Fire and a tallgrass prairie reptile community: Effects on relative abundance and seasonal activity

Few intensive studies have been conducted on reptile populations of the tallgrass prairie. In addition, the effects of fire on these populations are also largely unknown. I established drift fence arrays connected to funnel traps to study the community composition and seasonal activity of reptiles found on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area located near Manhattan, Kansas. This design also gave me the opportunity to examine the response of reptile populations to a spring wildfire. A total of 657 individuals representing 12 species were captured from 1994-1996. The results suggest that one species, Coluber constrictor, may respond negatively to recent fire.