Michael Cherkiss
Michael Cherkiss' research interests include population ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, with experience extending to radio telemetry and transmitter attachment on pythons, crocodilians, sea turtles and other species.
BACKGROUND
Prior to joining the USGS, Cherkiss was a biologist with the University of Florida for over ten years. He has over 15 years’ experience conducting research in the coastal areas of South Florida, Everglades ecosystems and internationally throughout the Caribbean, Central and South American.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 2000
B.S., Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 1996
Science and Products
Satellite tracking of sea turtles using Biscayne National Park, 2009-2021 Satellite tracking of sea turtles using Biscayne National Park, 2009-2021
This dataset includes details of loggerhead and green turtles captured and satellite tagged between 2009 and 2021; the turtles presented here have tracking days within Biscayne National Park. A subset of turtles was captured within Biscayne National Park, whereas others were tracked to the study site, and tagged elsewhere. The dataset contains information related to satellite tracking (e...
Diet of invasive Burmese Pythons (Python molorus bivittatus) in southern Florida, 1995-2020 Diet of invasive Burmese Pythons (Python molorus bivittatus) in southern Florida, 1995-2020
Digestive tract contents were identified to provide an account of Burmese python diet. Diet contents came from 1716 pythons collected by cooperators during 1995-2020 from public and private lands across southern Florida, primarily within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Burmese pythons consumed 76 species of fauna across three taxonomic classes (Aves, Mammalia, and Reptilia).
Size distribution and reproductive data of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA, 1995-2021 Size distribution and reproductive data of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA, 1995-2021
This dataset contains morphometric information from Burmese pythons collected from an invasive population in southern Florida between 1995-2021. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service curated this dataset as a repository for records of Burmese pythons found on or nearby federal lands in southern Florida, including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress...
Tracking durations for marine turtles satellite tagged in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sites, 2008-2019 Tracking durations for marine turtles satellite tagged in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sites, 2008-2019
This dataset contains tracking durations for several species of sea turtles tagged with satellite tags between 2008 and 2019. It contains information on species, turtle size, capture methods, tag type, how many days each tag transmitted, whether or not the tag was still attached upon recapture, fouling 'status' of the tag, and foraging region. This dataset thus allows estimation of...
Burmese python acceleration and location data, Everglades National Park, 2010 - 2012 Burmese python acceleration and location data, Everglades National Park, 2010 - 2012
The dataset contains 3 components: (1) acceleration data logger (ADL) data, (2) GPS location data, and (3) body temperature data. We have ADL data from pythons in captivity (N = 2) and in free-ranging snakes (N=4). We have GPS data for 3 out of 4 free-ranging snakes. We have body temperature data for all 4 free-ranging snakes.
Hatch dates of American crocodile nests in Everglades National Park and Turkey Point Power Plant 1983-2016 Hatch dates of American crocodile nests in Everglades National Park and Turkey Point Power Plant 1983-2016
We monitored nests from 1983 to 2016 during the crocodile nesting season (April through August) as part of a long-term American crocodile monitoring programs within Everglades National Park (ENP; since 1978) and Turkey Point Power Plant (TP; since 1983). Nests were located during April and May (egg laying period) and monitored from June to August (hatching period). During the hatching...
Filter Total Items: 52
Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools
Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are native to southeastern Asia, however, there is an established invasive population inhabiting much of southern Florida throughout the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Pythons have severely impacted native species and ecosystems in Florida and represent one of the most intractable invasive-species management issues across the globe. The...
Authors
Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Bryan G. Falk, Brian J. Smith, John David Willson, Robert Reed, Nicholas Aumen, Michael L. Avery, Ian A. Bartoszek, Earl Campbell, Michael Cherkiss, Natalie M. Claunch, Andrea Faye Currylow, Tylan Dean, Jeremy Dixon, Richard M. Engeman, Sarah Funck, Rebekah Gibble, Kodiak C. Hengstebeck, John S. Humphrey, Margaret Hunter, Jillian Josimovich, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Michael Kirkland, Frank J. Mazzotti, Robert A. McCleery, Melissa A. Miller, Matthew F. McCollister, M. Rockwell Parker, Shannon E. Pittman, Michael R. Rochford, Christina Romagosa, Art Roybal, Ray W. Snow, McKayla M. Spencer, Hardin Waddle, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Kristen Hart
Crocodylus acutus (American crocodile). Diet Crocodylus acutus (American crocodile). Diet
Reported prey items of Crocodylus acutus include insects, crustaceans, fish, and large reptiles (Medem 1981. Los Crocodylia de Sur America. Volumen I. Los Crocodylia de Colombia. Colciencias. Bogota, Colombia. 398 pp.; Platt et al. 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:202–203; Platt et al. 2013. J. Herpetol. 47:1–10; Balaguera-Reina et al. 2018. Ecosphere 9:e02393). Recently, new potential prey items...
