Michael Cherkiss
Michael Cherkiss' research interests include population ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, with experience extending to radio telemetry and transmitter attachment on pythons, crocodilians, sea turtles and other species.
BACKGROUND
Prior to joining the USGS, Cherkiss was a biologist with the University of Florida for over ten years. He has over 15 years’ experience conducting research in the coastal areas of South Florida, Everglades ecosystems and internationally throughout the Caribbean, Central and South American.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 2000
B.S., Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 1996
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 48
Fluctuating water depths affect American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) body condition in the Everglades, Florida, USA
Successful restoration of wetland ecosystems requires knowledge of wetland hydrologic patterns and an understanding of how those patterns affect wetland plant and animal populations.Within the Everglades, Florida, USA restoration, an applied science strategy including conceptual ecological models linking drivers to indicators is being used to organize current scientific understanding to support re
Authors
Laura A. Brandt, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Brian M. Jeffery, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti
Hawksbill satellite-tracking case study: Implications for remigration interval and population estimates
Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are circumtropically distributed and listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (Meylan & Donnelly 1999; NMFS & USFWS 1993). To aid in population recovery and protection, the Hawksbill Recovery Plan identified the need to determine demographic information for hawksbills, such as distribution, abundance, seasonal movements, foraging areas (sections 12
Authors
Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson, Kristen M. Hart, Ikuko Fujisaki, Michael S. Cherkiss, Clayton Pollock, Ian Lundgren, Zandy Hillis-Starr
Factors affecting individual foraging specialization and temporal diet stability across the range of a large “generalist” apex predator
Individual niche specialization (INS) is increasingly recognized as an important component of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, most studies that have investigated INS have focused on the effects of niche width and inter- and intraspecific competition on INS in small-bodied species for short time periods, with less attention paid to INS in large-bodied reptilian predators and the effe
Authors
Adam E. Rosenblatt, James C. Nifong, Michael R. Heithaus, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian M. Jeffery, Ruth M. Elsey, Rachel A. Decker, Brian R. Silliman, Louis J. Guillette, Russell H. Lowers, Justin C. Larson
Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of non-native Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
Background
Studies on the spatial ecology of invasive species provide critical information for conservation managers such as habitat preferences and identification of native species at risk of predation. To understand the spatial ecology of non-native Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus), now well-established in Everglades National Park and much of South Florida USA, we radio-tracked 19 wil
Authors
Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian J. Smith, Frank J. Mazzotti, Ikuko Fujisaki, Ray W. Snow, Michael E. Dorcas
Largest breeding aggregation of Burmese Pythons and implication for potential development of a control tool
No abstract available.
Authors
Brian J. Smith, Michael R. Rochford, Matt Brien, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank Mazzotti, Skip Snow, Kristen M. Hart
Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile). Long distance juvenile movement
Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile) is the most widely distributed New World crocodilian species with its range extending from Peru in the south to the southern tip of peninsular Florida in the north. Crocodylus acutus occupies primarily coastal brackish water habitat, however it also occurs in freshwater to hypersaline habitats (Thorbjarnarson 2010. In Crocodiles. Status Survey and Conservatio
Authors
Rafael Crespo, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Frank Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss
Home range and movements of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in an estuary habitat
Background
Understanding movement patterns of free-ranging top predators throughout heterogeneous habitat is important for gaining insight into trophic interactions. We tracked the movements of five adult American alligators to delineate their estuarine habitat use and determine drivers of their activity patterns in a seasonally-fluctuating environment. We also compared VHF- and satellite-tracks o
Authors
Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen M. Hart, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson, Brian M. Jeffery, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Mathew J. Denton
Homing of invasive Burmese pythons in South Florida: evidence for map and compass senses in snakes
Navigational ability is a critical component of an animal's spatial ecology and may influence the invasive potential of species. Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are apex predators invasive to South Florida. We tracked the movements of 12 adult Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, six of which were translocated 21–36 km from their capture locations. Translocated snakes oriented
Authors
