PREDATION OF THE ENDANGERED BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD (GAMBELIA SILA) IN THE SAN JOAQUIN DESERT OF CALIFORNIA

摘要

Predation can significantly affect prey populations, which could be significant for recovering species threatened with extinction. As part of a study on home ranges of the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila), I found lizards killed, or presumed killed, by predators. Predators that I could identify killing G. sila were the northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) and birds. The overall annual rate of predation during the active season of these lizards was 0.181, or 0.233 if lizards presumed killed are included. Based on published literature by others and other events of predation that I have published, birds and snakes seem to be the major predators of G. sila.