTHER SPECIES THAT ARE ENDEMIC AND OCCURRED ON THESE SAND HILLS AND TONY, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PROJECT WITH GOPHER TORTOISES GOING ON.
YEAH, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE.
WE'LL HEAR A COUPLE OF THE TORTOISES THAT WE'VE BEEN RAISING FOR YOU.
WE'VE BEEN PHRASING THESE FOR DNR AND WHAT OUR JOB WAS AS A ZOO WAS TO GET THESE TORTOISES BIG ENOUGH SO THAT YOU COULD PUT A TRANSMITTER ON THEM AND THEN WE'LL CONTRACT THEM.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT ZOOS DO THE BEST THAT WE MANAGE ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY.
SO WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT TAKING BABY TORTOISES LIKE THIS AND, AND GROWING THEM UP.
ISN'T IT? THEY ARE, AND STILL HAVE A LOT OF COLOR TO, YEAH, THEY'RE VERY BRIGHT AT THIS SIZE.
SO GUYS, HOW OLD ARE THESE TORTOISES? THESE TORTOISES ARE ALMOST TWO YEARS OLD.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GROW THEM AT A NATURAL GROWTH RATE, FEEDING THEM A REALLY HIGH BULK, LOW PROTEIN DIET.
AND TONY, THESE GUYS ARE GOING TO BE MUCH LARGER THAN A WILD TWO YEAR OLD.
THEY GROW MUCH FASTER IN CAPTIVITY.
THEY'RE EATING YEAR ROUND THAN THEY WOULD BE.
AND SO GIVING THEM A HEAD START IS GOING TO HELP THEM WITH PREDATORS THAT RIGHT, AND THEY KNOW, LEARN HOW TO DIG BURROWS.
WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO THAT IN CAPTIVITY.
I CAN FEEL I'M PUSHING AGAINST MY FINGERS.
AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE GUYS, THESE FRONT FEET, WHICH ARE REALLY BUILT FOR DIGGING IN THE BACK FEET ARE ALMOST LIKE ELEPHANT TINY AREN'T THEY JUST FOR WALKING AROUND ON DRY LAND, VERY DIFFERENT THAN AN AQUATIC TURTLE.
AND WHEN THIS STARTED, THIS WAS A PROJECT BETWEEN SAVANNAH RIVER ECOLOGY LAB AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
AND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, RIVER BANKS HAS BECOME INVOLVED TO HELP RAISE SOME OF THESE TORTOISES.
AND MOST RECENTLY THE LONGLEAF ALLIANCE HAS BEEN PROVIDING SOME MONEY FOR SAVANNAH RIVER COLLEGE TO REALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TORTOISES THAT WE CAN PUT OUT EACH YEAR.
SO IT'S WONDERFUL FOR ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO HAVE BUY-IN TO GET SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
IT'S A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND IT'S REALLY BENEFITING THE TORTOISE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO WE'RE GOING TO RELEASE THESE GUYS TODAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE'RE PUTTING THESE GUYS OUT AND A LOT OF THESE TORTOISES, AS WE PUT THEM OUT, WE FIXED A TRANSMITTER TO THEM SO WE CAN FOLLOW THEM AROUND TO FOLLOW THEIR MOVEMENTS.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE TRANSMITTERS IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL.
WE ATTACH IT TO THE BACK OF THE TORTOISE USING SOME UPROXY AND IT STAYS ON PRETTY WELL, THE ANTENNA DRAGS BEHIND IT.
SO THAT'S NOT, NOT GOING TO GET HUNG ON ANYTHING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THESE GUYS DON'T GET TRANSMITTERS, RIGHT? A CERTAIN NUMBER DO NOT GET THESE GUYS ARE NOT GETTING TRANSMITTERS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO PUT TRANSMITTERS ON EVERYBODY AT THE TIME TO FOLLOW ALL OF THEM AROUND.
SO WE PICK A SUBSET OF THEM AND FOLLOW THOSE.
THEY WILL, IF YOU'RE READY TO RELEASE THESE GUYS, LET'S GO.
SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO KIND OF SET THEM DOWN.
