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Snake, Rattle, and Roll: Investigating the Snakes That Live in the Bosque Along the Middle Rio Grande

After an area has been changed by human or natural disturbances, forest managers often engage in restoration activities. In the Bosque, fire is both a human and a natural disturbance. This is because most fires in the Bosque are started by humans. Restoration activities have an impact on many different things like animals, plants, and soil. In this study, the scientists wanted to know how the restoration activities affected snake populations.

Snake, Rattle, and Roll: Investigating the Snakes That Live in the Bosque Along the Middle Rio Grande

Meet the Scientists

Heather Bateman

Ecologist | Herpetologist | Ornithologist | Wildlife Biologist

Deborah Finch

Wildlife Biologist

Alice Chung-MacCourbrey

Wildlife Biologist

Thinking About Science

When scientists choose to conduct research on a certain topic, it is usually because the topic they want to research has not been completely studied. Scientists know this because they read to keep up with current research and information about the topic they are interested in studying.

Because science often focuses on solving problems or answering questions, a research topic can be thought of as a puzzle. Think of the last time you completed a puzzle. There are many pieces to a puzzle to begin with. When you put all the pieces together you are able to see the whole picture.

When scientists notice a piece of a research puzzle that is missing, they conduct a study to find out about that piece. When they find new information, they place it in the puzzle. The scientists in this study were interested in how snakes fit into the land restoration puzzle.

Thinking About the Environment

The riparian forest land along the Rio Grande is locally referred to as the Bosque (Spanish word for forest) (figure 1). Riparian habitat occurs along streams where the water meets the land. The Rio Grande is a river whose headwaters are in Colorado. It runs through New Mexico and forms the border between Texas and Mexico. Flooding is a natural disturbance to which the Bosque is well suited.

Grasses growing along the Rio Grande — **Figure 1**. The Bosque is a riparian forested strip along the Rio Grande.

Another natural disturbance of many areas is fire. However, the Bosque probably did not experience many fires in the past. Its ecosystem, therefore, is not well suited to fire. Today, most of the fires in the Bosque are started by humans. Because the Bosque is close to human communities who live near the Rio Grande, forest managers take action to discourage fires. After a fire occurs, they work to restore the Bosque to its natural condition. In this way, managers take action to reduce the chance for another wildfire to get started and spread in the Bosque and into nearby human communities.

Managers take two main actions to discourage wildfires in the Bosque. One action is to remove plants that are not native. The other is to remove downed and dead trees from areas that have not decayed with the help of natural floods. One way to maintain the important Bosque habitat is to reduce fires, which can kill native cottonwood trees.

Introduction

After an area has been changed by human or natural disturbances, forest managers often engage in restoration activities. In the Bosque, fire is both a human and a natural disturbance. This is because most fires in the Bosque are started by humans. Restoration activities are things that forest managers do to the land to help an area resemble how it functioned in the past (figure 2).

Scientist in a forest cleaning the area of invasive species — **Figure 2**. Scientists clearing an area of non-native species.

Restoration is sort of like reconditioning an old car or historic home. Some examples of these activities are clearing out nonnative plants, getting rid of piles of downed trees and logs, and planting native plants. Clearing out piles of downed trees and logs helps to reduce the risk of wildfire because wildfires use the downed wood as fuel to keep burning.

Restoration activities have an impact on many different things like animals, plants, and soil. In this study, the scientists wanted to know how the restoration activities affected snake populations. Snakes are important to the ecosystem because they are predators of different vertebrates and invertebrates. The scientists also wanted to find out what types of snakes were in the Bosque and what type of trap was better for catching snakes.

Reflection Section

Methods

The scientists examined the Bosque near the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico (figure 3).

A map of the U.S. highlighting the southwestern region and the Rio Grande — **Figure 3**. The Middle Rio Grande runs through New Mexico.

The climate in this area ranges from arid to semiarid. The scientists monitored the snakes at 12 sites in this area from 2000 to 2006. They studied four sites in each of three different regions (figure 4).

