[KSCI] Korea Science Citation Index Service

http://dx.doi.org/10.17663/JWR.2014.16.1.085

Effect of weight of radio-transmitters on survival of Red-tongue viper snake (Gloydius ussuriensis) and Short-tailed viper snake (Gloydius saxatilis)in the radio-transmitter implantation

Do, Min-Seock (Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University)
Shim, Jae-Han (Korean Herpetofauna Ecological Research Institute)
Choi, Young-Min (Woo Sung Animal Medical Center)
Yoo, Jeong-Chil (Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University)

Publication Information

Journal of Wetlands Research / v.16, no.1, 2014 , pp. 85-92 More about this Journal

Abstract

In order to study the home range of the red-tongue viper snake (Gloydis ussuriensis) and the short-tailed viper snake (Gloydius saxatilis) belonging to the viperidae of squamat in Korea, we implanted radio-transmitters which were weighed less than 5% of individual mass in them and traced their location by radio-tracking. Surgeries for transmitter insertion were performed on 5 red-tongue viper snakes and 6 short-tailed viper snakes (total 11 individuals) and the average ratio of transmitter mass to body mass were 4.2% and 2.2%, respectively. After radio-transmitter implantation, all short-tailed viper snakes survived but 4 out of 5 red-tongue viper snakes did not survive during the convalescence stage, showing only 20% of survival rate. The results suggest that the ratio of transmitter mass to body mass should be less than 3.6% at least in these species, although previous studies have recommended various ranges from 1% to 7% as the acceptable ratios.

Keywords

Radio-tracking; Radio-transmitter; Short-tailed viper snake; Red-tongue viper snake;

Citations & Related Records

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