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The Influence Of Researcher Disturbance On Raccoon Predation Of American Alligator Nests, Clarissa Tuten
The Influence Of Researcher Disturbance On Raccoon Predation Of American Alligator Nests, Clarissa Tuten
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are a dominant predator of American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) nests in the southeastern United States, using a combination of olfactory, visual, and tactile cues to identify nest locations. Studies on alligator nesting ecology typically require researchers to create paths through marsh habitat, potentially introducing visual and olfactory cues raccoons may use to locate nests. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of human visitation to alligator nests on the frequency of raccoon nest predation at two sites in coastal South Carolina, Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center (TYWC) and Santee Coastal Reserve (SCR). We hypothesized that …