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Quantitative demography of copperheads, Agkistrodon contortrix (Serpentes: Viperidae)
Author(s) -
Vial James L.,
Berger Thomas L.,
McWilliams William T.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
population ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1438-390X
pISSN - 1438-3896
DOI - 10.1007/bf02510849
Subject(s) - biology , population , demography , reproductive value , survivorship curve , statistics , viperidae , ecology , mathematics , sociology , pregnancy , venom , offspring , genetics
Summary A quantitative analysis of population characteristics is applied to a previously published descriptive natural history of the copperhead ( Agkistrodon contortrix ). Mathematical applications have permitted an expanded interpretation of the original field data to a number of dynamic, age‐specific, parameters including life tables, survivorship curves, natality and mortality, rate of population increase, age distribution and reproductive value. Similar data available for other snake populations are meager and only limited comparisons can be made. The results obtained from our procedures firmly establish the value of reexamining the existing herpetological literature for potential application of methods that will generate quantitative expressions of population dynamics.