Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Carfentanil And Xylazine For Immobilization Of White-Tailed Deer, Bradley F. Miller

Masters Theses

From October 2001 until January 2002 captive wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) held at the University of Georgia Daniel B. Warnell School of Forest Resources Whitehall Deer Research Facility were immobilized with a combination of carfentanil (carfentanil citrate) and xylazine (xylazine hydrochloride) to 1) determine and evaluate an optimum and safe dose for carfentanil/xylazine in white-tailed deer and 2) compare immobilization parameters and physiological effects of carfentanil/xylazine to Telazol®/xylazine. Animals were given intramuscular injections of 10 mg of xylazine and one of four different levels of carfentanil 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg. A carfentanil dose of 1.2 …

Winter Ecology Of Cooper’S Hawks On Ames Plantation, Tennessee, Laura A. Lake

Masters Theses

Cooper’s hawks (Accipiter cooperii) were listed by Ganier (1933) as fairly common permanent residents of western Tennessee during the early 1900’s, but populations declined during the 20th Century presumably because of habitat changes, shooting, and effects of pesticides on reproduction (Newton 1979). Breeding bird survey data for Tennessee suggest that Cooper’s hawk populations are increasing (+4.6% increase/year, 1966-2000), although sample sizes are too small for significant trends (P = 0.39, Sauer et al. 2001). Nicholson (1997), in the Tennessee Breeding Bird Atlas completed during the early 1990's, still described Cooper’s hawks as uncommon permanent residents.

At the …

Capture And On-Site Release Of Nuisance Black Bears And Survival Of Orphaned Black Bears Released In The Great Smoky Mountains, Jay Edwin Clark

Masters Theses

Since the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in 1934, interactions between black bears (Ursus americanus) and visitors have been a regular occurrence. Prior to 1990, capture and relocation was the primary management alternative for nuisance bears in GSMNP. Since 1990, wildlife biologists in GSMNP have used capture and on-site release as an aversive conditioning technique for nuisance black bears. This technique involves capturing and immobilizing bears that frequent developed areas, collecting biological data, and releasing the bears back into the same area. The premise of this technique is to reinforce the natural fear of humans and thereby …

Population Dynamics Of Black Bears In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Alex Brandon Coley

Masters Theses

Previous estimates of black bear (Ursus americanus) population density from Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP or Park) were low to intermediate when compared to other populations throughout the range of the species. These estimates conflicted with other research on GSMNP bears that indicated a high-density population with consistent growth from the early 1970's to the late 1980's. Thus, the focus of my research was to calculate appropriate estimates of population size and density and evaluate them with respect to trapping regime, demographic data, and hard mast production.

I determined effective study area sizes by calculating the average …

Reintroduction Of River Otters Into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mary C. Miller

Masters Theses

Beginning in December 1988, 14 river otters were obtained from South Carolina and Louisiana, implanted with radio transmitters, and released on Little River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). A total of 896 radio locations were obtained. There were four mortalities.

Five otters established home ranges in Little River. Four otters traveled out of Little River. Of those otters, three established home ranges on the North Carolina side of GSMNP. One otter established a home range in the French Broad River outside of GSMNP. The remaining otter has not been located since its release.

After a brief period of …

Habitat Use By Female Black Bears In A Southern Appalachian Bear Sanctuary, Steven Richard Reagan

Masters Theses

The objectives of the study were to 1) determine patterns of habitat utilization of female black bears, 2) identify timber management disturbances that affect habitat use of female black bears, and 3) integrate and summarize the research conducted on Harmon Den Bear Sanctuary since 1982. Harmon Den Bear Sanctuary is a 5971-ha area along the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. This sanctuary was established in 1971 with the purpose of protecting a core breeding group of female black bears.

From 7 June 1988 to 30 June 1989 16 bears were captured 21 times. The captures of these 16 individuals brought the …

The Reproductive Biology, Winter Dormancy And Denning Physiology Of Black Bears In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Stephen Anthony Pozzanghera

Masters Theses

Black bear reproduction, winter dormancy and denning physiology were studied during June 1984 to May 1986 in the northwest quadrant of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. Information was obtained from 30 individual females captured 35 times. Additional information on mast indices, lactation and den utilization were summarized from within the study area for the period from 1978-1988.

Breakaway collar retention varied significantly between years (1984, N=10, X=394 days vs. 1985, N=5, X=196 days, P<0.05).

Maximum production potential indices calculated for white, red and all oaks for 1984 and 1985 were 8.74, 19.99, 15.52%, and 35.06, 37.73, 36.45%, respectively. Regression …

River Otter Reintroduction In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jane M. Griess

Masters Theses

Between 26 February and 31 March, 1986, 11 river otter (Lutra canadensis) were obtained from North Carolina, implanted with radio transmitters, and released on Abrams Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A total of 635 radio locations were obtained on eight otters.

Male home ranges averaged 14.1 km during the study (March - December) while female home ranges averaged 15.9 km. There were no significant differences in home range length (p > 0.05) between sexes.

A total of 75 scats (42 samples) were collected during the study. Food items were calculated on frequency of occurrence. Crayfish occurred in …

Effects Of Rainbow Trout Removal On Trout Populations And Food Habits In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, James W. Habera

Masters Theses

The range of the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has continued to recede since the 1930's in the face of expanding rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and, more recently, brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations. Exotic salmonid populations have been controlled with relatively intense electrofishing efforts in streams having barriers to prevent reinvasion by these fish.

Two years of moderately intense exotic salmonid removal efforts were evaluated for a group of nine Park streams, eight of which had no effective downstream barrier. Food habits of adult sympatric book and rainbow trout collected from three of the …

Brook Trout Enhancement Through Rainbow Trout Removal By Electroshocking In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jeanne Dyanne Riley

Masters Theses

Brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis) populations have declined in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the early 1900's. The continuing range loss of the Parks' only native trout species has been attributed mainly to the introduced rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) . Past studies have indicated that removal of introduced trout by electroshocking results in the enhancement of brook trout populations.

Twelve study streams in the Park were grouped as control and treatment streams. Removal efforts of one, two, and three passes consecutively were conducted on treatment streams to determine the effort needed to control rainbow trout populations. …

Reproduction And Denning Of Black Bears In The Great Smoky Mountains, William Gregory Wathen

Masters Theses

The reproductive biology and denning ecology of black bears were studied in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee National Forest. The majority of information was collected from 36 radio-instrumented females monitored from June 1980 to May 1982.

Females entered dens from 21 November to 16 January (x=20 December, n=38), and emerged from 18 March to 4 May (x=10 April, n=41), for an average denning period of 113 days. Females with newborn cubs denned significantly longer (P< 0.001) than other females. Tree denning females emerged later and remained in dens longer than others.

Twenty-five ground dens and 33 tree dens were examined. Significant differences (P< 0.005) in den utilization were observed between winters, with more tree dens being utilized during the winter of 1980-81 (79.3%) than in the winter of 1981-82 (34.5%).

Females in estrus were captured from 22 June to 12 …

Reproductive Biology Of Black Bears In The Smoky Mountains Of Tennessee, John Heinrich Eiler

Masters Theses

Information related to the reproductive biology of female black bears (Ursus americanus) was collected in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Denning and weight information were also collected.

The majority of females utilized tree dens. The denning period averaged 114 days, with most females entering dens during the first 3 weeks of December and emerging from dens between the first and last week of April. Females with newborn cubs denned longer and emerged from dens later than females without offspring. The date of den emergence for females for females was used to effectively predict reproductive condition (with newborn cubs or without …

Some Aspects Of The Natural History Of The Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) In Cades Cove, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, William Eugene Keeler

Masters Theses

A study was conducted from January 1973 to April 1974 to determine the density and distribution of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) population in the Cades Cove area of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Raccoons were live-trapped, anesthetized with Sernylan, ear-tagged, aged, weighed and measured. Beginning in April 1973 an epizootic of canine distemper occurred in the raccoon population in Cades Cove, enabling this study to demonstrate the impact of an epizootic on a raccoon population.

During 2870 trap nights, 217 raccoons were captured, of which 106 were recaptures. The 111 individual raccoons captured consisted of 48 males …