Aquatic biota have been identified as excellent indicators of stream health because they respond rapidly to environmental changes. We surveyed aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages in 2 stream sites differing in land-cover (agriculture and urban centers) within their riparian corridor along La Nana Creek (East Texas) to examine the health of this ecosystem. Biotic indices on macroinvertebrate taxa suggest that the stream is healthy and contained pollution-sensitive taxa. Fish assemblages showed spatiotemporal variation; however, both sites received relatively poor health scores for fish communities, indicating potential land-cover effects throughout this watershed. Our results highlight the importance of using a combination of biological indicators to get a more holistic glance at potential local-scale anthropogenic stressors when assessing stream health. Continued monitoring of streams in East Texas is essential to provide better management for restoration and conservation.

Geomys bursarius ozarkensis (Ozark Pocket Gopher) occurs in well-draining sandy soils of stream deposits in prairies of a single county of the Ozark Highland region in Arkansas. Our objective was to update the distribution of this geographically restricted subspecies and further characterize its habitat. Using remote sensing, we found that Ozark Pocket Gophers remain most prevalent in sandy soils with open, grassy vegetation. Using vehicle surveys, satellite imagery, and communication with landowners, we identified 46 previously documented and 91 additional occupied sites. Overall, the areal range in 2021–2024 was 34% greater than in 2008. The expansion in the Ozark Pocket Gopher's range may be from increased survey effort, but other factors (e.g., land development) may have also impacted the species' distribution.

Erimystax cahni (Slender Chub) is a federally threatened fish native to the Powell, Clinch, and lower Holston rivers of Tennessee and Virginia. No individuals have been captured or reported for over 2 decades. We developed a species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) assay to survey for its presence throughout its native distribution in new and historical sites. We detected Slender Chub eDNA in both the Powell and Clinch rivers in 3 of 43 sites sampled during summer 2022. The presence of live individuals could not be confirmed, and the detection of positive eDNA matches could result from pure individuals or hybrids. Note that positive eDNA matches do not preclude the presence of hybrid individuals; however, they can help guide managers to intensively sample areas with conventional methods (e.g., snorkeling and seining), which could improve the probability of capture of living individuals.

Malaclemys terrapin pileata (Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin) in the northern Gulf of Mexico are facing several threats including loss of nesting habitat. Between June and September 2022, we surveyed beaches in Mississippi for depredated terrapin nests and collected elevation, substrate-type, and plant-community data at each nest and at a paired, randomized point. Logistic regression showed that elevation and the presence of Spartina patens (Saltmeadow Cordgrass) were associated with nest occurrence. Nesting often occurs above the mean high water (MHW) level to avoid prolonged nest inundation, and the lowest-elevation nests detected in our study were 0.3 m above MHW. The information resulting from this study can be used to inform management, monitoring, or future restoration efforts of this species.

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer, hereafter referred to as Deer) populations in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Georgia have declined substantially during the past several decades. Simultaneously, Ursus americanus (American Black Bear, hereafter referred to as Bear) and Sus scrofa (Wild Pig) populations have increased, potentially exacerbating resource competition and influencing interspecific activities. Acorn mast produced by Quercus spp. (oaks) is a particularly important resource for wildlife in this mountainous region because alternative forage is limited and lacking quality nutrition during dormant months. Our objectives were to document diel activity relationships of Deer, Bears, and Wild Pigs and temporal activity overlap during the period of acorn availability from August to December of 2018 and 2019 to assess possible evidence of competition. We used 64 trail cameras across a 1600-ha grid to detect interspecific temporal activity on the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area in Georgia. Subsequently, we estimated coefficients of activity overlap between all pairwise species combinations. Deer and Wild Pigs were crepuscular in both years, with a higher degree of overlap in 2018 (Δ₁ = 0.882) than 2019 (Δ₁ = 0.805). Bear detections were primarily diurnal in 2018, resulting in lower overlap with Deer (Δ₁ = 0.739) and Wild Pigs (Δ₁ = 0.712). However, Bear activity was mostly crepuscular in 2019 with increased overlap among Deer (Δ₁ = 0.820) and Wild Pigs (Δ₁ = 0.839). Competitive interactions between these species did not appear to be expressed by temporal activity shifts. However, the potential for scramble competition to acquire mast remains highly viable and should be examined at finer spatio-temporal scales.

In recent years, hybridization has come into focus as a potent force with a myriad of evolutionary outcomes. Natural hybridization has been documented across the hylid treefrog genus Dryophytes, but few studies have demonstrated the origins of putative natural hybrids. Here, we use molecular and acoustical data to test the parentage of 2 putative D. chrysoscelis x D. femoralis hybrids found in the wild in Virginia and North Carolina. Using 1 mitochondrial and 4 nuclear loci, we demonstrate that these 2 individuals are genetically intermediate between D. chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) and D. femoralis (Pine Woods Treefrog), with differing maternal species. The mating calls of hybrids are consistent with those of previous studies and feature a breakdown in structure that may result from an intermediate phenotype between the unpulsed and pulsed notes of the respective parent species. While hybridization between the 2 species is apparently rare, our results combined with previous laboratory studies demonstrate the potential for introgressive hybridization, necessitating further work to identify the extent of hybridization in the system.

Sampling conducted from May to August of 2024 yielded new distributional records for the federally threatened Theliderma cylindrica (Rabbitsfoot) in the Caney River, OK. We found 4 live individuals, representing at least 2 age classes, ∼7 km upstream of the confluence with the Verdigris River. This report is the first documentation of live Rabbitsfoot in the Caney River, where the species was previously known only from weathered shells. This finding extends the known distribution of Rabbitsfoot into a system previously unrecognized as part of its range.