Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Effects Of Wildfires On Rattlesnake (Crotalus Oreganus) Growth And Movement In Washington State, Joseph Chase
Effects Of Wildfires On Rattlesnake (Crotalus Oreganus) Growth And Movement In Washington State, Joseph Chase
All Master's Theses
Fire is a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest that shapes ecosystems and influences wildlife, yet little is known of its effects on local predators. Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) comprise an excellent model to investigate how fire may influence wildlife because they are important predators that contribute to controlling prey populations, but are also unable to readily escape from wildfires. We developed a novel technique to assess growth rates of rattlesnakes by using digital photography to analyze differences in widths of their rattle segments laid down over time. We compared growth rates of rattlesnakes in habitats that …
Modeling Sex-Specific Seasonal Habitat Selection For Elk (Cervus Elaphus) In Central Washington, Lewis Meyers
Modeling Sex-Specific Seasonal Habitat Selection For Elk (Cervus Elaphus) In Central Washington, Lewis Meyers
All Master's Theses
Elk (Cervus elaphus) are generalist herbivores, exploiting a variety of environments. I studied habitat selection and sexual segregation of the Colockum elk herd in central Washington. I used a resource selection probability function (RSPF) to evaluate habitat use by males and females during summer and winter seasons. I assisted Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in capturing and placing GPS collars on males, and used an existing GPS dataset from females to investigate the extent to which sexual segregation was occurring in the Colockum herd. During summer, males selected steep slopes on north, west and south …