Dear Muhammed,

The method is very much reliant on your study species and your research questions. What is your study species and do you know something about its life history (diurnal, nocturnal etc etc). Once we know these two things for starters we can look into the study design.

Very best, Tariq

Hi,

1- studied their ecologie and biologie,

2-caracterise them by morphological trait and molecular genetic.

Hi there, depending on the environment and what other species are common, it might be worth using other species to help with snake detection by learning the alarm calls of the birds, squirrels, primates that might be around. Penner below had a habituated population of mangabeys to help. But if you are without habituated animals, picking up on other species' alarm calls can be a useful method.

Penner, J. O. H. A. N. N. E. S., et al. "Finding a needle in a haystack: new methods of locating and working with rhinoceros vipers (Bitis rhinoceros)." Herpetological Review 39.3 (2008): 310.

Perhaps this paper may be useful http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[2657:IEOLHO]2.0.CO;2

Muhammed,

It would depend on what aspect you wish to study and which species.

Can you elaborate?

Cheers

Dan

Muhammed, thank you for your answer. Still, it would be very helpfull if you elaborate which species you will study so we can give helpfull advise. Thank you in advance.

Cheers, Tariq

Dear Muhammed: I think that the application of various methods simultaneously provides the best approach to a community of snakes. The main methods to be used are: Pitfall traps with barriers, artificales shelters, walking active search, search paths and routes driving at low speeds. These are the main methods that are effective in South America, but  its efficiency varied in different habitats. One question: what is the habitat sampled in Nigeria? .