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Factors That Affect Home Range Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Northwest Arkansas, Bannon Gallaher May 2023

Factors That Affect Home Range Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Northwest Arkansas, Bannon Gallaher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Conservation of animal populations requires knowledge of their habitat and spatial needs. Quantifying spatial requirements involves the analysis of home range. We examined the effects of sex, body size (SVL), body condition (log mass/log SVL), and year on home range in Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in Northwest Arkansas. Individual locality data from an ongoing, 22+ year radio-telemetry study in Madison Co., Arkansas were analyzed using both minimum convex polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimates (KDE). Plots of the number of sequential observations versus home range (MCP and KDE) determined that a minimum of 25 locations per individual per active season …


Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Collaris) Population Declines In Ozark Landscapes: An Assessment Of Environmental Constraints., Casey L. Brewster Dec 2019

Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Collaris) Population Declines In Ozark Landscapes: An Assessment Of Environmental Constraints., Casey L. Brewster

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) has experienced extensive population declines over the past half century in the Ozark Mountains. Previous research suggests that glade habitat degradation through woody vegetation encroachment is an important factor resulting in population declines. In this dissertation I used information on time-energy budgets to investigate the link between habitat degradation and shifts in life history traits likely resulting in population declines of Eastern Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus collaris) in the Ozarks. In chapter one, I addressed the influence of dense woody vegetation encroachment on age-specific growth, body size, body condition and reproduction of C. collaris in …


Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding Dec 2019

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …


A Preliminary Checklist Of The Stoneflies (Arthropoda: Insecta: Plecoptera) Of Arkansas, Henry W. Robison, Chris T. Mcallister Jan 2018

A Preliminary Checklist Of The Stoneflies (Arthropoda: Insecta: Plecoptera) Of Arkansas, Henry W. Robison, Chris T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Seventy-seven species of stoneflies representing 8 families and 24 genera are herein reported from Arkansas. The most diverse families of state stoneflies were Perlidae (26 species), Capniidae (14 species), and Perlodidae (12 species) while Pteronarcyidae had only a single representative species. Additional taxa will surely be added to the list with future taxonomic studies incorporating molecular analyses.


Long-Term Monitoring And Recovery Of A Population Of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys Temminckii (Testudines: Chelydridae), From A Northeastern Arkansas Stream, S. E. Trauth, D. S. Siegel, M. L. Mccallum, D. H. Jamieson, A. Holt, J. B. Trauth, H. Hicks, J. W. Stanley, J. Elston, J. J. Kelly, J. D. Konvalina Jan 2016

Long-Term Monitoring And Recovery Of A Population Of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys Temminckii (Testudines: Chelydridae), From A Northeastern Arkansas Stream, S. E. Trauth, D. S. Siegel, M. L. Mccallum, D. H. Jamieson, A. Holt, J. B. Trauth, H. Hicks, J. W. Stanley, J. Elston, J. J. Kelly, J. D. Konvalina

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a mark-recapture study of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, on Salado Creek (Independence Co., Arkansas) during 10 trapping seasons, which spanned a 20-year period (1995–2015). We trapped a total of 163 Alligator Snapping Turtles during 416 trap nights and recorded a total of 35 recaptures during this study. Both the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and Jolly-Seber approaches demonstrated that this population benefitted from removal of harvest pressure, thus leading to an increase in abundance of Alligator Snapping Turtles in the lower ~5 km of the creek. The CPUE averaged slightly greater than 0.24 (317 trap nights) during …


New Chigger (Acari) Records From Arkansas Amphibians (Caudata, Anura) And Reptiles (Sauria), M. B. Connior, C. T. Mcallister, L. A. Durden, S. E. Trauth, H. W. Robison Jan 2016

New Chigger (Acari) Records From Arkansas Amphibians (Caudata, Anura) And Reptiles (Sauria), M. B. Connior, C. T. Mcallister, L. A. Durden, S. E. Trauth, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.


Vertebrate Natural History Notes From Arkansas, 2015, C. Renn Tumlison, M. B. Connior, H. W. Robison, C. T. Mcallister, L. A. Durden, D. Blake Sasse, D. A. Saugey Jan 2015

Vertebrate Natural History Notes From Arkansas, 2015, C. Renn Tumlison, M. B. Connior, H. W. Robison, C. T. Mcallister, L. A. Durden, D. Blake Sasse, D. A. Saugey

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Many important details of vertebrate biology are unknown to the scientific community because the observations are not part of a larger theoretical study. Yet, knowledge of such details not only fills gaps in understanding but also creates a framework for hypothesis building. We have collected observations of importance that can add to the growth of knowledge. Compiled here are important recent observations representing all vertebrate classes in Arkansas.


Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale Putorius) At The Ouachita Mountains Biological Station, Polk County, Arkansas, L. M. Hardy Jan 2013

Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale Putorius) At The Ouachita Mountains Biological Station, Polk County, Arkansas, L. M. Hardy

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A population of the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) has been discovered at the Ouachita Mountains Biological Station in the Ouachita Mountains of Polk County, Arkansas. In 2010 a motion camera recorded a very brief infrared video of an animal that, after much study and conversation with other biologists, was concluded to be an eastern spotted skunk. Since that time the identification has been confirmed with at least 6 still photographs and one additional video that have been obtained from 2 other locations on the station. At least 2 or 3 individuals are present. All were photographed at night in …


Stable Isotope Analysis (Delta Nitrogen-15 And Delta Carbon-13) And Bioenergetic Modeling Of Spatial-Temporal Foraging Patterns And Consumption Dynamics In Brown And Rainbow Trout Populations Within Catch-And-Release Areas Of Arkansas Tailwaters, Jon M. Flinders May 2012

Stable Isotope Analysis (Delta Nitrogen-15 And Delta Carbon-13) And Bioenergetic Modeling Of Spatial-Temporal Foraging Patterns And Consumption Dynamics In Brown And Rainbow Trout Populations Within Catch-And-Release Areas Of Arkansas Tailwaters, Jon M. Flinders

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I examined spatial and temporal consumption dynamics using an energy intake model and a bioenergetics model of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and brown trout, Salmo trutta, within three catch-and-release (C-R) areas in Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters to determine whether trout populations were limited by food supply. I also examined the seasonal and ontogenetic shifts in the foraging patterns of brown and rainbow trout within these areas using gut content analysis (GCA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA) of C and N. I examined 605 brown trout and 768 rainbow trout for GCA and SIA at Bull Shoals, Norfork, …


Occurrence Of Blarina Brevicauda In Arkansas And Notes On The Distribution Of Blarina Carolinensis And Cryptotis Parva, R. S. Pfau, D. Blake Sasse, M. B. Connior, I. F. Guenther Jan 2011

Occurrence Of Blarina Brevicauda In Arkansas And Notes On The Distribution Of Blarina Carolinensis And Cryptotis Parva, R. S. Pfau, D. Blake Sasse, M. B. Connior, I. F. Guenther

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We provide an update on the species and distribution of shrews occurring in Arkansas. Shrews were collected within Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Management Areas and along the Buffalo National River. We also searched mammal collections at several institutional museums to provide additional locality records for Cryptotis parva. Specimens of Blarina were identified to species by DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Previously, Blarina hylophaga was believed to occur in the northwest corner of Arkansas and B. carolinensis throughout the rest of the state. However, our genetic analysis revealed that it is B. brevicauda that occupies the …


New Records And Notes On The Natural History Of Vertebrates From Arkansas, M. B. Connior, R. Tumlison, H. W. Robison Jan 2011

New Records And Notes On The Natural History Of Vertebrates From Arkansas, M. B. Connior, R. Tumlison, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.


Seasonal Activity, Population Characteristics, And Age Estimation In The Aquatic Salamander, Siren Intermedia Nettingi (Goin), J. A. Sawyer, S. E. Trauth Jan 2011

Seasonal Activity, Population Characteristics, And Age Estimation In The Aquatic Salamander, Siren Intermedia Nettingi (Goin), J. A. Sawyer, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a study of the Western Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia nettinigi), at a locality termed the Airport Road site in Jonesboro (Craighead County, AR) from November 2004 until March 2007. This site consisted of a network of roadside ditches in cultivated lawns in an industrial park. Even though sirens are known to occur frequently in ditches, most studies of the genus Siren have taken place in natural wetlands. We compiled mark-recapture data at the Airport Road site for each season to determine if the seasonal activity pattern for sirens in northeast Arkansas varied from activity data previously published from …


Earthworm Abundances In Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Pastures In Northwest Arkansas, Ashley Rashe, Mary C. Savin Jan 2008

Earthworm Abundances In Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Pastures In Northwest Arkansas, Ashley Rashe, Mary C. Savin

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The ecology of organisms that co-evolve within an ecosystem is likely to be distinct from that involving organisms recently introduced into an area. To better understand the relationship of earthworms with endophyte-infected tall fescue, earthworms in novel and toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures were enumerated and identified as adults or juveniles. We hypothesized that differences in endophyte infection of the fescue would influence earthworm abundances. Earthworms in two toxic and two novel endophyte-infected tall fescue fields in Fayetteville, Ark., were sampled weekly from January through July 2007. Each type of endophyte-infected pasture was established in 1997 and 2003. Sampling was …


Distribution Of The Queen Snake (Regina Septemvittata) In Arkansas, Johnathan W. Stanley, Stanley E. Trauth Jan 2007

Distribution Of The Queen Snake (Regina Septemvittata) In Arkansas, Johnathan W. Stanley, Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We documented the distribution of the queen snake, Regina septemvittata, in northern Arkansas during the 2005 and 2006 activity seasons. Arkansas currently contains the only known disjunct population of this species west of the Mississippi River. Field work was conducted throughout the Boston Mountains of the Ozark Plateau to verify the presence of queen snakes from historic localities as well as to identify new localities containing these snakes. Seventeen individuals were found in the Mulberry River of Franklin and Johnson counties and the Illinois Bayou watershed of Pope County. Of these 17 snakes, 5 were kept as voucher specimens in …


Deer-Vehicle Collisions In Arkansas, Philip A. Tappe Jan 2005

Deer-Vehicle Collisions In Arkansas, Philip A. Tappe

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.