A graphic of New Mexico highlighting Albuquerque — **Figure 4**. The location of the areas studied by the scientists.

One site in every region was used as a control. In the control sites, no restoration activities were conducted. In the other sites, crews removed nonnative plants, burned piles of slash, and planted native shrubs (figure 5).

A scientist standing in a forested area — **Figure 5**. An area filled with native plants. Photo by Arthur E. Miller, Forest Service, courtesy of http://Bugwood.org.

Slash is the leftover tree and shrub parts from forest management activities such as thinning, pruning, and harvesting. The areas where downed wood, logs, and nonnative plants were removed were more open (figure 6).

A forested area — **Figure 6**. This southeastern forest is open along the forest floor.

To discover how snake populations were by affected these activities, the scientists used drift fences, pitfall traps, and funnel traps to capture the snakes (figures 7-8). The traps were used from June through mid-September every year. After the snakes were captured, counted, and identified, they were released back into the environment.

A pit fall trap in the ground — **Figure 7**. A pitfall trap can be a 5-gallon bucket placed into the ground so that animals fall into it.

A scientist checking a funnel trap near a fence — **Figure 8**. Dr. Heather Bateman checks a funnel trap near drift fences for snakes. Drift fences help to direct animals toward the traps.

Reflection Section

Findings

The scientists captured and released a total of 158 snakes from 2000 through 2006. The top five snakes caught are shown in the chart below (figure 9). The Common King snake was the most frequently captured snake (figure 10).

Figure 9. The total number of each type of snake captured each year.
Snake Type	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	Total
Common King snake	5	11	1	6	7	10	7	47
Gopher snake	0	4	0	9	5	10	1	29
Plains Black-headed snake	1	3	0	0	6	6	5	21
Plain hog-nosed snake	2	3	1	3	2	2	1	14
Common Garter snake	2	2	0	1	1	4	3	13

A Common King snake — **Figure 10**. The Common King snake, Lampropeltis getula, is often found on the ground but is an excellent climber and swimmer as well.

The scientists found that restoration activities did not have an effect on the number of snakes captured. They also found that more snakes were captured with funnel traps than with pitfall traps. More than half of all snakes captured were captured in funnel traps. Larger snakes like the Coachwhips and Gopher snakes were also captured more often in funnel traps (figure 11).

**Figure 11**. Coachwhip snakes can be very long. Some of these snakes can be 8 feet in length. Photo by John (J.D.) Willson.

The smallest snake species in this study, the Plains Black-headed Snake, was found most often in pitfall traps (figure 12).

Plain black-headed snake with a finger pointing at it on the ground — **Figure 12**. The Plains Black-headed Snake is a secretive snake, so the exact distribution of this snake is not known. However, it has been found in Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Number Crunch

Reflection Section

Discussion

This study examined the effect of restoration activities on snake populations. Scientists found that restoration activities did not affect how many snakes were captured. However, the snakes captured did change depending on the time period and region in the Middle Rio Grande. Some summers were drier summers, which may have had an effect on the number of snakes captured.

The scientists noted that their results need to be interpreted carefully because the overall number of snakes captured was low. The native habitat may not have been fully restored yet, and the weather could have affected the number of snakes captured.

The scientists also found that funnel traps were more effective than pitfall traps in capturing snakes. Additionally, they found that funnel traps were better able to capture larger snakes. Therefore, populations of large snakes could be underestimated if scientists use only pitfall traps. The scientists recommended using both types of traps with drift fencing in future studies.

Reflection Section

This article is adapted from Bateman, H.; Chung-MacCoubrey, A.; Snell, H.; and Finch, D. (2009). Abundance and species richness of snakes along the Middle Rio Grande riparian forest in New Mexico. Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 4(1): 1–8.

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Wildland Fire 2 - Vol. 13 No. 1

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What Is a Natural Inquirer Journal?

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A Natural Inquirer journal is a collection of 4-8 articles on a related science topic. Journals are written for a middle school audience, but they can also be adapted for both high school students and advanced upper elementary students. Some journals are particularly suited to high school students; you can find our grade level recommendations in the tags on the product page or by filtering journals by grade level.

