Literaturdatenbank
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Berish, J. D. E., Wendland, L. D., & Gates, C. A. (2000). Distribution and prevalence of upper respiratory tract disease in gopher tortoises in florida. Journal of Herpetology, 34, 5–12.
Added by: Admin (17 Aug 2008 18:17:12 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Berish2000 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Bakterien = bacteria, Einzeller = protozoa, Gopherus, Gopherus agassizii, Gopherus polyphemus, Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Testudinidae, Veterinärmedizin = veterinary medicine, Viren = viruses Creators: Berish, Gates, Wendland Collection: Journal of Herpetology |
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| Abstract |
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Testudinidae Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations are estimated to have decreased by eighty percent in the last century (Auffenberg and Franz 1982). A number of natural and human-influenced factors have contributed to this decline including (but not limited to) subsidized predation (predation by species whose populations survive and often thrive on resources provided by humans, e.g. dogs, raccoons, ravens, etc.), human harvest, incidental mortality (such as roadkill), delayed time to reach sexual maturity, low reproductive potential, habitat degradation (such as fire suppression), habitat fragmentation, and habitat destruction. Additionally, exposure to upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) (causal agent: Mycoplasma agassizii; Brown et al. 1999) is known to be widely distributed in the state of Florida (Berish et al. 2000, Epperson 1997, McLaughlin 1997, Smith et al. 1998). The disease has greatly affected some populations of desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) (Berry 1997, Jacobson et al. 1991, Lederle et al. 1997), but the impact on gopher tortoise numbers has yet to be demonstrated. Of the above factors, habitat destruction has most contributed to the gopher tortoise decline.
Added by: Admin |