Life Sciences Commons^™

Detection Of Volatile Organic Compounds In Brucella Abortus- Seropositive Bison, Alona Bayn, Pauline Nol, Ulrike Tisch, Jack Rhyan, Christine K. Ellis, Hossam Haick

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Brucellosis is of great public health and economic importance worldwide. Detection of brucellosis currently relies on serologic testing of an antibody response to Brucella infection, which suffers from cross-sensitivities to other antibody responses. Here we present a new method for identifying Brucella exposure that is based on profiling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. Breath samples from Brucella-seropositive bison and controls were chemically analyzed and demonstrated statistically significant differences in the concentration profiles of five VOCs. A point-of-care device incorporating an array of nanomaterial-based sensors could identify VOC patterns indicative of Brucella exposure with excellent discriminative power, using …

Identifying And Managing Mountain Beaver Damage To Forest Resources, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Donivan Sphar, Osu Extension Forester Ahrens

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This publication describes techniques landowners and land managers can use to mitigate damage caused by mountain beavers.

The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is a medium-sized rodent that is found throughout the Pacific Northwest, specifically the western regions of Oregon, Washington, northern California, and British Columbia. Mountain beavers are seldom seen, because of their subterranean lifestyle, but can cause considerable damage to forest regeneration. They primarily cause damage by clipping seedlings and small saplings, but they also girdle large saplings and trees and undermine the roots of large, mature trees.

Several management strategies are available to control mountain beaver …

Report To The City Of Chicago On Conflicts With Ring-Billed Gulls And The 2012 Integrated Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management Project, J. W. Hartmann, S. F. Beckerman, Richard M. Engeman, T. W. Seamans

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The large ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) population in the City of Chicago has caused various conflicts including general nuisance, property damage, economic losses, and threats to human health and safety. Several studies have shown a relationship between ring-billed gulls and increased levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) in nearshore waters. Results of tests for E. coli have led to the issuance of swim advisories at Chicago beaches.

The objectives of the Chicago Ring-billed Gull Damage Management Project were to (1) reduce the local production of ring-billed gulls, (2) reduce the …

Neospora Caninum Exposure In Overlapping Populations Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) And Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa), Sarah N. Bevins, Emily Blizzard, Luis Bazan, Pat Whitley

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Limited information exists on Neospora caninum transmission dynamics in wildlife. This coccidian parasite, whose presence can lead to substantial economic losses in cattle operations, requires a canid definitive host for reproduction. We examined exposure in a definitive host, coyotes (Canis latrans), and in overlapping populations of feral swine (Sus scrofa) to determine if spatial proximity between a definitive and incidental host influences the likelihood of parasite exposure. Eighteen percent of coyotes (95% confidence interval [CI]514.2–21.8) and 15.8% of feral swine (95% CI512.5–19.2) had been exposed to N. caninum, and this is the first report of exposure …

Population Management To Reduce The Risk Of Wiid Life-Aircraft Collisions, Richard A. Dolbeer, Alan B. Franklin

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pour basic control strategies mitigate the risks to aviation caused by wildlife at airports: (1) aircraft flight schedule modification (primarily at military air· bases) and enhancement of aircraft visibility to avoid interactions with wildlife (e.g., Blackwell et a1. 2009b, 2012); (2) habitat modification and elimination of food, water, and cover that attract wildlife (Cleary and Dolbeer 2005, Blackwell et al. 2009a; Chapters 5, 8-10); (3) repellent and harassment techniques to disperse wild life (Cleary and Dolbeer 2005; Chapters 2-4); and (4) wildlife population management (e.g., Dolbeer 1998). As discussed throughout this book, successful efforts to mitigate the risk of wildlife-aircraft …

Effects Of Local-Scale Removals On Feral Swine Populations In Southern Texas, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are one of the most threatening mammalian pest species in North America owing to the damage they cause to natural habitats and agroecosystems, and the risk of disease transmission they pose to wildlife, livestock, and humans. The long-term (> 1 year) effects of lethal control efforts on feral swine populations at local scales are largely unknown. Using a panel of molecular markers, we assessed the effects of lethal control efforts on selected populations of feral swine in southern Texas. We collected tissue samples from two sites during removal campaigns, extracted and amplified DNA, and …

Effectiveness And Target-Specificity Of A Novel Design Of Food Dispenser To Deliver A Toxin To Feral Swine In The United States, Tyler A. Campbell, Justin A. Foster, Michael J. Bodenchuk, John D. Eisemann, Linton Staples, Steven J. Lapidge

