The Davis Herpetology Lab has been awarded funding from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to conduct surveys for Western Ribbonsnakes (Thamnophis proximus) along the Pecos and Canadian rivers in eastern New Mexico. There has been little focused research on this state-threatened species, and therefore, information surrounding it remains limited. This project will last allow for two seasons of field surveys and will support the thesis work of M.S. student Sebastian Summo Elias. We will conduct multiple forms of surveys in order to generate detections of this species across its historic range, hopefully confirming the persistence of historic populations and identifying new areas where this species occurs.

Grant Title: Validating a distribution model for the Western Ribbonsnake in New Mexico