Animal Sciences Commons^™

Swimming As A Determinate To Immigration For Two Small Mammals In Coastal Virginia, Jeffrey Lewis Carter

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Small mammals were live trapped on the mainland and on an island located in the southeast corner of Virginia. The area was characterized by a mid-Atlantic coastal climate. White-footed mice (Perompsous fsucopus) were trapped on the mainland but not on the island, whereas meadow voles (Microtus psnnsylvimious) inhabited only the island. A series of swimming tests were performed in both the field and in the laboratory on both of these species to determine if swimming abilities could be the factor preventing Pszomysous from colonizing the island.

Both species of small mammals showed good swimming endurance in …

Seasonal Feeding Habits Of The River Otter (Lutra Canadensis) In Ditches Of The Great Dismal Swamp, Ronnie M. Pierce

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

To determine the seasonal feeding habits of the river otter (Lutra canadensis) in the Great Dismal Swamp 209 scats were collected, from May 1977 to May 1978, and analyzed for content. Remains of crayfish were found with a frequency of occurrence of 82% while fish remains occurred in 62% of the scat. This is in direct contrast to previous studies (from other areas) which found fish with a greater frequency than crayfish. Fish consumption was believed to increase during periods of low water or low temperatures. Sunfish were represented most frequently and may be the preferred fish. Amphiuma remains …

Wolf Howling And Its Role In Territory Maintenance, Fred H. Harrington, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The wolf (Canis lupus) is a wide-ranging social carnivore with a complex spatial organization (MECH, 1972; 1973). The precise manner in which this organization is maintained is unknown, but territory advertisement using olfactory and acoustic modes seems to be involved.

The acoustic mode includes primarily howling. Within a wolf pack, howling may be useful to reassemble separated members (MECH, 1966; THEBERGE & FALLS, 1967), and may communicate information on individual identity, location, and other behavioral and environmental contingencies (THEBERGE & FALLS, 1967). Between packs, however, howling may serve to advertise territory, communicating the locations of packs and thus …

The Fall And Winter Food Habits Of The Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) In The Great Dismal Swamp Of Virginia, Francis Leonard Daniel

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A study was conducted on the food habits of the black bear (Ursus americanus) in the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia. A total of four stomachs and 42 scats were analyzed. Four samples were collected from September and October of 1975, and the remainder of the samples were collected from September 1976 to February 1977. The study was conducted to obtain information vital to the management of this species in the Great Dismal Swamp. Vitis spp. was the primary food item during the fall comprising 43% of the total diet, followed by fruits of Diospyros virginiana and Asimina triloba, each …

A Mid-Continent Irruption Of Canada Lynx, 1962-63, Harvey L. Gunderson

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

There was a mid-continent irruption of the Canada lynx (Felis lynx) population and subsequent extensive movement into non-lynx habitats during the years 1962-1963. Lynx were found in the prairie provinces of Canada and the prairie areas of Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. They were also found in urban areas such as Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota: Winnipeg, Manitoba: and Calgary, Saskatchewan, Canada. Causes for the irruption remain unknown but speculations include primarily a change in snowshoe hare population, disease, extensive forest fires and extensive spraying. Unusual behavior seemed to be most often reflected by a lack of …

The Social Behavior Of Brown Bears At Mcneil River, Alaska, Allan L. Egbert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The social behavior of brown bears (Ursus arctos) was studied during the summers of 1972 and 1973 as bears fished for salmon at McNeil River, Alaska. Study objectives were to determine behavioral characteristics of bears in relation to sex and age, changes in social behavior over a 40-day long fishing season, social and environmental parameters correlated with the occurrence of behavior, and to test the hypothesis that brown bears modify social behavior in a feeding aggregation to exploit a resource limited in time and space.

Over one-half of the agonistic interactions consisted of passive deferrals. Encounters that included …

Relating Wolf Scat Content To Prey Consumed, Theodore J. Floyd, L. David Mech, Peter A. Jordan

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

In 9 trials, captive wolves (Canis lupus) were fed prey varying in size from snowshoe (Lepus americanus) to adult deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and the resulting scats were counted. collectible scats were distinguished from liquid, noncollectible stools. In collectible scats, the small prey occurred in greater proportion relative to the prey's weight, and in lesser proportion to the prey's numbers, than did the remains of larger prey. A regression equation with an excellent the data (r² = 0.97) was derived to estimate the weight of prey eaten per collectible scat for With this information …

Productivity, Mortality, And Population Trends Of Wolves In Northeastern Minnesota, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Population parameters, mortality causes, and mechanisms of a population decline were studied in wolves (Canis lupus lycaon) from 1968 to 1976 in the Superior National Forest. The main method was aerial radio-tracking of 129 wolves and their packmates. Due to a decline in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the wolf population decreased during most of the study. Average annual productivity varied from 1.5 to 3.3 pups per litter, and annual mortality rates from 7 to 65 percent. Malnutrition and intraspecific strife accounted equally for 58 percent of the mortality; human causes accounted for the remainder. As wolf …

Wolf-Pack Buffer Zones As Prey Reservoirs, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Abstract. In a declining herd, surviving deer inhabited overlapping edges of wolf- pack territories. There, wolves hunted little until desperate, in order to avoid fatal encounters with neighbors. Such encounters reduce wolf numbers and predation pressure and apparently allow surviving deer along territory edges to repopulate the area through dispersal of their prime, less vulnerable offspring into territory cores.

