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Commensal Nesting of Scincella lateralis (Little Brown Skinks) in Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) Nests and Ondatra zibethicus (Muskrat) Houses in Southwestern Louisiana

Abstract 
 Scincella lateralis (Little Brown Skink, hereafter Skink) are ubiquitous throughout the southeastern US and primarily nest in leaf litter on the forest floor. However, their presence in coastal marsh settings necessitates their use of alternate nesting habitats. We investigated Skink nesting ecology in Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) nests and Ondatra zibethicus (Muskrat) houses in an intermediate/brackish coastal marsh habitat at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Louisiana. For our field studies, we found and collected Skink eggs from 16 June through 5 October, and hatched eggshells from 6 July through 5 October. We found Skink eggs/eggshells in 36 of 109 active American Alligator nests (33.0%), 19 of 36 inactive Alligator nests (52.8%), and 13 of 51 Muskrat houses (25.5%). Clutch size ranged from 1 to 5 eggs (average = 3.0). The mean depth of Skink eggs was 24.6 cm in American Alligator nests and 17.1 cm in Muskrat houses. Multiple clutches commonly occurred in a structure, indicating repeated use by a single female Skink or communal nesting. In one extreme case of communal nesting, we collected at least 932 Skink eggs and hatched eggshells from a single Alligator nest. Skink eggs that we measured weekly during a 30-day incubation period increased in length and width. Earliest hatch dates for laboratory-incubated Skink eggs occurred from 28 June through 3 July; the last Skink hatched on 14 October. We documented a hatch rate of 87.6%. Hatchlings (n = 806) had a mean total length of 5.01 cm (n = 23) and a mean snout—vent length of 2.02 cm (n = 18). Our study indicated that Skinks readily nest commensally and communally within coastal marsh Alligator nests and Muskrat houses.