107 research outputs found
Mating of Argentine Black-and-white Tegus (Salvator merianae) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA
The Indian Star Tortoise, Geochelone elegans (Schoepff 1795) (Testudinidae), a new introduced species in Florida
New county record for the Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus Duméril and Bibron 1851), in Broward County, Florida, with notes on intentional introductions of chameleons in southern Florida
Variation in home range size and patterns in adult female American crocodiles Crocodylus acutus
The American crocodile Crocodylus acutus is a threatened species that uses relatively deep, open-water habitats with low salinity. Adult female American crocodiles nest on sandy coastal beaches, islands or human-made berms, assist in the hatching process, and can travel long distances to nesting habitat. We satellite-tracked 15 adult female American crocodiles in 2 hydrologically distinct areas in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, to quantify the home range sizes, test for intraspecific differences in home range and core area size and structure, and identify important crocodile high-use areas. Overall home ranges (95% kernel density estimate; KDE) for adult female crocodiles in South Florida ranged from 30.0 to 141.9 km2 (mean ± SD, 84.4 ± 32.3 km2), and core areas (50% KDE) ranged from 4.7 to 27.4 km2 (17.8 ± 7.3 km2). We identified patterns in home range and core area overlap, seasonally shifting patterns in core area use, and the Fox Lake complex as an important crocodile high-use area. As the population of American crocodiles continues to grow and expand into new areas, it is important for conservation managers to understand individual crocodile habitat-use patterns and spatial resource requirements
Roseate spoonbill reproduction as an indicator for restoration of the Everglades and the Everglades estuaries
Ecological monitoring is key to successful ecosystem restoration. Because all components within an ecosystem cannot be monitored, it is important to select indicators that are representative of the system, integrate system responses, clearly respond to system change, can be effectively and efficiently monitored, and are easily communicated. The roseate spoonbill is one ecological indicator species that meets these criteria within the Everglades ecosystem. Monitoring of roseate spoonbills in Florida Bay over the past 70 years has shown that aspects of this species’ reproduction respond to changes in hydrology and corresponding changes in prey abundance and availability. This indicator uses nesting location, nest numbers and nesting success in response to food abundance and availability. In turn, prey abundance is a function of hydrological conditions (especially water depth) and salinity. Metrics and targets for these performance measures were established based on previous findings. Values of each metric were translated into indices and identified as stoplight colors with green indicating that a given target has been met, yellow indicating that conditions are below the target, but within an acceptable range of it, and red indicating the measure is performing poorly in relation to the target
Morelet’s Crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii (Duméril & Bibron 1851) (Crocodylidae), another nonnative crocodilian species introduced to Florida, USA
The Many-lined Sun Skink, Eutropis multifasciata (Kuhl 1820) (Mabuyidae), a new population in Broward County, Florida
Reproductive Biology of Female Northern African Rock Pythons (Python sebae) in Southern Florida, USA
Largest Breeding Aggregation of Burmese Pythons (Python bivittatus) Kuhl 1820 (Squamata: Pythonidae) and Implications for Potential Development of a Control Tool
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