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There are no registered toxins available for use on Feral Swine (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus) in the United States. HOGGONE is a proprietary bait matrix under development in Australia that delivers toxic levels of sodium nitrite to feral swine. However, one challenge is to develop a species-specific oral delivery system to deliver toxins to feral swine in the USA while minimizing non-target wildlife exposure. The HOGHOPPER^TM is a lightweight and portable bait delivery system that could overcome this problem. Our objective was to compare non-toxic HOGGONE removal by wildlife that visited HOGHOPPERS during acclimation periods (doors open; free-feeding …

Brownian Bridge Movement Models To Characterize Birds’ Home Ranges, Justin W. Fischer, W. David Walter, Michael L. Avery

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A Brownian bridge movement model (BBMM) is a relatively new concept that estimates the path of an animal’s movement probabilistically from data recorded at brief intervals. A BBMM assumes that locations are not independent, whereas the “classical” kernel-density estimator (KDE) assumes they are. We estimated BBMM home ranges for 11 Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 7 Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) equipped with satellite transmitters near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, from October 2006 to November 2008. The 95% BBMM home ranges (95% BBMM) of the two Black Vultures that traveled >100 km from the …

Isolation And Molecular Characterization Of Fikirini Rhabdovirus, A Novel Virus From A Kenyan Bat, Rebekah C. Kading, Amy T. Gilbert, Eric C. Mossel, Mary B. Crabtree, Ivan V. Kuzmin, Michael Niezgoda, Bernard Agwanda, Wanda Markotter, M. Ryan Weil, Joel M. Montgomery, Charles E. Rupprecht, Barry R. Miller

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens have comprised a significant component of emerging human infections in recent decades, and bats are increasingly recognized as reservoirs for many of these disease agents. To identify novel pathogens associated with bats, we screened tissues of bats collected in Kenya. Virus isolates were identified by next generation sequencing of viral nucleic acid preparations from the infected cell culture supernatant and characterized. Here we report the identification of Fikirini rhabdovirus, a novel rhabdovirus isolated from a bat, Hipposideros vittatus, captured along the Kenyan coast.

Feral Cat Management, Christopher A. Lepcyzk, Sheila Conant, David Duffy, David M. Bird, Michael Calver, Fern P. Duval, Michael Hutchins, Cheryl A. Lohr, Kerrie Anne Loyd, Peter P. Marra, William C. Pitt, Grant Sizemore, Rachel Sprague, Stanley A. Temple, Yolanda Van Heezik, George Wallace

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We applaud McCarthy et al for their research addressing a critical issue in feral cat management. We concur that feral and free-roaming cats pose myriad problems for people and the environment. However, we believe that the authors overlooked several important factors when concluding that trap-vasectomy- hysterectomy-release (IVHR) "should be recommended as a humane and more effective method of decreasing population size."

First, the population model used in the study does not represent a typical managed feral cat colony. Inclusion of self-imposed restraints on colony size attributable to a hypothetical carrying capacity restricts the population from reacting naturally to resources or …

On The Edge: A Genetic Assessment Of Aplodontia Rufa From The Edge Of Their Distribution, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jennifer Jeffers

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aplodontia rufa (mountain beaver) is considered the sole remaining extant genus and species of an ancient lineage that once broadly inhabited the Great Basin and is now restricted to the Pacific Northwest and portions of California and Nevada. Aplodontia rufa californica in Nevada is distributed patchily at the edge of mountain beaver distribution. Due to concern over the status of these populations this subspecies is listed in Nevada as sensitive. The Nevada Department of Wildlife is concerned about the status of Aplodontia rufa californica populations scattered across areas of central western Nevada and has worked to gain an understanding of …

Detection Of Avian Influenza Viruses In Wild Waterbirds In The Rift Valley Of Kenya Using Fecal Sampling, Victor O. Ofula, Alan B. Franklin, J. Jeffrey Root, Heather J. Sullivan, Patrick Gichuki, Albina Makio, Wallace Bulimo, Bernard O. Abong'o, Muchane Muchai, David Schnabel

