Keith Crow This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Durango Herald Online

   www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/ - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/8/2005   Last Visited: 9/9/2005

   The goal of Keith Crow, who is completing work for a master's degree, is to establish a baseline population and determine the overall health of the Crotalus viridis, the only rattlesnake known to inhabit La Plata, Archuleta, Montezuma, Dolores, San Miguel and Montrose counties. The species is commonly known as the prairie rattlesnake, which reaches a length of 18 to 32 inches.
   
   Experts and old-timers say the rattlesnake population in Southwest Colorado is declining, Crow said.
   ...
   But all his endeavors since then have put Crow, 32, the manager of the Sears Roebuck & Co. store in Durango, on the way to switching his livelihood from retail sales to rattlesnakes.
   
   Crow, a native of Albuquerque, graduated from Fort Lewis College with a major in psychology and a minor in biology, all with an emphasis on animal behavior. The George Mason master's degree is a new program in zoo and aquarium leadership and collection management.
   
   In 2002-03, Crow worked at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kan., as the primary keeper for Asian bears, snow leopards, red pandas and gibbons. As part of his graduate studies, he volunteers at the American International Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque, which houses the largest collection of rattlesnake species in the world with 34 species.
   
   Crow spends four consecutive days every two to three months at the museum, where he cares for snakes and maintains the re-created natural-habitat exhibit areas.
   
   "He's absolutely phenomenal," museum director Bob Myers said of Crow.
   ...
   On the trail of rattlesnakes in Southwest Colorado, Crow and research assistant Loren Jones, a senior biology major at Fort Lewis College, tramp the backcountry by day.
   ...
   In his travels, Crow keeps careful note of all reptiles and amphibians that he encounters. The list includes lizards, toads, frogs, salamanders and snakes other than the rattlers. All his findings and numerous photographs will be turned over to the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
   
   When he finds a rattlesnake, Crow approaches with a 40-inch metal rod tipped with a U-shaped hook. With the rattler suspended from the hook at its midsection, Crow maneuvers the reptile to the end of a clear plastic tube placed on the ground. The diameter of the tube matches the snake's girth.
   
   "They usually enter without a problem," Crow said. "They're looking for a place to hide."
   
   Once one-third of the snake's body is in the tube, Crow seizes the body and the tube to prevent the rattler from moving. With the snake immobilized, Crow is able to determine its length, sex and body condition. By counting the number of scales at mid-body and mid-tail he can determine if the captive is a Crotalus viridis or a subspecies.
   
   Through experience, Crow determines at a glance the sex of the rattler. The male has a longer tail. The measurement is from the base of the vent to where the rattles begin. If there is any doubt, he has a series of metal rods of varying diameter to insert in the vent. The rods enter much further in a male than a female.
   
   Mark of the Sharpie
   
   Up to now, Crow has marked snakes on the rattle with a Sharpie marker in order to recognize them if they're found again. If he conducts the study next summer he plans to implant a microchip.
   
   Lastly, Crow places a snake in a light canvas sack to be weighed. Crow also notes the location of his find, the ambient temperature, the temperature of the earth or asphalt, and the barometric pressure.
   
   If he encounters a rattler that tries to flee or takes refuge in a crevice, Crow swaps the hooked rod for one that has a pistol grip that manipulates a hinged tongue at the other end to provide a firmer grip. If he finds several rattlers at one spot, he places the snakes in separate bags then begins the individual measurements.
   
   "It's safer that way," Crow said. "I've never been bitten - and I don't intend to be bitten."
   
   Crow set straight a popular misconception. The number of rattle segments doesn't indicate the age of the snake.
   
   "A snake gets a new segment of a rattle every time it sheds its skin," Crow said. "In a good year, the snake may eat more and so would shed more."
   
   The rattle, a series of interlocking plates of material much like the human fingernail, may break off, Crow said. In that case, the number of segments will indicate only how many times the snake has shed its skin since the rattle broke.
   
   Crow intends to pursue his interest in reptiles - a third year of chasing the Crotalus viridis in Southwest Colorado or a doctorate program at the University of Colorado or Arizona State.