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The Plains Spotted Skunk (Spilogale interrupta) historically occurred across parts of the eastern and midwestern United States west of the Mississippi River. Following perceived population declines across much of its range, efforts to assess populations of this species have increased. Here, we report novel records of S. interrupta from this area of south Texas for the first time since 1961. This rediscovery demonstrates the persistence of this species in an underreported portion of its range. This information is useful for better understanding the distribution and population status of S. interrupta in Texas and broadly throughout North America and is crucial for future applied conservation policy efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Department of Beni, in the country of Bolivia, is thought to host a significant level of biodiversity as a result of its tropical, moist, and diverse climate and landscape. However, the biodiversity of Beni is also considered poorly known and understudied due to its inaccessible landscapes, socio-economic challenges, and an overall lack of biodiversity infrastructure. This emphasizes the need for comprehensive species inventories and the development of effective conservation policies and strategies. We conducted an assessment of biodiversity, environmental vulnerability, and conservation status of reptiles documented in Beni. We identified 169 reptile species, spanning three orders and twenty-five families that have been officially documented in Beni. Utilizing the Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS), we classified these species into high (17.8%), medium (68.1%), and low (14.2%) vulnerability categories, while IUCN categorization revealed 1.8% of reptile species in Beni are classified as vulnerable and 0.6% as near threatened. We found significant differences in ecological drivers of vulnerability among species within all categories (high, medium, low), with habitat specificity and human persecution being significantly higher for high and medium-vulnerability species. Our results demonstrate the intricate vulnerabilities of Beni's reptiles, highlighting the need for comprehensive, species-specific conservation strategies and planning. Most importantly, our results offer a consolidated framework of information on reptile biodiversity and conservation for researchers, conservationists, and policymakers to use and build upon in the future that will facilitate the development of biodiversity infrastructure not only in the Department of Beni but throughout Bolivia and the Neotropics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological light pollution is now recognized as a significant source of ecosystem alteration. We documented that holiday lights are a seasonal source of light pollution that constitute an ecological trap for eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger). Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) wildlife students surveyed a 2-km walking transect 5 times per month each month for the relative abundance and diel behavior of eastern fox squirrels and feral cats (Felis catus) on the TAMUK campus during 2018-2019. Eastern fox squirrels exhibited diurnal behaviors throughout the year but extended their foraging behavior nearly 4 hours after sunset with the addition of holiday lights. Feral cats and owls (Strigiformes) exhibited diurnal and nocturnal behaviors but conducted the majority of their hunting during crepuscular hours. We documented that monthly squirrel mortality increased 7-fold with the addition of holiday lights, possibly due to the extension of foraging time by squirrels. Although seasonal lighting is intended to be festive for humans, it can have negative consequences for eastern fox squirrels. Educating the public concerning the issue of light pollution on wildlife species is needed because the majority of the public appears unaware that bright lights can negatively alter wildlife behaviors. Reducing light intensity by either using less outdoor lights or perhaps using colored lights rather than clear white bulbs may lessen the negative effect on foraging behavior of squirrels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article details the diet and behavior of the Spirit Ground Snake (Psomophis genimaculatus), a small nonvenomous colubrid found in diverse habitats from Bolivia to Brazil and Argentina, highlighting its primarily frog and lizard diet and its diurnal, terrestrial, and semiarboreal nature.

The article reports an observed anomaly in an adult female Micrurus lemniscatus, found in Trinidad, Bolivia, where the third and fourth triads lacked the typical red ring, exhibiting a unique irregular red spot instead.

The article focuses on observing an adult female Oxybelis fulgidus capturing and beginning to ingest an adult blue-winged parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius) in the upper canopy of a pacay tree in Bolivia, shedding light on its diet which primarily consists of birds and lizards.

The article focuses on Holbrookia subcaudalis, a lizard species, and reports a predation event where an adult male H. subcaudalis was consumed by a Thamnophis marcianus (Checkered Gartersnake) during a telemetry study in Texas, U.S.

The article focuses on Holbrookia lacerata and Holbrookia subcaudalis, two recently elevated species of small lizards, and reports repeated avian predation on both species by Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus).

The article focuses on the mating behavior of Holbrookia lacerata (Plateau Spot-tailed Earless Lizard), a recently recognized species in central Texas, describing the courtship and copulation process observed in a laboratory setting, shedding light on their reproductive behavior.

The article describes the observation of a mass aggregation of Storeria dekayi snakes utilizing an artificial cotton module tarp as a overwintering site, highlighting the species' ability to adapt to anthropogenically altered habitats and suggesting the importance of artificial structures.