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/H5N1 has been reported in 11 African countries. Migratory waterbirds have the potential of introducing A/H5N1 into east Africa through the Rift Valley of Kenya. We present the results of a wild bird surveillance system for A/H5N1 and other avian influenza viruses based on avian fecal sampling in Kenya. We collected 2630 fecal samples in 2008. Viral RNA was extracted from pools of 3–5 fecal samples and analyzed for presence of avian influenza virus RNA by real-time RT-PCR. Twelve (2.3%) of the 516 sample pools were positive for avian influenza virus RNA, 2 of which …

Is Propagule Size The Critical Factor In Predicting Introduction Outcomes In Passeriform Birds?, Michael P. Moulton, Wendell P. Cropper Jr., Michael L. Avery

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Influential analyses of the propagule pressure hypothesis have been based on multiple bird species introduced to one region (e.g. New Zealand). These analyses implicitly assume that species-level and site-level characteristics are less important than the number of individuals released. In this study we compared records of passerine introductions with propagule size information across multiple regions (New Zealand, Australia, and North America). We excluded species introduced to just one of the three regions or with significant uncertainty in the historical record, as well as species that succeeded or failed in all regions. Because it is often impossible to attribute success to …

Mutation From Arginine To Lysine At The Position 189 Of Hemagglutinin Contributes To The Antigenic Drift In H3n2 Swine Influenza Viruses, Jianqiang Ye, Yifei Xu, Jillian Harris, Hailiang Sun, Andrew S. Bowman, Fred L. Cunningham, Carol Cardona, Kyoungjin J. Yoon, Richard D. Slemons, Xiu-Feng Wan

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Two distinct antigenic clusters were previously identified among the H3N2 swine influenza A viruses (IAVs) and were designated H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta (Feng et al., 2013. Journal of Virology 87(13), 7655–7667). A consistent mutation was observed at the position 189 of hemagglutinin (R189K) between H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta fair isolates. To evaluate the contribution of R189K mutation to the antigenic drift from H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV-beta, four reassortant viruses with189R or189K were generated. The antigenic cartography demonstrated that the R189K mutation in the hemagglutinin of H3N2IAV contributed to the antigenicdrift, separating these viruses into H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV- beta. This R189K mutation was also …

Behavior And Physiology In The Development And Application Of Visual Deterrents At Airports, Bradley F. Blackwell, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the first major treatise on the science of wildlife damage management, Conover (2002) dedicated a short review of visual stimuli used to deter wildlife from specific areas or resources. The brevity of the review reflects the fact that these techniques have traditionally been developed over short periods and used to conhont an immediate problem. generally through trial and error. Because humans perceive visual stimuli differently than other animals (Schwab 2012). deterrents based on human perception likely fall short in saliency of the stimuli (Le., how well the stimuli stand out against a background). However, assessment of visual stimuli (both …

Wiidiife Translocation As A Management Alternative At Airports, Paul D. Curtis, Jonathon D. Cepek, Rebecca Mihalco, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott R. Craven

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife in urban settings may be a welcome sight for many, but negative interactions between people and various wild species are increasing (Conover et a!. 1995, Conover 2002). Wildlife populations are commonly managed in part to reduce these conflicts, particularly in high-risk areas such as roadways and airports (Conover 2002). However, the public often opposes lethal control or management methods perceived as causing harm to nuisance animals (Reiter et al. 1999, Conover 2002, Treves et al. 2006), and attitudes vary considerably depending on the particular wildlife species involved (Kretser et a!. 2009). Consequently, a variety of nonlethal management approaches are …

Conclusions And Future Directions, Jerrold L. Belant, Travis L. Devault, Bradley F. Blackwell

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although the management of wildlife at airports has seen great progress in recent decades, wildlife col~ lisians with aircraft continue to pose risks to human safety and economic losses to the aviation industry and military (Allan 2002, Dolbeer 2009). Our understanding of physiological and behavioral responses of wildlife to various types of repellents and harassment techniques has grown tremendously. Substantial in· roads have been made in developing and optimizing exclusion devices, particularly for mammals. Research and management have increased considerably in recent years, allowing us to better understand aspects of re· source use (e.g., cover, food) by wildlife and the …

Report To The Chicago Park District On Conflicts With Ring-Billed Gulls And The 2013 Integrated Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management Project, J. W. Hartmann, T. G. Guerrant, S. F. Beckerman, R. M. Engeman, T. W. Seamans

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The large ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) population in the City of Chicago has caused various conflicts including general nuisance, property damage, economic losses, and threats to human health and safety. Several studies have shown a relationship between ring-billed gulls and increased levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) in nearshore waters. Results of tests for E. coli have led to the issuance of swim advisories at Chicago beaches.

