TY - JOUR

T1 - A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile

AU - Major, Thomas

AU - Jeffrey, Lauren

AU - Limia Russel, Guillem

AU - Bracegirdle, Rebecca

AU - Gandini, Antonio

AU - Morgan, Rhys

AU - Marshall, Benjamin

AU - Mulley, John

AU - Wüster, Wolfgang

PY - 2025/2/5

Y1 - 2025/2/5

N2 - Understanding the success of animals in novel environments is increasingly important as human-mediated introductions continue to move species far beyond their natural ranges. Alongside these introductions, inhabited and agricultural areas are spreading, and correspondingly most animal introductions occur in populated areas. Commensal species which can live alongside humans by making use of specific conditions, structures, or prey, have a significant advantage. Introduced mammal species often use anthropogenic features in their environment and demonstrate a higher tolerance of human disturbance, but their importance remains understudied in ectotherms. The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is an ectotherm which has been introduced beyond the northern extremities of its natural range. To understand their persistence, we radio-tracked snakes daily over two active seasons, including high-frequency tracking of a subset of males. We investigated snake home range size using Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimators (AKDE). Using AKDE-weighted Habitat Selection Functions we identified preferences for habitat features in a mosaic of habitats, and we used Integrated Step Selection Functions to further explore how these features influence movement. We revealed a particular preference for buildings in male snakes, while females preferred woodland. We demonstrate that the success of this ectothermic predator is likely tied to a willingness to use human features of the landscape.

AB - Understanding the success of animals in novel environments is increasingly important as human-mediated introductions continue to move species far beyond their natural ranges. Alongside these introductions, inhabited and agricultural areas are spreading, and correspondingly most animal introductions occur in populated areas. Commensal species which can live alongside humans by making use of specific conditions, structures, or prey, have a significant advantage. Introduced mammal species often use anthropogenic features in their environment and demonstrate a higher tolerance of human disturbance, but their importance remains understudied in ectotherms. The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is an ectotherm which has been introduced beyond the northern extremities of its natural range. To understand their persistence, we radio-tracked snakes daily over two active seasons, including high-frequency tracking of a subset of males. We investigated snake home range size using Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimators (AKDE). Using AKDE-weighted Habitat Selection Functions we identified preferences for habitat features in a mosaic of habitats, and we used Integrated Step Selection Functions to further explore how these features influence movement. We revealed a particular preference for buildings in male snakes, while females preferred woodland. We demonstrate that the success of this ectothermic predator is likely tied to a willingness to use human features of the landscape.

KW - Ecology

KW - Spatial ecology

KW - Introduced species

KW - Radiotelemetry

KW - Serpentes

KW - Herpetology

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0310352

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0310352

M3 - Article

VL - 20

SP - e0310352

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 2

ER -