Wild Science: Snake sleuth on the trail of a disappearing prairie species

Wild Science: This is the second installment in a Wild Science Q&A series that highlights scientists who are hard at work uncovering the hidden stories of our natural world. Their research helps protect biodiversity, informs conservation efforts and deepens our understanding of the environment we share. Featured in this story is Becky Blankenship, wildlife ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of Will County. 

Since late April, Becky Blankenship had been searching throughout the Forest Preserve District for smooth greensnake nests with no luck. 

She found plenty of other snakes under the coverboards she uses to attract the snakes for research purposes. There were eastern foxsnakes, DeKay’s brownsnakes and plains gartersnakes under the boards, but still no smooth greensnakes. There were times she would check 80 coverboards over a two-day period searching for the snakes. 

And then, finally, on July 29, she found what she had sought since spring. She didn’t find the adult snakes, but she found their nests. 

“Finding smooth greensnake nests after putting in a lot of effort was really rewarding,” said Blankenship, the Forest Preserve District’s wildlife ecologist. “I feel very privileged to have witnessed a hatchling peek out of an egg while I was photographing a nest.”

Blankenship records the temperature and the species observed underneath. If there is a nest, she takes photos and documents the condition of each egg and whether it hatched or was plundered by a predator. After the eggs are done hatching, she collects the eggshells and submits them to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for further research.

So, why does Blankenship spend so much time searching for snakes? Here in her own words are the reasons for her research: 

Why are you surveying smooth greensnakes?
Smooth greensnakes are currently designated as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need and have been formally petitioned to be added to the Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Species. With their declining status and potential listing, data collection is a valuable tool used to inform conservation efforts. On a local scale, we need to document where this species occurs in our preserves so we can make informed decisions regarding habitat management and proposed developments. 

What is the goal of your research project?
The overall goal of this research is to record smooth greensnake locations and identify their breeding habitat. This allows us to prioritize protecting areas where this species has been observed and better understand their distribution in Will County. Adult smooth greensnakes can be difficult to detect because they can quickly disappear into vegetation. To improve the odds of detecting this species, I deployed coverboards for the snakes to nest under. Coverboards work well for finding snakes of many species but because it is a passive capture method, the animals are free to leave the board anytime. Smooth greensnakes need moist areas to lay their eggs, and once laid, nests can be detected at any time. While walking between boards, I keep my eyes out for adults, but I have only found nests so far during this project.  

How long has this study been taking place?
This is the first season for this project in Will County. 

Can you describe the snakes and their habits and habitats? 
Smooth greensnakes are well named since they are smooth scaled, bright green on top, and white on the bottom. They are very slender and can get up to 33 inches long. They eat small invertebrates like crickets, spiders and snails. This species lives in a variety of grassland types such as prairies, sedge meadows, marshes, old fields, etc. Nesting needs to occur somewhere that will stay moist to prevent the eggs from drying out, such as under logs, in duff, under coverboards, or even in ant mounds. This species is also known to nest and overwinter communally. 

How many smooth greensnakes have you located, and were they in just one preserve or throughout the District?
We have records of this species at less than 10 preserves throughout the District, with a couple records from the 90s. Since 2020, I have only encountered adults a handful of times at a few sites. So far this season, I have documented four nests. 

Why are smooth greensnakes in decline?
As with a majority of declining species, habitat loss is the main driver for population declines. Illinois has lost almost all its natural prairies, making the remaining snake populations very restricted and isolated. Habitat restoration is necessary for this species’ conservation, but it must be done responsibly to mitigate potentially negative consequences. Even if habitat is restored, this species has fairly restricted home ranges, so they do not easily populate new areas. Another major threat to this species is the loss of their prey base from the use of insecticides. Increased drought conditions can desiccate or dry out eggs. Nest predators can include beetles, ants and shrews. Mortalities can be caused by mowers and bicycles. Poaching for the pet trade is also a concern. 

Why is this work important?
This work is important because it will be used to protect this species on both local and state scales. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has taken a lead on Illinois’ smooth greensnake conservation by conducting multi-county research and running a massive headstarting program. Headstarting is when eggs are collected from the wild to be incubated in a lab. Once the eggs hatch, the snakes are released back into the wild. While it is labor intensive, this method is great for improving nest and hatchling survival. The nesting data I collect is submitted to the museum to start filling in the data gaps for Will County. As more data is collected, we can assess if headstarting is needed to aid Will County’s populations.  

What should people know about these types of research activities?
This type of research requires permitting through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. At the end of the year, I must submit the data to the state to receive my permit for the next season. These requirements ensure that the data is being collected responsibly and made available for state-level management decisions. 

Anything else you would like people to know? 
If anyone finds a smooth greensnake or any listed (threatened or endangered) species on or near Forest Preserve District property, let us know! I will need a picture and coordinates to document the observation and report it to IDNR. Poaching is always a serious concern, so please don’t post such locations on public forums. 

(Information on smooth greensnakes or any listed species can be sent to [email protected]. Please remember that it's against the Forest Preserve District's ordinance to remove anything from the preserves, including plants and animals. Anyone violating the ordinance will be ticketed.)