Survivorship and Spatial Patterns of an Urban Population of Texas Horned Lizards

Survivorship and Spatial Patterns of an Urban Population of Texas Horned Lizards

Habitat fragmentation has negative consequences on threatened and endangered species by creating isolated populations. The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is experiencing population declines and localized extirpations throughout its range and has been classified as a species of greatest co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of wildlife management Vol. 85; no. 6; pp. 1267 - 1279
Main Authors: VESY, MIRANDA N., WATTERS, JESSA L., MOODY, RAYMOND W., SCHAUBER, ERIC M., MOOK, JENNIE M., SILER, CAMERON D.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Bethesda Wiley 01-08-2021
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects:
Adults
Endangered species
Grasslands
Habitat fragmentation
harmonic radar
Hatching
hatchling
Home range
Juveniles
Lizards
long‐term monitoring
Morphometry
Oklahoma
Population
Population decline
Population Ecology
Population studies
Populations
Species classification
Survival
Telemetry
Threatened species
Urban populations
urbanization
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife habitats
Wildlife management
United States > US
Texas
Oklahoma
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Summary:Habitat fragmentation has negative consequences on threatened and endangered species by creating isolated populations. The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is experiencing population declines and localized extirpations throughout its range and has been classified as a species of greatest conservation need in Oklahoma, USA. Younger age classes have been poorly studied but may be vital to the stability of remaining populations. To address gaps in knowledge concerning subadult (hatchling and juvenile) morphometrics, survivorship, and home range sizes, we studied 2 cohorts of subadults, for 2 years each, covering their hatching and juvenile years (2016–2019). We used a combination of radio-telemetry and novel harmonic radar methodology to study a closed population of Texas horned lizards in 15 ha of native grassland at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Population abundance for adults and juveniles was estimated as 56.5±5.5 lizards and density as 7.96 lizards/ha. Our lowest estimates of survival indicated an average survival probability for the hatchling life stage of 0.285 (95% CI=0.15–0.44), which is lower than for adults on the site. Average home range size increased from hatchling to adult life stages. Our results will have an immediate effect on the planning and assessment of ongoing headstart and management programs for Texas horned lizards.
ISSN:0022-541X
1937-2817
DOI:10.1002/jwmg.22064