WPC Project

Blue Racer Conservation on Pelee Island

Species Status: Endangered in Canada

Action Required: Reintroduction, population augmentation, monitoring and research

Location: Pelee Island, Ontario

Species

The blue racer is among the most endangered snake species in Canada. Once found in southern Ontario, this species has been extirpated from mainland Canada since the early 1980’s, primarily due to habitat conversion for residential and agricultural development. Their Canadian range is now restricted solely to Pelee Island in western Lake Erie. On the island, much of this species’ preferred habitats are protected, including grasslands, alvars, and open woodlands. On Pelee Island, blue racer habitats frequently overlap with that of the endangered eastern foxsnake.

Find out more about this species.

Visit the species page

Project

WPC joined the collaborative effort towards the conservation of the remaining blue racer population on Pelee Island in 2019, building upon previous habitat restoration efforts on the island. The aim of this project is to combat further declines in blue racer abundance and ensure that population’s long-term persistence. Recovery efforts on Pelee Island include:

Monitoring the population through capture-mark-recapture surveys to inform estimates of population size, trend, distribution, and age structure
Assessing the impact of threats to blue racers, including road mortality and wild turkey predation
Restoring and maintaining suitable blue racer habitat, and researching the efficacy of habitat management techniques by monitoring environmental conditions, prey availability, and habitat use by blue racers
Creating key blue racer habitat features by installing and monitoring artificial hibernacula and nesting structures
Genomic analyses to provide information on the genetic distinctiveness and effective population size of the remaining Ontario population
Working with local landowners toward blue racer recovery actions, and increasing public awareness on blue racers and other snake species at risk on Pelee Island

Results

The blue racer conservation project is now in its fourth year. To date, over 1 hectare of blue racer habitat has been restored, and multiple artificial nesting structures and artificial hibernacula have been installed and are being monitored.

Other recovery efforts will continue to be carried out on Pelee Island throughout the remainder of this year, including blue racer snake surveys, habitat monitoring, threat assessments, and genetic analyses. Stay tuned for further results!

Impact

Several knowledge gaps on blue racer ecology will be answered through this project, which will allow future conservation efforts to be more effective. An understanding of the abundance, trend, and genetics of the Pelee Island blue racer population will determine whether this species will require additional conservation interventions to prevent further declines. Ensuring that suitable habitats remain available will help to maintain the persistence of blue racers on Pelee Island and will benefit other species that rely on their increasingly rare habitats as well.

Project Staff

Hannah McCurdy Adams

Hannah McCurdy Adams is WPC’s Reptile and Amphibian Development Coordinator. She has worked with experts in the fields of road ecology, physiology and genetics. Hannah has been involved in conservation projects for at-risk reptiles and amphibians in Canada for over a decade.