Modeling relative habitat suitability of southern Florida for invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus)

Mutascio, Holly E.; Pittman, Shannon E.; Zollner, Patrick A.; D’Acunto, Laura E.

doi:10.1007/s10980-017-0597-5

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Our inferences are limited by the biases mentioned above. Despite sample limitations we revealed that non forest pythons showed general selection for aquatic systems and water bodies, supporting hypotheses for Burmese pythons success in their invasive range (Mutascio et al, 2018). Due to our snakes perceived indifference to human dominated spaces, we suggest that future research target the interactions between humans and pythons within an anthropogenically altered landscape.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Restricted constrictors: Space use and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons in Northeast Thailand

Smith

Jones

Marshall

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Animal movement and resource use are tightly linked. Investigating these links to understand how animals utilize space and select habitats is especially relevant in areas that have been affected by habitat fragmentation and agricultural conversion. We set out to explore the space use and habitat selection of Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in a patchy land use matrix dominated by agricultural crops and human settlements. We used radio telemetry to record daily locations of seven Burmese pythons over the course of our study period of approximately 22 months. We created dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models (dBBMMs) for all individuals, using occurrence distributions to estimate extent of movements and motion variance to reveal temporal patterns. Then we used integrated step selection functions to determine whether individual movements were associated with particular landscape features (aquatic agriculture, forest, roads, settlements, terrestrial agriculture, water), and whether there were consistent associations at the population level. Our dBBMM estimates suggested that Burmese pythons made use of small areas (98.97 ± 35.42 ha), with low mean individual motion variance characterized by infrequent moves and long periods at a single location. At both the individual and population level, Burmese pythons in the agricultural matrix were associated with aquatic environments. Only one individual showed a strong avoidance for human settlements which is troublesome from a human-wildlife conflict angle, especially as Burmese pythons have been observed entering human settlements and consuming livestock in our study site. Our study is one of the first to contribute to the knowledge of Burmese python ecology in their native range as the majority of studies have focused on invasive populations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Restricted constrictors: Space use and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons in Northeast Thailand

Smith

Jones

Marshall

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Understanding pathways and processes of biological invasions is crucial for their control, and mandatory to identify and anticipate potential invasion landscapes (Wonham, ; Mutascio et al ., ). Taxonomic revisions and subsequent range redefinitions are currently continuing for many mammalian taxa (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The importance of taxonomy in species distribution models at a global scale: the case of an overlooked alien squirrel facing taxonomic revision

et al. 2018

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The Siberian chipmunk is native to north-eastern Asia, but alien populations of this squirrel, introduced through the pet trade, occur in many European countries. This rodent has been listed as an invasive species of European concern, being a potential vector of ticks spreading Lyme disease. We aimed to assess its current distribution range and to identify areas of potential invasion. Two sets of species distribution models were conducted, one considering the locations of the species (n = 625 occurrences) and the other with only the occurrences of the Korean subspecies (the invasive one in Europe; n = 255 occurrences), which might be a separate species from the Siberian one. We included 19 uncorrelated predictors (two topographic, nine land cover, five bioclimatic and three anthropogenic variables), which may represent the habitat characteristics of the target species. Most of the northern hemisphere supports the establishment of the Siberian chipmunk, particularly for the invasive Korean subspecies (especially in Europe, where it is already established), mostly in urban areas. Anthropogenic food supply was found to be an important factor promoting the growth of alien populations of chipmunks, whereas the presence of the native red squirrel at the time of introduction may limit it.

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“…The number of duikers observed may be underestimated given the transect collection. This sampling mode can also include the generation of pseudopoints of absence which is a source of bias in analyses with Maxent (Mutascio, Pittman, Zollner, & D'acunto, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential response of seven duiker species to human activities in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire

et al. 2019

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African rainforest is severely impacted by human activities, ranging from resource collection, selective logging to fragmentation and scale deforestation. Consequently, large mammal communities occurring therein are strongly modified. Here, we present a study conducted in Taï National Park (TNP), which characterises the spatial distribution and differential response of seven duiker species to human activities. Based on extensive survey data recorded between 2005 and 2015, we used a maximum entropy modelling approach for predicting duiker species distribution and a hierarchical clustering approach to identify potential subgroups in the duiker community. The seven duiker species clearly differed in their spatial distribution, with Cephalophus dorsalis and Philantomba maxwellii being the most common and widely distributed with no clear response towards gradients of impact from human activities. In contrast, Cephalophus ogilbyi, Cephalophus jentinki, Cephalophus sylvicultor and Cephalophus zebra showed increasing responses towards anthropogenic impact gradients, with the latter two being particularly sensitive. These duikers are not found in areas of illegal human activities. The restricted distribution of Cephalophus niger seems artificial and may indicate species misidentification. The strong spatial signature of human activities in the duiker community of TNP is of concern. Effective park management, including extensive ranger patrols, is vital for ensuring the persistence of this unique duiker community in West Africa.

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Modeling relative habitat suitability of southern Florida for invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus)

Cited by 17 publications

References 67 publications

Restricted constrictors: Space use and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons in Northeast Thailand

Restricted constrictors: Space use and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons in Northeast Thailand

The importance of taxonomy in species distribution models at a global scale: the case of an overlooked alien squirrel facing taxonomic revision

Differential response of seven duiker species to human activities in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire

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