U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2013
Citation
Herpetological Review 44(2), 2013, pp. 329.
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.
Comments
U.S. government work.