SO THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY TWO TORTOISES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO RELEASE, RIGHT? THIS IS PART OF A LARGER EFFORT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE RELEASED OVER 60 FOURS AND WE'RE HOPING TO INCREASE THIS NUMBER OVER THE COMING YEARS.
AND EVERY YEAR WE USE A LARGER AND LARGER GROUP.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I GUESS THIS IS IT.
I SO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS LETTING US TAG ALONG TO THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS REALLY WORTHWHILE STUFF.
[00:10:03]
TODAY WORK WITH WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, DIRK STEVENSON AND HOUSTON CHANDLER.AND TODAY WE ARE AFTER ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST IMPRESSIVE SNAKES IN THE UNITED STATES, THE INDIGO SNAKE GUYS, I'M PSYCHED ABOUT THIS NEW, YEAH.
TONY, THESE ARE FASCINATING HABITATS.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE WIND BLOWN, AEOLIAN SAND DUNES, BUT THEY SUPPORT A REALLY WIDE DIVERSITY OF, OF NEAT CRITTERS, LIKE FOX SQUIRRELS AND GOPHER TORTOISES.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE INDIGO SNAKE, SOME OTHER RARE AND DECLINING, UH, SERPENTS LIKE THE FLORIDA PINE SNAKE AND EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE.
SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GEOLOGY OF THIS AREA.
THESE SAND RIDGES WERE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HOOPY RIVER AND THE LOWER COASTAL PLAIN OF SOUTH GEORGIA.
THESE, UH, SAND DUNE LIKE RIDGES ARE FROM 10,000 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS OLD.
THE SANDS ARE 10 TO 30 FEET DEEP, VERY POOREST.
SO WHEN IT RAINS A BUNCH, A LOT OF THE WATER JUST GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE SOIL AND DOWN YEAH.
YOU VIRTUALLY NEVER FIND STANDING WATER UP HERE.
THESE SANDS ARE LIKE SPONGES, ALL THE PRECIPITATION JUST SOAKS RIGHT IN.
AND, AND YOU WORK FOR THE ORIENT SOCIETY, RIGHT? SO THIS IS SORT OF THE FOCAL POINT OF YOUR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
TONY, UH, THE ORIENT SOCIETY, WE ARE A NONPROFIT AND WE FOCUS ON RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT, UM, PRIMARILY IN THE SOUTHEAST, UH, BUT ALSO HAVE PROGRAMS IN THE NORTHEAST TOO.
BUT WE FOCUS ON CONSERVING A RARE REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN SPECIES.
AND, UH, WE WORK IN SAND HILLS A LOT, AND THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT HABITAT AND, AND SUPPORTS A HIGH DIVERSITY, UH, THE FOCAL SPECIES THAT WE AND WORK WITH.
AND THE INDIGO SNAKE IS KIND OF AN AMBASSADOR FOR THIS HABITAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S, THIS MEANS IN THE GO RIGHT HERE, DOESN'T IT? YEAH.
YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT INDIGOS ARE SUCH IMPRESSIVE, MAGNIFICENT AND ICONIC REPTILES, YOU KNOW, SET THE BAR AND THE FACT THAT THEY CAN BE SEVEN FEET LONG.
THEY'RE THE POSTER CHILD FOR THE, FOR THE SAND HILL HABITAT.
I'M CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO CATCH SOME SNAKES.
WHY DON'T WE SPLIT UP? WE'VE GOT 300 ACRES OF HABITAT HERE.
SO WE'LL PARTITION INTO A COUPLE OF GROUPS AND I THINK HOUSTON IS GOING TO SET UP SOME EQUIPMENT AND WE'RE HOPEFULLY MEET UP WITH HIM A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
WE'VE GOT A TORTOISE BURROW RIGHT HERE.
SO GOOD POPULATION OF GOPHER TORTOISES.
AND THIS REALLY IS THE ONE OF THE REAL KEYS TO INDIGO SNAKES.
EASTERN INDIGO SNAKES IN THIS PART OF THE RANGE ARE OBLIGATE COMMENSALS OF THE GOPHER TORTOISE BURROW.
THESE DEEP SANDY TUNNELS, THEY'RE UP TO 20 FEET LONG AND EIGHT FEET DEEP.
