TUPINAMBIS MERIANAE(Argentine Giant Tegu); PANTHERO- PHIS GUTTATUS (Red Cornsnake). NON-PREDATORY KILLING

Authors

Bernard W. Kaiser, Conservation Services Section
Kimberly J. Osorio, Conservation Services Section
Kevin M. Enge, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Richard M. Engeman, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife ServicesFollow

Date of this Version

2013

Citation

Herpetological Review 44(2), 2013, pp. 329.

Comments

U.S. government work.

Abstract

Tupinambis merianae is an established invasive lizard in Florida, USA, where a population was discovered initially in Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve, Hillsborough Co. (Enge et al. 2006. In Proceedings 28th Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting. Valdosta, Georgia; Engeman et al. 2011. Curro Zool. 57:599-612). The threats posed by this species to native species are undetermined, although it has been observed using Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, where it potentially could have similar burrow usurpation and juvenile predation impacts as does another large invasive lizard in southern Florida, Gray's Spiny-tailed Iguana (Cienosaura similis) (Avery et al. 2009. Herpetol. Rev. 40:435; Engeman et al. 2009. Herpetol. Rev. 40:84). We have been testing a variety of methods to detect and index pop· ulations of T. merianae and to investigate their tortoise burrow usage in Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve (Kaiser et a1. 2011. In Proceedings 33rd Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting. Orlando, Florida). We report here evidence from these investigations that T. merianae may pose a threat to snakes.