Authors
Sidney T. Godfrey, Michael Cherkiss, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Michiko A. Squires, Frank J. Mazzotti, Lindsey Hord, William Billings
Size distribution and reproductive phenology of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA Size distribution and reproductive phenology of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA
The design of successful invasive species control programs is often hindered by the absence of basic demographic data on the targeted population. Establishment of invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida USA has led to local precipitous declines (> 90%) of mesomammal populations and is also a major threat to native populations of...
Authors
Andrea Faye Currylow, Bryan Falk, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Christina M. Romagosa, Jillian Josimovich, Michael R. Rochford, Michael Cherkiss, Melia Gail Nafus, Kristen Hart, Frank J. Mazzotti, Ray W. Snow, Robert Reed
Natural and anthropogenic factors influencing nesting ecology of the American crocodile in Florida, United States Natural and anthropogenic factors influencing nesting ecology of the American crocodile in Florida, United States
Nesting ecology of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in Florida has been both positively and negatively influenced by anthropogenic and natural factors since the species was placed on the federally endangered species list in 1975. This includes a shift in nesting sites and an expansion of nesting to anthropogenic habitat. Using a 50-year record of monitoring data (1970-2020), we...
Authors
Frank J. Mazzotti, Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, Laura A. Brandt, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Michael Cherkiss, Seth C Farris, Avishka Godahewa
Stable isotopes used to infer trophic position of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Dry Tortugas National Park, Gulf of Mexico, United States Stable isotopes used to infer trophic position of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Dry Tortugas National Park, Gulf of Mexico, United States
Evaluating resource use patterns for imperiled species is critical for understanding what supports their populations. Here we established stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) values for the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) population found within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), south Florida, USA. There is little gene flow between turtles sampled at DRTO and in...
Authors
David Roche, Michael Cherkiss, Brian J. Smith, Derek A. Burkholder, Kristen Hart
American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades
The federally threatened American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is a flagship species and ecological indicator of hydrologic restoration in the Florida Everglades. We conducted a long-term capture-recapture study on the South Florida population of American crocodiles from 1978 to 2015 to evaluate the effects of restoration efforts to more historic hydrologic conditions. The study...
Authors
Venetia S. Briggs-Gonzalez, Mathieu Basille, Michael Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti
Science and Products
Satellite tracking of sea turtles using Biscayne National Park, 2009-2021 Satellite tracking of sea turtles using Biscayne National Park, 2009-2021
This dataset includes details of loggerhead and green turtles captured and satellite tagged between 2009 and 2021; the turtles presented here have tracking days within Biscayne National Park. A subset of turtles was captured within Biscayne National Park, whereas others were tracked to the study site, and tagged elsewhere. The dataset contains information related to satellite tracking (e...
Diet of invasive Burmese Pythons (Python molorus bivittatus) in southern Florida, 1995-2020 Diet of invasive Burmese Pythons (Python molorus bivittatus) in southern Florida, 1995-2020
Digestive tract contents were identified to provide an account of Burmese python diet. Diet contents came from 1716 pythons collected by cooperators during 1995-2020 from public and private lands across southern Florida, primarily within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Burmese pythons consumed 76 species of fauna across three taxonomic classes (Aves, Mammalia, and Reptilia).
Size distribution and reproductive data of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA, 1995-2021 Size distribution and reproductive data of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA, 1995-2021
This dataset contains morphometric information from Burmese pythons collected from an invasive population in southern Florida between 1995-2021. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service curated this dataset as a repository for records of Burmese pythons found on or nearby federal lands in southern Florida, including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress...
Tracking durations for marine turtles satellite tagged in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sites, 2008-2019 Tracking durations for marine turtles satellite tagged in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sites, 2008-2019
This dataset contains tracking durations for several species of sea turtles tagged with satellite tags between 2008 and 2019. It contains information on species, turtle size, capture methods, tag type, how many days each tag transmitted, whether or not the tag was still attached upon recapture, fouling 'status' of the tag, and foraging region. This dataset thus allows estimation of...
Burmese python acceleration and location data, Everglades National Park, 2010 - 2012 Burmese python acceleration and location data, Everglades National Park, 2010 - 2012
The dataset contains 3 components: (1) acceleration data logger (ADL) data, (2) GPS location data, and (3) body temperature data. We have ADL data from pythons in captivity (N = 2) and in free-ranging snakes (N=4). We have GPS data for 3 out of 4 free-ranging snakes. We have body temperature data for all 4 free-ranging snakes.
