Prey items for the federally protected Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) were compiled from published and gray literature, field observations, necropsies, dissection of museum specimens, and personal communications from reliable sources. One hundred and eighty-six records were obtained for 48 different prey species. Anurans, Gopher Tortoises, snakes, and rodents comprised ca. 85% of the prey items. Most records (n = 143) that mentioned size were from adult indigos; 17 were from juveniles. Prey records were collected from 1940–2008 and were available for all months of the year. These data confirm that Eastern Indigo Snakes eat a wide assortment of prey of varying sizes. This strategy allows D. couperi to potentially forage successfully in many different types of habitats and under fluctuating environmental conditions, a valuable trait for a top-level predator that requires a large home range.

We conducted a competitive bioblitz survey in four Georgia counties to raise awareness of a unique and species rich herpetofauna in the Pine Mountain/ Fall Line Sandhills Region of Georgia, and compared documented species of these counties to other herpetofaunas of the southeast that have known high richness and/ or were subject to thorough collection efforts. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of bioblitzes for documenting large numbers of species in a limited amount of time (62 amphibian and reptile species in only seven days, including 36 new county records and documentation of three protected species). Compared to areas of similar size, this area is among the most species-rich herpetofaunas in North America north of Mexico, with only three areas having higher documented richness. However, all areas we compared our site to have experienced much higher collection effort and contain much larger tracts of protected land. Thus, our data suggest the Pine Mountain/Fall Line Sandhills region is among the most important regions for amphibian and reptile conservation in North America.

To better understand salamander-habitat relationships in karst sinkholes, we surveyed 25 sinkholes and three upland control sites at the Selu Conservancy (Montgomery County, VA) in the spring and summer of 2008. At each site, we measured 26 habitat parameters (e.g., number/decomposition stage of downed logs and snags, soil moisture, soil temperature, canopy coverage, leaf-litter depth). With these data, we questioned if sinkholes supported higher salamander densities than non-sinkhole habitats, if salamander densities changed throughout the spring and summer months in response to changes in soil temperature and soil moisture, and which microhabitat measures were most strongly correlated with average salamander densities. In seven rounds of surveys, we captured 292 Plethodon cinereus (Eastern Red-backed Salamanders) and 223 Plethodon glutinosus (Northern Slimy Salamanders). Although we found that capture success did vary among rounds, we found no significant differences in salamander densities between sinkholes and upland sites. We discovered a weak positive relationship between total captures per round and percent soil moisture. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination suggested that capture success for both species was markedly lower in sinkholes in and surrounded by early successional habitats than those within a forest matrix. Indirect indicators of soil fertility (e.g., percent organic matter, bryophyte cover, litter depth) were correlated to salamander capture success. Our study serves as a springboard for an ongoing project that examines patterns in salamander genetic diversity across a wider range of sinkholes with varying historical land-use patterns.

Each fishery presents its own challenges for observers to document bycatch. The North Carolina (NC) stop net fishery is especially challenging because it uses anchored gear (the stop net) that soaks up to 15 days to herd fish, which are then hauled to shore via another gear (a beach seine). Three Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose Dolphin) entanglements in stop nets and six Bottlenose Dolphin strandings, each suspected of having been entangled in stop net gear based on injuries noted (lesions) and spatio-temporal overlap with the fishery, were documented by the NC Marine Mammal Network between 1992 and 2007. In 2001–2002, new observational techniques and surveys were used to observe this fishery to estimate bycatch and to document dolphin behavior around the gear. Techniques included observations from the beach during net retrievals and in situ surveys using a vessel with a sonar-video camera system. No entangled dolphins were observed, and, in fact, observations indicated dolphins were not attracted to stop nets and generally changed direction to avoid the gear. Nonetheless, characteristics of the fishery impose severe limitations on the efficacy of bycatch observer methods, rendering those results unreliable. Given low levels of known or suspected entanglements and the challenges of observing this fishery, stranding network data may be the most practical and effective method to monitor dolphin bycatch.

