Do seasonal patterns of rat snake ( Pantherophis obsoletus ) and black racer ( Coluber constrictor ) activity predict avian nest predation?

摘要: Avian nest success often varies seasonally and because predation is the primary cause of failure, seasonal variation in predator activity has been hypothesized to explain success. Despite fact that communities are diverse, recent evidence from studies snakes predators lent some support link between snake predation. However, strength relationship varied among studies. Explaining this difficult, none these directly identified predators, survival was inferred. To address knowledge gap, we examined daily rates 463 bird nests (of 17 species) used cameras document identity at 137 nests. We simultaneously quantified patterns two local species (N = 30 individuals) using manual (2136 locations) automated (89,165 movements detected) radiotelemetry. Rat (Pantherophis obsoletus), dominant site (~28% observed predations), were most active late May early June, a pattern reported elsewhere for species. When analyzing all monitored nests, found no rat snakes. only with known identities (filmed nests), however, more likely prey on during periods when they moving greatest distances. Similarly, analyses indicated not linked racer patterns, but racer-specific (N = 17 nests) filmed higher racers Our results suggest may be associated by those effects can difficult detect diverse known. Additionally, our hand-tracking provides reliable indicator indicative foraging behavior than movement frequency provided telemetry systems.