Distribution Of Leconte's Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida Brasiliensis Cynocephala) In Arkansas, With Notes On Reproduction And Natural History, David A. Saugey, D. Blake Sasse, J. D. Wilhide, Drew Reed, Tammy R. Jones, Darrell R. Heath, Daniel R. England Jan 2001

Distribution Of Leconte's Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida Brasiliensis Cynocephala) In Arkansas, With Notes On Reproduction And Natural History, David A. Saugey, D. Blake Sasse, J. D. Wilhide, Drew Reed, Tammy R. Jones, Darrell R. Heath, Daniel R. England

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

During the past 20 years (1982-2001) we have studied the biology, occurrence and distribution of LeConte's (Brazilian) free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis cynocephala, in Arkansas. Colonies and individuals were reported from man made structures only. Four new county records have been documented since 1988, extending the range from the central part of the state to Arkansas's northern-most tier of counties. Numerous nuisance maternity colonies were investigated during exclusion activities and one, year-round colony provided the majority of reproductive data. A total of 152 free-tailed bats was submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health Rabies Laboratory (1982-2001); most during February through April, …


Life History Of The River Shiner, Notropis Blennius (Cyprinidae), In The Arkansas River Of Western Arkansas, Laura Hudson, Thomas M. Buchanan Jan 2001

Life History Of The River Shiner, Notropis Blennius (Cyprinidae), In The Arkansas River Of Western Arkansas, Laura Hudson, Thomas M. Buchanan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The reproductive cycle, food habits, and age and growth of the river shiner, Notropis blennius (Girard), in the Arkansas River of western Arkansas were studied from May 1996 through October 1997. Based on gonadosomatic indices and mean ovumd iameters of females, tubercle development in males, and the first appearance of young-of-year in samples, the breeding season extended from June through August in both 1996 and 1997. The river shiner is a diurnal, generalist feeder that forages on a wide variety of food items. In all four seasons, detritus dominated the diets of adults and juveniles in terms of volume and …


Home Ranges And Movements Of Adult Deer On Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Gregory G. Humphreys, Thomas A. Nelson Jan 2000

Home Ranges And Movements Of Adult Deer On Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Gregory G. Humphreys, Thomas A. Nelson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We radio-tracked 27 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) weekly for one year on Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, to investigate their seasonal home ranges and movements between hunted areas and refuges on this military base. This work resulted in2,123 separate radiolocations, of which 85% (1,799) were suitable for use in home range analyses. We used the McPAAL computer package to estimate home range using the Harmonic Mean and minimum convex polygon (MCP) methods. Harmonic mean estimates were based on 95% contour lines. Home range size differed between the sexes and methods. Male home ranges were larger than those of females (t= 3.32, P<0.01; harmonic mean) (t=2.07, P<0.05; MCP). Average home range sizes for males and females based on the harmonic mean method were estimated to be 483 ha and 181 ha, respectively, whereas home range estimates for males and females using the MCP method were 636 ha and 289 ha, respectively. The average home range size for all deer was 259 ha (harmonic mean) and 379 ha (MCP). We found no evidence that females restricted their home ranges during the fawning period. However, females' home ranges expanded during the breeding season, perhaps to find mates. Few deer moved to refuge areas that were off-limits to hunters during the hunting season.


Arkansas Range Extensions Of The Eastern Small-Footed Bat (Myotis Leibii) And Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotisseptentrionalis) And Additional County Records For The Silver-Haired Bat (Lasionycteris Noctivagans), Hoary Bat (Lasiurus Cinereus), Southeastern Bat (Myotis Austroriparius), And Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat (Plecotus Rafinesquii), David A. Saugey, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Daniel R. England, Marsha C. Rowe, Laura R. Chandler-Mozisek, Betty G. Cochran Jan 1993

Arkansas Range Extensions Of The Eastern Small-Footed Bat (Myotis Leibii) And Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotisseptentrionalis) And Additional County Records For The Silver-Haired Bat (Lasionycteris Noctivagans), Hoary Bat (Lasiurus Cinereus), Southeastern Bat (Myotis Austroriparius), And Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat (Plecotus Rafinesquii), David A. Saugey, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Daniel R. England, Marsha C. Rowe, Laura R. Chandler-Mozisek, Betty G. Cochran

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We continued field studies of bats in non-cave regions of Arkansas from 1989 to present and utilized specimens submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health Rabies Laboratory to establish Arkansas range extensions for the eastern smallfooted bat (Myotis leibii) and northern long-eared bat (Myotisseptentrionalis). In addition, we documented additional county records for the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), southeastern bat (Myotis austroriparius), and Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Plecotus rafinesquii).


