Michael F. Delany

We examined stomach contents from 219 American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) collected from 4 Florida lakes. Fish, mostly shad (Dorosoma spp.), bowfin (Amia calva), and gar (Lepisosteus spp.) occurred in 55.3% of the stomachs and was the most important food group (57.5%) by volume. Apple snails (Pomacea paludosa) and crayfish (Procambarus spp.) were important invertebrate prey (66.7% occurrence and 6.6% by volume). Of the 195 stomachs having a dominant food type (>50% of the total food volume), most (72%) contained one food type exceeding 90% of the total food volume. The...

Survival and longevity were estimated for the endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) from resightings of 48 colorbanded adult males during 1989-1992. Annual survival rate was 0.598 and mean life expectancy was 2.95 years (1.95 years for sparrows >1 year old). The high survival rate and longevity of the subspecies may facilitate the recovery of populations remaining in good breeding habitat. Annual recruitment of 5.4 young per pair is needed to maintain a stable population of grasshopper sparrows on the study area. Information on population dynamics may...

People (N = 1,2(0) with first hand knowledge of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were interviewed in October 1982 by questionnaire to determine observability and reaction following harvest on Newnanas Lake, Alachua County, Florida. Of 353 respondents, 60% enjoyed seeing alligators, and 52% attributed a decline in abundance to harvest. Most (76%) approved of harvest, but 20% believed it was part of the nuisance alligator program. No differences (P > 0.05) were detected concerning harvest approval when compared by age, sex, and user group. Males (P ≤ 0.01) and young «40...