Effects of landscape composition on snake abundance and size in wetlands

Habitat loss is driving the biodiversity crisis, and agriculture is one of the leading sources of habitat loss. Reptiles are especially sensitive to environmental change, yet are relatively infrequently studied in this context. We investigated the effects of agriculture in the landscape on garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis; (Linnaeus, 1758)) and redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata; Storer, 1839) abundance and size in wetlands in the Gatineau/Ottawa area, Canada. We expected snakes to be less abundant and smaller in wetlands with more agricultural land in the surrounding landscape. We equipped wetlands with coverboards and we visited them once a week from May to September in 2023 and 2024. We found some evidence that snakes were less abundant in wetlands surrounded by more agriculture, but no evidence that they were smaller.