Life Sciences Commons^™

Rabies Virus Serosurvey Of The Small Indian Mongoose (Urva Auropunctata) Across Multiple Habitats In Puerto Rico, 2014–21, Are R. Berentsen, Mel J. Rivera-Rodriguez, Fabiola B. Torres-Toledo, Amy J. Davis, Richard Chipman, Amy Gilbert

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropuncata) is a rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico and accounts for over 70% of reported animal rabies cases annually. The presence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) is often used as a tool to measure exposure to rabies virus in wildlife populations. We conducted a serosurvey of mongooses at 11 sites representing six habitat types across Puerto Rico. We collected a serum sample from 464 individual mongooses during 2014–2021. Overall, 80/464 (17.0%; 95% confidence interval, 14.1–20.9%; 55 male, 23 female, and two sexes not recorded) of individual mongooses sampled across all habitats were RVNA …

Vigilance Of Nesting Whooping Cranes In Juneau County, Wisconsin, Nicole M. Gordon, Darby P. Bolt, Hillary L. Thompson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Vigilance plays an important role in the detection of possible threats and reducing the risk of predation, including during the incubation period. We examined the visual vigilance of incubating whooping cranes (Grus americana) in Juneau County, Wisconsin, during the 2019 nesting season. We deployed 9 trail cameras and tagged crane presence and behavior in 32,801 photos which were used in our analysis. We assessed individual nest and environmental variables and their effects on vigilant behavior of incubating cranes using linear mixed-models. Vigilant behavior was defined by a posture in which the crane’s head was up, neck was erect, …

Whooping Crane Stay Length In Relation To Stopover Site Characteristics, Andrew J. Caven, Aaron T. Pearse, David A. Brandt, Mary J. Harner, Greg D. Wright, David M. Baasch, Emma M. Brinley Buckley, Kristine L. Metzger, Matthew R. Rabbe,, Anne E. Lacy

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping crane (Grus americana) migratory stopovers can vary in length from hours to more than a month. Stopover sites provide food resources and safety essential for the completion of migration. Factors such as weather, climate, demographics of migrating groups, and physiological condition of migrants influence migratory movements of cranes (Gruidae) to varying degrees. However, little research has examined the relationship between habitat characteristics and stopover stay length in cranes. Site quality may relate to stay length with longer stays that allow individuals to improve body condition, or with shorter stays because of increased foraging efficiency. We examined this …

Collective Effect Of Landfills And Landscape Composition On Bird–Aircraft Collisions, Morgan Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ninety-three percent of all reported bird strikes occur below 1,067 m, which based on the typical approach and departure angles of aircraft is within 8–13 km of an airport. Concomitantly, the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization recommend that any feature that would attract hazardous wildlife to the approach and departure airspace be restricted. Thus, preventing the establishment of wildlife attractants, such as municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) within 8 km or 13 km extents (U.S. and international recommendations, respectively) of airports, has been recommended to mitigate the risk of bird–aircraft collisions (strikes). However, robust evidence linking …

Range Extension For Dekay’S Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi) In South-Central Nebraska, Macy K. Cool, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) generally occurs in southeastern parts of the state, where the species was known from 16 counties. Herein, we update the distribution of S. dekayi in the state and briefly comment on habitat and abundance from observations in September and October 2018. We documented 7 new county records that extend its distribution in south-central Nebraska. We observed that S. dekayi does not only reside in mesic wooded habitats in Nebraska but also occupies open environments, including areas with upland grasslands and row-crop agriculture. Dekay’s Brownsnake currently is listed as a species of concern …

Bats Of St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Scott C. Pedersen, Hugh H. Genoways, Peter A. Larsen, Roxanne J. Larsen, Justin D. Hoffman, Fitzroy Springer, Carleton J. Phillips, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The chiropteran fauna of the island of Saint Vincent, represented by 12 species, is among the most complex in the Lesser Antilles, being represented by four families including Noctilionidae (1 species), Mormoopidae (1), Phyllostomidae (8), and Molossidae (2). This fauna includes four trophic guilds as represented by Noctilio leporinus (piscivore/insectivore); Glossophaga longirostris and Monophyllus plethodon (nectarivore/pollenivore); Artibeus lituratus, A. schwartzi, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Ardops nichollsi, and Sturnira paulsoni (frugivore); and Pteronotus fuscus, Micronycteris buriri, Molossus molossus, and Tadarida brasiliensis (insectivore). One species—Micronycteris buriri—and two subspecies—Sturnira paulsoni paulsoni and Ardops nichollsi vincentensis …

