Distribution and conservation of the Neotropical rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus (Squamata: Viperidae), in French Guiana: citizen science and local communities come to the rescue
Résumé
The South American Rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus durissus, is a typical savannah habitat snake that only rarely occurs in forested areas. Its populations are generally fragmented and widely separated, which has been recognised for a long time in French Guiana. Our recent fieldwork, community surveys, and data gathered from social media and other online platforms allowed us to review and extend the distribution of this snake in French Guiana. It was previously considered to be composed of two populations widely separated by more than 100 km. Contrary to previous accounts, our data show that the distribution of the species is most likely continuous from Montsinéry in the east to Mana and Saint Laurent du Maroni in the west. Conservation concerns are numerous but habitat destruction following human expansion along the narrow coastal border is the primary concern and seriously threatens this species.