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Kenneth L. Krysko

Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth L. Krysko.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2022

New state and county records of introduced amphibians and reptiles of Georgia, USA.

Recent efforts to eradicate the invasive Argentine Giant Tegu ( Salvator merianae ) has led to the discovery of several county records of this introduced lizard as well as several other potentially invasive amphibian and reptile species in the state of Georgia, USA. New records were determined using a database of county records maintained by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. All specimens and photographic records are stored at the Georgia Southern University – Savannah Science Museum Herpetology Collection (GSU) and were collected under the Georgia scientific collection permit number 1000545737 and IACUC permit number I18020 and I21010. All coordinates are presented in WGS 84. We report 14 new county records consisting of two anurans and 11 squamates in Georgia.

Georgia↗
USGS2017

The gold tegu, Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758) sensu lato (Squamata: Teiidae): evidence for an established population in Florida

Gold tegus, Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758), are generalist predators from South America and are ecologically similar to Argentine black and white tegus ( Salvator merianae ), a successful invader in Florida. We trapped gold tegus in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Florida, USA. In Miami-Dade County, collection occurred from 2008 through 2016. We combined new trapping records with previous literature records. Ten gold tegus of both sexes and multiple size classes over a nine year period indicate a reproducing population in Miami-Dade County. Tupinambis teguixin is the sixth established non-native teiid species in Florida. Additionally, we report Tupinambis teguixin from Sarasota and Lee counties, Florida, USA. Determining population status in those counties requires further study. It is critical to differentiate this species from Salvator merianae during removal efforts. The possibility of eradicating Tupinambis teguixin exists if proper identification enables reliable monitoring of the populations.

Florida↗
USGS2014

Invasive and introduced reptiles and amphibians

Why is there a section on introduced amphibians and reptiles in this volume, and why should veterinarians care about this issue? Globally, invasive species are a major threat to the stability of native ecosystems, 1,2 and amphibians and reptiles are attracting increased attention as potential invaders. Some introduced amphibians and reptiles have had a major impact (e.g., Brown Tree Snakes [ Boiga irregularis ] wiping out the native birds of Guam 3 or Cane Toads [ Rhinella marina ] poisoning native Australian predators). 4 For the vast majority of species, however, the ecological, economic, and sociopolitical effects of introduced amphibians and reptiles are generally poorly quantified, largely because of a lack of focused research effort rather than because such effects are nonexistent. This trend is alarming given that rates of introduction have increased exponentially in recent decades.

Book chapter↗
USGS2012

Record length, mass, and clutch size in the nonindigenous Burmese Python, Python bivittatus Kuhl 1820 (Squamata: Pythonidae), in Florida

The Burmese Python, Python bivittatus Kuhl 1820 (Squamata: Pythonidae), is indigenous to northern India,east to southern China, and south to Vietnam and a few islands in Indonesia (Barker and Barker 2008, Reed and Rodda 2009). This species has been introduced since at least 1979 in southern Florida, USA, where it likely began reproducing and became established during the 1980s (Meshaka et al. 2000, Snowet al. 2007b,Kraus 2009, Krysko et al. 2011, Willson et al. 2011). Python bivittatus has been documented in Florida consuming a variety of mammals and birds, and the American Alligator(Alligator mississippiensis) (Snowet al. 2007a, 2007b; Harvey et al. 2008; Rochford et al. 2010b; Holbrook and Chesnes 2011), many of which are protected species. Herein, we provide details on two of the largest known wild P. bivittatus in Florida to date, including current records on length,mass,clutch size, and diet.

Florida↗