Evaluation of Aerial Transect Surveys of Mottled Ducks

Aerial counts of mottled ducks (Anas fulvlgula maculosil) along random transects were used to establish population Indices In Louisiana and southeastern Texas. Samples were stratified by habitat type, and replicated flights were made In February 1985, August 1985, and February 1986 to count mottled duck, occurring In strips on both sides of the air· craft. The August 1985 population Index was 173% greater than the Index of February 1985 and consistent with a post-breedlng season Increase In mottled duck numbers. The August survey also had a higher coefficient of variation, that probably resulted from the presence of large flocks of mottled ducks at that time of the year. The population Index Increased from 16,793 in February 1985 to 34,022 in February 1986. Other species of ducks were abundant In February, and observers had to differentiate between those species and mottled ducks. The mottled duck Index was greater in 100-m strips than 200-m strips, but the coefficients of variation were similar. The 100-m strip Is recommended for surveys made In February, because of the difficulty of differentiating mottled duck from other species at distances \u3e100m

Some Effects of 30 Years of Weir-Management on Coastal Marsh Aquatic Vegetation and Implications to Waterfowl Management

Aquatic vegetation was compared between weir-managed and unmanaged brackish marsh ponds at Marsh Island, Louisiana, parts of which have been weir-managed since 1958. Coverage by aquatic vegetation was greater in weir-managed ponds than in unmanaged ponds, but weir-management affected individual species differently. Eleocharis parvula was more common in unmanaged ponds than in managed ponds during the early 1960s but has not occurred in any ponds sampled since then. Ceratophyllum demersum and the dominant plants Myriophyllum spicatum and Ruppia maritima were more common in weir-managed ponds than in unmanaged ponds, although the magnitude of the difference varied greatly among sample dates. Because Myriophyllum spicatum and Ruppia maritima are important and preferred duck foods in Louisiana brackish marsh, it was concluded that weir-management improved habitat quality for migrant and resident ducks at Marsh Island. Weir-managed ponds contained more aquatic vegetation than unmanaged ponds in 1988, even though the crest of weirs had lost 15 cm of elevation relative to rising sea level and the accreting marsh surface. This suggests that aquatic vegetation can be increased with a greater degree of water exchange than previously believed, which is desired to reduce interference to juvenile fish and crustacean movement. Weir-managed and unmanaged ponds did not differ in pond depth, which suggests that weir-management did not affect sedimentation

Alligator Feeding Habits: New Data and a Review

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are the predominant food items of alligators over 1.5 min length in southeastern Louisiana. Our data and a review of the literature on alligator diets indicate that the mammals are apparently major components of the diet of large alligators over much of their range, with fishes and crustaceans being more important to smaller alligators

Intraspecific variation in the skull morphology of the black caiman Melanosuchus niger (Alligatoridae, Caimaninae)

Melanosuchus niger is a caimanine alligatorid widely distributed in the northern region of South America. This species has been the focus of several ecological, genetic and morphological studies. However, morphological studies have generally been limited to examination of interspecific variation among extant species of South American crocodylians. Here, we present the first study of intraspecific variation in the skull of M. niger using a two-dimensional geometric morphometric approach. The crania of 52 sexed individuals varying in size were analysed to quantify shape variation and to assign observed shape changes to different types of intraspecific variation, that is, ontogenetic variation and sexual dimorphism. Most of the variation in this species is ontogenetic variation in snout length, skull depth, orbit size and the width of the postorbital region. These changes are correlated with bite force performance and probably dietary changes. However, a comparison with previous functional studies reveals that functional adaptations during ontogeny seem to be primarily restricted to the postrostral region, whereas rostral shape changes are more related to dietary shifts. Furthermore, the skulls of M. niger exhibit a sexual dimorphism, which is primarily size-related. The presence of non-size-related sexual dimorphism has to be tested in future examinations.Fil: Foth, Christian. Ludwig Maximilians University; AlemaniaFil: Bona, Paula. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Desojo, Julia Brenda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentin

Satellite Tracking Reveals Long Distance Coastal Travel and Homing by Translocated Estuarine Crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus

Crocodilians have a wide distribution, often in remote areas, are cryptic, secretive and are easily disturbed by human presence. Their capacity for large scale movements is poorly known. Here, we report the first study of post-release movement patterns in translocated adult crocodiles, and the first application of satellite telemetry to a crocodilian. Three large male Crocodylus porosus (3.1–4.5 m) were captured in northern Australia and translocated by helicopter for 56, 99 and 411 km of coastline, the last across Cape York Peninsula from the west coast to the east coast. All crocodiles spent time around their release site before returning rapidly and apparently purposefully to their capture locations. The animal that circumnavigated Cape York Peninsula to return to its capture site, travelled more than 400 km in 20 days, which is the longest homeward travel yet reported for a crocodilian. Such impressive homing ability is significant because translocation has sometimes been used to manage potentially dangerous C. porosus close to human settlement. It is clear that large male estuarine crocodiles can exhibit strong site fidelity, have remarkable navigational skills, and may move long distances following a coastline. These long journeys included impressive daily movements of 10–30 km, often consecutively

Quantification of intraskeletal histovariability in Alligator mississippiensis and implications for vertebrate osteohistology

Bone microanalyses of extant vertebrates provide a necessary framework from which to form hypotheses regarding the growth and skeletochronology of extinct taxa. Here, we describe the bone microstructure and quantify the histovariability of appendicular elements and osteoderms from three juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) to assess growth mark and tissue organization within and amongst individuals, with the intention of validating paleohistological interpretations. Results confirm previous observations that lamellar and parallel fibered tissue organization are typical of crocodylians, and also that crocodylians are capable of forming woven tissue for brief periods. Tissue organization and growth mark count varies across individual skeletal elements and reveal that the femur, tibia, and humerus had the highest annual apposition rates in each individual. Cyclical growth mark count also varies intraskeletally, but data suggest these inconsistencies are due to differing medullary cavity expansion rates. There was no appreciable difference in either diaphyseal circumference or cyclical growth mark circumferences between left and right element pairs from an individual if diaphyses were sampled from roughly the same location. The considerable intraskeletal data obtained here provide validation for long-held paleohistology assumptions, but because medullary expansion, cyclical growth mark formation, and variable intraskeletal growth rates are skeletal features found in tetrapod taxa living or extinct, the validations presented herein should be considered during any tetrapod bone microanalysis