Analysis Of The Fall And Winter Diet Of The Bobcat In Eastern Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel Jan 1990

Analysis Of The Fall And Winter Diet Of The Bobcat In Eastern Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Food habits of the bobcat (Felis rufus) in eastern Arkansas were examined based on stomach contents of 148 specimens. Rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus and S. aquaticus) were the primary food source for males, females, and kittens. Rice rats (Oryzomys palustris), nutria (Myocastor coypus), and several species of waterfowl are first reported as food of bobcats in Arkansas. Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethica) were more common in bobcat diets in eastern versus western Arkansas. Adult males did not use smaller prey but this food source was common, in kittens; females were intermediate in their use of smaller prey.


Bats Of The Ouachita Mountains, David A. Saugey, Darrell R. Heath, Gary A. Heidt Jan 1989

Bats Of The Ouachita Mountains, David A. Saugey, Darrell R. Heath, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A survey was conducted from June, 1982 through January, 1989 to determine the occurrence of bat species in the Ouachita Mountain region of west-central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma, with emphasis on censusing lands managed by the USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest. Seven genera and 13 species of bats in the families Vespertilionidae and Molossidae were captured. Species represented included: Eptesicus fuscus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, Lasiurus seminolus, Myotis austroriparius, Myotis keenii, Myotis leibii, Myotis lucifugus, Myotissodalis, Nycticeius humeralis, Pipistrellus subflavus, and Tadarida brasiliensis cynocephala.


Sex Ratios In Bobcat Populations, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel Jan 1988

Sex Ratios In Bobcat Populations, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Reported sex ratios in bobcat populations have suggested great variation ranging from strong male bias to strong female bias. Explanations offered for these observations have included factors of mobility, activity, behavior, inaccurate data collection, hunting pressure, and population density. Ratios are probably most representative during the winter, when females are no longer under constraints of parental care. Sex determination should be made by experienced observers and preferably through internal examination. The most productive direction for interpretation of validated ratios appears to be in terms of population density, hunting pressure, and the timing of harvest.


Population Decline Of The Endangered Indiana Bat, Myotis Sodalis, In Arkansas, Michael J. Harvey, V. Rick Mcdaniel Jan 1986

Population Decline Of The Endangered Indiana Bat, Myotis Sodalis, In Arkansas, Michael J. Harvey, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.


Comparison Of The Symbiotic Fauna Of The Family Plethodontidae In The Ouachita Mountains Of Western Arkansas, Douglas A. Winter, Wojciech M. Zawada, Arthur A. Johnson Jan 1986

Comparison Of The Symbiotic Fauna Of The Family Plethodontidae In The Ouachita Mountains Of Western Arkansas, Douglas A. Winter, Wojciech M. Zawada, Arthur A. Johnson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

During the spring of 1985, 101 salamanders representing six host species (29 Plethodon ouachitae, 25 P. caddoensis, 6 P. fourchensis, 23 P. serratus, 13 Desmognathus brimleyorum, and 5 P. glutinosus glutinosus) were collected from six localities in three counties in Arkansas (Polk, Scott, and Montgomery) and examined for symbionts. With the exception of Hannemania dunni, all symbionts recovered from the first five species listed constitute new host records, and the endoparasitic fauna in all species establish new locality records. Examinations revealed one or more species of parasites in 82% of the hosts. Eight species of symbionts (3 nematode, 1 trematode, …


Harvest Trends Of The Bobcat (Felix Rufus) In Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel Jan 1986

Harvest Trends Of The Bobcat (Felix Rufus) In Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas bobcat fur harvest records were examined in relation to forest cover, furbuyer distribution, and price. Availability of forest cover correlated with areas of greatest harvest, and a dynamic forest products industry in southern Arkansas is believed to support a greater density, and therefore greater harvest, of bobcats. Comparison of furbuyer distribution with harvest level among physiographic regions suggested that the fur industry in southern Arkansas could expand. Prices increased dramatically in the 1970's, and 94.5% of the variation in harvest level could be explained by price.


A Check-List Of The Spiders Of Arkansas, Peggy Rae Dorris Jan 1985

A Check-List Of The Spiders Of Arkansas, Peggy Rae Dorris

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Collections of spiders were made from 1966, to the present in the six physiographic regions of Arkansas. During this time 435 species representing 35 families were collected and recorded.