This dataset contains morphometric information from Burmese pythons collected from an invasive population in southern Florida between 1995-2021. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service curated this dataset as a repository for records of Burmese pythons found on or nearby federal lands in southern Florida, including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, and Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. As such, numerous entities actively or incidentally involved in python research or management activities contributed specimens and/or data to this dataset, including but not limited to the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Florida, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Florida Water Management District, volunteers, and members of the public. The dataset includes python identification information, capture information, morphometric data, and necropsy data. The structure of the dataset is such that every row pertains to a single date that data were collected from a single python so that serial captures and morphological data collected from unique individuals can be tracked across time via different rows.

Invasive predators pose a substantial threat to global biodiversity. Native prey species frequently exhibit naïveté to the cues of invasive predators, and this phenomenon may contribute to the disproportionate impact of invasive predators on prey populations. However, not all species exhibit naïveté, which has led to the generation of many hypotheses to explain patterns in prey responses. These hypotheses primarily fall into two categories: system-centric hypotheses that relate to biogeographic isolation (BIH) and species-centric hypotheses, like the Archetype Similarity Hypothesis (ASH). We tested the predictions of these hypotheses by assessing the response of the common raccoon (Procyon lotor) and hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), two native mammal species with divergent snake predation histories, to the cues of the invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) in Florida. Using giving-up densities (GUDs), we assessed the responses of both cotton rats and raccoons to life-size replicas of Burmese pythons and two North American predators (coyotes, Canis latrans, and eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus). This Relative.GUD.Racoon dataset presents the results of giving-up density experiments conducted to assess raccoon responses to the visual cues of invasive Burmese pythons. Experiments were conducted in Paynes Prairie State Preserve Park (Alachua County, Florida, USA) in 2022. To quantify raccoon giving-up densities, we mixed 100 pieces of cat food with 1 liter of pine pellets. To minimize the influence of environmental variables on the treatments, we employed a blocked design, ensuring that each of the four predator treatments was represented in each cluster. This Relative.GUD.Rat dataset presents the results of giving-up density experiments conducted to assess hispid cotton rat responses to the visual cues of invasive Burmese pythons. Experiments were conducted in Paynes Prairie State Preserve Park (Alachua County, Florida, USA) in 2022. To quantify cotton rat giving-up densities, we mixed 25 ml of hulled millet with 1.5 liters of sifted sand. To minimize the influence of environmental variables on the treatments, we employed a blocked design, ensuring that each of the four predator treatments was represented in each cluster. We repeated treatments for three nights.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) water samples were collected at 15 tree islands containing wading bird breeding colonies (order Pelecaniformes) and 15 empty control islands in the central Everglades of Florida in spring of 2017 (April through June) and analyzed for the presence of eDNA from invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus). The Burmese python is now established as a breeding population throughout south Florida, USA. Pythons can consume large quantities of prey and may be a particular threat to wading bird breeding colonies in the Everglades. To quantify python occupancy rates at tree islands where wading birds breed, we utilized environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis—a genetic tool which detects shed DNA in water samples and provides high detection probabilities compared to traditional survey methods. We fitted multi-scale Bayesian occupancy models to test the prediction that Burmese pythons occupy islands with wading bird colonies in the central Everglades at higher rates compared to representative control islands in the same region containing no breeding birds.

The dataset contains 3 components: (1) acceleration data logger (ADL) data, (2) GPS location data, and (3) body temperature data. We have ADL data from pythons in captivity (N = 2) and in free-ranging snakes (N=4). We have GPS data for 3 out of 4 free-ranging snakes. We have body temperature data for all 4 free-ranging snakes.

The dataset contains 3 components: (1) acceleration data logger (ADL) data, (2) GPS location data, and (3) body temperature data. We have ADL data from pythons in captivity (N = 2) and in free-ranging snakes (N=4). We have GPS data for 3 out of 4 free-ranging snakes. We have body temperature data for all 4 free-ranging snakes.