Journals include:

Four to eight articles based on published, peer-reviewed research papers; the articles keep the research paper format (see more below) but are written in language students can understand.
A FACTivity for each article, which is an activity to complete after reading the article. The FACTivity helps reinforce major science concepts from the article. These activities are designed to be easy to implement, with few material requirements and options for adapting them for your audience or available resources. Some articles in a journal may have two FACTivities.
A short “Welcome to the journal” article about key background information and science concepts that unify the articles included in the journal
A glossary of new terms for each article and the introductory materials.
A list of related Natural Inquirer publications for each article as well as outside references.
Standards correlations, including Next Generation Science Standards, addressed in the articles and the FACTivities.

Journals may also include additional essays (called spotlights), other activities (like crossword puzzles or vocabulary challenges), and more.

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Reading Modes

Journals are available in three different formats:

Hard copies can be ordered from the website and shipped, all free of charge.
PDF versions of the printed journal can be downloaded free on the website. The PDF version directly replicates the content and layout of the printed version. You can also download individual articles as pdfs.
The “Read Distraction Free” option allows the individual articles to open in their own window, without the rest of the website being visible. These articles can be found under the “Articles” tab. This version allows readers to scroll to particular sections of the article using the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen. This version also has interactive Reflection Sections and Number Crunches. Students can enter their answers, submit them, and then receive the correct answers to double-check their work. Submitted answers are not saved on the website and will disappear once the window is closed.

What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?

Here, we'll go into more detail about the parts of a Natural Inquirer article and give you some ideas about how they can be used.

Meet the Scientists
This section introduces the scientists (and others) who worked on the study. In their own words, they each share a memorable science experience, a favorite research project, or something they learned during the course of their education or research.

Use this section to:
- Introduce kids to the variety of people who work in science
- Introduce kids to the variety of scientific fields and give brief descriptions of science-related jobs
- Explore ways that people interact with science every day
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Crosscutting Concepts: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Many of the scientists and engineers featured in this section are also featured on our collector cards. Learn more about their work, how they got interested in their fields, and interesting projects they worked on. Cards can be printed as posters, too.
Thinking About Science
This section briefly describes a concept about science or scientific research. This overview can touch on topics like
- study type (longitudinal study, quantitative vs. qualitative data),
- behaviors of scientists (conducting literature reviews, collaborating with other specialists, replicating earlier studies),
- the practice of science (the scientific method, engineering design, data collection, randomization, controls and variables),
- or other aspects of science (bias, correlation vs. causation).
Use this section to:
- Reinforce steps in the scientific method and the process of science
- Encourage students to think about the practice of science and what it can and cannot tell us
- Consider the many types of scientific study and what information each type can provide
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

You can use key words to search for other or related scientific topics on our website (e.g. “longitudinal study,” “bias,” or “sampling”).
Thinking About the Environment
This section provides a brief overview of a topic or concept in environmental/life science. The topic or concept is directly related to the research study that follows. Examples of topics include the carbon cycle, the water cycle, habitat fragmentation, phenology, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

Use this section to:
- Provide important background information to help students understand the research study
- Serve as a quick reference during reading or class instruction
- Connect the research article with other activities or media on the same topic
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

You can use key words to search for more resources on life or earth science topics on our website (e.g. “habitat,” “carbon,” or “genetics”).
Introduction
This section begins the scientific article format. Much like the published, peer-reviewed study this article is based on, the introduction provides background information for the study – what is currently known and what remains unknown. The introduction culminates in the question(s) the study hopes to answer.

The introduction is also the first section with a Reflection Section. This section includes two or three questions to help kids reflect on what they’ve just learned in the Introduction. If they are using the online distraction-free reading mode, they can answer these questions directly on the website.

