Ridge Nosed Rattlesnake

Ridge Nosed Rattlesnake by Eugene Upston

The Crotalus willardi obscurus also known as the ridge nosed rattlesnake who resides mainly in the New Mexico and Arizona regions is currently considered to be threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It tends to live in mountainous terrain anywhere between 4000 feet to 9000 feet elevation. Opposite to most snakes, it tends to be most active during the heat of the day because it has trouble conducting body heat without the help of external forces. This species habitat is threatened by different human activities along with natural threats. These  threats include mining/gathering natural resources, land development, little food supply which leads to starvation, and diseases. Rattlesnake collectors threaten these snakes because they use their skin to make various material objects, and since this snake is considered to be rare, the skin is worth more. This gives the collectors more incentive to find and kill these snakes. It is especially difficult for the younger ridged nosed snakes to survive, because they tend to leave their birthplace within the first few days of being born. This puts them in the big wide world where they much face obstacles such as being threatened by bigger stronger predators, freezing temperatures, and lack of food. They are mainly threatened in the New Mexico region along the Animas Mountains, where as much as a few thousand acres have been affected. The parties involved in this problem are essentially the loggers and ranchers, and the environmentalists.

The people who are trying to conserve this endangered reptile believe that this species is needed for the cycle of nature to remain balanced. Also they are concerned about the unforeseen consequences that may occur from a species going extinct. The people, rangers and harvesters of the land, who aren’t so concerned about the well being of the ridge nosed rattlesnake, believe that there will be very minimal consequences if the snake is to go extinct, and considering they are already severely under populated and their has been no dramatic change to the ecosystem. They tend to put forth the idea that it is more beneficially and profitable to sustain humans then it is to sustain an already dieing species. Also it is just another useless poisonous snake that could potentially threaten humans.

It is not certain what the exact environmental impacts would happen should the ridge nosed rattlesnake go extinct but there are some educated guesses about what could happen. For one, it could disrupt the natural flow of the food cycle which could mean a few things for the ecosystem. The first problem is it could cause an over population of one species, such as mice, due to the lack of predators that would normaly consume the prey. The second problem is that the reverse could happen where the predators such as hawks don’t have enough food to be able to survive. So, in the over all picture it may seem insignificant for one species to die out, but there is a vicious cycle that people tend to over look.

There are many solutions that will in some way effect the well being of ridge nosed rattlesnake, but are often overlooked. One proposed solution is to reduce the amount of energy and goods we consume so that we don’t need to harvest and occupy the land the snakes use to thrive. Another is to create reserves and parks in order to protect and preserve the habitats that the snakes dwell in. Another is being more aggressive with finding and prosecuting the collectors and poachers who kill this endangered species. Stopping the spread of non-native species in the areas where the rattlesnake lives would help. Invasive species can disturb the natural habitat of the snakes.

In conclusion, I think there is hope for saving the ridge nosed rattlesnake from the hardships of the world. We need to put more pressure on the wildlife services enforce this. I think that if we can follow through and spread the word about acting on these proposed solutions then it will increase the change for survival of this rare snake.

References:

Website:
Thomas C. Brennan. (2008, May 10). Ridge nosed rattlesnakes
Retrieved November 7, 2009, from Reptiles of Arizona’s website:
http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Snakes-Subpages/h-c-willardi.html

Books:
Brown Partworks Ltd. (2001). Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World.
Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.

William G. Degenhardt, Charles W. Painter and Andrew H. Price (1996). Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press.