Predation and habitat degradation by non-native species are principal terrestrial threats to the federally endangered Hawaiian Petrel (ʻuaʻu, Pterodroma sandwichensis) and Hawaiian Goose (nēnē, Branta sandvicensis) within Haleakalā National Park (HALE), Maui, Hawaiʻi. Since 1981, HALE has maintained a network of live-traps to control invasive mammalian predators and protect these endangered birds. To continue evaluations of trapping efficiency in HALE, we analyzed 2000 - 2014 trap events. Trap events were divided up into six event types classified into three event categories: no event, other event [bait lost, or trap triggered], or predator event [rat, cat, or mongoose caught]. Event type analysis was divided up for temporal and spatial analysis. Temporal variables included month, year, ‘Ua’u Season (off-season, pre-laying, incubation, or nestling), and Trapline (15 different traplines throughout HALE). Temporal variables were also compared to climate variables (Longman et al. 2015) and moon phase. Spatial variables included the number of ‘Ua’u burrows around the trap, the distance to roads, trails, fences and other structures, elevation, slope, and vegetation class and cover (derived from HALE unpublished data and LANDFIRE [Landfire, 2010]). References: Landfire, 2010, Existing Vegetation Type Layer, Existing Vegetation Cover Layer, Elevation Layer, Slope Layer, LANDFIRE 1.3.0, U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. Accessed 24 October 2016 at http://landfire.cr.usgs.gov/viewer/. Longman, R. J., T. W. Giambelluca, M. A. Nullet and L. L. Loope. 2015. Climatology of Haleakalā.

These data were compiled to evaluate the potential impact various environmental conditions may have on native fish populaitons through predation. Introduced warm-water sport fishes present a high predation risk for juvenile native fishes, but observations of juvenile native fish surviving and recruiting in some rare cases led us to question what environmental conditions might be responsible for these trends. These data were compiled to allow for a relative comparison of predation effectiveness between a suite of warm-water predators under a variety of environmental conditions. Mean numbers of prey fish surviving in replicated overnight laboratory predation trials were quantified.

This volume's release consists of 41933 media files captured by autonomous wildlife monitoring devices under the project, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The attached files listed below include several CSV files that provide information about the data release. The file, "media.csv" provides the metadata about the media, such as filename and date/time of capture. The actual media files are housed within folders under the volume's "child items" as compressed files. A critical CSV file is "dictionary.csv", which describes each CSV file, including field names, data types, descriptions, and the relationship of each field to fields in other CSV files. Some of the media files may have been "tagged" or "annotated" by either humans or by machine learning models, identifying wildlife targets within the media. If so, this information is stored in "annotations.csv" and "modeloutputs.csv", respectively. To protect privacy, all personally identifiable information (PII) have been removed, locations have been "blurred" by bounding boxes, and media featuring sensitive taxa or humans have been omitted. To enhance data reuse, the sbRehydrate() function in the AMMonitor R package will download files and re-create the original AMMonitor project (database + media files). See source code at https://code.usgs.gov/vtcfwru/ammonitor.

Over a 22-week period both with and without active Brown Treesnake (BTS) snake removal, we evaluated snake-trap contact rates at mouse- and bird-lure traps within the Guam National Wildlife Refuge in 2014. Bird-lure traps served as a proxy for reintroduced nesting birds. Data consists of 3 files generated from camera surveillance and trapping using mouse and bird lures in conventional snake traps on a 6 x 18 trapping grid. Trap survey effort contains summary results for a set of traps on a single occasion. Mark release data consist of individual capture records of trapped snakes. Camera transcription consist of animals detected via motion and time-lapsed photography at traps using bird lures.

Mid-sized mammals (i.e., mesomammals) fulfill important ecological roles, serving as essential scavengers, predators, pollinators, and seed dispersers in the ecosystems they inhabit. Consequently, declines in mesomammal populations have the potential to disrupt ecological processes and degrade ecosystems. However, ecosystems characterized by high functional redundancy, where multiple species can fulfill similar ecological roles, may be less impacted by the loss of mesomammals and other vertebrates. The Greater Everglades Ecosystem in southern Florida is a historically biodiverse region that has recently been impacted by multiple anthropogenic threats, most notably the introduction of the Burmese python (Python bivittatus). Since pythons became established, mesomammal populations have become greatly reduced. To assess whether these declines in mesomammals have affected two critical ecosystem functions—scavenging and frugivory—we conducted experiments in areas where mesomammals were present and absent. After passive sampling had concluded at each site, we conducted scavenging and frugivory experiments to quantify how mesomammal presence affected frugivory and scavenging rates. To assess these processes, we monitored the persistence of carrion and fruit using motion triggered cameras. We reviewed photos to identify species and determine if they consumed carrion/fruit. To quantify scavenging rates, we secured carrion to a 40 x 40 cm board at each station and recorded detection time (the elapsed time between deployment and the first scavenger’s arrival) and consumption time (the elapsed time between deployment and the complete consumption of the carcass).