The article reports multiple observations of Holbrookia subcaudalis, a Tamaulipan Spot-tailed Earless Lizard, using elevated perches, suggesting potential thermoregulation or mating-related motivations for this behavior.

The article describes the first documented case of a Texas Tortoise being strangled to death by Cynanchum laeve vines, highlighting the potential hazard this native plant poses to the species.

The article focuses on the diet of Mastigodryas boddaerti, a medium-sized nonvenomous colubrid snake found in tropical habitats of South America, particularly in Bolivia.

The article focuses on the impact of Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) on native wildlife, particularly reptiles and amphibians vulnerable during their egg-laying and hatchling stages. Topics include the specific threat posed by fire ants to American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), including their colonization of alligator nests and the potential implications for nest success rates.

Previous studies have explored spatial ecology and habitat use of alligators and other crocodilian species. However, few studies have explored these characteristics in urban environments. We studied an alligator population that occurred in an urban-influenced ecosystem, a habitat that has received little scientific attention. Our objectives were to determine spatial ecology and habitat use of American alligators within this urban system and to provide a template of methodology and analytical techniques that can be used by urban biologists, planners and researchers in order to assess and study urban crocodilian populations. We recorded 653 observations of alligators and their locations during 19 alligator surveys at an encounter rate of 0.6 alligators per km/survey. Results indicated that alligators exhibited clustering patterns of distribution. Thirteen different wetland types occurred within our survey area, but alligators were only observed in 10 of the 13. We found few differences in habitat use among size classes. We observed little segregation between adult and subadult size classes. However, there was spatial segregation between hatchlings and all other size classes, presumably due to female nest site selection. Alligators of all size classes seemingly avoided areas of high human activity; therefore, urbanization can influence alligator distribution and habitat use within wetland ecosystems. We provide methods and information that can be incorporated into future research and management of urban crocodilian populations. Utilizing this information, biologists can identify potential target areas for implementing management strategies, identify habitat and nesting areas, and mitigate human–alligator conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the species including, "Holbrookia Lacerata (Plateau Spot-tailed Earless Lizard)" and "Holbrookia Subcaudalis (Tamaulipan Spot-tailed Earless Lizard)" explores about its geographical distribution and collection of specimen.

The article discusses research on the specie, "Gopherus berlandieri (Texas Tortoise)" and explores about its geographical distribution and collection of specimen, along with explores mortality of the species.

The article investigates the relationship between cranial morphology and total body length in American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), focusing on the accuracy of estimating body size from head size measurements. Topics discussed include the consistency of morphometric relationships across different alligator size classes and sexes, the impact of cranial changes on gape size and prey capture, and recommendations for improving size estimation methods.

Information on heterodon platirhinos from the eastern U.S. including informations related to topics like its diet, the habitat in which it is found, and its physical traits is presented.

The article reports on the physical aberrancy of an adult female Holbrookia subcaudalis lizard from Texas, which was found to be missing its entire rear left leg, with no visible scarring, and the possible causes of this limb loss, as well as the lizard's behavior and reproductive output.

The article discusses a study of the use of time of night as a technique for conducting American alligator nighttime surveys. Topics covered include the effect of time of night on the alligator detectability and the estimated relative density of American alligators from the surveys, the differences in alligator relative density by month due to the differences in alligator behavior, and the increase in detection rates during the breeding season in the month of May.

The article discusses research on the species including, "Holbrookia Lacerata (Plateau Spot-tailed Earless Lizard)" and "Holbrookia Subcaudalis (Tamaulipan Spot-tailed Earless Lizard)" explores about its geographical distribution, along with its habitat use.

The article discusses research on the specie, "Spea bombifrons (Plains Spadefoot)" and explores about its geographical distribution and collection of specimen.

We present the first records of Tropidurus chromatops Harvey & Gutberlet, 1998 from the Beni Department (Bolivia) and extend this species' distribution to western Bolivia by approximately 256 km in a straight line to the Beni Floodplains ecoregion. Likewise, we contribute information on some aspects of the natural history, altitude of occurrence, and the geographic distribution of T. chromatops in the Department of Beni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the tagging techniques to be used in research on crocodilians and American alligators and have included passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Topics discussed include using the tag applicator T-Bar anchor fish tag reported by Dell; negative effect of aquatic vegetation on the visibility of tags; and recapture of alligators who have been tagged with tail tags.

The article offers information of the Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus also known as Yellow-bellied Liophis, is a medium sized terrestrial or semi-aquatic colubrid that is widely distributed across South America from southeastern Venezuela and eastern Guyana across Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.