Shannon E. Pittman, Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Ray W. Snow, Ikuko Fujisaki, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael E. Dorcas
Remarkable movements of an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Florida
Here we present the remarkable movements of an individual Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile) over a 14-year period. The crocodile was originally marked in Homestead, FL as a young-of-the-year in 1999, and was later recaptured multiple times more than 388 km away along the southwest coast of Florida. After several relocations and numerous sightings, this individual who has become known as Yello
Authors
Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti, Lindsey Hord, Mario Aldecoa
Evaluating effects of Everglades restoration on American crocodile populations in south Florida using a spatially-explicit, stage-based population model
The distribution and abundance of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Florida Everglades is dependent on the timing, amount, and location of freshwater flow. One of the goals of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to restore historic freshwater flows to American crocodile habitat throughout the Everglades. To predict the impacts on the crocodile population from pl
Authors
Timothy W. Green, Daniel H. Slone, Eric D. Swain, Michael S. Cherkiss, Melinda Lohmann, Frank J. Mazzotti, Kenneth G. Rice
Intra-population variation in activity ranges, diel patterns, movement rates, and habitat use of American alligators in a subtropical estuary
Movement and habitat use patterns are fundamental components of the behaviors of mobile animals and help determine the scale and types of interactions they have with their environments. These behaviors are especially important to quantify for top predators because they can have strong effects on lower trophic levels as well as the wider ecosystem. Many studies of top predator movement and habitat
Authors
Adam E. Rosenblatt, Michael R. Heithaus, Frank M Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian M. Jeffery
Body condition of Morelet’s Crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii) from northern Belize
Body condition factors have been used as an indicator of health and well-being of crocodilians. We evaluated body condition of Morelet's Crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii) in northern Belize in relation to biotic (size, sex, and habitat) and abiotic (location, water level, and air temperature) factors. We also tested the hypothesis that high water levels and warm temperatures combine or interact to
Authors
Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Laura A. Brandt, Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen Hart, Brian Jeffery, Scott T. McMurry, Steven G. Platt, Thomas R. Rainwater, Joy Vinci
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 48
Fluctuating water depths affect American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) body condition in the Everglades, Florida, USA
Successful restoration of wetland ecosystems requires knowledge of wetland hydrologic patterns and an understanding of how those patterns affect wetland plant and animal populations.Within the Everglades, Florida, USA restoration, an applied science strategy including conceptual ecological models linking drivers to indicators is being used to organize current scientific understanding to support re
Authors
Laura A. Brandt, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Brian M. Jeffery, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti
Hawksbill satellite-tracking case study: Implications for remigration interval and population estimates
Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are circumtropically distributed and listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (Meylan & Donnelly 1999; NMFS & USFWS 1993). To aid in population recovery and protection, the Hawksbill Recovery Plan identified the need to determine demographic information for hawksbills, such as distribution, abundance, seasonal movements, foraging areas (sections 12
Authors
Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson, Kristen M. Hart, Ikuko Fujisaki, Michael S. Cherkiss, Clayton Pollock, Ian Lundgren, Zandy Hillis-Starr
Factors affecting individual foraging specialization and temporal diet stability across the range of a large “generalist” apex predator
Individual niche specialization (INS) is increasingly recognized as an important component of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, most studies that have investigated INS have focused on the effects of niche width and inter- and intraspecific competition on INS in small-bodied species for short time periods, with less attention paid to INS in large-bodied reptilian predators and the effe
Authors
Adam E. Rosenblatt, James C. Nifong, Michael R. Heithaus, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian M. Jeffery, Ruth M. Elsey, Rachel A. Decker, Brian R. Silliman, Louis J. Guillette, Russell H. Lowers, Justin C. Larson
Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of non-native Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
Background
Studies on the spatial ecology of invasive species provide critical information for conservation managers such as habitat preferences and identification of native species at risk of predation. To understand the spatial ecology of non-native Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus), now well-established in Everglades National Park and much of South Florida USA, we radio-tracked 19 wil
Authors
Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian J. Smith, Frank J. Mazzotti, Ikuko Fujisaki, Ray W. Snow, Michael E. Dorcas
Largest breeding aggregation of Burmese Pythons and implication for potential development of a control tool
No abstract available.
