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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Efficacy Of Visual Surveys For White-Nose Syndrome At Bat Hibernacula, Amanda Frances Janicki
Efficacy Of Visual Surveys For White-Nose Syndrome At Bat Hibernacula, Amanda Frances Janicki
Masters Theses
White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is an epizootic disease in hibernating bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Surveillance for P. destructans at bat hibernacula consists primarily of visual surveys of bats, collection of potentially infected bats, and submission of these bats for laboratory testing. Cryptic infections (bats that are infected but display no visual signs of fungus) could lead to the mischaracterization of the infection status of a site and the inadvertent spread of P. destructans. We determined the efficacy of visual detection of P. destructans by examining visual signs and molecular detection of P. …
Bats And Disease: Behavioral And Community Responses Of Southern Bat Populations During The White-Nose Syndrome Epizootic, Riley Fehr Bernard
Bats And Disease: Behavioral And Community Responses Of Southern Bat Populations During The White-Nose Syndrome Epizootic, Riley Fehr Bernard
Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation investigates regional differences in the behavior and activity of bats in eastern North America during the white-nose syndrome epizootic, specifically in the understudied region of the Southeastern United States. An introductory section provides a brief review of the history of white-nose syndrome, an emerging infectious disease in bats, and its introduction into North America. Chapter one provides the first documented evidence of bat activity outside of hibernacula throughout winter. The research presented in chapter two attempts to explain the variation in load and prevalence of P. destructans among species, sites and between years. Finally, chapter three examines the …
Molecular Analysis Of Guano From Bats In Bat Houses On Organic Pecan Orchards, Veronica Angelelli Brown
Molecular Analysis Of Guano From Bats In Bat Houses On Organic Pecan Orchards, Veronica Angelelli Brown
Masters Theses
Bats are generalist predators of night flying insects, including many crop pests. Pecan nut casebearer (Acrobasis nuxvorella), hickory shuckworm (Cydia caryana), and several stink bug species are some of the most damaging crop pests in pecan orchards. Attracting bats to agricultural areas using bats houses may reduce the numbers of these pests and, consequently, their economic impact. This study uses quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) of mitochondrial DNA found in the guano of bats living in bat houses on organic pecan orchards to document the consumption of pecan nut casebearer, hickory shuckworm, and corn earworm ( …