Zoogeography

Gopher tortoise ecology is poorly understood in the rapidly developing, urbanized southeastern end of its range. This study reports on a population at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Burrow surveys were conducted from May to July 2003 and May to August 2004. Burrows were marked and mapped as was vegetative cover. Burrow locations were tested against vegetative cover height and soil types. Burrow locations did not differ among soil types. The densest concentrations of burrows were located in areas of low, patchy vegetative cover. This is consistent with known gopher tortoise habitat preferences elsewhere in their range. Gopher tortoises on this site appeared to be acclimated to anthropogenic disturbance.

Seventy-four gastropod species from thirty-eight families are reported from the Straits of Florida in depths of 400-600 meters or more. Each taxon is fully described and illustrated with photographs, synonymies and distributions are given. Two undescribed taxa are recognized: Hesperato sp., and Scaphella sp.; Architectonica sunderlandi Petuch, 1987, Bursa finlayi McGinty, 1962, and Acteon danaida Dall, 1881 are reported from the Great Bahama Bank for the first time and Pisanianura grimaldii Dautzenberg, 1889 is reported in the western Atlantic Ocean for the first time. The bathymetry and benthic environments of the study locality on the north-western margin of the Great Bahama Bank are discussed. A zoogeographic analysis indicates that the gastropod fauna in the vicinity of Victory Cay, Bimini Chain, Bahamas has a strong tropical affinity with a moderate influence from the temperate waters to the north.