Use this section to:
- Review important background information that kids need to understand the study
- Connect the study to the concepts addressed in the Thinking About Science and Thinking About the Environment sections
- Understand research questions and hypotheses, including generating their own hypotheses given what they already know
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Use one of the guided reading lesson plans to help kids follow the format of a scientific paper.
Methods
This section is the nuts and bolts of the study design – the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the research. Contained within the Methods section are usually maps of the study location or the set-up of study plots, as well as details about what data was collected and how.

The Methods section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Show students how experiments and studies are designed and carried out
- Explore sampling methods and randomization
- Introduce various data collection tools (e.g. camera traps, surveys, insect collection tools, weather stations, etc.)
- Explain bias and how studies are designed to remove bias
- Help students gain experience with map reading
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Many Methods and Findings sections contain Number Crunches, which are simple math exercises designed to help students interact with the data from the study.
Findings
This section summarizes the data collected during the study. The Findings section usually includes data tables or graphs and highlights the significant data points from the study. This section often mentions statistical analysis or the use of computer programs to model or analyze the data, though these methods are only discussed generally.

The Findings section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Have students practice reading and interpreting graphs and tables
- Compare results between variables and controls
- Explain the concept of statistical significance
- Discuss how no data or negative results still provide valuable information
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Search the website for “map” or “graph” to find activities where students can practice making and reading maps and graphs.
Discussion
This section concludes each article. In it, we summarize the main findings of the scientists’ study. Additionally, we present the scientists’ ideas about the limitations of their study, the big-picture impacts of their research, and the scientists’ plans for future study or action.

The Discussion section ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read, especially general take-aways from the study. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Discuss what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from the available data
- Explain the difference between correlation and causation
- Explore study limitations and opportunities for further study
- Brainstorm ways the study findings could be applied to real-world situations
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Use the “Designing Your Own Study” resource page for videos of scientists discussing their own research studies. The page also includes educator resources to help students plan their own scientific studies.

Additional Resources on the Website

A screenshot of the product tabs for an NI monograph On the website, we pair each journal with a variety of other resources, as well. Use the tabs on the product page to browse through the following:

Related activities, including the FACTivity for each article
An “About” essay that gives some larger context for the research the scientists conducted or more information about the science topic from the journal
A glossary of all boldfaced terms from the journal
A “Scientists and Collaborators” page that lists the people involved in the studies in the journal; click on a researcher to reach their bio page and see what other articles they might be featured in
A “Related Content” page that lists both Natural Inquirer resources about similar topics and also outside reference materials

Article Selection and Review

Natural Inquirer partners with the USDA Forest Service, so we source research studies by Forest Service scientists that have been peer-reviewed and published in reputable journals. Some of our articles have also been created in collaboration with scientists from other Federal agencies, such as U.S. Geological Survey and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, universities, and other non-profits.

All journal articles are reviewed by scientists who conducted the original research study to verify scientific accuracy. Journals are also reviewed by student editorial review boards of middle or high school students before publication. Additionally, all journals are reviewed by the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture before publication.

A screenshot of the citation for "Lights, Camera, Tracks" Every journal article includes a citation of its source study. Many educators pair the original research paper with our article to help more advanced students learn how to read formal research papers. The journal article then serves as adapted primary literature, bridging the two articles.

Lessons

In small groups (or individually), students will read a Natural Inquirer or Investi-gator article and write a letter to the scientist, asking for clarification on at least four questions. This...
Lesson Plan – Letter to a Scientist
In small groups (or individually), students will read a Natural Inquirer or Investi-gator article and write a letter to the scientist, asking for clarification on at least four questions. This...
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Wildland Fire 2 - Vol. 13 No. 1
The purpose of this lesson plan is to give students a chance to reflect on their reading and create poems to express what they have learned. The lesson plan is...
Lesson Plan – Forest Poems
The purpose of this lesson plan is to give students a chance to reflect on their reading and create poems to express what they have learned. The lesson plan is...
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Wildland Fire 2 - Vol. 13 No. 1
This lesson plan introduces students to the different sections of a Natural Inquirer article. Additionally, it helps the students understand the content of the article through the use of graphic...
Lesson Plan – Reading a Natural Inquirer Article – FACELook
This lesson plan introduces students to the different sections of a Natural Inquirer article. Additionally, it helps the students understand the content of the article through the use of graphic...
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FACELook! Exploring the Relationship Between Carbon, Photosynthesis, and the Roots of Trees

Education Files

Project Learning Tree

If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Living with Fire” and “Trees as Habitats” as additional resources.

