Scott Goetz

• Research Ecologist at United States Geological Survey

When organisms possess chemical defenses, their predators may eventually evolve resistance to their toxins. Eastern Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon couperi; EIS) prey on pitvipers and are suspected to possess physiological resistance to their venom. In this study, we formally investigated this hypothesis using microassays that measured the ability of EIS...

The ability to discriminate among potential prey is foundational for predators making foraging decisions, as well as for the evolution of food preferences. Eastern Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon couperi; EIS) are federally threatened and considered dietary generalists, but qualitative evidence indicates that snakes are consumed more often than other pre...

During geographic range expansion, populations of non-indigenous species at the invasion front may benefit from directing resources away from immune defense. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the strength of two innate immune components in populations of invasive Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) in a long-colonized area (core reg...

Possession of unique defensive toxins by nonindigenous species may increase the likelihood of creating evolutionary traps for native predators. We tested the hypothesis that nonindigenous, toxic Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) have created an evolutionary trap for native, generalist snakes. Additionally, we explored the possibility tha...

During a 17-yr telemetry study, we examined the diet and ambush behavior of a population of Crotalus horridus in southeastern Virginia. Forty dietary items were identified from 37 fecal samples. We documented 722 instances of snakes in an ambush posture, 61% of which were in a vertical-tree posture, as if hunting arboreal prey at the base of a tree...

Context Animals may adjust their behavior in predictable ways to balance tradeoffs between resource acquisition and survival or fecundity. Microhabitat selection based on individual traits or environmental conditions is one measure of risk–reward tradeoffs by individuals. Aims We used data from observational and manipulative studies to investigate...

A critical component of monitoring wildlife populations is understanding changes in population size or abundance. However, for most populations a complete census is not possible; thus, trends or abundance need to be estimated through alternative means, such as indexes. An important aspect of using indexes, such as capture per unit effort (CPUE), is...

Gape‐limited predators (e.g., snakes, many fish) are not generally expected to pose a predation threat to prey that are too large for them to swallow. However, the extent to which snakes predate on prey that exceed their gape limitation remains largely unknown. We conducted the first study to investigate the influence of both prey and predator size...

Natural resource management often co‐occurs with considerable uncertainty. One approach to mitigating uncertainty is through adaptive resource management (ARM), a specialized form of structured decision‐making that modifies management decisions or actions through monitoring and implementation. Here, we present a case study on the attempted eradicat...

The nocturnal brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis; BTS) was accidentally introduced to the island of Guam, USA, in the Western Pacific in 1945. The BTS has spread throughout all terrestrial habitats, causing wildlife loss and economic damage. Several tools and techniques have been developed to locally reduce BTS numbers and prevent their spread to o...

Broad foraging classifications, such as generalist or specialist forager, are generally beneficial for population management in defining expectations of typical behavior. However, better understanding as to how individual variance in behavior interfaces with management actions, such as control of an invasive predator (such as brown treesnakes; Boig...

Quantitative evaluation of control tools for managing invasive species is necessary to assess overall effectiveness and individual variation in treatment susceptibility. Invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam have caused severe ecological and economic effects, pose a risk of accidental introduction to other islands, and are the great...

The Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae, formerly Tupinambis merianae) is a large lizard from South America. Now established and invasive in southern Florida, and it poses threats to populations of many native species. Models suggest much of the southern United States may contain suitable temperature regimes for this species, yet ther...

Invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) have introduced a nonnative pentastomid parasite (Raillietiella orientalis) to southern Florida that has spilled over to infect native snakes. However, the extent of spillover, regarding prevalence and intensity, is unknown. We examined native snakes (n = 523) and invasive pythons (n = 1003) collected fr...

American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) have been shown to consume pitviper snakes, apparently with no ill effects. Previous work failed to detect differences in how alligators handle venomous and nonvenomous snake prey indicating alligators may possess a physiological resistance to venom. In this study, we tested the ability of alligator...

There is very little published on snakes within the Farancia genus; the few research papers that do exist focus largely on quantifying natural behaviors in a field setting and feeding behavior is rarely observed. Although we did not detect statistically-significant differences in the response of Red-Bellied Mudsnakes to potential prey scents, this...

Taxonomists currently recognize 16 cryptic species within the Plethodon glutinosus complex revealed by allozyme analysis but that typically do not differ in morphology or color pattern. Two putative species, P. grobmani and P. mississippi, are distributed across the Gulf Coastal Plain, with geographic ranges that are separated by Mobile Bay and the...

Krysko et al. (2016a) used analyses of DNA sequence data to reveal two genetic lineages of Drymarchon couperi. The Atlantic lineage contained specimens from southeastern Georgia and eastern peninsular Florida, and the Gulf Coast lineage contained specimens from western and southern peninsular Florida as well as western Florida, southern Alabama, an...

Despite large-scale population decline and geographic range contraction, Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) continue to occupy sites across much of eastern North America, including a diversity of habitat types. Here, our objective was to examine the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the movement and activity range of Timber Rattl...

Natural history note on first known attempted predation on Scincella lateralis (Squamata: Scincidae) by Dolomedes vittatus (Araneae: Pisauridae). Observed in Lee County, Alabama, United States.

Context Invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are established over thousands of square kilometres of southern Florida, USA, and consume a wide range of native vertebrates. Few tools are available to control the python population, and none of the available tools have been validated in the field to assess capture success as a proportio...