Nafus MG, Todd BD, Buhlmann KA, and Tuberville TD (2015) Consequences of maternal effects on offspring size, growth and survival in the desert tortoise. Journal of Zoology, London, 297:108-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12250
Melia Nafus, Ph.D.
Biography
Melia Nafus is a Research Ecologist in the Fort Collins Science Center’s Invasive Species Science Branch. She leads the USGS Brown Treesnake Project based in the Marianas where her research is focused on improving detection and capture of cryptic reptiles at low densities, potential ecological effects of snake control, and development and implementation of control measures to enact population suppression on Guam and prevent their spread to other Pacific Islands. She also develops and collaborates on research designed to inform ecology and species recovery needs in the Pacific and elsewhere, as well as invasive reptile ecology in the Everglades. Broadly speaking, Melia is interested in factors that affect persistence of herpetofaunal populations including behavior, habitat selection, population dynamics, and spatial use.
Education
- Ph.D. Ecology, Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California Davis, 2014
- B.S. Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, 2007
Professional Experience
- 2016 to Present, Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Dededo Guam
- 2014 to 2016, Researcher, San Diego Zoo Global Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido California
Science and Products
Date published: December 14, 2020
Status: Active Biology, Impacts and Control of Invasive Reptiles in the Pacific
Research on Guam has led to development and validation of numerous effective control tools, including the advancement of reptile control to support native species recovery.
Date published: December 4, 2016
Status: Active Biology, Impacts and Control of Invasive Reptiles in the Everglades
Invasive species are considered to be second only to habitat degradation in terms of negative impacts on the Earth’s ecosystems, and our scientists make up a significant proportion of the global expertise in the rapidly-growing problem of invasive reptiles.
Date published: December 1, 2016
Status: Active USGS Brown Treesnake Laboratory and Rapid Response Facility - Guam
USGS scientists and staff associated with the Brown Treesnake Project are co-located at the Guam National Wildlife Refuge at the northern end of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean. Project staff work on developing and testing control tools for invasive brown treesnakes, as well as understanding their impacts on Guam's ecosystems. Project staff also lead the multi-agency Brown Treesnake Rapid...
Date published: July 7, 2016
Status: Active Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
This project involves ongoing development of tools for the detection and capture 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 in high-value resources such as Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, to access early detection methods of...
Date published: July 6, 2016
Status: Active Brown Treesnake Rapid Response Team
Brown Treesnakes continue to cause major problems for the ecology, economy, and quality of life on Guam. Our scientists conduct research on this snake species, including control tool development and testing, ecological impacts, and early detection methods. We hold Brown Treesnake Rapid Response Team training courses on Guam throughout the year to develop the skills needed to effectively...
Date published: July 6, 2016
Status: Active Control and Landscape-Scale Suppression of the Invasive Brown Treesnake
The Brown Treesnake is a highly destructive reptile species that has extirpated many native species of birds, bats, and lizards from the U.S. Territory of Guam. For more than two decades branch scientists with the Invasive Reptile Project have developed, validated, and tested the feasibility of Brown Treesnake control and suppression at various spatial scales.
Date published: October 18, 2017
Dataset: Forest growth in and around an ungulate enclosure on Northern Guam, 2005-2011
On an island largely devoid of native vertebrate seed dispersers, we monitored forest succession for seven years following ungulate exclusion from a 5-hectare area and adjacent plots with ungulates still present.
Year Published: 2021
Surface material and snout-vent length predict vertical scaling ability in brown treesnakes:an evaluation of multispecies barriers for invasive species control on Guam
The combination of snake-proof barriers and an aerial toxicant delivery system for snake suppression may allow large-scale control of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam. However, suppression or local eradication of several other species (e.g., introduced ungulates, cats, rodents) may be required for successful restoration and...
Hileman, Eric T.; Bradke, DR; Nafus, Melia G.; Yackel Adams, Amy A.; Reed, RobertAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Using enclosed Y-mazes to assess chemosensory behavior in reptiles
Reptiles utilize a variety of environmental cues to inform and drive animal behavior such as chemical scent trails produced by food or conspecifics. Decrypting the scent-trailing behavior of vertebrates, particularly invasive species, enables the discovery of cues that induce exploratory behavior and can aid in the development of valuable basic...
Parker, M. Rockwell; Currylow, Andrea Faye; Tillman, Eric A.; Robinson, Charlotte J.; Josimovich, Jillian Maureen; Bukovich, Isabella M.G.; Nazarian, Lauren A.; Nafus, Melia G.; Kluever, Bryan M.; Yackel Adams, Amy A.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Evaluating lethal toxicant doses for the largest individuals of an invasive vertebrate predator with indeterminate growth
The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) was accidentally introduced to Guam and caused severe ecological and economic damages. Acetaminophen is an effective, low-risk oral toxicant for invasive brown treesnakes, and an automated aerial delivery system (ADS) has been developed for landscape-scale toxic bait distribution. A fixed dose of 80 mg of...
