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Subsidized predators are animals whose populations proliferate through association with humans. As subsidized predators, birds in the family Corvidae (Corvus spp., crows and ravens) pose an additive mortality threat to turtle eggs, juveniles, and, in some cases, adults. In this synthesis, I (1) review published and unpublished case studies of corvids as predators of chelonians, (2) examine regional population trends of corvids relative to the status of co-occurring chelonian species, and (3) evaluate our current understanding of subsidized corvids as threats to chelonians. Hyperpredation of chelonians by corvids is geographically widespread, locally severe where and when predation occurs, facilitated by anthropogenic subsidies (e.g., food, water, and perching, nesting, and roosting sites) and linear corridors (e.g., roads, electrical infrastructure), commonly associated with nesting corvids as predators, and co-occurring with corvid population increases. Hyperpredation by corvids appears to affect demographically sensitive stages of chelonian populations (juveniles and reproductive females) and very likely has long-term detrimental consequences given the slow life history of chelonians. The threat posed to chelonian populations by subsidized corvids is more widespread than currently recognized on the basis of substantial regional increases in corvid populations, the underreporting of predation observations, and the broad geographic areas over which hyperpredation of chelonians is occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate ectotherms have responded to recent environmental change, likely due to the direct and indirect effects of temperature on key life cycle events. Yet, a substantial number of ectotherms are fossorial, spending the vast majority of their lives in subterranean microhabitats that are assumed to be buffered against environmental change. Here, we examine whether seasonal climatic conditions influence body condition (a measure of general health and vigor), reproductive output, and breeding phenology in a northern population of fossorial salamander (Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum). We found that breeding body condition declined over a 12‐year monitoring period (2008–2019) with warmer summer and autumn temperatures at least partly responsible for the observed decline in body condition. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated metabolism drives the negative association between temperature and condition. Population‐level reproduction, assessed via egg mass counts, showed high interannual variation and was weakly influenced by autumn temperatures. Salamander breeding phenology was strongly correlated with lake ice melt but showed no long‐term temporal trend (1986–2019). Climatic warming in the region, which has been and is forecasted to be strongest in the summer and autumn, is predicted to lead to a 5%–27% decline in salamander body condition under realistic near‐future climate scenarios. Although the subterranean environment offers a thermal buffer, the observed decline in condition and relatively strong effect of summer temperature on body condition suggest that fossorial salamanders are sensitive to the effects of a warming climate. Given the diversity of fossorial taxa, heightened attention to the vulnerability of subterranean microhabitat refugia and their inhabitants is warranted amid global climatic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that reports on the longevity and captive husbandry of a male Uromastyx dispar maliensis, a spiny-tailed agama, for a period of 19 years and 5 months. The lizard was maintained on a sand substrate in an enclosure with stacks and crevices of shale rock, and was fed a diet of mixed vegetables, leafy greens, miscellaneous vegetables, and animal protein. This study provides valuable information on the husbandry and longevity of Uromastyx in captivity.

We report summer caching of a partial carcass of a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn by an Eastern Wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon) in a Sphagnum bog in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The microhabitat conditions in bogs (i.e., low temperature, acidity, and organochemical compounds) likely inhibit food spoilage, making bogs potentially important sites for food caching. Wolves in Algonquin Park experience low summer food availability and high pup mortality from starvation. Caches likely serve as necessary reserve food stores for adults and pups. Recent research has shown that wetland habitats are important den and rendezvous sites for Algonquin Eastern Wolves based on prey availability and, we suggest, perhaps for food storage and accessibility. This caching behaviour was recorded on video. We recommend that future research investigate Eastern Wolf selection of food-caching sites, as a complement to other spatial ecology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare diet and feeding behaviour of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) and Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. We observed young Chelydra and Chrysemys turtles feeding on insect and amphibian larvae in ephemeral ponds, adult Chrysemys terrestrially foraging on odonate larvae, and adult Chelydra consuming aquatic vegetation and seeds. These and other observations highlight the importance of seasonally available habitat and food for juvenile turtles. We also discuss the evidence for, and importance of, turtles as seed-dispersal agents for aquatic vegetation. Illustrative video recordings accompany our dietary observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the wounding, conspecific aggression, and reproductive behavior of Pseudemys (P.) concinna (River cooter) which was observed while snorkeling Poe Spring, Alachua County, Florida on March 4, 2020. Topics include probable explanation for the observed wounds of the P. concinna, observations on reproductive behavior in P. conccina, and indication that reproductive behaviors and social organization of these animals are more complex than currently appreciated.

In the original publication of the article, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 were published with an error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]