The objectives of the Chicago Ring-billed Gull Damage Management Project were to (1) reduce the local production of ring-billed gulls, (2) reduce the severity of …

Pheromonal Control Of The Invasive Brown Treesnake: Potency Of Female Sexual Attractiveness Pheromone Varies With Ovarian State, Tom Mathies, Breanna Levine, Richard M. Engeman, Julie A. Savidge

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The female sex pheromone has potential a s a control tool for the Brown Treesnake, Boiga irregularis Merrem, a pest introduced into Guam. We conducted male-guided bioassays to determine whether potency of the female pheromone varied according to reproductive state and during vitellogenesis. In weekly simultaneous choice tests, we presented males with skin lipid samples from vitellogenic females, non-vitellogenic females, conspecific males, and carrier controls. The total time each sample was tongue-flicked was recorded: mean total tongue-flick time was highest for samples from vitellogenic females followed by samples from non-vitellogenic females. Pair-wise comparisons of male tongue-flick time for samples of …

Large-Scale Rodent Control Reduces Pre- And Post-Dispersal Seed Predation Of The Endangered Hawaiian Lobeliad, Cyanea Superba Subsp. Superba (Campanulaceae), Richard J. Pender, Aaron B. Shiels, Lalasia Bialic-Murphy, Stephen M. Mosher

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Large-scale rodent control can help to manage endangered species that are vulnerable to invasive rodent consumption. A 26 ha rodent snap-trap grid was installed in montane forest on Oahu Island, Hawaii, in order to protect endangered snails and plants. To assess the effectiveness of this trapping operation in reducing fruit consumption and seed predation of the endangered Hawaiian lobeliad, Cyanea superba subsp. superba, pre- and post-dispersal C. superba fruit consumption were monitored for 36 plants at the site with rodent control (Kahanahaiki) and 42 plants at an adjacent site without rodent control (Pahole).Over 47 % of all monitored fruit …

Dietary Niche Differentiation Among Three Species Of Invasive Rodents (Rattus Rattus, R. Exulans, Mus Musculus), Aaron B. Shiels, Caitlin A. Flores, Arthur Khamsing, Paul D. Krushelnycky, Stephen M. Mosher, Donald R. Drake

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The diets of sympatric rodents partially define their realized niches. Identifying items in stomachs of introduced rodents helps determine rodents’ trophic positions and species most at risk of consumption. In the Hawaiian Islands, which lacked rodents prior to human arrival, three rodents (Rattus rattus or black rat, R. exulans or Pacific rat, Mus musculus or house mouse) commonly coexist in native habitats where they consume a wide range of plants and animals. These three rodent species were trapped in montane forest for 2.5 years; their stomach contents were analyzed to determine short-term diets (n = 12–95 indiv. per species), …

Effects Of Black-Tailed Deer And Roosevelt Elk Herbivory In Intensively Managed Douglas-Fir Plantations, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk are found throughout conifer-dominated Pacific Northwest forests west of the Cascade Crest, where they are important aesthetically, culturally, ecologically, and recreationally. Throughout their annual cycles, deer and elk use a variety of forest types and age classes to meet their basic requirements: food, water, cover, breeding, and young-rearing. Although their foraging strategies differ, black-tailed deer (browsers) and Roosevelt elk (grazers) often use the same forests. In general, forage plants for deer and elk are shade intolerant and are stimulated to grow when exposed to direct sunlight. As such, deer and elk often use clearcut patches …

Detection Of African Swine Fever Virus-Like Sequences In Ponds In The Mississippi Delta Through Metagenomic Sequencing, Xiu-Feng Wan, J. Lamar Barnett, Fred Cunningham, Si Chen, Guohua Yang, Shannon Nash, Li-Pong Long, Lorelei Ford, Sherry Blackmon, Yan Zhang, Larry Hanson, Qiang He

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Metagenomic characterization of water virome was performed in four Mississippi catfish ponds. Although differing considerably from African swine fever virus (ASFV), 48 of 446,100 sequences from 12 samples were similar enough to indicate that they represent new members in the family Asfarviridae. At present, ASFV is the only member of Asfarviridae, and this study presents the first indication of a similar virus in North America. At this point, there is no indication that the identified virus(es) pose a threat to human or animal health, and further study is needed to characterize their potential risks to both public health and agricultural …

