Habitat association in the critically endangered Mangshan pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis), a species endemic to China

Bing Zhang; Bingxian Wu; Daode Yang; Xiaqiu Tao; Mu Zhang; Shousheng Hu; Jun Chen; Ming Zheng

doi:10.7717/peerj.9439

Habitat association in the critically endangered Mangshan pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis), a species endemic to China

PeerJ. 2020 Jul 1:8:e9439. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9439. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Bing Zhang¹, Bingxian Wu¹, Daode Yang¹, Xiaqiu Tao¹, Mu Zhang¹, Shousheng Hu², Jun Chen², Ming Zheng²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China.
² Administration Bureau of Hunan Mangshan National Nature Reserve, Chenzhou, Hunan, China.

Abstract

Habitat directly affects the population size and geographical distribution of wildlife species, including the Mangshan pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis), a critically endangered snake species endemic to China. We searched for Mangshan pit viper using randomly arranged transects in their area of distribution and assessed their habitat association using plots, with the goals of gaining a better understanding of the habitat features associated with P. mangshanensis detection and determining if the association with these features varies across season. We conducted transect surveys, found 48 individual snakes, and measured 11 habitat variables seasonally in used and random plots in Hunan Mangshan National Nature Reserve over a period of 5 years (2012-2016). The important habitat variables for predicting Mangshan pit viper detection were fallen log density, shrub density, leaf litter cover, herb cover and distance to water. In spring, summer and autumn, Mangshan pit viper detection was always positively associated with fallen log density. In summer, Mangshan pit viper detection was related to such habitats with high canopy cover, high shrub density and high herb cover. In autumn, snakes generally occurred in habitats near water in areas with high fallen log density and tall shrubs height. Our study is the first to demonstrate the relationship between Mangshan pit viper detection and specific habitat components. Mangshan pit viper detection was associated with habitat features such as with a relatively high fallen log density and shrub density, moderately high leaf litter cover, sites near stream, and with lower herb cover. The pattern of the relationship between snakes and habitats was not consistent across the seasons. Identifying the habitat features associated with Mangshan pit viper detection can better inform the forestry department on managing natural reserves to meet the habitat requirements for this critically endangered snake species.

Keywords: Habitat component; Habitat requirement; Hunan Mangshan National Nature Reserve; Seasonal variation; Viper snake; Wildlife conservation.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31472021), the project for Endangered Wildlife Investigation, Supervision and Industry Regulation of the National Forestry and Grassland Bureau of China (No. 2019072-HN-001), and the project for Endangered Wildlife Protection of Hunan Forestry Bureau of China (No. HNYB-2019001). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.