THEY'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR TEMPERATURES ARE VERY CAVE LIKE AND STABLE, RIGHT? EVERY INDIGO SNAKE IN SOUTH GEORGIA LODGES SPENDS THE NIGHT IN THESE DURING THE WINTER.
AND ON MILD DAYS LIKE THIS THEY'LL SOMETIMES COME OUT AND LAY IN THE SUN.
AND OF COURSE THESE BROS ARE HOME TO JUST A MULTITUDE OF ANIMAL SPECIES.
OH, YOU BETTER BELIEVE VERTEBRATES AND MAMMALS AND ALL KINDS OF TORTOISE BURROWS HAVE BEETLES AND FLIES, UH, FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON THE GLOBE.
THAT THERE'S A THING ON ANIMAL CALLED A GOPHER FROG.
YOU'VE SEEN, I KNOW FLORIDA, WE HAVE THE FLORIDA MOUSE ALSO KNOWN AS THE GOPHER MOUSE.
REFUGIO FOR A VERY BROAD, UH, DIVERSITY OF SPECIES.
SO WE'RE AT A BOROUGH AND I'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF THIS BEFORE, BUT HOW DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR TECHNIQUE FOR FINDING THINGS? SO WE USE THIS MIRROR TWO TO A FLASH SUNLIGHT IN THE, IN THE SHAFT OF THE GOPHER TORTOISE TUNNEL.
AND IF WE GET A HOT TRACK, THEN I LOVE THIS MIRROR.
THIS IS THE ONE YOU CHOSE FOR ME TO USE SEEMS APROPOS.
AND SO YOU JUST KIND OF REFLECT, OH YEAH.
ANYTHING IN THERE? NOPE, NOPE.
AND NO TRACKS EITHER NO TRACKS RIGHT.
THIS, WE DON'T THINK THERE'S A SNAKE.
THIS ONE, WE HAVE MANY HUNDREDS OF BURROWS WE'RE GOING TO HIT TODAY THOUGH.
WHEN THEY DO MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION.
SO TO SPEAK TO EMERGE, THEY JUST CRAWL RIGHT UP.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, NOT WITH A LOT OF HESITATION OR PAUSING, MAYBE DEREK, IT LOOKS LIKE, SO DID A PREDATOR DIG THIS ONE OUT? YOU THINK COYOTE? WELL, IT HITS A LOT OF EXCAVATION RIGHT HERE.
SO PRESUMABLY IT WOULD BE JUST TRYING TO DIG UP ANYTHING THAT WAS IN THE BURROW, WHETHER IT BE A, WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY COLD NIGHTS AND THE COYOTE MIGHT'VE WANTED TO DAN HERE Y'ALL WOULD LOOK AT THE POP PRINTS HERE TOO.
I BET IT IN THE COMMUNITY OR THEY'RE TROUBLEMAKERS AS YOU KNOW, AND THEY'LL DIG UP GOPHER, TORTOISE EGGS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING DIRK.
THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOT OF PLACES TO
[00:15:01]
HIDE, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS FAIRLY OPEN HABITAT, YOU KNOW, SNAKES ARE REALLY GOOD AT HIDING.AND EVEN IN THIS SPARSE VEGETATION, DEREK, I SEE AN APRON RIGHT OVER HERE, SO, OH, YOU SURE DO TONY THAT'S WHAT'S COOL ABOUT THOSE, UH, BIG YELLOW SPOILS OF SANDRIDGE DIRT THAT THE GOPHER HAULED UP.
HUH? IMAGINE HOW HARD THEY WORK THERE.
THAT'S A LOT OF, OH, THIS IS A GOOD LOOKING BOROUGH.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? SHUT INDIGO SHED.
I LOOK RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE.
SO THERE'S THE, IT JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW BIG THESE SNAKES ARE LOOKING AT THEIR SKELLY SCALE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL BIG, BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE A REALLY BIG SNAKE.
YOU KNOW, THESE INDEGO'S ALL ACTUALLY AGGREGATE KIND OF GROUP UP NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND THEY BREED THEM.
