As part of an ongoing study on growth and sexual maturation of Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, LA, 3601 specimens, ranging in total length from 28 to 361 cm, were captured from June 2000 through August 2004. Additionally, 70 alligators were collected opportunistically as part of a teaching exercise in August 2005, and 248 more were collected in 2006 (and one in January 2007) as part of a study evaluating the effects of Hurricane Rita on alligators. Representative samples from size classes greater than 60 cm were collected in most months of the year between 2000 and 2004. Each animal was tagged, measured, sexed, and released immediately at the site of capture. A large number of these marked alligators were recaptured outside the refuge boundaries during annual alligator hunts in September. Of the 286 recaptured alligators, 214 were males, 68 were females, and four were of undetermined sex. From each recaptured alligator, total body length and date of recapture were recorded, and minimum distance from initial capture site estimated. From these preliminary data, we calculated the time interval between captures, and plotted minimum distance moved. The number of days between first capture and recapture ranged from 29 to 3336 days (9.1 years). Distance moved from initial capture site to final capture site ranged from 0.3 to 90.2 km. Eleven alligators moved between 30.0 and 39.9 km, and eight moved ≥40 km. Six of these moved between 40.0 and 49.9 km, and the others moved 87.4 and 90.2 km. These results greatly extend previous estimates of long-distance movement by alligators and demonstrate that both sub-adult and sexually mature animals move considerable distances. These data also showed that smaller alligators moved greater distances than larger alligators (P = 0.0002), and that the longer the time between captures, the greater the distance moved (P < 0.0001).

Sternotherus depressus (Flattened Musk Turtle) is a threatened endemic of the Black Warrior River basin in northern Alabama. Carapace lengths taken from recaptures of turtles individually marked over an 18-year period were used to generate von Bertalanffy growth curves for both sexes. Females grew faster than males early in life and reached estimated asymptotic size at a younger age. Size-at-sexual-maturity data from previous studies indicate that males reach maturity in 10–12 years, while females mature at 12–15 years. Compared to a spring-dwelling Florida population of S. minor (Loggerhead Musk Turtle), the Flattened Musk Turtle has a slower growth rate, a greater age at maturity, and a smaller asymptotic size. These differing life-history characteristics likely reflect cooler water temperatures and reduced food availability in Flattened Musk Turtle habitats.

This paper reports information on size and growth of snakes in two populations of Lampropeltis nigra (Black Kingsnake) over 20 years of study and provides a comparative analysis that builds on the work of Jenkins et al. (2001). During a 7-year study (1990–1996) at the Anderson County Wildlife Sanctuary (ACWS) and a 13-year study (1997–2009) at the University of Tennessee Forestry Resources Research and Education Center (FES) in Oak Ridge, TN, we captured 265 individual Black Kingsnakes a total of 556 times. The size of Black Kingsnakes in these two populations are the smallest reported for this species, with mean (± SD) snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 66.9 ± 24.5 cm (maximum = 112 cm) at ACWS and 55.8 ± 16.8 cm (maximum = 87 cm) at FES. At FES, the mass-SVL relationship is represented by an exponential equation (mass [g] = 0.0004 SVL [cm]-^2,98) similar to ACWS (mass [g] = 0.0005 SVL [cm]^2,95). Across both sites, juvenile kingsnakes grew 1.1 cm/mo faster than adult individuals. There was a significant decline in body condition index (BCI) in the combined population during 1990–2009, with BCI declining by 0.960 units annually at ACWS and by 0.981 units annually at FES over the respective study periods. Declines in BCI may be a precursor to a decline in abundance.

There is an ongoing need to monitor the status of imperiled fishes in the southeastern United States using effective methods. Visual surveys minimize harm to target species, but few studies have specifically examined their effectiveness compared to other methods or accounted for imperfect species detection. We used snorkel surveys to estimate detection probability and site occupancy for rare fishes in the Toccoa River system of north Georgia. We also carried out backpack electrofishing at a subset of sites to compare detection probabilities for both methods. The probability of detecting Percina aurantiaca (Tangerine Darter) and Etheostoma vulneratum (Wounded Darter) while snorkeling was relatively high, averaging 30% and 22%, respectively, and naïve and estimated occupancy rates (i.e., corrected for incomplete species detection) were almost identical for both species. The probability of detecting Erimystax insignis (Blotched Chub) while snorkeling was relatively low (9%), and their estimated occupancy rate (86%) was much higher than we detected in our survey. Detection was negatively related to depth and substrate size for Blotched Chub and positively related to depth for Tangerine Darter. Compared to snorkeling, the probability of detecting a species while backpack electrofishing was higher for Wounded Darter (40%) and comparable for Blotched Chub (11%). Tangerine Darter, however, were never captured while electrofishing even though they occurred at all four sites where both methods were used. Our study demonstrates the successful use of snorkel sampling to estimate occupancy rates of rare fishes in a large, clear southeastern river and illustrates the importance of accounting for imperfect species detection.

Moxostoma collapsum (Notchlip Redhorse) and the undescribed Moxostoma sp. (Brassy Jumprock) form a large component of the fish assemblage in the Broad River, SC, but little is known about their population characteristics, nor has an aging method been validated for either species. We validate that one annulus is formed each year in the lapillus otolith of the two species and identify spring as the period of annulus formation, using chemical marking and marginal increment analyses, respectively. Notchlip Redhorse and Brassy Jumprock are long-lived, with observed maximum estimated ages of 17 and 21, respectively. Both species grow quickly during their first few years; little growth occurs after age 7. Instantaneous total mortality of each species was low (Z ≤ 0.35), suggesting there is little exploitation of either species in the Broad River, SC.

To examine short-term morphological changes and variables controlling this change, we conducted a study on five lower Mississippi River islands in 2007 and 2008. The southernmost island was located 25 km north of Memphis, TN, and the northernmost island was located 105 km north of Memphis. We surveyed elevations along six transects for each of the five islands to examine morphological changes between years and measured river velocity and backscatter intensity (sediment load) at the head, middle, toe, zee, and fore sides of the islands. We predicted the impacts of flooding on island geomorphology would be greatest at the head (upstream edge) and fore (thalweg) side. In addition, we predicted the morphology of islands present in the main channel in the 1890s would differ in morphology from contemporary islands. Results indicated morphological change during the study period but only in width. Islands showed general lateral migration, with one side aggrading while the other side eroded. Changes in morphological characteristics were consistent with intensity of river flow around the islands, with the highest velocity and sediment load observed near the island head and to a lesser degree the thalweg side of islands. In reference to islands present in the late 1890s, contemporary islands appear to be more elongated and have a greater surface slope. Since these islands provide beneficial habitat for flora and fauna, it is crucial to understand the dynamic nature of these landscape features.

The Cahaba River is a largely free-flowing river system in central Alabama noted for the great diversity of its aquatic fauna. Much of the vertebrate and molluscan faunas have been examined in past studies, but with the exception of the Trichoptera, relatively little is known of the aquatic insect fauna. This study was conducted to fill the void left by the absence of mayfly and stonefly data. Mayflies and stoneflies were collected from seven sites along a longitudinal gradient on the mainstem Cahaba River from late April 2004 to May 2005. Forty species, 25 genera, and nine families of Ephemeroptera were recorded. For the Plecoptera, 18 species, 10 genera, and four families were found. Six new state records for mayflies were recorded.

We examined the effects of prescribed fire on the abundance of soil microarthropods in a southeastern pine-hardwood forest in northeast Georgia. Using soil cores, the soil microarthropod groups Prostigmata, Oribatida, and Collembola were examined before and after a low-intensity prescribed fire intended for fuels reduction and wildlife habitat improvement. A post-burn evaluation found 100% duff layer coverage and 80% of the understory vegetation consumed. Prostigmata numbers were significantly reduced four months after the burn, with numbers returning to pre-burn levels more than one year later. Although Oribatida and Collembola fluctuated from year to year, we found no significant effects from the burn on those taxa. These results suggest that low-intensity prescribed burning has no lasting negative effects on soil microarthropod populations. The results from this study add to the evidence suggesting the adaptability of southeastern forests to low-intensity prescribed fire.

