quick drying waterproof paint to number the basal rattle segment 

 of rattlesnakes. This method has been further altered for 

 rattlesnakes by Brown et al. (1984). The head and neck of snakes 

 were painted by Parker (1976) for field identification. 



S pray painting (10) . 



Henderson et al. (1981) used rapid-drying fluorescent spray 

 paint (non-toxic) to mark arboreal snakes. Three quarters of the 

 animals spray-painted were later observed. Plummer (1985) also used 

 spray paint to mark Opheodrys . 



Water color pencil (11). 



Stebbins (1966) suggested the use of Mongol water color 

 pencils to temporarily mark specimens for field observations. 



The preceding three methods produce temporary marking, 

 nonetheless they facilitate the recognition of individuals without 

 recapture in a variety of field situations. The marks are lost with 

 the shed exuvia or through wear. As Fitch (1987) points out, these 

 methods have additional useful applications, such as for group 

 markings of snakes to obtain capture-recapture ratios that can 

 serve for a Petersen index census. In population studies based on 

 permanent marking systems, these temporary marks provide the best 

 method for investigating ecdysis cycles. 



Most species of snakes however are too secretive for regular 

 or long-term observations, so the short duration of paint marking 

 is of little use. Another major disadvantage is that the colored 

 marks render marked individuals more conspicuous to visually 

 oriented predators, hereby distorting the capture-recapture ratio 

 (Fitch, 1987). 



Tattooing 



Battery powered tattooing (12) . 



Imler (1945) was the first researcher to tattoo snakes with 

 a battery-operated unit. He tattooed the venter of bullsnakes with 

 a special code number. This method was subsequently redescribed by 

 Woodbury (1948, 1951) for marking rattlesnakes at a den. Using a 

 portable tattooing outfit and India ink, he tattooed large numbers 

 of snakes on their throats, subcaudals and/or ventrals, and areas 

 lacking pigments. Disadvantages include the tendencies of the 

 tattoos to fade and the necessity of tattooing unpigmented or 

 lightly pigmented areas. 



Electric powered tattooing (13) . 



Weary (1969) improved the tattooing method by employing an 