Siers, Shane R.; Goetz, Scott Michael; Volsteadt, Rachel M.; Nafus, Melia G.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Hemidactylus cf. platyurus (Asian flat-tailed house gecko)
No abstract available.
Kabat, K. L.; Young, D. V.; Van Ee, N. B.; Xiong, P. X.; Bradke, D. R.; Nafus, Melia G.; Hileman, Eric ThomasAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Hemidactylus tenkatei (Spotted house gecko)
No abstract available.
Van Ee, N. B.; Xiong, P. X.; Young, D. V.; Kabat, K. L.; Bradke, D. R.; Hileman, Eric Thomas; Nafus, Melia G.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Behavior, size, and body condition predict susceptibility to management and reflect post-treatment frequency shifts in an invasive snake
Foraging behavior can have population-level effects that are of interest for wildlife management. For invasive species, foraging behavior has been tied to establishment ability and rate of spread and is generally of import in understanding invasion biology. A major method for controlling invasive vertebrates is using food-based baits as...
Nafus, Melia G.; Yackel Adams, Amy A.; Boback, S. M.; Siers, SR; Reed, RobertAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Landscape dominance of introduced herpetofauna on an oceanic island
Habitat loss and fragmentation can negatively impact native wildlife and facilitate establishment of introduced species. On islands, introduced species are a primary cause of extinction and can alter community membership through predation or competition for resources. Consequently, elucidating the distribution of introduced and native species can...
Hileman, Eric Thomas; Eichelberger, Bradley A.; Liske-Clark, Jill; Barnhart, Patrick D; Reed, Robert; Yackel Adams, Amy A.; Nafus, Melia G.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Estimating detection probability for Burmese Pythons with few detections and zero recapture events
Detection has been a long-standing challenge to monitoring populations of cryptic herpetofauna, which often have detection probabilities that are closer to zero than one. Burmese Pythons (Python bivittatus =Python molurus bivittatus), a recent invader in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem of Florida, are cryptic snakes that have long periods of...
Nafus, Melia G.; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Reed, RobertAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Use of visual surveys and radiotelemetry reveals sources of detection bias for a cryptic snake at low densities
Transect surveys are frequently used to estimate distribution and abundance of species across a landscape, yet a proportion of individuals present will be missed because either they were out of view and unavailable for detection or they were available but not detected because the surveyors missed them. These situations lead to availability and...
Boback, SM; Nafus, Melia G.; Yackel Adams, Amy A.; Reed, RobertAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
Using incidental mark-encounter data to improve survival estimation
Obtaining robust survival estimates is critical, but sample size limitations often result in imprecise estimates or the failure to obtain estimates for population subgroups. Concurrently, data are often recorded on incidental reencounters of marked individuals, but these incidental data are often unused in survival analyses.We evaluated the...
Harju, Seth M.; Cambrin, SM; Averill-Murray, RC; Nafus, Melia G.; Field, Kimberleigh J; Allison, Linda J.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
Contact rates with nesting birds before and after invasive snake removal: Estimating the effects of trap-based control
Invasive predators are responsible for almost 60% of all vertebrate extinctions worldwide with the most vulnerable faunas occurring on islands. The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) is a notorious invasive predator that caused the extirpation or extinction of most native forest birds on Guam. The success of avian reintroduction efforts on...
Yackel Adams, Amy A.; Nafus, Melia G.; Klug, Page; Lardner, Bjorn; Mazurek, M.J.; Savidge, Julie A.; Reed, RobertAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
Effects of short-term, outdoor head-starting on growth and survival in the mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii)
The combination of life-history traits that makes some turtle species vulnerable to population declines also limits their ability to recover even after threats have been addressed. Because juvenile turtle survival is typically lower than adult survival, head-starting, the process of rearing juveniles through one of their most vulnerable periods,...
Tuberbille, Tracey D.; Buhlmann, Kurt A.; Sollmann, Rahel; Nafus, Melia G.; Peaden, J. Mark; Daly, Jacob A.; Todd, Brian D.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Pre-USGS Publications
Nafus MG (2015) Indeterminate growth in desert tortoises. Copeia, 103: 520-524. http://dx.doi.org/10.1643/CH-14-192
Peaden JM, Tuberville TD, Buhlmann KA, Nafus MG, and Todd BD (2015) Delimiting road-effect zones for threatened species: implications for mitigation fencing. Wildlife Research, 42: 650-659. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR15082
Nafus MG, Tuberville TD, Buhlmann KA, and Todd BD (2013) Occurrence and demographic structure of Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) along roads of varying size and traffic volume. Biological Conservation, 162: 100-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.04.009
Bunting JE, Giles DA, Nafus MG, Nemeth Z, Poletto JB, Roe SM, Thomas RE, VanderWaal K, Caro T. (2011) A primer of conservation behavior. Animal Behaviour, 81: 353-355. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.011