Conservation Evidence: Evidence Data

Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Add woody debris to landscapes Six studies evaluated the effects of adding woody debris to landscapes on reptile populations. Three studies were in Australia, two were in the USA and one was in Indonesia. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (3 STUDIES) Richness/diversity (5 studies): Four of five studies (including four replicated, randomized, controlled studies) in the USA, Indonesia and Australia found that areas with added woody debris had similar richness and diversity or richness or of reptiles, rare reptiles and snakes and lizards compared to areas with no added debris. The other study found that areas with added woody debris had higher reptile species richness than areas with no added debris. POPULATION RESPONSE (6 STUDIES) Abundance (6 studies): Two of six replicated studies (including four randomized, controlled studies) in Australia, Indonesia and the USA found that areas with added woody debris had a higher abundance of reptiles than areas with no added debris. Three studies found that areas with woody debris had a similar abundance of reptiles and snakes and lizards compared to areas with no added debris. The other study found that pastures with added timber had lower abundance of rare reptile species compared to pastures without timber, but that in pastures with added timber, reptile abundance was higher after 15 months than after 12 months. BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3718https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3718Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:33:28 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Create artificial refuges, hibernacula and aestivation sites Eleven studies evaluated the effects of creating artificial refuges, hibernacula and aestivation sites on reptile populations. Three studies were in each of the UK and Australia, two were in New Zealand and one was in each of the USA, Spain and Italy. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Richness/diversity (1 study): One controlled, before-and-after study in Spain found that areas with refuge logs had higher reptile species richness than areas without refuges. POPULATION RESPONSE (3 STUDIES) Abundance (1 study): One controlled, before-and-after study in Spain found that areas with refuge logs had a higher abundance of reptiles than areas without refuges. Reproductive success (1 study): One study in the UK found that after translocating adders to an artificial hibernaculum, there was evidence of successful reproduction. Survival (1 study): One randomized, controlled, before-and-after study in New Zealand found that in areas with artificial refuges, survival of McCann’s skinks was similar to areas without refuges. BEHAVIOUR (9 STUDIES) Use (9 studies): Nine studies (including one replicated, controlled study and one randomized, controlled study) in the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Italy found that artificial refuges were used by reptiles, common lizards, adders, common geckos, species of skinks, and by an ocellated lizard to lay a clutch of eggs. Four of the studies also found that some reptiles showed a preference for refuges with certain designs or construction materials. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3720https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3720Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:36:45 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Create artificial burrows Six studies evaluated the effects of creating artificial burrows on reptile populations. Five studies were in Australia and one was in the USA. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (2 STUDIES) Abundance (1 study): One controlled, before-and-after study in Australia found that areas with artificial burrows had more pygmy blue tongue lizards than areas with no artificial burrows Reproductive success (1 study): One replicated, controlled study in Australia found that female pygmy bluetongue lizards using artificial burrows produced larger offspring than those using natural burrows. Condition (1 study): One replicated, controlled study in Australia found that female pygmy bluetongue lizards using artificial burrows had better body condition than those using natural burrows. BEHAVIOUR (5 STUDIES) Use (4 studies): Three replicated studies (including one controlled study) in Australia found that artificial burrows were used by resident and translocated pygmy bluetongue lizards. One of the studies also found that pygmy bluetongue lizards preferred artificial burrows with a chamber than burrows with no chamber. One replicated study in the USA found that providing artificial burrows for translocated gopher tortoises resulted in more tortoises settling successfully in the release area. Behaviour change (1 study): One replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in Australia found that translocated pygmy blue tongue lizards used artificial burrows, and supplementary food affected the amount of time they spend in bare ground areasCollected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3721https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3721Mon, 13 Dec 2021 17:02:44 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Create or restore ponds Four studies evaluated the effects of creating or restoring ponds on reptile populations. Two studies were in the USA and one was in each of Austria and China. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (4 STUDIES) Use (4 studies): Four studies (including one replicated and one before-and-after study) in Austria, the USA and China reported that following the creation of ponds, in one case 30–60 years after pond creation, or restoration of a river island that included creation of ponds grass snakes and sand lizards were found on the island, and ponds were occupied by mangrove salt marsh snakaes, common snapping turtles and midland painted turtles and Chinese alligators. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3730https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3730Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:22:24 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Create or restore rock outcrops Five studies evaluated the effects of creating or restoring rock outcrops on reptile populations. All five studies were in Australia. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired sites, controlled study in Australia found that areas restored with artificial rocks had a higher abundance of adult velvet geckos and similar numbers of juveniles compared to unrestored areas. Survival (1 study): One replicated, paired sites, controlled study in Australia found that in areas restored with artificial rocks, juvenile velvet geckos had higher survival rates than in unrestored areas. BEHAVIOUR (4 STUDIES) Use (4 studies): One replicated, randomized, controlled study in Australia found that some restored rocky outcrops were recolonized by pink-tailed worm-lizards. One replicated, controlled study in Australia found that constructed rock outcrops were used by two snake and six lizard species at least as often as natural outcrops. Two replicated studies (including one randomized study) in Australia found that artificial rock outcrops were used by two lizard and one snake species and six lizard and two snake species. One study also found that unshaded artificial rocks were used more frequently by velvet geckos than shaded ones. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3732https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3732Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:39:06 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Create artificial nests or nesting sites Nine studies evaluated the effects of creating artificial nests or nesting sites on reptile populations. Three studies were in the USA and one study was in each of the Galápagos, Spain, China, Reunion Island, Canada and Jamaica. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (6 STUDIES) Reproductive success (6 studies): Two studies (including one before-and-after study) on Reunion Island and Jamaica found that the number of Reunion day gecko eggs and Jamaican iguana hatchlings at artificial nesting sites increased over time. One of two replicated, controlled studies in Canada and the USA found that hatching success of eggs from four species of freshwater turtle moved to artificial nest sites was higher than for eggs left in natural sites. The other study found that hatching success of diamondback terrapin nests in artificial nest sites compared to natural sites varied depending on the substrate used. One study in Spain found that eggs laid in an artificial nest by an Iberian wall lizard hatched and those placed in artificial nests had high hatching success. One replicated study in the USA found that fewer diamondback terrapin nests were predated in artificial nesting mounds protected with an electric wire than in mounds with no wire. BEHAVIOUR (8 STUDIES) Use (8 studies): Four of seven studies (including one replicated, controlled study) in the Galápagos, Spain, Reunion Island, Canada, the USA and Jamaica found that artificial nest sites were used by captive Galápagos giant tortoises, Iberian wall lizards, four species of freshwater turtle and diamondback terrapins. Two studies found that use of artificial nest sites increased over time for Reunion day geckos and Jamaican iguanas. The other study found that artificial nest sites were used infrequently by northern map turtles. One study in China found that artificial nesting materials were used by some Chinese alligators. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3802https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3802Mon, 20 Dec 2021 10:04:37 +0000