Demonstration Of Avian Control® Bird Repellent (A.I., Methyl Anthranilate) For Managing Blackbird Damage To Ripening Sunflower., George M. Linz, H. Jeffrey Homan

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

After the reproductive period, blackbirds in the northern Great Plains aggregate in large flocks that feed on ripening crops, especially sunflower. At today’s prices, blackbirds eat about $8–12 million of sunflower annually in northern Great Plains, with most of this damage occurring in North Dakota and South Dakota (Peer et al. 2003). Additional expenditures are incurred by producers trying to protect their crop, including the costs in time, travel, and materials for hazing blackbirds. A chemical feeding repellent would be ideal for protecting sunflower from blackbirds because it would not only cut the amount of losses from foraging but also …

Wildlife In Airport Environments: Chapter 6 Wildlife Translocation As A Management Alternative At Airports, Paul D. Curtis, Jonathon D. Cepek, Rebecca Mihalco, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott R. Craven

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife in urban settings may be a welcome sight for many, but negative interactions between people and various wild species are increasing (Conover et al. 1995, Conover 2002). Wildlife populations are commonly managed in part to reduce these conflicts, particularly in high-risk areas such as roadways and airports (Conover 2002). However, the public often opposes lethal control or management methods perceived as causing harm to nuisance animals (Reiter et al. 1999, Conover 2002, Treves et al. 2006), and attitudes vary considerably depending on the particular wildlife species involved (Kretser et al. 2009). Consequently, a variety of nonlethal management approaches are …

Nwrc Annual Publications List – 2013

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Capture Success Higher Near Roads For San Clemente Island Foxes, Nathan P. Snow, William F. Andelt

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recently, island fox (Urocyon littoralis) populations on 4 of 6 California Channel Islands (USA) were greatly reduced by colonizing golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and a suspected outbreak of disease, creating concern for subspecies on all islands. Consequently, efforts of live-trapping foxes for research, monitoring, and vaccination has increased. Despite increased trapping efforts, evaluation of factors that influence capture success has not been conducted. We examined capture success of island foxes at 85 random trapping locations on San Clemente Island during 170 trap-nights during 2006–2007. We captured 98 island foxes, and found that traps placed ≤10 m …

Wildlife In Airport Environments: Understanding Animal Movements At And Near Airports, Jerrold L. Belant, Brian E. Washburn, Travis L. Devault

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding movements of hazardous wildlife species at and near airports is critical to formulating effective management strategies for reducing aviation risk. Animal movements vary daily, seasonally, and annually and are based on broad biological and ecological concepts, including foraging, reproduction, habitat characteristics, dispersal, and migration. As an energy conservation strategy, most animals minimize their movements to meet life requisites, which in turn presumably improves fitness. Animal movements in relation to airports can be direct; for example, Canada geese (Branta canadensis) flying onto an airfield because grass height and composition are suitable for loafing sites and as food. Animal movements in …

Wildlife In Airport Environments: Chapter 9 Managing Airport Stormwater To Reduce Attraction To Wildlife, Bradley F. Blackwell, David Felstul, Thomas W. Seamans

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An airport is a component of the landscape, contributing to and subject to local- and landscapelevel factors that affect wildlife populations and the hazards that these species pose to aviation (Blackwell et al. 2009, Martin et al. 2011). Water resources at and near an airport, in the form of both surface water and contained runoff, are recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as potential attractants to wildlife that pose hazards to aviation safety (FAA 2007). Surface water, including aboveground stormwater detention/retention facilities (see U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2006), can represent a substantial proportion of the area within siting criteria …

Do Native Warm-Season Grasslands Near Airports Increase Bird Strike Hazards?, Jason A. Schmidt, Brian E. Washburn, Travis L. Devault, Thomas W. Seamans, Paige M. Schmidt

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird aircraft collisions (bird strikes) are a recognized safety hazard and land uses that attract birds hazardous to aircraft should be avoided on and near airports. Many airfields contain large areas of anthropogenic grassland habitats, often dominated by cool season grasses. Land managed as native warm season grasses (NWSG) potentially could increase bird strike hazards on and near airports by attracting hazardous birds and harboring small mammals that are prey for hazardous raptors. We investigated bird and small mammal communities at three NWSG areas and three adjacent on airfield grassland areas in western Ohio, U.S.A. to determine whether NWSG increased …