Habitat Selection And Con- And Heterospecific Associations Of Wintering Whooping Cranes At Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, Andrew W. Cantrell, Yong Wang

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Winter ecology of the Eastern Migratory Population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) has received less detailed study than that of other life stages or the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population. Increased winter use of novel sites by these cranes makes understanding the mechanisms contributing to habitat selection and use important for efficient conservation. As a subset of a larger and ongoing project, this study examined the individual and temporal variations of occupancy times, habitat types used, and co-occurrence with con- and heterospecifics during winters 2014-15 and 2015-16 at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, while considering the effect of individual life …

New Species And Records Of Elateridae (Coleoptera) From Cuatrociénegas, Coahuila, Mexico, Paul J. Johnson, David C. Lightfoot

Insecta Mundi

Eleven species of Elateridae (Coleoptera) were collected during a two-year arthropod inventory survey at the Cuatrociénegas Natural Protected Area, Coahuila, Mexico. Aeolus cuatro new species, Horistonotus coahuila new species, and Megapenthes cienegas new species are described for the first time. Additionally reported as new state records are Conoderus athoides (LeConte), C. lividus (De Geer), Deilelater mexicanus (Champion), Esthesopus parcus Horn, and Dipropus rufulus (Candèze). Sixteen species of click beetle are now recorded from Coahuila. The sampled habitats and the environmental setting are briefly described with images of each sampling site.

Once especies de Elateridae (Coleoptera) fueron recolectadas durante …

Effectiveness Of Chain Link Turtle Fence And Culverts In Reducing Turtle Mortality And Providing Connectivity Along U.S. Hwy 83, Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, Usa, Marcel P. Huijser, Kari E. Gunson, Elizabeth R. Fairbank

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

We evaluated the effectiveness of existing turtle fences through collecting and analyzing turtle mortality data along U.S. Hwy 83, in and around Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, USA. We also investigated the level of connectivity for turtles provided through the culverts that were originally designed to pass water through a capture-mark-recapture experiment. While fenced valley sections had 33.1% fewer turtle observations than unfenced valley sections, the difference was not significant. However, we think that the effectiveness of the fence can be improved through fence repairs, other modifications of the fences, vegetation maintenance, and extending the length of the fences. Four …

Winter And Migratory Habitat Use Of Six Eastern Greater Sandhill Cranes, Hillary L. Thompson, Anne E. Lacy

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

To better understand non-breeding ecology of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida), we harnessed 6 satellite GPS transmitters to adult cranes from 1 central Wisconsin breeding area. Using location data from these transmitters, we investigated non-breeding movements, including the routes and timing of migration. By combining satellite GPS data with a national land cover dataset, we also described habitat use on stopovers and wintering areas. Sandhill cranes tended to use larger home ranges on long stopovers (>3 days) than on short stopovers (3 days or less). The durations of northward migrations were longer and had more stopovers than …

Distribution And Occurrence Of Bat Species In North Dakota, Josiah J. Nelson, Paul R. Barnhart, Erin H. Gillam

The Prairie Naturalist

Prior to 2009, a detailed survey of occurrence and distribution of bats in North Dakota had not been conducted. Localized surveys, occurrence reports, and museum specimens provided the only records of bats in the state. Ongoing habitat loss, exploitation of natural resources, and the impending spread of white-nose syndrome to the western United States are major threats to bat populations of the region. The objective of this study was to document presence and distributions of bat species resident in North Dakota. From 2009 to 2012, multiple mist-netting and acoustic surveys were conducted to document species presence across North Dakota. A …

Soil Preferences Of Nicrophorus Beetles And The Effects Of Compaction On Burying Behavior, Kelly A. Willemssens

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier was declared federally endangered in 1989 and many efforts to prevent this species from going extinct are ongoing. The Nicrophorus beetles bury small carcasses for reproductive purposes. They also reside in the soil during times of daily and seasonal inactivity. To better understand why N. americanus is in decline, the importance of soil texture, moisture, vegetation, gravel, the burial depth, and the effect of compaction on their burying behavior was examined.

All tested species preferred moist soils with N. orbicollis having a significant preference for wet (pN. marginatus had a significant preference for …

Influence Of Sediment Characteristics On The Composition Of Soft-Sediment Intertidal Communities In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Kyle E. Coblentz, Jessica R. Henkel, Bryan J. Siegel, Caz M. Taylor

Papers in Ecology

Benthic infaunal communities are important components of coastal ecosystems. Understanding the relationships between the structure of these communities and characteristics of the habitat in which they live is becoming progressively more important as coastal systems face increasing stress from anthropogenic impacts and changes in climate. To examine how sediment characteristics and infaunal community composition were related along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, we sampled intertidal infaunal communities at seven sites covering common habitat types at a regional scale. Across 69 samples, the communities clustered into four distinct groups on the basis of faunal composition. Nearly 70% of the variation …

Cercyonis Pegala Agawamensis (Satyridae): A New Butterfly Subspecies From The Coastal Salt Marshes Of The Northeastern United States Of America, Matthew D. Arey, Alex Grkovich

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

A new subspecies of the Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) from the New England coastline in the northeastern region of the United States is described on the basis of phenotype, behavior, habitat, seasonality, flight period, and phenology. Agawamensis is univoltine as in all pegala. The newly described subspecies occurs almost entirely in coastal salt marshes and estuarine meadows, quite atypical as understood for Cercyonis pegala. The newly described subspecies agawamensis predominately prefers and occurs within large open salt marshes but can also be found in similar habitat along smaller tidal rivers, coastal inlets and streams

Larval Host Plants Of Enodia Anthedon, Satyrodes Appalachia And S. Eurydice In Vermont, Usa, David J. Hoag

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Field observation and captive rearing was used to clarify larval host plant use in Enodia anthedon, Satyrodes appalachia, and S. eurydice in Vermont, USA. In nature S. appalachia larvae were found on Carex lacustris, C. lupulina, C. gracillima, and C. tuckermanii. Enodia anthedon in nature was found to oviposit on grass and on Carex lacustris. Larvae of E. anthedon were found on C. lacustris and C. lupulina. In captivity, all but two E. anthedon larvae chose Carex over grass. Both E. appalachia and E. anthedon …

Impact Of Alternative Range Management Systems On Grasslands In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska, Luis E. Ramirez

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Land management strategies can directly and indirectly affect plant assemblages and their behavior. Little research has been performed in south central Nebraska to quantify the effect of fire and grazing interactions on species composition, vegetation structure, forage quality, and potential cost associated with land management.

I evaluate the effect of season-long continuous, patch-burning, and rotational grazing approaches on vegetation and ranching costs to determine their value as conservation tools. This study includes data collected between 2007 and 2009 from grasslands in south central Nebraska. I found that land management influence plant assemblages by shifting communities when grazing and/or fire are …

The Interaction Of Fire And Grazing In Oklahoma Artemisia Filifolia Shrubland, Stephen L. Winter

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I. FIRE-RESILIENCY OF A NORTH AMERICAN ARTEMISIA (ASTERACEAE) SHRUB: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESTORATION OF A CRITICAL ECOSYSTEM PROCESS. Conclusions: Unlike most North American Artemisia shrub species, our research suggests that A. filifolia is highly resilient to the effects of fire. Therefore, use of prescribed fires for the restoration and maintenance of ecosystem processes and properties is appropriate in A. filifolia shrublands of the southern Great Plains in North America.

II. RESTORATION OF THE FIRE-GRAZING INTERACTION IN ARTEMISIA FILIFOLIA SHRUBLAND OF THE SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS, NORTH AMERICA. Synthesis and applications. Vegetation structure in Artemisia filifolia shrublands of our study were readily altered …

Diets Of Nesting Swainson's Hawks In Relation To Land Cover In Northwestern North Dakota, Robert K. Murphy

The Prairie Naturalist

Relationships between land use practices and types of prey used by Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in the Northern Great Plains is of increasing interest as the quantity and quality of habitat in the region declines. I recorded 1,284 prey items at 18 Swainson' s hawk nesting areas throughout northwestern North Dakota during summer 1986-1987. After correcting for detectability biases and food needs of adults, I estimated (90% CI) 2,087-2,859 total prey individuals and 138.3-206.7 kg of prey biomass (x = 69.8 g/item) were consumed by adult and nestling Swainson's hawks during my study. Major prey (>10% overall …

Use Of Wading Birds As Indicators Of Potential Whooping Crane Wintering Habitat, Dawn A. Sherry, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

A search for suitable wintering sites on which to establish another migratory population of whooping crane (Grus americana) has been conducted and will continue. In addition to an evaluation of food availability for whooping cranes, wading birds that overlap highly in patterns of habitat utilization with whooping cranes may be useful as indirect indicators of suitable whooping crane habitat. We determined the extent to which several species of wading birds overlap in patterns of habitat utilization with whooping cranes on their current wintering grounds. We conducted aerial surveys of whooping cranes and wading birds at Aransas and Matagorda …

Assessing Factors That May Predispose Minnesota Farms To Wolf Depredations On Cattle, L. David Mech, Elizabeth K. Harper, Thomas J. Meier, William J. Paul

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Wolf (Canis lupus) depredations on livestock cause considerable conflict and expense in Minnesota. Furthermore, claims are made that such depredations are fostered by the type of animal husbandry practiced. Thus, we tried to detect factors that might predispose farms in Minnesota to wolf depredations. We compared results of interviews with 41 cattle farmers experiencing chronic cattle losses to wolves (chronic farms) with results from 41 nearby "matched" farms with no wolf losses to determine farm characteristics or husbandry practices that differed and that therefore might have affected wolf depredations. We also used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to …

Survival And Habitat Use Of Greater Sandhill Crane Colts On Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, California, Kevin J. Desroberts

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Radiotelemetry was used to monitor 13 (1990) and 14 (1992) greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida) colts on Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, California, to determine causes of mortality, brood habitat utilization, and effects of habitat management on colt survival. Colt survival rates were 0.36 (1990) and 0.54 (1992). Coyotes (Canis latrans) killed 3 colts and mink (Mustela vison) killed 4; I colt died because of a bacterial infection (Staphylococcus aureous). Broods used 6 different habitat types and 79% used more than I type. Irrigated meadows (74%), cultivated uplands (53 %), and marsh …

Sandhill Crane Habitat Use In Northeastern Utah And Southwestern Wyoming, Donald E. Mcivor, Michael R. Conover

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Patterns of habitat use by greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were examined during April-July 1991 when crop damage attributed to cranes normally occurs. We conducted surveys weekJy along 37-km transects in Cache Valley, Utah, and bi-weekly in the Bear River Valley in Rich County, Utah, and Lincoln County. Wyoming. During the surveys, we sighted 1,235 cranes in 165 separate groups in pasture (55%), small grains (19%), riparian (8%), alfalfa (6%), corn (3%), and miscellaneous (9%) habitats. Cranes did not use habitats in proportion to their availability (P < 0.0005); they fed more in small grain fields and pasture-hay habitats. Depredations attributed to cranes have been reported in Cache Valley corn crops in spring and in Bear River Valley small grain crops in fall. Farmers with chronic depredation problems in small grains and corn may wish to cultivate crops less preferred by cranes.

Using National Wetlands Inventory Maps To Quantify Whooping Crane Stopover Habitat In Oklahoma, Dale W. Stahlecker

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Three stratified random samples of the 416 National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps within the western Oklahoma portion of the Wood Buffalo-Aransas whooping crane (Grus americana) migration corridor were used to evaluate the availability of wetland roost sites. Wetlands were eliminated as potential roosts if visibility was obscured by vegetation or slope, or if certain human activities occurred within 100-800 m. Thirty percent of all wetlands >0.04 ha passed map review, but only 7% passed when ground truthed. NWI map review was a poor predictor of suitability (33 % correct) but a good predictor of unsuitability (97 % correct). …