San Francisco Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) Genomic and Demographic Data from San Mateo County and Northeastern Santa Cruz County Collected Between 2016 - 2018

Conversion and fragmentation of wildlife habitat often leads to smaller and isolated populations and can reduce a species' ability to disperse across the landscape. As a consequence, genetic drift can quickly lower genetic variation and increase vulnerability to extirpation. For species of conservation concern, quantification of population size and connectivity can clarify the influence of genetic drift in local populations and provides important information for conservation management and recovery strategies. Here, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data and capture-mark-recapture methods to evaluate the population structure, genetic diversity and abundance of seven focal sites of the endangered San Francisco gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia), a species affected by alteration and isolation of wetland habitats throughout its distribution. We also used temporally sampled datasets to examine the magnitude of genetic change over time.

These data support the following publication:
Wood, D.A., Rose, J.P., Halstead, B.J., Stoelting, R.E., Swaim, K.E. and Vandergast, A.G., 2020. Combining genetic and demographic monitoring better informs conservation of an endangered urban snake. PloS one, 15(5), p.e0231744.