Factors Influencing the Abundance of American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) on Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA

Abstract

Abstract Long-term management of American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) populations necessitates a more detailed understanding of the species' ecology in human-dominated areas. We conducted a 3-yr monitoring program of American Alligators on Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA, to investigate seasonal fluctuations in abundance and the abiotic and biotic (habitat) factors influencing American Alligator abundance in human-made stormwater lagoons. We conducted monthly daytime and evening spotlight surveys from April 2011 to September 2014. Spotlight counts yielded more accurate estimates of abundance. We observed American Alligators using human-made stormwater lagoons throughout the year; however, we observed significantly fewer individuals in the winter season (November–February) than in the mating (March–June) and nesting (July–October) seasons. We collected data on lagoon salinity, lagoon area, percentage of shoreline vegetation, and distance to nearest lagoon. We used the second-order Akaike Information...