Search

Your search keyword '"Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez"' showing total 17 results
Start Over Author "Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez"
17 results on '"Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez"'

1. First successful nest for the Vulnerable American crocodile Crocodylus acutus population on the west coast of Florida, USA

Author

Steve Bertone, Avishka Godahewa, Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, and Frank J. Mazzotti

Subjects
Conservation, crocodylian, Crocodylus acutus, Florida, nesting ecology, threatened species, General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution, QH1-199.5
Abstract

The American crocodile Crocodylus acutus occurs across the Americas, with its northernmost distribution being in South Florida, USA. This species has undergone severe declines across its range and is categorized globally as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and as Threatened on the U.S. Federal Endangered Species List. Long-term monitoring studies in the USA have documented a shift in American crocodile nesting activity and an expansion of its range throughout the southern and eastern coasts of South Florida. However, no successful American crocodile nests have been recorded until now on the west coast of South Florida. Here we document the American crocodile nest monitoring conducted during 1997–2021 at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the first successful nest from the west coast of South Florida for C. acutus. Marco Airport and McIlvane Marsh are the two main American crocodile nesting areas identified at the Reserve, with 92 nests and 3,586 eggs recorded during 1997–2021. We found most nests at Marco Airport (95.7%) and only four nests (4.3%) at McIlvane Marsh. To date, none of the nests found at Marco Airport have produced successful hatchlings. In contrast, hatchlings have been produced at McIlvane Marsh since nests were first documented there in 2020. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of the future conservation of the species.

Published
2023
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. Rare and Unusual Raptors of Northern Belize

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Elizabeth Scarlett, Justin Dalaba, and Frank J Mazzotti

Subjects
birds, raptors, Belize, Lamanai, identification, Agriculture (General), S1-972, Plant culture, SB1-1110, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

The second smallest country in Central America, Belize has a stunning array of natural areas that is only matched by the remarkable diversity of animals that call them home. A small human population and strong conservation ethics have preserved nearly 75 percent of Belize in its natural state. This guide lists some of the rarer and more unusual raptors you might encounter while birding in northern Belize.

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

3. Top 10 Raptors of Northern Belize

Author

Elizabeth Scarlett, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Justin Dalaba, Jorge E. Ruano, and Frank Mazzotti

Subjects
Belize, Birding, Field guide, Birds, Species identification, Agriculture (General), S1-972, Plant culture, SB1-1110, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

More than 500 species of birds visit or live in Belize and because of its location, Northern Belize serves as an important stop-over point and attracts a large majority of migratory birds in addition to its year-round residents. This guide showcases the top 10 raptor species (predatory birds) that you are most likely to encounter while in Northern Belize.

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

4. Ecological Risk Assessment for Invasive Wildlife in Florida

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Kyle Allen, Rebecca G. Harvey, and Frank J. Mazzotti

Subjects
Wildlife, Invasive Animals, UW419, Agriculture (General), S1-972, Plant culture, SB1-1110, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

Global trade and travel transport plants and animals from native ranges to new ecosystems. About 10 to 20% of nonnative (exotic, alien) species that arrive in new locales become invasive, meaning they are likely to harm the environment, economy, or public health. Preventing the introduction of invasive species is the most effective way to protect native biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. Once an invader begins to establish and spread, its control costs increase rapidly. Florida ports are the entry points for about half of the reptiles, arachnids, insects, and crustaceans imported into the United States. These arrivals, coupled with hospitable climate and habitats, have made Florida home to more invasive species than any other state but Hawaii. While it is too late to prevent the invasion of Burmese pythons and Argentine black and white tegus, we can act to prevent other potentially destructive species from establishing. This 5-page fact sheet explains how to assess the risk that a given invasive species presents to the environment, and how to develop and use risk-screening tools to reduce the harmful effects of invasions or, better yet, prevent them entirely. Written by Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Kyle Allen, Rebecca G. Harvey, and Frank J. Mazzotti, and published by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, August 2016. WEC374/UW419: Ecological Risk Assessment for Invasive Wildlife in Florida (ufl.edu)

Published
2016

5. Freshwater Fish of New River, Belize

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Kyle Allen, and Frank J. Mazzotti

Subjects
Frshwater Fish, Belize, UW406, Agriculture (General), S1-972, Plant culture, SB1-1110, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

Belize is home to an abundant diversity of freshwater fish species and is often considered a fishing paradise. The New River area is a popular freshwater fishing destination in the Orange Walk district of northern Belize. Here locals and visitors alike take to the lagoons and waterways for dinner or for good sportfishing. This 3-page guide highlights the most popular species in the area and will help people identify and understand these species. Written by Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Kyle Allen, and Frank J. Mazzotti, and published by the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, November 2015.

Published
2016

6. Biology of the Hicatee: A Critically Endangered River Turtle of Belize

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Nathan Schwartz, Rebecca G. Harvey, and Frank J. Mazzotti

Subjects
UW404, Agriculture (General), S1-972, Plant culture, SB1-1110, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

The hicatee (Dermatemys mawii) is a Central American river turtle and one of the 25 most endangered turtle species in the world. Over-hunting for meat, eggs, and shells is driving the turtles toward extinction. This 3-page fact sheet about the hicatee includes its natural history, reproductive habits, and ecology and describes the international conservation efforts to save the fascinating but fast-disappearing turtle. Written by Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Nathan Schwartz, Rebecca G. Harvey, and Frank J. Mazzotti and published in November 2015 by the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department.

Published
2015

8. Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Author

Beth A. Reinke, Hugo Cayuela, Fredric J. Janzen, Jean-François Lemaître, Jean-Michel Gaillard, A. Michelle Lawing, John B. Iverson, Ditte G. Christiansen, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Jorge Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Francis L. Rose, Nicola Nelson, Susan Keall, Alain J. Crivelli, Theodoros Nazirides, Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth, Klaus Henle, Emiliano Mori, Gaëtan Guiller, Rebecca Homan, Anthony Olivier, Erin Muths, Blake R. Hossack, Xavier Bonnet, David S. Pilliod, Marieke Lettink, Tony Whitaker, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Michael G. Gardner, Marc Cheylan, Françoise Poitevin, Ana Golubović, Ljiljana Tomović, Dragan Arsovski, Richard A. Griffiths, Jan W. Arntzen, Jean-Pierre Baron, Jean-François Le Galliard, Thomas Tully, Luca Luiselli, Massimo Capula, Lorenzo Rugiero, Rebecca McCaffery, Lisa A. Eby, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Frank Mazzotti, David Pearson, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Nathalie Jreidini, Claudio Angelini, Graham Pyke, Jean-Marc Thirion, Pierre Joly, Jean-Paul Léna, Anton D. Tucker, Col Limpus, Pauline Priol, Aurélien Besnard, Pauline Bernard, Kristin Stanford, Richard King, Justin Garwood, Jaime Bosch, Franco L. Souza, Jaime Bertoluci, Shirley Famelli, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Kathleen Matthews, Sylvain Boitaud, Deanna H. Olson, Tim S. Jessop, Graeme R. Gillespie, Jean Clobert, Murielle Richard, Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez, Gary M. Fellers, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Phillip G. Byrne, Thierry Frétey, Bernard Le Garff, Pauline Levionnois, John C. Maerz, Julian Pichenot, Kurtuluş Olgun, Nazan Üzüm, Aziz Avcı, Claude Miaud, Johan Elmberg, Gregory P. Brown, Richard Shine, Nathan F. Bendik, Lisa O’Donnell, Courtney L. Davis, Michael J. Lannoo, Rochelle M. Stiles, Robert M. Cox, Aaron M. Reedy, Daniel A. Warner, Eric Bonnaire, Kristine Grayson, Roberto Ramos-Targarona, Eyup Baskale, David Muñoz, John Measey, F. Andre de Villiers, Will Selman, Victor Ronget, Anne M. Bronikowski, David A. W. Miller, Northeastern Illinois University, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Penn State System, Department of Ecology and Evolution [Lausanne], Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Iowa State University (ISU), W. K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University [East Lansing], Michigan State University System-Michigan State University System, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Texas A&M University [College Station], Earlham College, Partenaires INRAE, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Universität Zürich [Zürich] = University of Zurich (UZH), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales [Madrid] (MNCN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Department of Biological Sciences [Lubbock], Texas Tech University [Lubbock] (TTU), School of Biological Sciences [Wellington, New Zealand], Victoria University of Wellington, Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Auteur indépendant, Department of Conservation Biology [UFZ Leipzig], Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung = Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems [CNR, Italy] (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Le Grand Momesson, Bouvron, France, Denison University, Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), US Geological Survey [Fort Collins], United States Geological Survey [Reston] (USGS)-United States Geological Survey [Reston] (USGS), University of Montana, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC), Info Fauna Karch 2000, Flinders University [Adelaide, Australia], Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM), University of Belgrade [Belgrade], Macedonian Ecological Society, University of Kent [Canterbury], Naturalis Biodiversity Center [Leiden], CEREEP-Ecotron Ile de France (UMS 3194), Département de Biologie - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris (iEES Paris ), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation [Rome, Italy], Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Université de Lomé [Togo], Museo Civico di Zoologia, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions [Australia], Parks and Wildlife Service of Northern Territory, Colorado State University [Fort Collins] (CSU), Redpath Museum, McGill University = Université McGill [Montréal, Canada], Kunming Institute of Botany [CAS] (KIB), Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] (CAS), Macquarie University, Association Objectifs Biodiversités (OBIOS), Équipe 4 - Écophysiologie, Comportement, Conservation (E2C), Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (LEHNA), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), CSIRO, EcoSciences Precinct, StatiPOP, scientific consulting, Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Ohio State University [Columbus] (OSU), Northern Illinois University, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Universidad de Oviedo [Oviedo], Department of Biology [Mato Grosso], Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo (USP), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT University), University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Naturhistorisches Museum [Bern], USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Deakin University [Waurn Ponds], Palmerston North Research Centre, Plant & Food Research, Station d'écologie théorique et expérimentale (SETE), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universidad Austral de Chile, ONG Ranita de Darwin, U.S Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, SO Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences [Wollongong], Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health [Wollongong], University of Wollongong [Australia]-University of Wollongong [Australia], Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), Office national des forêts (ONF), University of Georgia [USA], Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Eco-éthologie (2C2A-CERFE), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA), Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi, University College of Kristianstad, Watershed Protection Department, Cornell Lab of Ornithology [New York], Cornell University [New York], Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University System, University of Virginia, Auburn University (AU), University of Richmond, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente (CITMA), Pamukkale University, Stellenbosch University, Millsaps College, Éco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), This study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01AG049416 (to A.M.B., F.J.J., and D.A.W.M.). H.C. was supported as a postdoctoral researcher by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 31003A_182265)., Office National des Forêts (ONF), University of Virginia [Charlottesville], Éco-Anthropologie (EAE), National Research Council of Italy | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Rennes (UR), and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

Subjects
life history, demography, Aging, phenotype, [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], Longevity, tetrapod, ectothermy, phylogeny, Amphibia, Amphibians, VERTEBRADOS, evolution, Animals, animal, Multidisciplinary, nonhuman, article, Reptiles, mortality, Biological Evolution, phylogenetics, reptile, GN, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, environmental temperature, body size
Abstract

Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.

Published
2022

9. A communal nesting site of the Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) along the New River, Belize

Author

Frank J. Mazzotti, Jenna Cole, Brittany Mason, Gerson A. Ramirez, Emily V. Gati, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, and hb . Nicole D. Jennings

Subjects
Fishery, Geography, Dermatemys mawii, biology, law, Nesting (computing), Animal Science and Zoology, Central american, Turtle (robot), biology.organism_classification, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, law.invention
Abstract

The Central American river turtle, Dermatemys mawii, is a critically endangered species with declines in its population caused by human harvest. Previous knowledge of nesting behaviour is minimal, and communal nesting of D. mawii has not been described previously. Here we report the first observations of communal nesting of D. mawii and provide recommendations to researchers and conservationists on how to find D. mawii nests, based on observed communal nesting conditions, proximity to water, hydro-period, and vegetative cover.

