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Graduate
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| Pasquale (Pat) Razzano (1999), who investigated genetic variation in six-lined racerunners (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus), a very fast little lizard that is found over much of North America. This work started with the "discovery" of a tiny population of these lizards in Michigan, 240 miles beyond the previously known range limit of the species. The burning question: is this population a relic of some old invasion, and therefore needing immediate conservation attention, or the result of an introduction by some misguided pet owner? Pat was unable to provide as much resolution as we had hoped, but he did build a good foundation for future work. His research will result in useful information about the patterns of recolonization of North America following glacial melting 18,000 -20,000 years ago. Click here for an abstract of his results. |
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| Jeremy
Feinberg (2000: Nesting ecology of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) at Gateway National Recreational Area) started work on the amazingly large population of diamondback terrapins in nearby Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a part of Gateway National Recreational Area. He gathered detailed information on the reproductive ecology of diamondback terrapins and the amazingly high levels of nest predation there by raccoons. Hordes of volunteers helped him out and together they did a tremendous job. |
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Bill
Capitano (2004: Box turtle (Terrapene carolina) home range, nesting ecology, and hatchling survivorship at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge) studied the box turtles of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, on the south shore of Long Island. He radio tracked a group of females with the goal of locating nests and tracking the hatchlings. He was successful in finding several nests each year for three years, he monitored incubation duration, hatching success, and hatchling movements.
Click here to view the abstract. |
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Sylwia
Ner (2003: Predation rates on diamondback terrapin nests at six upland islands of Jamaica Bay and Sandy Hook Units of Gateway National Recreation Area) built on Feinberg's work by evaluating survival at all major diamondback terrapin nesting beaches at Gateway National Recreational Area. Some of the Jamaica Bay islands were more or less free of raccoons and in some years these islands were safe nesting sites for terrapins. Sylwia found small numbers of predated nests and emerging hatchlings in places which were previously thought to have no nesting. Her work included a summer of terrapin work at Sandy Hook, NJ, the southernmost part of Gateway.
Click here to view the abstract. |
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Maria
Giambanco (2003: Comparison of fertility rates, hatchling survivorship and sex ratios of field and laboratory incubated nests of the estuarine turtle Malaclemys terrapin) studied diamondback terrapin fertility rates and hatchling survivorship at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with attention also paid to sex ratios of hatchling turtles and predation of eggs by dunegrass. She protected freshly laid terrapin nests throughout the nesting season to prevent predation by raccoons. These results were compared to the sex ratios of hatchlings from eggs that have been collected and incubated in the lab; so as to infer the sexes of emerging hatchlings.
Click here to view the abstract. |
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| Kathrina
Broadwater (2005) studied the size and movements of
the raccoon population of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. These
raccoons are the major predator of terrapin nests and also eat
adult terrapins. Kat live trapped the raccoons, and then measured,
marked, and released them. She documented lots of successful
reproduction, and showed that during the terrapin nesting season
the raccoons put on a lot of weight. |
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Sam
Lee (2003: Repatriation success and health assessment
of eastern box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) at Caumsett
State Park) studied home range, movements, health, and Mycoplasm
status of both resident and repatriated box turtles. He found
that repatriated box turtles can do fine—though sometimes
they move very long distances!
Click here to view
the abstract. |
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CURRENTLY DOING FIELD WORK:
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Amanda Widrig 2006?
Something like: Diamondback terrapin nest site choice, nest
temperatures, and offspring sex ratios at Jamaica Bay Wildlife
Refuge.
Sharon Sclafani Something like: Nest site selection
in diamondback terrapins; a test of Roosenberg's maternal condition-dependent
nest choice hypothesis
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| Asma Madad 2007? Something
like: Movement and reproductive ecology of spotted turtles on
Long Island, New York. |
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| Rafael Sierra 2007?
Something like: A stable isotope analysis of the role of diamondback
terrapins in nutrient flow in Jamaica Bay, New York. |
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