Topography-derived variables provide insight into habitat occupancy of a cryptic snake, Bitis atropos

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorJordaan, Adriaan
dc.contributor.authorHeideman, Neil, J.L.
dc.contributor.authorBuschke, Falko, T.
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-23T12:07:38Z
dc.date.available2021-09-23T12:07:38Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractUnderstanding species’ habitat use is fundamental for conservation and management. However, quantifying habitat use for small cryptic species is limited by imperfect detection during field surveys and the lack of habitat data at meaningful spatial scales. Topographically-derived habitat variables from digital elevation models (DEMs) have the potential to overcome these limitations. Here we used DEM-derived topographic variables as fine-scale proxies for abiotic conditions to study site-occupancy patterns of the berg adder (Bitis atropos), a small-bodied cryptic viper. We carried out seven repeated field surveys across 219 hectares in a mountainous protected area in north-eastern South Africa to estimate snake detection probability and occupancy using maximum likelihood methods. Although snakes occurred across a third of the surveyed habitat, they were only detected 40% of the time during the springtime when detection was highest. Results showed that these snakes preferred north-west facing, mid and upper slopes, which are exposed to afternoon sun and presumably higher ambient energy. Our results demonstrate the value of using DEM-derived topographic variables for ecological studies where habitat data are either unavailable or inappropriate, thereby providing valuable insights into habitat use of cryptic and difficult to detect species.en_US
dc.identifier.citationJordaan, A. et al. (2021). Topography-derived variables provide insight into habitat occupancy of a cryptic snake, Bitis atropos. Austral Ecology, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13057en_US
dc.identifier.uridoi:10.1111/aec.13057
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/6807
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherWileyen_US
dc.subjectCryptic speciesen_US
dc.subjectEcologyen_US
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_US
dc.subjectSite-occupancyen_US
dc.subjectSnakesen_US
dc.titleTopography-derived variables provide insight into habitat occupancy of a cryptic snake, Bitis atroposen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Topography derived variables provide insight into habitat occupancy of a cryptic snake, Bitis atropos.pdf
Size:
3.82 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Research Articles (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology)