LAUSR

Abstract Different habitat types that support similar densities of a particular species may not be equally suitable for that species and this may impact on the ability of that species to grow, reproduce, and survive. Here we investigate the impact of habitat quality on the performance of the UK’s rarest snake which inhabits both lowland heath and adjacent areas of managed conifer plantation located on former lowland heath. Annually, over an 8 year period (2009–2016), we recaptured known individual smooth snakes ( Coronella austriaca ) in these two habitat types and compared their survivorship, using Program MARK, and growth rates, estimated ages, reproductive outputs, emigration/immigration, and body condition, using regression analysis and GLM. When compared with snakes from plantations those inhabiting open heathland had higher growth rates, were larger for any given age, had a higher body condition and females produced more embryos for a given body size. Smooth snake survivorship rates within the two habitats were similar. Whilst the body condition of snakes in heathland did not change during the study it declined in plantations and this decline was correlated with increasing plantation age and tree canopy cover. Our data show that although smooth snakes occur in both habitat types the overall quality of open heathland is superior to that of plantations, particularly in the long term. This study has potentially important implications for the conservation of smooth snakes and other reptile and vertebrate species inhabiting coniferous plantations, where management practices aimed at reducing ground vegetation cover, such as cattle grazing and the use of herbicides, are also used. The combination of increasing canopy cover and these additional ground vegetation control measures are likely to significantly reduce further the time period over which plantations can be utilised by these taxa.