Andrew S. Bridges

We used remote video monitoring systems to document nest predators at San Clemente Bell's Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli clementeae) nests and recorded an unexpected depredation by an island night lizard (Xantusia riversiana) on 22 May 2013. This record is the first documented case of a San Clemente Bell’s Sparrow being depredated by any reptile and is also the first documentation of any night lizard species (genus Xantusia) depredating a bird's nest. Additionally, we found that night lizards are among the smallest lizard species ever observed depredating a bird's nest. Utilizamos sistemas de monitoreo remoto con vídeo para documentar depredadores de nidos de gorriones en San Clemente Bell (Artemisiospiza belli clementeae) y grabamos una depredación inesperada por un lagartija nocturna de la isla (Xantusia riversiana) el 22 de mayo del 2013. Este registro es el primer caso documentado de un gorrión de San Clemente Bell siendo depredado por un reptil y es también la primera documentación de una lagartija nocturna (género Xantusia) depredando un nido de ave. Además, encontramos que las lagartijas nocturnas se encuentran entre las lagartijas más pequeñas observadas depredando un nido de aves.

Feral cats, Felis catus, inhabiting San Clemente Island, California, are both predators and competitors of multiple sympatric endemic species. To improve our understanding and management of these invasive predators, we used GPS-equipped radiocollars to track 11 (6F:5M) cats for a total of 3,108 days, resulting in 15,419 GPS locations. Average 100% minimum convex polygon, 95% kernel density, and 50% kernel density estimates were 229, 132, and 33 ha, respectively. The point estimate for average male home-range size was larger than the average for females, but there was substantial variation among individuals of both sexes. Overlap indices indicated similar usage areas during nocturnal and diurnal time periods. Sample size limited our ability to definitively detect habitat preference, but data suggested areas within 50 m of roads were avoided, and that thicker land cover was preferred over open grasslands. Three test collars deployed within active cat home ranges indicated GPS locations were precise, with 96% of locations having < 10-m error estimates, and that horizontal dilution of precision indices were not useful in screening data. Our results describe feral cat spatial ecology on a semiarid island and can be used to inform population estimation, control, and mitigation programs.

We studied reproduction of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in western Virginia from 1994 to 2003. We handled 326 ≥2‐year‐old female black bears 672 times during summer trapping and followed 176 of these individuals through 424 winter den seasons. We examined 183 litters consisting of 455 cubs. Primiparity occurred at mean and modal ages of 3.8 and 3 years, respectively. Composite mean litter size was 2.49 (SE = 0.06) cubs/litter; 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds had smaller litters than older bears. We tracked reproductive synchrony using 5 indices and documented a resetting of this synchrony, likely in response to hard‐mast failure. The amplitude of oscillations in synchrony indices dampened through time after the synchronizing events. Documentation and quantification of relationships between nutrient availability, reproduction and population dynamics can be used to inform population modeling efforts and more accurately forecast harvest. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.