Sustained reproduction is critical for successful restoration of extirpated populations. Evaluating success of restoration efforts requires an understanding of reproductive capacity in such populations. We examined age-specific reproductive capacity of a Lontra canadensis (River Otter) population in southern Missouri that was the focus of intense restoration efforts in the 1980s and early 1990s. We collected carcasses of 387 legally harvested female Otters from 1996–1999. Otters ranged in age from 1–11 years, with juveniles (<1 yr) the dominant (41.1%) age class. Mean annual corpora lutea counts were high ( = 2.48 ± 0.12) and present in 72.8% of adult (>1 yr) Otters. Our results indicate that the southern Missouri River Otter population has one of the greatest recorded potential reproductive capacities for that species.

Forty artificial nest cavities, composed of 7.6-cm plastic tubing (20 PVC white and 20 ABS black), were established in a riparian hardwood forest habitat located in the Georgia Piedmont. Nest cavities situated on wooden L-shaped platforms were secured on Quercus nigra (Water Oak) and Q. alba (White Oak) tree trunks 1.5 m from the ground. Peromyscus leucopus (White-footed Mouse) and Ochrotomys nuttalli (Golden Mouse) used these artificial nest cavities during autumn, winter, and spring. White-footed Mice (36 M, 38 F, 7 J) used the black tubes to a significantly greater extent than the white tubes 02 M, 10 F, 0 J) (χ²= 33.8, df = 1, P ≤ 0.01). In contrast, Golden Mice inhabited the black tubes (3 M, 5 F, 6 J) to the same extent as the white tubes (6 M, 7 F, 0 J) (χ² = 0.04, df = 1, P > 0.25). Black tube cavities were warmer (2.5 °C) than white tubes during the winter breeding season, which may partially explain why White-footed Mice, a less social species than Golden Mice, used these artificial nests to a greater extent during winter.

The distribution and abundance of bats in western Virginia are poorly documented, especially in summer. Herein, we report results for captures of bats during 8 summers (between 2000 and 2009) of mist-netting surveys in the Cumberland Plateau and the Ridge and Valley provinces of Virginia. We captured 1575 bats representing 11 species and report multiple new county records for 10 of the 11 counties surveyed. Average capture rate was 1.9 bats per net-night, and Simpson's diversity index was 3.9 for the 8-year period. We also documented earliest and latest detection dates for reproducing females and presence of juveniles in 7 bat species. Our data contribute to an understanding of the relative abundance, distribution, and reproductive phenology of bats in these provinces, and may aid in the development of sound conservation strategies for these species in Virginia and surrounding states. Baseline data like these are increasingly important in light of White-Nose Syndrome's effects on bat populations in the region.

Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat) is known to hibernate in Arkansas, but evidence of maternity colonies is lacking. We captured ten Indiana Bats, including reproductive females, in mist-nets at the Black River Wildlife Management Area (BRWMA) in Clay County during 2006. We located one roost via radio-telemetry after affixing a transmitter to one female Indiana bat. Our survey demonstrates that Indiana bat maternity colonies are established in the BRWMA. This area is the most southwesterly maternity habitat of Indiana Bats recorded and the only known maternity colonies in Arkansas.

Habitats of three crayfish species, Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus (Muckalee Crayfish), Procambarus (Pennides) versutus (Sly Crayfish), and Procambarus (Pennides) spiculifer (White Tubercled Crayfish) were studied at nine localities in Marion County, GA. Major objectives of this year-long study were to compare habitats of these sister species and assess the current conservation status of the Muckalee Crayfish and the Sly Crayfish in Georgia. Sites were characterized by a one-time physical assessment of the substrate followed by bimonthly assessment of physicochemical conditions. Results indicated that Sly Crayfish habitats had lower pH and turbidity than habitats used by the other two species. Muckalee Crayfish habitat had higher gravel and coarse sand content and higher conductivity than those of the other two species. Captures indicated year-round activity of populations of each species across study locations; however, both the Muckalee Crayfish and the Sly Crayfish merit conservation status due to their limited ranges.

Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) miltus (Rusty Gravedigger Crayfish) is a primary burrowing crayfish known from a limited portion of the Gulf Coastal region of the United States. The lack of form I males in collections has in the past prevented species-level identifications and hampered conservation reviews. We conducted an intensive status survey for C. miltus during 2007 and 2008. Our results suggest that the species is much more widespread than previously known and that conservation attention is unwarranted. Preferred habitat for the species is ephemerally flooded and thinly wooded floodplains of small streams and swamps.

We report the first record of invasive Orconectes rusticus (Rusty Crayfish) in the Potomac River, MD. Four specimens were collected in June 2010 in the Potomac River downstream from the confluence of Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, MD. Subsequent surveys in the Potomac River mainstem and three other tributaries from Brunswick to Hancock, MD indicate that this invasive species is not yet widespread in the river. Further spread of Rusty Crayfish in the Potomac River may displace congeneric species including two natives, Orconectes obscurus (Allegheny Crayfish) and Orconectes limosus (Spinycheek Crayfish), and the non-native Orconectes virilis (Virile Crayfish) in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Chelonibia testudinaria (Sea Turtle Barnacle) and other closely related barnacle species of the genus Chelonibia are known to utilize a variety of organisms for their attachment substrate. These include the calcified exoskeleton of marine crustaceans and chelicerids, the epidermis of manatees, and the carapace regions of all extant sea turtle species. Here, we present the first records of an Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator; Alligatoridae) as a host for C. testudinaria.

Most records of predator-prey relationships for snakes are based on stomach-content analyses, but herein we present photographic documentation of predation on an Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by a Micrurus tener (Texas Coralsnake). In the context of published studies, our report implies that although predation on pitvipers by coralsnakes is rare, it may be unusually more frequent in east Texas.

Direct observations were made in June 2009 and 2010 of newly recruited young-of-year (YOY) Sphyraena barracuda (Great Barracuda; 50–80 mm total length) occuring on “live bottom” sub-tropical reefs off the southeast US at depths of 18–25 m. Counts of YOY fish from roving diver surveys along multiple reefs with under-cut ledges ranged from 0–122 individuals, indicating patchy distributions at the scale of individual reefs. Individual fish occured in groups of 2–20 , primarily along the undercut side of ledges, where dense schools of Haemulon aurolineatum (Tomtate), Decapterus punctatus (Round Scad), Decapterus macarellus (Mackeral Scad), Stenotomus chrysops (Scup), and Atherinid sp. (silverside) were concentrated. Groups of YOY Great Barracuda attacked, captured and consumed YOY Tomtate and Silverside that occured in schools in the water column adjacent to (just above the sediment-water interface) and directly above the undercut edge of the reefs. Prey reacted during attacks by reducing nearest neighbor distances and retreating to the reef edge, where they were subsequently attacked by the demersal piscivores Centropristis striata (Black Sea Bass), Centropristis ocyurus (Bank Sea Bass), and Mycteroperca phenax (Scamp Grouper). That groups of YOY piscivores, at sizes close to settlement, can assume such a functional role in regards to driving such species interactions suggests greater attention should be given to the roles played by the wider diversity of YOY piscivores recruiting to reef communities.

Anas fulvigula (Mottled Duck) primarily occupy coastal marshes along the western Gulf of Mexico and Florida. Previous extralimital records of Mottled Ducks have been recorded in Great Plains states and in some states along the Atlantic Coast. We report on a female Mottled Duck that was banded in 2007 on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge (Cameron Parish, LA) and harvested near Alpena, SD (Sanborn County). This minimum movement of 1680 km is highly unusual in a species where individuals rarely stray more than 160 km from the coast. Among recent and reliably documented reports (since 1980), this observation represents the northernmost documented record for this species. We presume that this individual migrated north with wintering Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard) it associated with in coastal Louisiana.