Glossary

View All Glossary

arid
(a rəd): Very dry; especially, not having enough rainfall to support agriculture.
bosque
(bäsk): A wooded area near water or wetland areas.
climate
(klī mǝt): The average weather conditions of a particular place or region over a period of years.
conserve
(kǝn sǝrv): To avoid wasteful or destructive use of something.
control
(kǝn trōl): A variable factor that has been kept constant and which is used as a standard of comparison to the experimental component in a controlled experiment.
ecosystem
(ē kō sis tǝm): A system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions.
forest manager
(fȯr ǝst ma ni jǝr): A person who manages a forest; in the Forest Service, forest managers focus on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards, and maintaining forest health (definition from USDA Forest Service).
headwaters
(hed wȯ tərz): The beginning and upper part of a stream.
herpetologist
(hər pə tä lə jist): A person who studies reptiles and amphibians.
interpret
(in tər prət): (1) To explain the meaning of; (2) to understand according to one’s own belief or judgment.
invertebrate
(in vər tə brət or in vər tə brāt): An animal (such as a worm, clam, spider, or butterfly) that lacks a backbone.
native
(nā tiv): Living or growing naturally in a particular region.
ornithologist
(ȯr nə thä lə jist): A scientist who studies birds.
pinyon-juniper woodland
(pin yən jü nə pər wu̇d lənd): An area higher in elevation than the Bosque where pinyon pine trees and juniper flourish.
prune
(prün): To cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth.
restoration
(res tə rā shən): The act of bringing back to an earlier condition.
riparian
(rə per ē ən): Relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (such as a river or sometimes a lake or tidewater).
vertebrate
(vərt ə brət or vərt ə brāt): Any of a large group of animals (such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes) that typically have a bony or cartilaginous backbone which replaces the notochord, a distinct head containing a brain which arises as an enlarged part of the nerve cord, and an internal usually bony skeleton and including some primitive forms (such as lampreys) in which the backbone is absent and the notochord persists throughout life.
wilderness
(wil dǝr nǝs): In this case, an area designated by Congress to be preserved in a wild and natural condition as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Heather Bateman

Ecologist | Herpetologist | Ornithologist | Wildlife Biologist

My favorite science experience has always been working with wildlife. I enjoyed placing leg bands on long-eared owls in the United States Great Basin. I also enjoyed tagging lava lizards...
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Alice Chung-MacCourbrey

Wildlife Biologist

My favorite science experience was a research project that allowed me to combine two of my biggest interests, dogs and bats. Dogs have a superb sense of smell that can...
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Deborah Finch

Wildlife Biologist

“One of my favorite science experiences was collecting bird and small mammal data on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Oregon and Idaho. While I was there, I lived in a...
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FACTivity – Snake, Rattle, and Roll

Standards addressed in this Article:

What Is a Natural Inquirer Journal?

Reading Modes

What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?

Meet the Scientists

Thinking About Science

Thinking About the Environment

Introduction

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Additional Resources on the Website

Article Selection and Review

Lessons

Lesson Plan – Letter to a Scientist

Lesson Plan – Forest Poems

Lesson Plan – Reading a Natural Inquirer Article – FACELook

Education Files

Project Learning Tree

Glossary

arid

bosque

climate

conserve

control

ecosystem

forest manager

headwaters

herpetologist

interpret

invertebrate

native

ornithologist

pinyon-juniper woodland

prune

restoration

riparian

vertebrate

wilderness

Heather Bateman

Alice Chung-MacCourbrey

Deborah Finch

Additional Resources

"Healing the Gila: Restoring habitat, protecting trout and connecting people"