After the acquisition in 1956 of the 160-acre Rockefeller Tract adjacent to the Reservation on the north in Jefferson County, field work was extended to this new area, which, because it was superior habitat, in the final years of the study produced more records than the Reservation. Thus my study is based upon 14 consecutive years' records on the Reservation, the northeasternmost section in Douglas County, Kansas, six and one-half miles north northeast of the University of Kansas campus at Lawrence. Live-trapping of snakes on the area was begun in 1949, and these operations were greatly intensified in the years 1957 through 1962, with efforts concentrated on the study of the racer in the 1960, 19 seasons. In 1948, undertaking a program of ecological research on the recently created University of Kansas Natural History Reservation, I included the racer among the many common species studied to gain insight into the functioning of the local ecosystem. Few species of vertebrates having comparable economic bearing have been similarly neglected. Yet, in general, the attitudes of rural people toward the racer are little influenced by these economic and ecologic considerations, but rather, are dominated by an unreasonable fear, despite the racer's inoffensive disposition, and inability to inflict any harm on humans.Īlthough an extensive literature exists regarding the racer, no thorough study of the species' natural history has been made heretofore. The racer is a predator on many kinds of small animals, both vertebrates and invertebrates it takes as food chiefly animals that are agricultural pests but also destroys some beneficial kinds. Its active diurnal habits and its preference for a habitat in meadows, pastures, and hayfields rather than in remote wilderness areas, result in frequent encounters with humans. Throughout much of the United States the racer is abundant and is one of the snakes best known to man. Eaton, Jr.Ģ9-7864 Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor BY HENRY S. FITCHġ963 University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural HistoryĮditors: E. 19-22, 20 figs.ĭecember 30, 1963 Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor BY HENRY S. University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 15, No. The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Tom Cosmas and *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NATURAL HISTORY OF RACER COLUBER *** With this eBook or online at Title: Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor Re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withĪlmost no restrictions whatsoever. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Natural History of the Racer Coluber
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |