Vipera berus population densities

[Daniel Kane]

Hi,

For some university work I am trying to work out the population density for my local adder site. I'm having a bit of trouble finding other research with V. berus densities, population sizes etc... to campare to and would much appreciate some literature to help me on my way!

[Daniel Bohle]

Can help you tonight ;-D

the main probem here, people measure it different. maybe someone know if there is a rule how to do it right.
should we count all animal or just adults?
should we calculate with the total land area of the monitoring side, the total useable area (whats usable;-) or just the total used area?
if we use the total used area (just a few m²) and all animals we might get a huge number compared to total land area and just adult!

[Mario Schweiger]

Hi Daniel,

seach the database: keywords contain "mertensiella" and check Mertensiella 15.
There are some of this book (Mertensiella 15: Verbreitung, Ökologie und Schutz der Kreuzotter (Vipera berus [Linnaeus, 1758])) in the database (unfortunately nearly all in German language).
I have the book and may scan to PDF the others.

Mario

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Mertensiella 15: Verbreitung, Ökologie und Schutz der Kreuzotter (Vipera berus [Linnaeus, 1758])) in the database (unfortunately nearly all in German language).

At least...
http://www.crepinstitute.co.za/pdf/Adder.pdf

[Daniel Kane]

http://www.crepinstitute.co.za/pdf/Adder.pdf

Thanks for that one - a study similar to mine (although much longer-term) however there seems to be a lack of detail explaining how population size was estimated. Seems to me that it was done purely by the author seeing (essentially) all snakes within the study areas and no estimates appear to have been made using software such as CAPTURE. I am looking more for capture-recapture data, preferably on Vipera. I have seen a paper on the black swamp snake which seems like it would be more helpful but I cannot access the full version. A paper on Euleptes which used this programme seems like it would great for me if is had been on Vipera!

Salvidio, S. & Delaugerre, M. (2003). Population dynamics of the European leaf-toed gecko (Euleptes europaea) in nw Italy: implications for conservation. Herpetological Journal, 13. 81-88.

Winne, C., Dorcas, M. & Poppy, S. (2005). Population structure, body size and seasonal activity of black swamp snakes (Seminatrix pygaea). Southern Naturalist, 4(1). 1-14.

[Liam Russell]

You should contact David Sewell at the University of Kent, has been doing lots of research on this kind of thing lately.

http://www.kent.ac.uk/sac/staff-profiles/profiles/conservation-ecology/research-and-pt-staff/sewell_david.html

[Berislav Horvatic]

This is really frustrating: I have just what you need, very nicely written, but in Croatian:

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology
Graduation Thesis
IGOR VILAJ:
COMMON ADDER, Vipera berus (SQUAMATA, VIPERIDAE) IN CROATIA:
POPULATION ECOLOGY, MICROHABITAT PREFERENCES AND
THERMOREGULATION

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

I wouldn't focus too much on vipers in my literature hunt, unless you see reasons why the method should be species-specific?
I need to dig in to this stuff myself...!

The variance associated with your estimate is crucial - there's no point in obtaining estimates if the variance is much larger (e.g. an estimate of 3 with an error of 5000 says nothing), but sorry if that's all trivial to you.

[Daniel Bohle]

As I said bevore, I don´t think capture-recapture data is very usefull for vipera berus.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

As I said bevore, I don´t think capture-recapture data is very usefull for vipera berus.

That's too general a statement for me to be persuaded by... You just have to deal with the choices you presented somehow. Habitat use assumptions are tricky.