SO EVEN THOUGH THERE AREN'T THAT MANY ON THE, ON THE RIDGE, CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN WHERE THEY ARE, THERE'S OFTEN MORE THAN ONE INDIGO, TONY.
THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, I JUST SAW A LITTLE BIT OF GLINT PICKED UP ON IT TOO.
THAT WAS ME CRASHING AND NOT ON THE SNAKE.
I WAS JUST IN THE SAND BUSKING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING MUSHED BY AN INDIGO BITERS, BUT THEY RATTLED THEIR TAIL.
THEY MOSQUE AND THEY KIND OF FLARE THEIR NECK AND HISS A LITTLE BIT.
AND AS YOU SAID, WONDERFUL, UH, YOU KNOW, OPAQUE EYES.
SO WAS GETTING READY TO THE SKIN.
LAYERS ARE SEPARATE AND IT'S GETTING READY TO LET HER PROBABLY FIND THAT HER SKIN HAD SO DIRT, NICE CASE, RARELY BIKE MOVE PRETTY WELL FOR AN OLD, OLD GUY.
NOT AS QUICK AS THEY USED TO BE.
UH, BUT THIS IS A FEMALE YOU'D LOOKED AT THE TAIL, RIGHT? YEAH.
THIS IS SHORTER TAIL THAT TAPERS RAPIDLY.
I'M GOING TO SAY SHE FEELS LIKE A HEALTHY SNAKE.
IT'S GOT A LOT OF WEIGHT TO IT.
SO YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS SNAKE WE'LL FIND OUT HERE IN A MINUTE, YOU KNOW, SHE'S REALLY COLD TOO.
SO MAYBE SHE JUST CAME UP OUT OF THE BOROUGH.
SHE HAS ALL, AND LOOKING AT THIS, THIS IS, UH, A SIGN OF, UM, UH, A PREGNANT INDIGO TONY, WHEN THEY'RE FULL BODIED, THE LADDER, YOU KNOW THAT SHE LOOKS LIKE HER.
AND HERE'S A PIECE OF SHIT SKIN THAT I JUST FOUND, OH, DARK, YOU CALLED IT.
YOU SAID THIS LOOKED LIKE A GOOD BOROUGH AND SURE ENOUGH, EXCELLENT.
I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND BAG HER UP AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK IT UP LATER.
HOUSTON IN THE ORIENT SOCIETY, MARK, ALL THE SNAKES NEAR AUSTIN, WE'VE GOT A NICE FEMALE.
UH, WE'LL GET HER WORKED UP AND THEN SHE CAN GO BACK IN RIVERA.
HOUSTON, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION DO YOU NEED TO GET FROM THIS ANIMAL? WELL, WITH EVERY INDIGO THAT WE CATCH, WE TAKE SOME STANDARD MORPHOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OR LENGTH, WEIGHT, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND JUST KIND OF GENTLY YOU CAN HOLD.
IF SHE STRETCHES OUT, YOU CAN JUST HOLD HER AND THEN LET GO OF HER NATURAL.
IT LOOKS LIKE OUR TOTAL LENGTH IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER FIVE FEET.
RIGHT? AND THEN EACH CAPTURED, INDIGO IS ALSO PIT TAGGED WITH A UNIQUE ID.
IT MAY BE A SNAKE THAT WE'VE CAPTURED BEFORE.
WE'LL SEE IT'S SAME, SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY USED IN DOGS AND CATS.
RIGHT? PASSIVE INDUCED TRANSPLANT, ACCURATE CHIP.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE THIS SNAKE A TAG.
AND THEN ALL YOU DO IS YOU STICK THE NEEDLE, UH, JUST BARELY UNDER THE SKIN.
RIGHT? AND THEN THESE COME PRELOADED WITH TAGS AND THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT STERILE, GENTLY INJECT THE TAG.
AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT.
AND ALSO RIGHT NOW WE ARE SAMPLING FOR SNAKE FUNGAL DISEASE, WHICH IS A EMERGING DISEASE THAT INFECTS, UH, SNAKES.
AND SO WE'LL TAKE A SWAB, SWAB SAMPLE FROM HER AND THEN WE'LL LET HER GO.
SO LET'S GET HER BACK IN HER BAG.
