Rebecca K McKee

University of Florida | UF · Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Diamondback terrapins ( Malaclemys terrapin ) have experienced declines throughout their range, and accidental mortality in crab pots is a significant conservation concern. To minimize the risk of terrapins entering crab pots, researchers have suggested the use of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) to reduce the size of crab pot openings and thereby...

Population manipulations such as translocation and head‐starting are increasingly used as recovery tools for chelonians. But evaluating success of individual projects can require decades of monitoring to detect population trends in these long‐lived species. Furthermore, there are often few benchmarks from stable, unmanipulated populations against w...

Gopher tortoises ( Gopherus polyphemus ) are among the most commonly translocated reptiles. Waif tortoises are animals frequently of unknown origin that have been displaced from the wild and often held in human possession for various reasons and durations. Although there are risks associated with any translocation, waif tortoises are generally excl...

Translocation, the intentional movement of animals from one location to another, is a common management practice for the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). Although the inadvertent spread of pathogens is a concern with any translocation effort, waif tortoises—individuals that have been collected illegally, injured and rehabilitated or have unkn...

Globalization has led to the transport of commodities and plant and animal stowaways to once isolated islands. In some cases, these non-native stowaways become established and alter the island ecosystems where introduced. The introduction of the Brown Treesnake, Boiga irregularis, to Guam is perhaps the better-documented example of an introduced sn...

The Conservation Action Plan (CAP) offers a comprehensive overview of the Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus) species, encompassing its taxonomy, distribution, and ecology. Designed to support the petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an elevated listing of the Green Salamander under the Endangered Species Act, this report is a pivotal c...

The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is declining throughout its range and is among the most commonly translocated reptile species. While some risk is inherent with any translocation, waif tortoises-animals that were collected illegally or have unknown origins-are generally excluded from translocations due to concerns associated with the healt...