Journal of Ecology and Environment

The Ecological Society of Korea (한국생태학회)
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A field evaluation of two external transmitter attachment methods for small snakes

  • Park Il-Kook (Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Jeong, Hojun (Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Park, Daesik (Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University)
  • Received : 2022.05.02
  • Accepted : 2022.07.05
  • Published : 2022.09.30
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Abstract

Background: Radio-telemetry is a useful method to investigate the spatial ecology of species in the wild, by tracking the signal of a transmitter attached to an individual. The method of attaching a transmitter to a snake is representatively divided into surgical implantation, and external attachment, which latter is often used in small snake species. Results: In this study, we evaluated and compared the utility of two external attachment methods, the nylon thread method and the tape method, applied to a small grassland snake species of approximately 50 cm snout-vent length, the Slender racer (Orientocoluber spinalis), on an island in the Republic of Korea. The nylon thread method and the tape method were applied to four and five individuals, and radio-tracked for an average of eight and eleven days, respectively. The nylon thread method caused individual injury and disturbed their movement, while using the tape method, the transmitter package sometimes dropped off, but no injury or movement problems occurred. Conclusions: Considering that poor understanding of how to attach the transmitter makes it difficult to investigate the spatial ecology of small snake species, the tape method, evaluated in this study, could be applied to attach a transmitter and to study spatial ecology of such snakes.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

We thank Min-Seok Do and Hoanjin Jang for providing information on the study site and helping field works.

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