AUTOMATED TELEMETRY PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION OF THE BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD

Steven J Hromada; Fresno Chaffee Zoo; shromada@fresnochaffeezoo.org; Mark Halvorsen, Steven Sharp, Emily Bergman, Lyn Myers, Micheal Westphal, Rory Telemeco

Describing the space use and activity patterns of endangered animals is important to implementing effective conservation strategies. Historically, collecting sufficient data on small-bodied species was challenging due to constraints of manual tracking and short battery life. The development of miniaturized tracking devices, such as UHF (ultra-high frequency) transmitters, has provided opportunities to better understand the ecology of many smaller-bodied species and assess conservation efforts. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (BNLL; Gambelia sila) is an endangered species endemic to the San Joaquin Desert of Central California. We have been releasing captive-produced BNLL to bolster an almost-extirpated population on Panoche Plateau, Fresno County, where we installed an automated telemetry system of >150 remote nodes. In June 2024, we released 10 captive-reared BNLL equipped with UHF backpacks and later equipped four wild-reared lizards near the end of July. We monitored lizards with a combination of hand and automated tracking. We were able to use trilateration methods to estimate >37,000 lizard locations with a median error of ~27 meters, providing data to better quantify home ranges and habitat selection. Additionally, we used data from the remote telemetry system to predict when lizards are likely below ground, and to detect late season activity.

Natural History of Lizards