Published
2020

10. Top 10 Raptors of Northern Belize

Author

Frank J. Mazzotti, Elizabeth Scarlett, Jorge Eduardo Ruano, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, and Justin Dalaba

Abstract

More than 500 species of birds visit or live in Belize and because of its location, Northern Belize serves as an important stop-over point and attracts a large majority of migratory birds in addition to its year-round residents. This guide showcases the top 10 raptor species (predatory birds) that you are most likely to encounter while in Northern Belize.

Published
2021

11. Influence of salinity on relative density of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in Everglades National Park: Implications for restoration of Everglades ecosystems

Author

Frank J. Mazzotti, Caitlin Hackett, Seth C. Farris, Kristen M. Hart, Michiko A. Squires, Michael S. Cherkiss, Laura A. Brandt, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, and Brian J. Smith

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, Ecology, biology, National park, Crocodylus acutus, General Decision Sciences, Wetland, 010501 environmental sciences, Crocodile, biology.organism_classification, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Fishery, biology.animal, Indicator species, Ecosystem management, Environmental science, Ecosystem, Restoration ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

The status of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) has long been a matter of concern in Everglades National Park (ENP) due to its classification as a federal and state listed species, its recognition as a flagship species, and its function as an ecosystem indicator. Survival and recovery of American crocodiles has been linked with regional hydrological conditions, especially freshwater flow to estuaries, which affect water levels and salinities. We hypothesize that efforts to restore natural function to Everglades ecosystems by improving water delivery into estuaries within ENP will change salinities and water levels which in turn will affect relative density of crocodiles. Monitoring ecological responses of indicator species, such as crocodiles, with respect to hydrologic change is necessary to evaluate ecosystem responses to restoration projects. Our objectives were to monitor trends in crocodile relative density within ENP and to determine influences of salinity on relative density of crocodiles. We examined count data from 12 years of crocodile spotlight surveys in ENP (2004–2015) and used a hierarchical model of relative density that estimated relative density with probability of detection. The mean predicted value for relative density (λ) across all surveys was 2.9 individuals/km (95% CI: 2.0–4.2); relative density was estimated to decrease with increases in salinity. Routes in ENP’s Flamingo/Cape Sable area had greater crocodile relative density than routes in the West Lake/Cuthbert Lake area and Northeast Florida Bay areas. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that restored flow and lower salinities will result in an increase in crocodile population size and provide support for the ecosystem management recommendations for crocodiles, which currently are to restore more natural patterns of freshwater flow to Florida Bay. Thus, monitoring relative density of American crocodiles will continue to be an effective indicator of ecological response to ecosystem restoration.

Published
2019

12. American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, and Mathieu Basille

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Salinity, Marine and Aquatic Sciences, Fresh Water, Transportation, Crocodile, 01 natural sciences, Physical Chemistry, Polynomials, Geographical locations, Body Size, Biomass, education.field_of_study, Alligators and Crocodiles, Multidisciplinary, Ecology, National park, Eukaryota, Transportation Infrastructure, Chemistry, Vertebrates, Physical Sciences, Florida, Engineering and Technology, Medicine, Estuaries, Research Article, Freshwater Environments, Conservation of Natural Resources, Science, Crocodylus acutus, Population, Biology, 010603 evolutionary biology, Civil Engineering, Ecosystems, biology.animal, Animals, education, Hatchling, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Organisms, Crocodiles, Biology and Life Sciences, Reptiles, Aquatic Environments, Bodies of Water, biology.organism_classification, United States, Fishery, Algebra, Fertility, Chemical Properties, Wetlands, Threatened species, Amniotes, North America, Wildlife refuge, Earth Sciences, Canals, People and places, Bay, Zoology, Mathematics
Abstract

The federally threatened American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is a flagship species and ecological indicator of hydrologic restoration in the Florida Everglades. We conducted a long-term capture-recapture study on the South Florida population of American crocodiles from 1978 to 2015 to evaluate the effects of restoration efforts to more historic hydrologic conditions. The study produced 10,040 crocodile capture events of 9,865 individuals and more than 90% of captures were of hatchlings. Body condition and growth rates of crocodiles were highly age-structured with younger crocodiles presenting with the poorest body condition and highest growth rates. Mean crocodile body condition in this study was 2.14±0.35 SD across the South Florida population. Crocodiles exposed to hypersaline conditions (> 40 psu) during the dry season maintained lower body condition scores and reduced growth rate by 13% after one year, by 24% after five years, and by 29% after ten years. Estimated hatchling survival for the South Florida population was 25% increasing with ontogeny and reaching near 90% survival at year six. Hatchling survival was 34% in NE Florida Bay relative to a 69% hatchling survival at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and 53% in Flamingo area of Everglades National Park. Hypersaline conditions negatively affected survival, growth and body condition and was most pronounced in NE Florida Bay, where the hydrologic conditions have been most disturbed. The American crocodile, a long-lived animal, with relatively slow growth rate provides an excellent model system to measure the effects of altered hydropatterns in the Everglades landscape. These results illustrate the need for continued long-term monitoring to assess system-wide restoration outcomes and inform resource managers.

Published
2021

13. Conservation payments in a social context: determinants of tolerance and behavioural intentions towards wild cats in northern Belize

Author

Rebecca G. Harvey, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, and Frank J. Mazzotti

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, business.industry, media_common.quotation_subject, Environmental resource management, Ethnic group, Social environment, Payment, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Proxy (climate), Predation, 010601 ecology, Indirect costs, Geography, Incentive, Social force, Socioeconomics, business, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Nature and Landscape Conservation, media_common
Abstract

Carnivores are valued by conservationists globally but protecting them can impose direct costs on rural, livestock-dependent communities. Financial incentives are increasingly used with the goal of increasing people's tolerance of predators, but the definition of tolerance has been vague and inconsistent. Empirical correlations between attitudinal and behavioural measures of tolerance imply that attitudes may be a valid proxy for behaviours. However, theoretical differences between the concepts suggest that attitudinal tolerance and behavioural intention to kill cats would have different underlying determinants. We surveyed 112 residents within a forest–farm mosaic in northern Belize inhabited by jaguarsPanthera oncaand four other species of wild cats. A conservation payment programme pays local landowners when camera traps record cat presence on their land. Results indicated that tolerance was associated with gender and participation in the camera-trapping programme, whereas intention to kill cats was associated with cultural group (Mennonites vs Mestizos), presence of children in the home and, to a lesser extent, tolerance. Neither dependent variable was significantly related to depredation losses or economic factors. Results suggest that monetary payments alone are unlikely to affect attitudes and behaviours towards carnivores. Payment programmes may be enhanced by accentuating non-monetary incentives, leveraging social norms and targeting specific groups with information about risks and benefits associated with carnivores. By empirically separating two concepts commonly conflated as ‘tolerance’ we clarify understanding of how social forces interact with financial incentives to shape people's relationships with predators.

Published
2016

14. Lateralized Turning Biases in Two Neotropical Tadpoles

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez and Sergio C. Gonzalez

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Larva, Startle response, biology, medicine.diagnostic_test, Agalychnis callidryas, Ontogeny, 05 social sciences, Zoology, Stimulation, Anatomy, biology.organism_classification, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Tadpole, Lateralization of brain function, Laterality, medicine, 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences, Animal Science and Zoology, 050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

