Eastern Pine Snake eDNA Assay Validation Data and Protocol

Southeastern United States soil samples were used to validate a novel environmental DNA assay for detecting the eastern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus). The dataset includes a PDF describing the development and validation of species-specific qPCR and end-point PCR primers targeting the ND4 gene region. Authored by Peyton G. Kinavey, the 157.7 KB file was last updated on 2026-04-29.

Use Cases

• Validate species-specific eDNA primers based on the described ND4 gene region target.
• Compare eDNA detection efficacy against traditional survey methods like camera traps and visual surveys mentioned in the description.
• Design non-invasive monitoring protocols for semi-fossorial reptiles based on the soil sampling methodology.
• Assay sensitivity and specificity testing for conservation genetics applications.

Strengths

• Assay specificity was validated against DNA from heterospecific species.
• Sensitivity was tested using eDNA from field-collected soil samples.
• Data is shared under a permissive CC-BY-4.0 license.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 157.7 KB PDF; underlying raw sequence or quantitative data is not directly provided.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Primer development and validation using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and end-point PCR on tissue, shed skin, and environmental DNA from soil samples.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-29 05:58:25; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southeastern United States