This study examined the relative rotation of the lower incisors of eight species of insectivorous bats from North America to test the null hypothesis that no taxonomic differences existed among the species. The lower incisors of Eptesicus fuscus, several species of Myotis, and Nycticeius humeralis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) are distinctive in general shape, the degree of rotation of each tooth, and the extent of overlap of each tooth. The incisor group is wider in Eptesicus than in the other species studied. Eptesicus shows very little rotation of the incisors, but the incisors of species of Myotis show rotation up to 150 degrees from the midline of the mandible. Incisor 1 shows the least rotation and incisor 3 shows the most rotation among the three incisors in Myotis. Overlap of the incisors appears to be indirectly related to rotation, with Eptesicus showing the most overlap and Myotis the least.

Extensive areas of prairie were once found in the southeastern United States; however, in the last 200 years much of this habitat type has been destroyed. The largest of these prairie regions, the Black Belt Prairie, extends through portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The ant fauna of these endangered grasslands has not been well documented; therefore, a survey was initiated, with collections made at 23 Black Belt Prairie remnants in Alabama and Mississippi during a four-year period. A total of 53 ant species, in six subfamilies and 25 genera were collected. Six exotic species were collected, and 11 species were found to be restricted to trees within the prairie, resulting in 36 species that likely represent the true prairie fauna.

There is a widespread belief in the southern parts of the United States that Trombiculidae (Chiggers) are common in Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) (Bromeliaceae). However, no chiggers were found among the 3297 organisms collected from T. usneoides and T. recurvata (Ball Moss) in trees and from the ground on Cumberland Island, GA. The organisms included 1721 Acari (mites), and in order of decreasing abundance were Psocoptera (barklice), Collembola (springtails), Araneae (spiders), Coccidae (scales), Thysanoptera (thrips), Formicidae (ants), Isopoda (sowbugs), Diplopoda (millipedes), Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera larvae. The millipede Polyxenus fascicularis (Polyxenidae) and the ensign scale insect Orthezia tillandsia (Ortheziidae) were of particular interest because of their rarity and host specificity, respectively.

Birds concentrated in riparian habitats are poorly sampled by traditional survey methods because of the difficulties associated with accessing these habitats. Our objectives were to test the effectiveness of river-based surveys to determine the status, distribution, and relative abundance for riparian bird species in Missouri and northern Arkansas, with special emphasis on Dendroica cerulea (Cerulean Warbler). Our canoe-based surveys revealed an average of 2.3 and 0.8 singing male Cerulean Warblers/river km along the Current River (128 river km surveyed), MO, and the Buffalo National River (96 river km), AR. Nonparametric estimates for repeated surveys of the same river stretches indicate that 69–79% of singing male Cerulean Warblers were detected. However, the bias associated with the estimate methodology and independent song rate data suggest those are conservative estimates. In comparison with land-based point-counts, this river-based protocol offers a quick and efficient assessment of Cerulean Warblers in riparian areas.

Archaeological research at salt springs in Clarke County, AL (Tombigbee River drainage), documented bivalve mollusk exploitation by late prehistoric American Indians. A total of 582 valves representing 19 species of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) and an estuarine clam (Mactridae) from the Lower Salt Works Site (ca. A.D. 900–1550) and 41 valve fragments representing 6 mussel species from the Stimpson Site (ca. A.D. 1200–1550) were documented. The Lower Salt Works fauna was dominated numerically by Fusconaia ebena and Quadrula asperata, the dominant species reported during recent local surveys. The mussel species represented are known from medium to large streams in sand and gravel habitats and include four federally protected species and other species of conservation concern in Alabama. Results offer comparative data for other archaeological and ecological studies in the region.

