Lowe, Christopher and Keppel, Gunnar and Waqa, Kalisi and Peters, Stefan and Fisher, Robert N. and Scanlon, A.T. and Osborne-Naikatini, Tamara and Thomas-Moko, Nunia (2022) Fijian sea krait behavior relates to fine - scale environmental heterogeneity in old - growth coastal forest: the importance of integrated land – sea management for protecting amphibious animals. Ecology and Evolution, 12 (4). NA. ISSN 2045-7758
Preview |
PDF (Sea krait behaviour)
- Published Version
Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The importance of terrestrial coastal ecosystems for maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems remains understudied. Sea kraits are amphibious snakes that require healthy coral reefs for foraging, but little is known about their requirements of terrestrial habitats, where they slough their skin, digest prey, and breed. Using concurrent microclimate measurements and behavior surveys, we show that a small, topographically flat atoll in Fiji with coastal forest provides many microhabitats that relate to the behaviors of Yellow Lipped Sea Kraits, Laticauda colubrina. Microclimates were significantly related to canopy cover, leaf litter depth, and distance from the high-water mark (HWM). Sea kraits were almost exclusively observed in coastal forest within 30 m of the HWM. Sloughing of skins only occurred within crevices of mature or dying trees. Resting L. colubrina were significantly more likely to occur at locations with higher mean diurnal temperatures, lower leaf litter depths, and shorter distances from the HWM. On Leleuvia, behavior of L. colubrina therefore relates to environmental heterogeneity created by old-growth coastal forests, particularly canopy cover and crevices in mature and dead tree trunks. The importance of healthy coastal habitats, both terrestrial and marine, for L. colubrina suggests it could be a good flagship species for advocating integrated land-sea management. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of coastal forests and topographically flat atolls for biodiversity conservation. Effective conservation management of amphibious species that utilize land- and seascapes is therefore likely to require a holistic approach that incorporates connectivity among ecosystems and environmental heterogeneity at all relevant scales.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > Q Science (General) > Q1-390 Science (General) Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QL Zoology |
| Divisions: | School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS) |
| Depositing User: | Tamara Osborne |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Apr 2022 00:16 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Apr 2022 00:16 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/13404 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |