Conservation

Practice What You Preach

Conservation is a word that is oftentimes thrown around with great loftiness but oftentimes without any substance. We use this word almost flippantly and it is our belief at the WDC that you not only need to "talk the talk" but you need to "walk the walk" (practice what you preach). We are now more devoted than ever in supporting worldwide wildlife conservation. This is our calling and this is our passion. We are committed to doing our part in helping to save species and save habitat (they go hand in hand!). With habitat continuing to shrink many animals are struggling to survive. Our primary focus is on reptiles and right now, many are on the verge of extinction. This year we are supporting conservation projects that will help the following:

Project Western Fox Snake

The Western Fox Snake, Elaphe vulpina, is a non venomous, mid sized powerful constrictor that reaches 3-5 feet in length. They are beautifully colored and vividly patterned. Unfortunately, their pattern and coloration, accompanied by their habit of vibrating their tail when alarmed, oftentimes gets them mistaken for another native herp: the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake. Fox snakes are important for keeping rodent populations under control. They will also occasionally feed on birds. Lake County is one of the most rapidly growing counties in the U.S. and, unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for our native herps. Populations are declining and the fox snake, in particular, may soon become extirpated if something doesn't happen soon.

The Wildlife Discovery Center (Rob Carmichael), in conjunction with the College of Lake County (Dr. Michael Corn) and the Lake County Forest Preserve (Gary Glowacki, Wildlife Biologist) are monitoring perhaps the largest colony of western fox snakes in Lake County. Close to 300 fox snakes have been captured and PIT tagged at this site over the past 10 years. Currently, we are radio tracking a small group of fox snakes (radio telemetry) to determine their range and habitat preference at this site. Each day Rob heads to the site to track the snakes, take GPS readings and other important data such as body coil temperatures, wind speed, habitat, weather conditions and much more. Each recapture provides important clues to unlocking the many mysteries of this elusive, shy and fossorial snake. One of the biggest challenges for these animals is that the site that they ar located at is on the verge of being destroyed through possible development.&n bsp; Thankfully, the county does own land nearby but we are running out of time. Although we would love to say that we have $1 million to purchase the primary area where these snakes den, we don’t and now we are looking at a variety of strategies to help save them from extirpation (local extinction).

We will keep you updated via this section and Rob's Blog so stay tuned. We’ll post some pictures as well. A BIG thanks goes to Dr. Steve Barten who has donated his time to surgically implant the radio transmitters inside the snakes; we deeply appreciate his generosity and the generosity of the Vernon Hills Animal Hospital. The landowners have also been wonderful and right now, we are keeping this site top secret as we don't want reptile collectors taking animals from this area. More to come!

Most Recent Project

Our most recent project involves the conservation of the Atlantic Bushmaster, Lachesis muta rhombeata. The Brazilian rainforests of the Atlantic coast region have all but disappeared and there are only a few high quality tracts of land left for purchase to save this and many other rare and endangered plants and animals. Recently, we have teamed up with Serra Grande Nucleus and Dr. Rodrigo de Souza who operates this facility. He is the first person to successfully captive breed this snake and we are helping him to raise funds and awareness for this important project. Right now, he is in desperate need to make repairs to his facility and your tax deductible donation will help the cause. Enjoy the pictures of Rodrigo and his precious bushmasters!