Lateralized turning behavior in startle responses and upon descent after surfacing for a breath of air has been documented for tadpoles in several anuran species. A left-handed preference is most common and was previously thought to be linked to the asymmetry in spiracle location. Here, we investigate the presence of behavioral asymmetries in tadpoles of Agalychnis callidryas and Leptodactylus melanonotus in explosive turns after air-breathing. Data were also collected on lateralized posture in the orientation of tails of embryonic A. callidryas within the egg case, as well as the startle response of free-swimming tadpoles exposed to mechanical stimulation. A left-curled tail bias was found among several clutches from Costa Rica, but this was not the case among clutches examined from Panama. Free-living tadpoles of L. melanonotus displayed a distinct right-handed preference during explosive turns. While some tadpoles of A. callidryas were at stages too early to detect any explosive turns when breathing, later-staged individuals did display a left-handed bias in startle response to mechanical stimulation. Additionally, it appears that the expression of behavioral lateralization of larvae (but not embryos) may predict whether or not the adults exhibit similar lateralization. Findings herein provide insight into the ontogeny and evolutionary origins of lateralized behavior in anurans.

Published
2016

15. Wading Birds of Northern Belize

Author

Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Frank J. Mazzotti, Jorge Eduardo Ruano, and Justin Dalaba

Subjects
Fishery, Fact sheet, Geography, Habitat, Charisma, Wildlife ecology, Wildlife conservation
Abstract

Belize is home to over 605 bird species, many of them wading birds popular with bird watchers who enjoy their bright colors and charismatic behavior. Bird-watching is a major contributor to successful wildlife conservation and is important as native habitat loses ground to development. This 4-page fact sheet written by Venetia S. Briggs-Gonzalez, Jorge E. Ruano, Justin R. Dalaba and Frank J. Mazzotti and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation presents photos and descriptions that will help identify some common and some rare wading birds.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw469 Trifold brochure: WEC425/UW470, 4/2020 https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw470

Published
2020

16. Frogs and Toads of Northern Belize

Author

Frank J. Mazzotti, Justin Dalaba, Sarah K. Cooke, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, and Jenna Cole

Subjects
Amphibian, Fishery, Fact sheet, Geography, biology, biology.animal, Threatened species, Maya, Wildlife ecology
Abstract

Belize is home to several threatened frog species. One of them, the Maya mountains frog, lives nowhere else in the world. This 4-page fact sheet written by Jenna M. Cole, Sarah K. Cooke, Venetia S. Briggs-Gonzalez, Justin R. Dalaba, and Frank J. Mazzotti and published by the UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department will help you identify your frogs and toads in order to better protect them.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw439

Published
2018

17. Natural and Anthropogenic Factors Influencing Nesting Ecology of the American Crocodile in Florida, United States

Author

Frank J. Mazzotti, Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, Laura A. Brandt, Venetia Briggs-González, Mike Cherkiss, Seth Farris, and Avishka Godahewa

Subjects
crocodylian, ecosystem restoration, nesting success, long-term monitoring, nesting ecology, Everglades, Evolution, QH359-425, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Nesting ecology of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in Florida has been both positively and negatively influenced by anthropogenic and natural factors since the species was placed on the federally endangered species list in 1975. This includes a shift in nesting sites and an expansion of nesting to anthropogenic habitat. Using a 50-year record of monitoring data (1970-2020), we assessed factors influencing nesting ecology (number of nests, nest morphology, success rate, and habitat use) from a total of 3,013 nests recorded across South Florida. We detected a change in nesting success rate, increasing from 61% in the 1970’s to near 90% since 2010. Our hot spot analysis illustrates that nesting sites in northeastern Florida Bay and Flamingo/Cape Sable (Everglades National Park) were important for American crocodiles. Anthropogenic habitats, such as canals provided vital habitat nesting in areas such as Flamingo/Cape Sable (Everglades National Park), Turkey Point Power Plant, and Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge for the current Florida population. Environmental parameters suspected to affect nesting success have shown an increasing trend over the past 50 years and minimum temperature and rainfall, during the summer season, are correlated with increased nesting success and temporal variation across South Florida. The adaptive capacity that American crocodiles exhibited in Florida gave the species advantages to face changes in climate and landscape over the last 50 years, however, it does not imply that the adaptive capacity of the species to face these changes (evolutionary potential) cannot reach a limit if changes continue. Here, we document C. acutus nesting ecology population responses to ecosystem restoration efforts in Florida; and further demonstrate the value of protecting and restoring habitat to support recovery of listed species.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results