Quote:
Originally Posted by dumje
check again...highest peek is 4000 feet...ive never found them on the peek...but 3600 or 3700 feet seems about right...
|
I'm speculating that distribution is limited by geographical factors and not just elevation if you're finding them regularly in Buncombe county at that level.
I divide this area of the mountains into three basic tiers.
You have the first tier, which is Mcdowell county and points east until you come to the piedmont. You climb Old Fort mountain to Buncombe, Henderson, and Madison counties which are tier two.
Then you go up another step into Yancey, Mitchell, Avery, and counties north up to Watauga, tier three.
For the purpose of reptile distribution this system of division works pretty well.
Cornsnakes are found regularly in tier one, not as abundant in tier two but present, and I've never found one or known of one being found in tier three.
Eastern milks are more common into tier two, but rarely found beyond that.
I've known of three confirmed findings of eastern milks in tier three, one adult DOR in Yancey county, one hatchling I found on a river bank in Avery county, and one yearling brought to me for identification in pieces in a jar from Mitchell county. They're there, just not at all abundant.
There are areas in tier 3 that are 1500 feet lower than the 3600ft you found milks at in Buncombe county. Average elevation for that area though is 1000 to 1500 feet higher than Buncombe.