Article Review: Does urbanization influence the spatial ecology of the Gila Monster in the Sonoran Desert?

The last few lectures in our class were on the conservation of herp species. We discussed many different issues that can affect herpofauna including the biggest threat of all, humans. The destruction and modification to natural environments, caused by humans, leads to reduction in population sizes and changes in the land for all species.  In the article by Kwiatkowski et al., the authors sought to look at the problem of increased urbanization had on gila monsters’, Heloderma suspectum, spatial ecology.  Gila monsters wee surveyed from three different areas around the Sonoran desert from a heavy urban area, and intermediate urban area, and a very low urban area. Each Gila monster was caught and tag with a radio transmitter and was monitored ever 2-7 day, from March to November for six year. During that time the home ranges and distance traveled was recorded and mapped with the aid of a satellite. The results were very interesting, in that, they found no significant difference in the size of home ranges between any of the locations. The mean differences moved among the individuals varied between males and females at all of the location and was the smallest in the heavy urban area. The author hypothesize that the little different is due to that Gila monster will move into areas where resources needed for survival are the greatest. In urban areas, there is a steady follow of water from lawns and fountains which attract small mammals that Gila monsters eat. This article shows that not all human changes to the environment are harmful. This study shows how one groups of organisms has not modified itself but instead has used the changes to its environment to aid in its survival.

Work Cited:

 Kwiatkowski M., G. Schuett, R. Repp, E. Nowak, B. Sullivan (2008). Does urbanization influence the spatial ecology of Gila monsters in the Sonoran Desert? Journal of Zoology. 276. 350-357