A Study of the Population and Habitat of the American Alligator in Texas PDF Download

Author: Gregory Edmond Crouch
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Alligators
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Louise Hayes
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 1623493870
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
Found only in the United States, the American alligator ranges in Texas through 120 counties, from the Sabine River to the Rio Grande, across a swath of river drainages and coastal marshes that include both the backwater swamps of the Big Thicket and the urban bayous of greater Houston. From its beginning in a pile of eggs buried in a meticulously constructed nest to its possible end as an alligator burger or a pair of boots, an alligator’s habitat preferences sometimes coincide with the favorite haunts of boaters, hunters, and coastal residents. In Alligators of Texas, biologist Louise Hayes and photographer Philippe Henry bring readers up close to this cryptic reptile’s food choices, parenting skills, communication techniques, and responses to natural events such as freezes and hurricanes. They also relate some Texas “alligator tales”; discuss alligator farming, hunting, and live capturing; and examine how people can successfully co-exist with this predator. They end by telling readers where they can view alligators, both in the wild and in captivity. Although not as often, as easily, or perhaps as happily observed as white-tailed deer or armadillos, the American alligator is an iconic Texas animal, and knowing more about its life and habits can help Texans better understand its rightful place in the landscape.

Author: Kevin Keith Webb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : American alligator
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Market hunting, poaching, and wetland habitat losses reduced American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) numbers throughout Texas and the rest of the southeastern United States during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Alligator populations in Texas are currently stable to increasing, with the greatest concentrations occurring on the mid to upper coast, with healthy populations in inland wetlands, along major river drainages and impoundments. As inland alligator populations in Texas continue to expand and current harvest strategies rely upon models and data generated from coastal populations, it is critical that regionally specific data are used. In 2003 and 2004, inland alligator habitat use, population dynamics and ecology were studied at three inland wetlands in East Texas. First, nocturnal habitat use of alligators was examined by conducting spotlight surveys at each study area during both years. Habitat use varied between adult and subadult alligators at Dam B WMA, where adults preferred more open water environments, and subadults preferred less open water environments with more cover (P

Author: Louise Hayes
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : American alligator
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Author: Scott E. Henke
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
ISBN: 9781536133523
Category : NATURE
Languages : en
Pages : 421

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The American alligator is an icon of conservation and biological science in the United States. This species has arguably one of the most volatile, yet rich histories in terms of conservation, wildlife management, and scientific research. Due to this, American alligators often serve as a model for crocodilian science on a global scale. American Alligators: Habitats, Behaviors, and Threats is an essential addition to the library of vertebrate scientists, herpetologists, and most importantly crocodilian biologists. The book contains the most comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge about American alligator biology, behavior, distribution, diet, ecology, genetics, habitat use, physiology, parasitology, toxicology, and management by the leading experts of alligator professionals from around the world. Each chapter contains a comprehensive description of past research concerning each topic, new knowledge and interpretations of the topic, and suggestions of future research needs. This all-encompassing approach to the synthesis of past, present, and future knowledge of American alligators will make this a highly sought and referenced volume of work. Authors are a mix of next-generation scientists who have distinguished themselves as crocodilian biologists, as well as those who are well-established within herpetological circles. Chapter authors include Kimberly Andrews, Richard Bauer, Gary Calkins, Warren Conway, Ted Joanen, Michelle Lawing, Abigail Lawson, Mark Merchant, Chris Murray, Brent Newman, James Nifong, Adam Rosenblatt, Wade Ryberg, David Saalfeld, Gregory Skupien, Bradley Strickland, Helen Sung, William Sutton, Marisa Tellez, and Jonathan Warner, as well as chapters written by the co-editors Cord Eversole and Scott Henke. Cord B. Eversole received his Ph.D. from Texas A and M University-Kingsville and has 15 years of experience working with alligators and other herpetofauna. He has worked as a wildlife researcher for the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A and M University-Kingsville since 2010. Scott E. Henke is a research scientist with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and a Regents Professor and Chair within the Department of Animal, Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences with Texas A and M University-Kingsville. He also is co-editor of the book Becoming a Wildlife Professional. The two researchers have teamed up and published extensively within herpetological journals, with the main emphasis of their collaborative research concerning the American alligator. (Nova)

Author: Charles A. Ross
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Alligators
Languages : en
Pages : 16

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Examination of scalation of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from populations in the eastern and western parts of the species range revealed several scale characteristics that varied between populations and significant variation in the number of transverse ventral rows, number of anterior nuchal scales, number of scales in the anterior dorsal scale row, number of scales in the posterior transverse scale rows, and occurrence of caudal irregularity. Ventral ossification occurs in alligators longer than 165 cm from both the eastern and western parts of the species range. Because of a lack of material from the central part of the alligator's range (Alabama and Mississippi), the nature of this variation cannot be determined.

Author: Floyd E. Potter
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Alligator hunting
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Author: Kelby Ouchley
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813047765
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 187

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Book Description
Having survived since the Mesozoic era, alligators teetered on the brink of extinction in the 1960s. Their recovery in the 1970s was largely due to legislative intervention, and today populations are closely monitored throughout their range. American Alligator is the most up-to-date and comprehensive treatment of this resilient relic, a creature with a brain weighing less than half an ounce that has successfully adapted to a changing Earth for more than 200 million years. Kelby Ouchley chronicles the evolution of A. mississippiensis from "shieldcroc"--the last common ancestor of modern-day alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gavials--to its current role as keystone of the ecological health of America's southern swamps and marshes. In Florida, the apex predator uses its snout and feet to clear muck from holes in the limestone bedrock. During the dry season, these small ponds or "alligator holes" provide refuge, food, and water for a variety of wildlife. In Louisiana, millions of dollars are spent on the bounty of the non-native nutria that overgraze marsh vegetation, but alligators prey on these coastal rodents free of charge. The loss of the American alligator would be a blow to biodiversity and an ecosystem disruption affecting all levels of the food chain. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed it from the endangered species list in 1987 and today regulates the legal trade of the animal and its products, Ouchley cautions us not to forget the lessons learned: human activities, from urban development to energy production, can still threaten the future of the gator and its southern wetland habitat.

Author: Susan H. Gray
Publisher: Cherry Lake
ISBN: 1602791708
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
Readers are introduced the habitat and lifestyle of the American Alligator and learn how the American Alligator is making a comeback from near extinction. Find out how people in the southeastern United States are learning to live with these amazing creatures.

Author: Carla Mooney
Publisher: ABDO
ISBN: 1680798472
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
Scientists believe American alligators have been around for nearly 150 million years, but they came close to going extinct. American Alligator explores the alligator's key role in its habitat, how hunting and habitat changes almost led to its extinction, and how efforts such as egg collection and controlled hunting help to preserve the species. Easy-to-read text, vivid images, and helpful back matter give readers a clear look at this subject. Features include a table of contents, infographics, a glossary, additional resources, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Core Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.