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Analysis of the spatial and temporal patterns of animal occurrence data can provide insight into the distribution, abundance, and dynamics of populations. Snakes may exhibit seasonal changes in their spatial use of landscapes, and understanding these patterns is crucial for improving management strategies that reduce human–snake conflict. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of snake occurrence (2011 to 2017) in a metropolitan area of northern Australia, by analysing the intra-annual variation in activity patterns for seven common species of snake. We compare occurrences in six landuse categories at different times of year and use contemporary ecological niche approaches, including hypervolume and overlap calculations, to analyse how the species-specific use of these landuse categories varies during periods of high and low activity. We found that the spatial area of each landuse category around occurrence points was broadly similar between periods of high and low activity within each species, although significant differences were observed in at least one category in six species, indicative of shifts in snake behaviour or movement. Hypervolume analysis suggested that most species occur in an expanded area of environmental space in their high activity period, but the extent to which this occurs varies substantially. These results can inform management strategies for urban wildlife, and show that human–snake interactions can be better managed by understanding occurrence patterns. Our approach could be leveraged by urban wildlife managers globally to predict where and when human–wildlife encounters may occur, and to improve species- and season-specific relocation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation changes landscapes, often simplifying and homogenising natural ecosystems while introducing novel environments. Although this transformation often adversely impacts native wildlife, generalist species that exhibit broad dietary and habitat requirements can persist and take advantage of urban environments. To understand which life history traits most influence the occurrence of a diverse snake assemblage in an urban environment, we leveraged a dataset of 5102 detection records for 12 snake species in the tropical city of Darwin, Australia. By building ecological niche models, calculating urban niche hypervolume, and compiling life history data, we analysed the diversity of environments occupied by each species and determined which landscape components were most associated with occurrence data. In keeping with our hypothesis that generalist species would be more successful, we found that species with broader habitat and dietary preferences, as well as a penchant for arboreality, were associated with larger urban niche hypervolumes and more frequent human–snake interactions. Additionally, we found that colubrid snakes had significantly larger urban niche hypervolumes than elapid species. These findings contribute to understanding how life history traits aid wildlife persistence in, and adaptation to, urban ecosystems, and have implications for landscape design and conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]