TIMMERMAN: CROTALUSADAMANTEUSON ORDWAY PRESERVE


 METHODS AND MATERIALS


 Study Site.- This study was conducted at the 3750 ha Katharine Ordway
Preserve/Carl S. Swisher Memorial Sanctuary (hereafter referred to as the
"Ordway") east of the town of Melrose in western Putnam County, Florida (lat. 29,
41'; long. 82, 00'). The Ordway consists of a series of sandy-soil habitats lying
within the Trail Ridge and Interlachen Karstic Highlands geologic districts.
Upland soils are coarse and well-drained, belonging to the Apopka, Candlier, and
Tavares series, whereas the lower moister slopes and depressions consist of less
well-drained sediments such as Myakka Fine Sand, Millhopper, and Lockloosa
series (Franz unpubl. data). The elevation ranges from about 27 m to 55 m above
sea level. The most common habitats include High Pine Forests and Old Fields;
however, one-third of the tract is wetlands in the form of lakes, marshes, and
swamps. The major connected wetland system is the Mill Creek system which
flows easterly from Lake Melrose through the Ordway, filling dark-water lakes,
swamps, and wet prairies before exiting the preserve near the town of Putnam Hall
at the northeast corner of the property. These waters eventually make their way to
the St. Johns River via Rice Creek. In addition, there are numerous isolated
clear-water lakes lying in solution depressions between sand ridges. These lake
basins support vegetative communities that differ from those of the connected
dark-water wetland systems. The following are brief descriptions of the habitats
referred to throughout the text: Lake Meadow, a grass-dominated habitat that
surrounds most of the clear-water lakes; Xeric Hammock, a canopied dry forest of
oaks, usually with a thick carpet of oak leaves on the forest floor; Old Fields,
cleared openings, in various stages of succession, from former homesteads; High
Pine Forest, better known as sandhills, these forests are dominated by longleaf
pines and turkey oaks, with a ground cover of wiregrass; Mesic Hammock, a
closed-canopied, moist forest dominated by hardwood trees such as laurel oak,
pignut hickory, and sweet gum, often with a spotty understory of saw palmetto;
Swamp Forest, a seasonally inundated forest of black gum, red maple, loblolly
pine, and other flood-tolerant trees; and Wet Prairie, a freshwater marsh with
maidencane and other grasses, and a few shrubs such as Virginia willow. For
detailed descriptions of the habitats of the Ordway Preserve, consult Franz and Hall
(1990).

 Radio-telemetry.- Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes were studied by
radio-telemetry from 3 September 1985 to 21 February 1989. Snakes were caught
using the snake-hook and dip-net technique devised by Allen (1961). Snakes were
captured as they crossed roads (n=7), in natural settings (n=4), and during
controlled burns (n=2).
 Miniature radio transmitters (AVM Instrument Co., LTD., Wildlife
Materials, Custom Telemetry and Consulting, Inc.) broadcasting in the frequencies