The Importance of Vegetation Structure and Artificial Cover for Prairie Skinks (Plestiodon septentrionalis) on Exurban Land

摘要: Abstract The Northern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis) is listed as endangered and very little known about habitat use in this semi-fossorial lizard. Much of the research to date has occurred on provincial park lands federal military lands. This project aimed define characteristics exurban private land, which defined low-density rural residential developments, 5 20 acres (2 8 ha) size. presence data were collected using visual encounter surveys three types found eight properties southwestern Manitoba: mowed lawn, gardens–flower beds, native prairie. At each capture site, at other randomly selected sites within 10 m we recorded percent cover grasses, forbs, small shrubs, bare ground, litter, material. To measure thermal placed iButton® temperature loggers types. Skinks most commonly n...