Fundulus stellifer (Southern Studfish) was studied using 12 monthly collections from Moore's Creek near Waleska, GA. Female specimens ranged from 24.72 mm to 94.29 mm SL and up to 15.90 g total weight. Male specimens ranged from 27.81 mm to 96.07 mm SL and up to 18.60 g total weight. Increases in size were greatest in spring and summer. Maximum age appears to be just over 2 years for both sexes, as the oldest specimens collected were estimated at 28 months of age. Spawning likely occurred between late April and early June. Sexual maturity was reached in the second full spawning season for both sexes, with females having a maximum ova diameter of 2.75 mm. The primary diet of F. stellifer consisted of Chironomidae, Branchiopoda, and unidentified insect parts, with other food items seasonally. The amount of food consumed is greatest in the months preceding and during spawning and lowest during fall and early winter.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Cobb County, GA, is administered by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, and comprises 1183 ha (2923 acres) including three significant Civil War battleground sites of the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. A floristic survey was conducted to provide Park Service personnel with a vouchered plant species checklist, supplemented with salient information such as relative abundance, locality data, and general community type. Twelve collecting trips conducted in 2006 yielded 538 species and two varieties of vascular plants. The six largest families were Asteraceae (73 spp.), Poaceae (69 spp.), Fabaceae (39 spp.), Rosaceae (21 spp.), Cyperaceae (19 spp.), and Lamiaceae (14 spp.). According to state rankings, six rare plant species occur within the study area, including Asclepias purpurascens (rare) and Thaspium pinnatifidum (endangered). Twenty-three percent of the non-cultivated flora is nonnative. Alliaria petiolata, a serious invasive exotic, was vouchered for the first time in Georgia. Herein, we provide a vouchered checklist of vascular plants and a map and descriptions of the general plant communities. Additionally, an earlier unvouchered list prepared by Park Service personnel is included with updated nomenclature and taxonomy.

We document the discovery of Highfin Carpsucker in the Apalachicola River, FL. Three specimens were captured between river kilometer 170–171 on the Apalachicola River in the vicinity of Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam during spring 2007, The specimens were captured within a reach 0.5–1.0 km downstream from the dam and just upstream from a major spawning area for several other catostomids. This is the first record of the species east of the Choctawhatchee River, FL—AL, and is a range extension of 185 km eastward into the Florida Panhandle region of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast.

We report on a recently discovered population of the freshwater snail Lithasia geniculata (Ornate Rocksnail) (Gastropoda: Pleuroceridae) from the Ohio River, IL, the first documented occurrence for this species outside the Tennessee and Cumberland river basins. We collected 14 individuals on 26–27 August 2008 from the Ohio River, near Mound City, Pulaski County, IL. All of the specimens collected were discovered on an exposed shoal after the river dropped ≈0,5 min a 24-hr period and had several (7–33) Dreissena polymorpha (Zebra Mussel) attached to their shells.

We report an exceptional clutch size for Farancia abacura (Mud Snake), A large female specimen of F. a. abacura (Eastern Mud Snake), collected July 2008 in southern Georgia, deposited 111 eggs in captivity. Sixty-nine of the eggs hatched, yielding 65 (94.2%) normal hatchlings and 4 (5.8%) anerythristic (i.e., white-bellied) morphs. This clutch exceeds the previous record of 104 eggs reported in 1931.

A Bubo virginianus (Great Horned Owl) and a Buteo lineatus (Red-Shouldered Hawk) were found dead in a field in Morgan County, GA following a reported mid-air attack. The birds were submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS), College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA for a postmortem examination. Necropsy results disclosed multiple foci of severe hemorrhage and bone fractures in both birds, and the findings suggest that this is an apparent case of reciprocal trauma in two raptors. Documented reciprocal fatal trauma in raptors is scarce, and to the author's knowledge, this is the only report involving Great Horned Owls.

Colinus virginianus (Northern Bobwhite) respond favorably to frequent disturbances in most physiographic regions of their population distribution. These disturbances maintain the vegetative composition and structure needed for survival and reproduction. Prescribed fire is an important habitat management tool if used according to proper prescriptions and objectives. However, under certain conditions, prescribed fire may have deleterious effects on populations and individuals. We describe a single observation of an individual Bobwhite killed by a prescribed fire event. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of its kind in the scientific literature. We believe this occurrence is uncommon under most conditions while conducting prescribed fires, However, managers should consider the fuel conditions, weather variables, and scale of fire before conducting prescribed fires for Bobwhite habitat enhancement. Based on this observation, other upland birds may be susceptible to direct mortality from prescribed fire events.