Hatch dates of American crocodile nests in Everglades National Park and Turkey Point Power Plant 1983-2016 Hatch dates of American crocodile nests in Everglades National Park and Turkey Point Power Plant 1983-2016
We monitored nests from 1983 to 2016 during the crocodile nesting season (April through August) as part of a long-term American crocodile monitoring programs within Everglades National Park (ENP; since 1978) and Turkey Point Power Plant (TP; since 1983). Nests were located during April and May (egg laying period) and monitored from June to August (hatching period). During the hatching...
Filter Total Items: 52
Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools
Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are native to southeastern Asia, however, there is an established invasive population inhabiting much of southern Florida throughout the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Pythons have severely impacted native species and ecosystems in Florida and represent one of the most intractable invasive-species management issues across the globe. The...
Authors
Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Bryan G. Falk, Brian J. Smith, John David Willson, Robert Reed, Nicholas Aumen, Michael L. Avery, Ian A. Bartoszek, Earl Campbell, Michael Cherkiss, Natalie M. Claunch, Andrea Faye Currylow, Tylan Dean, Jeremy Dixon, Richard M. Engeman, Sarah Funck, Rebekah Gibble, Kodiak C. Hengstebeck, John S. Humphrey, Margaret Hunter, Jillian Josimovich, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Michael Kirkland, Frank J. Mazzotti, Robert A. McCleery, Melissa A. Miller, Matthew F. McCollister, M. Rockwell Parker, Shannon E. Pittman, Michael R. Rochford, Christina Romagosa, Art Roybal, Ray W. Snow, McKayla M. Spencer, Hardin Waddle, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Kristen Hart
Crocodylus acutus (American crocodile). Diet Crocodylus acutus (American crocodile). Diet
Reported prey items of Crocodylus acutus include insects, crustaceans, fish, and large reptiles (Medem 1981. Los Crocodylia de Sur America. Volumen I. Los Crocodylia de Colombia. Colciencias. Bogota, Colombia. 398 pp.; Platt et al. 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:202–203; Platt et al. 2013. J. Herpetol. 47:1–10; Balaguera-Reina et al. 2018. Ecosphere 9:e02393). Recently, new potential prey items...
Authors
Sidney T. Godfrey, Michael Cherkiss, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Michiko A. Squires, Frank J. Mazzotti, Lindsey Hord, William Billings
Size distribution and reproductive phenology of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA Size distribution and reproductive phenology of the invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA
The design of successful invasive species control programs is often hindered by the absence of basic demographic data on the targeted population. Establishment of invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida USA has led to local precipitous declines (> 90%) of mesomammal populations and is also a major threat to native populations of...
Authors
Andrea Faye Currylow, Bryan Falk, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Christina M. Romagosa, Jillian Josimovich, Michael R. Rochford, Michael Cherkiss, Melia Gail Nafus, Kristen Hart, Frank J. Mazzotti, Ray W. Snow, Robert Reed
Natural and anthropogenic factors influencing nesting ecology of the American crocodile in Florida, United States Natural and anthropogenic factors influencing nesting ecology of the American crocodile in Florida, United States
Nesting ecology of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in Florida has been both positively and negatively influenced by anthropogenic and natural factors since the species was placed on the federally endangered species list in 1975. This includes a shift in nesting sites and an expansion of nesting to anthropogenic habitat. Using a 50-year record of monitoring data (1970-2020), we...
Authors
Frank J. Mazzotti, Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, Laura A. Brandt, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Michael Cherkiss, Seth C Farris, Avishka Godahewa
Stable isotopes used to infer trophic position of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Dry Tortugas National Park, Gulf of Mexico, United States Stable isotopes used to infer trophic position of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Dry Tortugas National Park, Gulf of Mexico, United States
Evaluating resource use patterns for imperiled species is critical for understanding what supports their populations. Here we established stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) values for the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) population found within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), south Florida, USA. There is little gene flow between turtles sampled at DRTO and in...
Authors
David Roche, Michael Cherkiss, Brian J. Smith, Derek A. Burkholder, Kristen Hart
American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades
The federally threatened American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is a flagship species and ecological indicator of hydrologic restoration in the Florida Everglades. We conducted a long-term capture-recapture study on the South Florida population of American crocodiles from 1978 to 2015 to evaluate the effects of restoration efforts to more historic hydrologic conditions. The study...
Authors
Venetia S. Briggs-Gonzalez, Mathieu Basille, Michael Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti