Growth of American Alligators in the Shark Valley Region of Everglades National Park

Dalrymple, George H.

doi:10.2307/1446962

Cited by 37 publications

(51 citation statements)

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“…Relative body size was then employed as an estimate of relative age and skeletal maturity. Estimates of relative ages based on total body length may be unreliable for Alligator, however, due to potential variation in size and/or growth rates between sexes and among habitats and geographical regions (McIllheny, 1935;Peabody, 1961;Bellairs, 1970;Andrews, 1982;Jacobsen and Kushlan, 1989;Magnussen et al, 1989;Castanet et al, 1993;Dalrymple, 1996;Wilkinson and Rhodes, 1997). Sex and geographical region were known for the majority of the study sample; variation due to other factors could not be controlled for in the collections examined.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These may include sexual dimorphism; seasonally interrupted growth; environmental conditions of habitat, diet, and temperature; and indeterminate growth (McIllheny, 1935;Peabody, 1961;Bellairs, 1970;Andrews, 1982;Jacobsen and Kushlan, 1989;Magnussen et al, 1989;Castanet et al, 1993;Dalrymple, 1996;Wilkinson and Rhodes, 1997;Elsey et al, 2000;. To the extent possible, effort was made to control for these variables within sizebased analyses of the study sample.…”

Section: Correlation Of Texture and Size / Skeletal Maturitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Farm-raised individuals all exhibit texture Types III and IV; however, this distribution is consistent with that of wild and captive individuals of similar size. Previous studies of Alligator growth have concluded that growth rates vary throughout the species' geographical range due to local environmental conditions and resource availability (Jacobsen and Kushlan, 1989;Dalrymple, 1996;Wilkenson and Rhodes, 1997). It may therefore be fruitless to employ size as an age proxy for a sample drawn from diverse geographical areas.…”

Section: Lifestyle and Geographical Rangementioning

confidence: 99%

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Annual and seasonal survival of adult female Mottled Ducks in southern Florida, USA

Varner¹,

Hepp²,

Bielefeld³

2014

The Condor

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Correlation Of Texture and Size / Skeletal Maturitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lifestyle and Geographical Rangementioning

confidence: 99%

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Annual and seasonal survival of adult female Mottled Ducks in southern Florida, USA

Varner¹,

Hepp²,

Bielefeld³

2014

The Condor

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“…At the beginning of the experiment the alligators ranged in age from 3.3-8.4 years (mean = 5.7 ± 1.2 SD) and 78.6-114.8 cm total length (mean = 93.4 ± 13.4 SD). All individuals were immature males (size at maturity = 1.5-1.8 m; Abercrombie 1989;Dalrymple 1996), which minimized the possible confounding effect of variation in metabolism between sexes and life stages. Also, because juvenile alligators grow at similar rates until maturity (i.e., growth rates vary little across ages and sizes of juvenile alligators; Jacobsen and Kushlan 1989) it is unlikely that variation in growth rates would confound results.…”

Section: Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study was conducted from Slough, the main source of freshwater flow through ENP (Dalrymple 1996). The SRE is a mangrove dominated tidal river with tidal mean amplitude of 0.5-1.0m (Romigh et al 2006) and depths that range from 0.5-4.0m.…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Influencing Movements and Foraging Ecology of American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in a Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem

Rosenblatt¹

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declining rapidly yet we do not fully understand what the consequences of their potential extirpation could be for ecosystem structure and function. In addition, individual behavioral specialization is commonplace across many taxa, but studies of its prevalence, causes, and consequences in top predator populations are lacking. In this dissertation I investigated the movement, feeding patterns, and drivers and implications of individual specialization in an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) population inhabiting a dynamic subtropical estuary. I found that alligator movement and feeding behaviors in this population were largely regulated by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors that varied seasonally. I also found that the population consisted of individuals that displayed an extremely wide range of movement and feeding behaviors, indicating that individual viii specialization is potentially an important determinant of the varied roles of alligators in ecosystems. Ultimately, I found that assuming top predator populations consist of individuals that all behave in similar ways in terms of their feeding, movements, and potential roles in ecosystems is likely incorrect. As climate change and ecosystem restoration and conservation activities continue to affect top predator populations worldwide, individuals will likely respond in different and possibly unexpected ways.

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Use of diet and body condition assessments as intermediate indicators of translocation success in the Critically Endangered Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis)

Brown

Shirley

Yog-yog

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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Intermediate metrics of translocation success are useful for long‐lived, slow to mature species where survival and reproduction happen over decades. With fewer than 150 individuals in the wild, the Critically Endangered Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) is one of the most threatened species on Earth. This study presents the first analysis of diet and body condition of wild Philippine crocodiles and headstarted (i.e. captive‐reared) individuals released into the wild over the last decade, and uses these results to show how diet and body condition can be pertinent intermediate metrics of translocation success. Analyses of stomach contents revealed 17 different aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate and vertebrate prey species. Interestingly, 70% of Philippine crocodiles showed snails to be the predominent prey type, followed by fish (36.7%), birds (33.3%) and reptiles (33.3%). More than 50% of crocodiles consumed the invasive golden apple snail, a leading agricultural pest. Regardless of crocodile history (wild vs. headstarted) or size class (juvenile vs. adult), no evidence was found for dietary differences in percentage occurrence, percentage composition or prey diversity. Body condition was significantly higher in wild compared with headstarted individuals when analysed together in a pooled group, although neither group differed significantly from the standardized expectation, and headstarted individuals were not significantly different when body condition was derived independently for the two groups. This study provides a working example of how assessing the convergence of diet and body condition between translocated and wild individuals can provide complementary monitoring parameters to demonstrate post‐release establishment of translocated crocodylians. The congruent dietary composition and comparable body condition observed in this study suggest that headstarted crocodiles adapt well following release. Crocodylus mindorensis survives in an agricultural landscape and is likely to play an ecologically important role by exploiting invasive species, reinforcing the importance of this species to local communities.

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Growth of American Alligators in the Shark Valley Region of Everglades National Park

Cited by 37 publications

References 0 publications

Annual and seasonal survival of adult female Mottled Ducks in southern Florida, USA

Annual and seasonal survival of adult female Mottled Ducks in southern Florida, USA

Factors Influencing Movements and Foraging Ecology of American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in a Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem

Use of diet and body condition assessments as intermediate indicators of translocation success in the Critically Endangered Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis)

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