Globally unique wildlife species pique the interest of many people. But what if the species is a watersnake found only in Lake Erie?
An education campaign encouraging people not to "persecute" the snake, and habitat protection, have brought the Lake Erie watersnake back almost literally from the dead.
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Researchers have received more than $26,000 to help remove a watersnake native to the Lake Erie islands from the federal threatened species list after the population has rebounded from once-dwindling numbers.
This comes after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department allocated $960,000 in 2003 for a plan to preserve shoreline habitat and to study the Lake Erie watersnake.
The goal is to continue to increase the snake population to the point where the snakes, which are only found on the Lake Erie Islands and Catawba Island and Marblehead peninsulas, no longer need to be listed as federally threatened, said Northern Illinois Associate Professor Richard King, who is participating in the study.
http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20050225/localnews/2027661.html
Posted by Dave at February 28, 2005 10:52 AM