Treffer: Determining the impacts of conservation fencing on woma pythons (Aspidites ramsayi).

Context: Fenced conservation reserves are an effective management tool for the conservation of many threatened species. However, conservation fencing is known to inadvertently affect non-target species, ranging from barrier effects to direct mortality. There is a paucity of information on the negative impacts of fencing on reptiles. Aims: Using the woma python, a species of conservation significance, this research aimed to improve our knowledge of how reptiles interact with fences. Methods: The spatial ecology of womas was explored in relation to fencing at the Wild Deserts project partnership site, a rabbit-, cat- and fox-proof fenced area of Sturt National Park in arid Australia. A 6-year dataset of opportunistic observations of womas at the study site were analysed for demographic, spatial and temporal patterns in woma fence interactions. Nine adult pythons were radiotracked over a year to assess space use in relation to fencing. Key results: Twenty-two per cent of all opportunistic woma observations at the site were mortalities associated with entanglements. All 20 entanglement deaths were in 30-mm netting despite 50-mm netting comprising lower segments of 21% of the fence network. Fencing encounters were greatest in dune habitats and during summer and autumn. Fence crossings were infrequent among telemetered pythons and most encounters did not result in entanglement, with four of the nine individuals recorded to have crossed the fence successfully, despite one mortality. Conclusions: Thirty-millimetre netting, particularly in areas of netting overlap, represents an entanglement risk to womas. Implications: This research is applicable to the management of conservation fences and can be extended to other large snake and reptile species. The impacts of small-aperture netting on large snakes and other non-target species should be considered in the planning phases for conservation fencing and mitigation strategies should be sought in the planning phases where possible. Large-aperture netting is preferable to 30-mm netting for pythons, where exclusion of rabbits is not necessary. However, larger netting apertures may disproportionately affect other non-target species such as bearded dragons. Entanglements of woma pythons have been recorded in conservation fencing at the Wild Deserts project partnership site, a safe haven in arid Australia. This prompted us to investigate woma spatial ecology in relation to fencing to inform mitigation actions. Entanglements were only observed from 30-mm netting, with no records from 50-mm netting. Larger netting apertures are preferable when planning future fenced conservation reserves where rabbit exclusion is not required. Photograph by Reece Pedler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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