Dan W. Speake

We estimated seasonal and annual survival and cause-specific mortality of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) on an intensively managed plantation in Georgia. During 1992-1997, we radio-marked 813 bobwhite and determined causes and temporal patterns of mortality. Annual survival (0.201) did not differ between sexes and was higher than that reported for other populations throughout the Southeast. Yearly variation in annual survival was primarily associated with variation in overwinter mortality. Seasonal survival did not differ between sexes and mortality was equitably distributed...

We studied habitat selection by radio-tagged eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) hens with broods ≤30 days old in the fire-maintained pine (Pinus) forests of southwestern Georgia from 1988 to 1990. Habitat selectivity was determined for 14 hen-poult groups that were tracked for 1 week or more. Hens with young broods preferred (P ≤ 0.05) oldfields and woodlands grazed by cattle. Bonferonni confidence intervals for individual hen-poult groups with >20 locations revealed considerable variation among individuals. Individual brood hens showed preferences (P ≤ 0.05) for...

The effects of gassing on the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), an inhabitant of burrows of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was tested in southern Georgia. Gassing is frequently practiced by rattlesnake hunters to drive snakes from tortoise burrows. Six adult indigo snakes equipped with radio transmitters had established typical winter behavior patterns before 3 of them were gassed 19 December 1979 with 60 ml of unleaded gasoline. The gassed snakes died between 12 and 34 days later. The ungassed snakes were recovered in excellent condition during January. Unusual...

Prey utilization by bobcats (Lynx rufus) was studied on 2 quail (Colinus virginianus) plantations in southern Alabama from 1975 through 1977. Estimates of relative densities of principal prey species were obtained by various procedures. Analysis of 136 stomachs, 137 large intestines, and 218 scats indicated that the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) and the cottontail rbbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) were the 2 most important food items. The cotton rat had the highest frequency of occurrence and the cottontail rabbit was second for each month of the year. Mammals as a group were more important...

A telemetric study of the effects of recreational activities on the eastern wild turkey was conducted during the summer of 1972 and the spring and summer of 1973 and 1974. One hundred and three turkeys were captured and patagium tagged. Fifty-five were released with 164 MHz radio transmitters attached. Turkeys did not frequent a heavily used off·road vehicle area. Foot trail traffic had an adverse effect on the use ofan area by turkeys. Turkeys were not known to inhabit any area closer than 1.0km to campgrounds in the summer. Some loss of turkeys to poaching was noted. Management...

For several years, ecologists, naturalists, and others have been concerned over the possible ecological effects of wide-spread gassing ofgopher tortoise burrows by snake hunters in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Research was conducted on some of the effects of tortoise burrow gassing at several localities in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in 1969, 1970 and 1971. Forty-one tortoises were gassed in their burrows with amounts of gasoline ranging from 0.25 ounce to 6 ounces. They were recovered by excavation following exposure periods of from 6 hours to 42 days. None of the tortoises died...

A turkey population was established near Auburn, Alabama, in 1965 by releasing 26 wild-captured birds that had been wing-tagged for individual identification. In 1967 and 1968, 76 unbanded descendants of the original stock were captured, wing-marked, banded and released at their capture points. There were also 22 recaptures. All turkeys were captured after being drugged with alpha-chloralose. Weights and some measurements of captured turkeys are presented. From March 1965 through December 1968, 294 trips involving 1,020 hours were made to the study area to observe, count, capture and...

Fall quail population censuses were conducted on a 257.6~acre study area of the Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station extending over a period of 23 years. Spring quail censuses were conducted for 15 years. In 1940 the land had just been retired from intensive corn and cotton cultivation, and the quail population was very low (5.0 birds per 100 acres). In 1944 the fall quail population reached 40.8 birds per 100 acres and it was about the same in 1945. By 1944 abandoned cropland on the area had reached a stage very favorable to quail, and some wildlife plantings made in 1942...