J.T. Pynne

Georgia Wildlife Federation

Knowledge of the population genetic structure and diversity of at-risk species is essential to accurately evaluate population viability and define units for conservation and management. The southeastern pocket gopher (Geomys pinetis) is a fossorial rodent native to the imperiled longleaf pine savannas of the southeastern United States. Its recent d...

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) savanna ecosystem in North America has declined by 97% from its historic range and its restoration is a conservation priority. The southeastern pocket gopher (Geomys pinetis), an ecosystem engineer in longleaf pine savannas, is absent from most of its historic range. Translocation of pocket gophers may be n...

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has emerged as the most serious threat to North American cave-dwelling bat species, with estimated mortality of over 6 million. Tri-colored bat Perimyotis subflavus is one of the species most affected, with hibernaculum counts at caves in WNS-positive regions reduced by >90% from previous counts. While declines have been d...

Pocket gophers provide vital ecosystem services; however, species like the southeastern pocket gopher (Geomys pinetis), endemic to the southeastern United States, are declining. Long-term conservation of this species requires greater understanding of its habitat characteristics. Our objective here was to determine habitat features associated with s...

Animals living underground deal with multiple physiological challenges, such as hypoxia and hypercarbia, but may have reduced thermoregulation demands because of the more stable underground microclimate. Southeastern pocket gophers (Geomys pinetis Rafinesque) occur in the fire-adapted, open-pine forests of the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain wh...

Sciurus niger L. (Eastern Fox Squirrel) is associated with montane Pinus palustris Mill. (Longleaf Pine) forests in the Piedmont and Ridge and Valley, but little is known about the species' distribution and abundance within this region. We conducted an occupancy study of Eastern Fox Squirrels in montane Longleaf Pine forests of the Talladega Nation...

Many sympatric species use Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) burrows as refugia from predators, extreme temperatures, and fire. As part of an ongoing project involving trail-camera monitoring at Gopher Tortoise burrows, we observed a Sciurus niger (Eastern Fox Squirrel) sheltering in an occupied burrow twice in a single day. Eastern Fox Squirre...

Geomys pinetis (Southeastern Pocket Gopher) is absent from much of its historic distribution due to reductions in suitable habitat, which consists largely of open Pinus (pine) systems. Restored open pine habitat represents an opportunity to reestablish Southeastern Pocket Gophers into areas within their historic distribution through translocation....

Live-trapping is important for studying wildlife. In 2016 at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in Melrose, Florida, USA, we tested the efficacy of a modified pitfall trap designed to safely and effectively capture southeastern pocket gophers (Geomys pinetis). When compared with the commonly used Hart trap, the new design captured 92% of all live ca...