AND THEN LOOK FOR SOME MORE SNACKS.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE ARE BACK AT THE BOROUGH WHERE WE FIRST CAUGHT THE SNAKE.
CAN I DO THE HONORS OF RELATIONSHIPS? SURE.
LIKE THESE THINGS ARE SO NEAT.
[00:20:05]
SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, PLANTED LONG LEAF PINE HERE.SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT WAS SAND HILLS AND NOW HAS BEEN PLANTED WITH LONG LAKE FRAT.
LOOK, HOW LONG HAS THAT SNAKE? CERTAINLY OVER SIX FEET LONG.
YOU JUST CATCH THAT LITTLE GLINT OF REFLECTION.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT NEARLY AS OBVIOUS AS YOU'D THINK.
AND THAT ONE WAS COILED UP VERY, VERY TIGHTLY.
JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST IN A TIGHT BALL LIKE THAT.
IT IS REALLY BIG GIRL, HUGE FEMALE BOY.
IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS FOR HERPETOLOGISTS.
SO WE'LL LOOK AND SEE IF THIS GIRL WAS TAGGED IN A PREVIOUS YEAR AND THERE YOU GO.
THIS SNAKE WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUGHT AND TAGGED LAST YEAR.
AND SO THIS IS A FEMALE, BUT YOU SAID TOWARDS THE BIGGER END OF FEMALES, SHE'S DEFINITELY ON THE BIGGER END OF FEMALES.
THEY RARELY GET MUCH OVER SIX FEET.
AND WE WOULD GUESS THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL IS PUSHING SIX FEET, IF NOT A LITTLE BIT OVER.
JUST, JUST GOING INTO NET IT AND IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS GOOD HEAVY BODY.
WE'LL GET HER PROCESS AND THEN WE'LL BRING HER BACK IN A LITTLE WHILE.
INDIGO YOU, I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT SNAKE.
IT WAS JUST, IT WAS JUST CRAWLING ACROSS THE GROUND.
GOD, THESE ARE JUST AWESOME SNAKES.
BUT SO THIS IS A FEMALE, RIGHT? YES.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE TAIL HEAVY WITH DEVELOPING EGGS AS WELL.
I GUESS WE NEED TO CHECK THIS AND SEE IF IT HITS.
ANOTHER RECAPTURE 8 42 0 3, 5 0 3, 5 7, 7 1.
WE KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW IT BY HEART.
THIS IS RUBY AND BOY, THIS IS A BIG FEMALE SNAKE IN THERE.
SHE GOES GUYS, THIS WAS AWESOME.
I MEAN, WE CAUGHT THREE INDIGO SNAKES AND SAW A FOURTH ONE AND I MEAN, THIS ANIMALS, THIS ANIMAL IS PIT TAG.
AND SO THIS ANIMAL WILL BE PART OF OUR LONG-TERM MONITORING AT THE ORIENT SOCIETY.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THESE ANIMALS ON THE LANDSCAPE IN SOUTH GEORGIA.
AND SO WE'LL BE BACK HERE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS TO LOOK FOR THEM AGAIN.
AND IF WE CATCH HER, UH, WE'LL KNOW ABOUT IT AND WE'LL MONITOR THESE POPULATIONS INTO THE FUTURE.
WELL, I SO APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING NOT ONLY FOR THE INDIGO SNAKES THEMSELVES, BUT FOR THIS HABITAT THAT THEY LIVE IN, ALL ANIMALS NEED GOOD QUALITY HABITATS TO LIVE IN.
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THESE HABITATS SO THAT WE CAN DO THE BEST JOB TAKING CARE OF LIKE THIS SOUTHERN HOGNOSE.
FOR INSTANCE, THIS IS A SPECIES WHOSE NUMBERS HAVE DECLINED DRASTICALLY THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THEIR RANGE.
IN FACT, THIS SPECIES IS EXTINCT IN TWO OTHER STATES WHERE THEY WERE ONCE COMMON.
WE NEED TO PROTECT THE SANDHILLS THAT THIS SNAKE AND OTHER SPECIES NEED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE.
THANKS FOR JOINING US ON COASTAL KING