Authors
Brian J. Smith, Michael R. Rochford, Matt Brien, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank Mazzotti, Skip Snow, Kristen M. Hart
Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile). Long distance juvenile movement
Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile) is the most widely distributed New World crocodilian species with its range extending from Peru in the south to the southern tip of peninsular Florida in the north. Crocodylus acutus occupies primarily coastal brackish water habitat, however it also occurs in freshwater to hypersaline habitats (Thorbjarnarson 2010. In Crocodiles. Status Survey and Conservatio
Authors
Rafael Crespo, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Frank Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss
Home range and movements of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in an estuary habitat
Background
Understanding movement patterns of free-ranging top predators throughout heterogeneous habitat is important for gaining insight into trophic interactions. We tracked the movements of five adult American alligators to delineate their estuarine habitat use and determine drivers of their activity patterns in a seasonally-fluctuating environment. We also compared VHF- and satellite-tracks o
Authors
Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen M. Hart, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson, Brian M. Jeffery, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Mathew J. Denton
Homing of invasive Burmese pythons in South Florida: evidence for map and compass senses in snakes
Navigational ability is a critical component of an animal's spatial ecology and may influence the invasive potential of species. Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are apex predators invasive to South Florida. We tracked the movements of 12 adult Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, six of which were translocated 21–36 km from their capture locations. Translocated snakes oriented
Authors
Shannon E. Pittman, Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Ray W. Snow, Ikuko Fujisaki, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael E. Dorcas
Remarkable movements of an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Florida
Here we present the remarkable movements of an individual Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile) over a 14-year period. The crocodile was originally marked in Homestead, FL as a young-of-the-year in 1999, and was later recaptured multiple times more than 388 km away along the southwest coast of Florida. After several relocations and numerous sightings, this individual who has become known as Yello
Authors
Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti, Lindsey Hord, Mario Aldecoa
Evaluating effects of Everglades restoration on American crocodile populations in south Florida using a spatially-explicit, stage-based population model
The distribution and abundance of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Florida Everglades is dependent on the timing, amount, and location of freshwater flow. One of the goals of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to restore historic freshwater flows to American crocodile habitat throughout the Everglades. To predict the impacts on the crocodile population from pl
Authors
Timothy W. Green, Daniel H. Slone, Eric D. Swain, Michael S. Cherkiss, Melinda Lohmann, Frank J. Mazzotti, Kenneth G. Rice
Intra-population variation in activity ranges, diel patterns, movement rates, and habitat use of American alligators in a subtropical estuary
Movement and habitat use patterns are fundamental components of the behaviors of mobile animals and help determine the scale and types of interactions they have with their environments. These behaviors are especially important to quantify for top predators because they can have strong effects on lower trophic levels as well as the wider ecosystem. Many studies of top predator movement and habitat
Authors
Adam E. Rosenblatt, Michael R. Heithaus, Frank M Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian M. Jeffery
Body condition of Morelet’s Crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii) from northern Belize
Body condition factors have been used as an indicator of health and well-being of crocodilians. We evaluated body condition of Morelet's Crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii) in northern Belize in relation to biotic (size, sex, and habitat) and abiotic (location, water level, and air temperature) factors. We also tested the hypothesis that high water levels and warm temperatures combine or interact to
Authors
Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Laura A. Brandt, Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen Hart, Brian Jeffery, Scott T. McMurry, Steven G. Platt, Thomas R. Rainwater, Joy Vinci