| As one of the most commonly occurring snakes throughout a wide distribution of the Southeastern United States, the basic life history of the Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) has been documented. Despite this no single long-term ecological study has focused on this subspecies. Utilizing data from a 13-year mark and recapture study, I examined the population dynamics of an urban population of E. o. lindheimeri. I report on overall population size distribution and activity patterns of snakes throughout the year. In addition, I examine the growth rate of recaptured snakes and evaluate the effects of parameter manipulation on resulting growth data. Such variations in data collection parameters can significantly alter the interpretation of growth data for the species in question. |
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