Habitat use and home range of long-nosed leopard lizards (Gambelia wislizenii) in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado

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An understanding of species’ habitat requirements is needed for effective land management decisions, but for many North American reptiles, habitat use information is lacking. Gambelia wislizenii (long-nosed leopard lizard) is a predatory lizard of most North American deserts, and, although common in the interior of its range, appears to be declining at some peripheral populations. To understand habitat use and movement patterns, the authors used telemetry and two habitat comparison methods to study a G. wislizenii population at the eastern boundary of the range. Gambelia wislizenii home ranges at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado, are the largest recorded. Habitat analysis using microsite-attribute comparisons and compositional analysis documented second-order habitat preference for Big Sagebrush- or Utah Juniper-dominated landscapes. Gambelia wislizenii were found in areas with moderate shrub and forb cover with much bare ground, but were not found in areas dominated with grass cover. Incorporating management strategies that limit grass encroachment and maintain bare ground cover with moderate tree and shrub cover may help sustain G. wislizenii populations.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology