The Daniel Beard Center in Everglades National Park provides the base for most of the field work done on the control of invasive reptiles by USGS Fort Collins Science Center staff. The team works in Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and other parts of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem focusing on, among other species of concern, control and containment of the Burmese python and Argentine tegu.
USGS Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), Invasive Species Branch (ISS) runs a South Florida Field Station based in Everglades National Park. There, local FORT staff work together with National Park Service staff to address invasive reptile issues within the National Park Units (Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and Dry Tortugas National Park). In this coordinated effort, FORT ISS integrates expertise to design and conduct various research project aimed at informing invasive reptile management activities and EDRR (early detection, rapid response) efforts. This coordination extends to affiliates of the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA) to develop and refine scientifically-based methods to detect and control invasive species and assess the impacts of these invasives across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
Invasive reptiles in the Everglades represent a significant threat to restoration and preservation of the unique Everglades ecosystem. Among the best- known invaders is the Burmese python, which is a large constricting snake that has been implicated in the decline of Everglades native species. The black and white Tegu (a ground-nest raiding lizard from South America) and other large-bodied reptiles established in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem also to pose further threats to native species. The potential impacts of these species are, however, poorly understood.
USGS scientists conduct research into detection and control of Burmese pythons, black and white tegus, and other species in Florida. Research includes enhancing a basic understanding of their life history through vital rates research, ecological interactions, and describing behaviors that can lead to the identification of potential avenues for management, as well as facilitate much needed population estimates. Additionally, the research being done on vital rate characteristics (e.g., nest and hatching success, annual survival rates, reproductive output, etc.) will be the basis for population growth models and novel methods for control (e.g., synthetic biology). Efforts also include research into impacts on native species that may be vulnerable to populations of invasive reptiles through examination of seasonal and demographic dietary trends, reproductive timing and tempo, and other relevant topics.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
Mentoring the next generation: USGS, NPS, and University of Florida Cooperative Research Unit Invasive Reptile Intern Program
Cruising to Improve the Detection of Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park
Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida: A Sizeable Research Challenge
- Overview
The Daniel Beard Center in Everglades National Park provides the base for most of the field work done on the control of invasive reptiles by USGS Fort Collins Science Center staff. The team works in Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and other parts of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem focusing on, among other species of concern, control and containment of the Burmese python and Argentine tegu.
USGS Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), Invasive Species Branch (ISS) runs a South Florida Field Station based in Everglades National Park. There, local FORT staff work together with National Park Service staff to address invasive reptile issues within the National Park Units (Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and Dry Tortugas National Park). In this coordinated effort, FORT ISS integrates expertise to design and conduct various research project aimed at informing invasive reptile management activities and EDRR (early detection, rapid response) efforts. This coordination extends to affiliates of the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA) to develop and refine scientifically-based methods to detect and control invasive species and assess the impacts of these invasives across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
Invasive reptiles in the Everglades represent a significant threat to restoration and preservation of the unique Everglades ecosystem. Among the best- known invaders is the Burmese python, which is a large constricting snake that has been implicated in the decline of Everglades native species. The black and white Tegu (a ground-nest raiding lizard from South America) and other large-bodied reptiles established in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem also to pose further threats to native species. The potential impacts of these species are, however, poorly understood.
USGS scientists conduct research into detection and control of Burmese pythons, black and white tegus, and other species in Florida. Research includes enhancing a basic understanding of their life history through vital rates research, ecological interactions, and describing behaviors that can lead to the identification of potential avenues for management, as well as facilitate much needed population estimates. Additionally, the research being done on vital rate characteristics (e.g., nest and hatching success, annual survival rates, reproductive output, etc.) will be the basis for population growth models and novel methods for control (e.g., synthetic biology). Efforts also include research into impacts on native species that may be vulnerable to populations of invasive reptiles through examination of seasonal and demographic dietary trends, reproductive timing and tempo, and other relevant topics.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
This project involves ongoing development of tools for the detection and control of invasive reptiles in Florida, with an emphasis on Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) and Black and white tegu lizards (Salvator merianae). The goals are to reduce the risk of reptile invasions into, and impacts on, high-value resources such as Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and the...Mentoring the next generation: USGS, NPS, and University of Florida Cooperative Research Unit Invasive Reptile Intern Program
Invasive reptiles like the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) and Black-and-White Tegu Lizard (Tupinambis merianae) are exerting tremendous harm on Everglades ecosystems, but these problematic species present an excellent opportunity to engage the next generation in science. Since entering into an agreement with Everglades National Park in late 2013, the Invasive Species Science Branch of the U.S...Cruising to Improve the Detection of Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park
It is not uncommon to see researchers cruising around Everglades National Park (ENP) on what has been a routine basis for the past ten months. Every evening, interns pack into a Chevy Volt for their shift assisting the U.S. Geological Survey in conducting Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus) nighttime surveillance through observational surveys. This effort to detect non-native snakes, namely...Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida: A Sizeable Research Challenge
Since the mid-1990s, several species of non-native, giant constrictor snakes, such as Burmese pythons and boa constrictors, have surfaced in localities throughout southern Florida. Several are known or suspected to be breeding and appear to be spreading northward. Increasingly, media and other reports of sightings or encounters with these animals have emphasized the dangers they could impose on... - Partners