SURVIVING HURRICANE HARVEY: PRE AND POST FLOOD-EVENT SITE FIDELITY OF NORTHERN COTTONMOUTHS (AGKISTRODON PISCIVORUS) IN HARMON CREEK, WALKER COUNTY, TEXAS

Abstract

Due to the impact and effects of Hurricane Harvey on several aquatic systems in southeast Texas, we investigated the potential impact of flood waters displacing individual cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) from known site locations within Harmon Creek in Walker County, Texas. Using mark recapture data and GIS locations, we document that cottonmouths within our study area of Harmon Creek avoided potential displacement and mortality during unprecedented flooding. A comparison of distances between pre- (mean = 192.60 m, SE = 67.572, n = 7) and post- (mean = 97.91 m, SE = 24.953, n = 9) Hurricane Harvey snake locations did not differ and we recaptured 46 cottonmouths that were previously tagged in past sampling years prior to this unprecedented flood event. We finally discuss the importance of long-term monitoring programs that ultimately provide the data needed to evaluate the potential impacts of such disturbance events.