| Abstract: | For management of a species to be effective, the underlying ecological relationships that promote survival and reproduction must be better understood. Specifically for reptile species, management can prove difficult due to their cryptic behaviors. Texas Alligator Lizards (Gerrhonotus infernalis) range from Central Texas and extending into adjacent northeastern Mexico and are generally lacking in published ecological studies on movement patterns and habitat use. Only one study in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico has attempted to describe the ecological aspects of this species. I designed two studies at Bamberger Ranch Preserve, Blanco County, Texas to provide baseline ecological data for G. infernalis. The objectives of my first study were to utilize radiotelemetry to assess movement patterns by sex, season, and year and include both terrestrial and arboreal activity. The objectives of my second study were to utilize radiotelemetry to assess seasonal habitat use at the broad and fine scale including terrestrial and arboreal use. Two-way ANOVAs indicated movement patterns and arboreality were influenced by temporal (e.g., seasonal) and behavioral cues (e.g., breeding period) but generally no differences were observed by sex. Annual home range varied, but males averaged larger 95% MCP annual home ranges while females averaged larger 50% MCP core use areas, although not significantly different. Territoriality was not evident in the populations studied here with annual overlap around fifty percent, but overlap did vary by season with the most occurring during the breeding season. The macrohabitat analysis indicated a strong association with oak/hardwood rocky slope forests across all seasons, but habitat types utilized expanded or contracted by season. Candidate models based on logistic regression and Akaike's information criterion indicated that structural habitat in terms of woody vegetation and debris, rock refuge, and canopy cover were important predictors of habitat use, although some variation did occur by season. Tree species was not important in arboreal habitat use, but common trends in tree characteristics were evident. Lizards primarily perched under canopy cover on thin branches and often within dense woody structures. These findings provide novel insights into the ecology of G. infernalis in Central Texas and will aid in future management activities. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/198631 |
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