Comparison Of Coyote And Coyote × Dog Hybrid Food Habits In Southeastern Nebraska, Brian R. Mahan

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The recent taxonomic study by Mahan et al. (1978) documented the occurrence of coyote (Canis latrans) x dog (c. familiaris) hybrids in Nebraska. This study, and those by Freeman (1976) in Oklahoma and Gipson et al. (1974) in Arkansas show coyote x dog hybrids, though not abundant, to be numerous in some areas. The purpose of the present study was to compare the stomach contents of coyote x dog hybrids collected by Mahan et al. (1978) from southeastern Nebraska with those of contemporary coyotes.

Stomachs of 12 coyote x dog hybrids and 16 coyotes collected November 1975 …

Visual Detection Of Cryptic Prey By Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alexandra T. Pietrewicz, Alan Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

Blue jays learned to respond differentially to the presence or absence of Catocala moths in slides. This detection of the moths by the jays was affected by the background upon which the moth was placed and its body orientation, thus providing an objective measure of crypticity. These procedures are useful for the study of visual detection of prey.

Studies On The Grooming Behavior And Morphology Of The Freshwater Prawn, Palaemonetes Kadiakensis, Bruce E. Felgenhauer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Food Habits Of Ictalurus Natalis, Centrarchus Macropterus And Perca Flavescens In Lake Drummond In The Dismal Swamp Of Virginia, Steven C. Russell

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The food habits of yellow bullhead catfish (Ictalurus natalis), yellow perch (Perea flavescens), and fliers (Centrarchus macropterus) in Lake Drummond in the Dismal Swamp were examined. Seventy yellow bullheads (42 mm to 255 mm), 136 yellow perch (41 mm to 280 mm), and 110 fliers (81 mm to 140 mm), were collected with gill nets, traps, seins, and electro-fishing gear from June through November of 1975. Frequency of occurrence and volumentric data were used to evaluate the relative importance of food items. Spearman's rank correlation coef­ficient was determined from the data to test differences …

Characteristics And Behavior Of Guineafowl And Domesticated Chicken Hybrids, Earl L. Hanebrink

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The description, behavior, and morphologic measurements are presented for two hybrid crosses of domesticated chicken and guineafowl. The ease at which gallinaceous birds hybridize might warrant a closer look at the classification system. Possibly the number of families in the superfamily Phasianoidea should be reduced as some other researchers suggest.

The Effect Of Social Rank Of Male Swordtails (Xiphophorus Helleri) On Sexual Behavior, Janet N. Marum

Masters Theses

The relationship between social rank and sexual behavior of the male swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) was studied. Initially three tanks were established with three males and two females in each. Social rank, aggressive and sexual levels were recorded by observation of the interactions which occurred in the tanks. A second series of observations were made with the fish regrouped according to their initial rank, that is, dominant males grouped together, middle ranking males together and the lowest ranking males together. Aggressive and sexual levels were the highest for the highest ranking males in all tanks and in both trials, …

Bounty Systems In Vermin Control, S J O Whitehouse

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

For more than 3000 years man has tried to reduce the numbers of pest animals by payment of bounties. In general, the system has failed.

This article, by a research scientist who specalizes in the study of declared (pest) animals in Western Australia reviews some of the literature about bounties and comments on the situation in Australia.

Emus On The Move : 1976, Michael T. Sexton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The greatest migration of emus in recent times came out of the ZMurchison and Gascoyne pastoral areas during the winter of 1976. The emus were driven south-westerly by an instinctive search for food.

The Agriculture Protection Board's barrier fences stoped the wave of emus on the fringes of the wheatbelt, causing a congregation estimated in mid June to total 50,000 birds.

This article reviews the reason behind the emu migration and the policies employed to deal with such a situation.

The Behaviour Of Swine, J. P. Signoret, B. A. Baldwin, D. Fraser, E. S. E. Hafez

Mammalogy Collection

The pig was a forest-dwelling animal from the beginning of its history. In some parts of the world it has been domesticated for at least 7000 years. The European breeds of domestic swine were derived from the local wild pig, Sus scrofa. Herds ranged in pastures and forests and kept indoors only for fattening. The breeds in the Far East were derived from another wild pig, Sus vittatus, a smaller animal with shorter legs and a higher reproductive ability (Mohr 1960; Zeuner 1963). The two types interbred readily. The modem breeds of pig evolved from different crossings between the two …

Homing Studies Of Bank Swallows In Eastern Illinois, Jennifer Eileen Hagerstrom

Masters Theses

A series of homing experiments using 39 color-marked Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) were carried out in eastern Illinois during the summer of 1975. The swallow colony was located four km east-northeast of Charleston, Illinois at the Charleston Stone Quarry. Eight release sites were located in the four compass directions from the home colony at distances of 14.4 to 32.3 km away.

The colony was approached before dawn and swallows were captured using tube traps. Birds were color-marked, banded, and taken in individual bags to the release site by automobile. Cloud cover, wind velocity, wind direction, and orientation behavior …

The Relative Attenuation Of Self-Stimulation, Eating And Drinking Produced By Dopamine-Receptor Blockade, E. T. Rolls, B. J. Rolls, P. H. Kelly, S. G. Shaw, R. J. Wood, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Spiroperidol, which blocks dopamine (DA) receptors, attenuated self-stimulation of the nucleus accumbens, septal area, hippocampus, anterior hypothalamus and ventral tegmental area. Dopamine is thus involved in self-stimulation of many sites (in addition to the lateral hypothalamus). The attenuation was not a simple motor impairment of the speed of bar-pressing in that the nucleus accumbens and septal self-stimulation rates were lower than those in treated animals self-stimulating at other sites (Experiment 1). Feeding was partly attenuated, and drinking was much less attenuated by the spiroperidol. Since the rats bar-pressed for brain- stimulation reward, chewed pellets to eat, and licked a tube …

Canis Lupus., L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Order Carnivora, Family Canidae. The genus Canis includes eight species. Approxi- mately 24 New World and eight Old World subspecies of C. lupus are recognized, the number depending on authorities accepted. For summary, see Mech (1970); for full synonymy, see Pocock (1935), Goldman (1944), Ellerman and Morrison- Scott (1951), Novikov (1956), and Hall and Kelson (1959).

Defensive Behavior Of The Hognose Snake (Heterodon Platyrhinos), Brenda S. Hemken

Masters Theses

Fourteen out of sixteen Heterodon platyrhinos eggs were hatched in late August, 1973. The immature snakes were manually stimulated and the resultant bluffing and death-feigning behaviors were observed. All of the experimental snakes bluffed, but only three out of ten feigned death. The major components of the bluffing behavior are spreading the neck, hissing, and striking. Death-feigning is preceded by contortions and shows variations in the positions of the mouth and tongue. The newly-hatched snakes exhibited both bluffing and death-feigning, indicating that the behaviors are innate.

An Introduction To The Ethology Of Citellus Variegatus, John W. Bell

Masters Theses

The above ground activity of the rock squirrel Citellus variegatus between November 6, 1972 and May 1, 1973, is described. This is a non-colonial species. Recognition was established between siblings by a nose to nose contact. In foraging they utilize almost any edible material available and during this time of year foraging is most intense between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Vocalization was limited to alarm calls, which brought the other squirrels to the top of the rocks to become alert, and squeals. Hibernation varied in length depending in part on the elevation and in some did not occur at …

Lot Feeding Sheep In Sheds, H E. Fels, B. Malcolm

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The need to gather and hold sheep for slaughter or live shipment led a West Australian company!, with the Department of Agriculture, to investigate the use of sheds for short term lot feeding of sheep. Preliminary examination suggested that feedlot sheds connected by a sheep footpath to the abattoirs, railway or saleyards could be cheaper as well as more practicable than continued use of holding paddocks.

The first week or two are commonly the most difficult in lot feeding sheep or cattle. Long-term indoor lot-feeding is a normal practice in some overseas countries but we did not know whether untrained …

Anatomical And Behavioral Aspects Of Killing And Feeding By The Least Weasel, Mustela Nivalis L., Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is a remarkably well adapted predator of mice and other small animals. Each kill is rather stereotyped, in that the weasel grabs the prey by the nape of the neck and bites through the base of the skull and/or throat, using its lithe body to "wrap up" and hold the prey. The least weasel will kill mice successively until it is too exhausted physically to kill more. Mice are always eaten from the head posteriorly until completely consumed.

Operant Conditioning In The Garter Snake (Thamnophis), William A. Schmitz

Masters Theses

Ten garter snakes were tested for runway acquisition, correct turn response in a simple T-maze, or both, for food reinforcement. Seven of seven subjects met criterion for learning to run a 23 inch long alleyway. Mean latency times showed a general decrease over a 23 day period. Five of nine subjects met criterion for learning a correct turn response in a simple T-maze. Subjects mastering the task required from 14-157 trials. One of two subjects met criterion for learning the reverse response of the T-maze exercise, requiring 35 trials. Results are similar to those previously reported for reptiles and other …

A Comparison Of Nocturnal Restlessness Of Caged Thrushes And Migration Of Free Thrushes, Charles Goodwin Kjos

Masters Theses

Nocturnal activity (Zugunruhe) of eight caged, radio-tagged thrushes (Hylocichla spp.) was compared by signal analysis with the occurrence of migration in 16 free, radio-tagged thrushes over a 37-night period during the autumn of 1970 in central Illinois. The study was conducted to determine the extent of synchrony of Zugunruhe and migration in these nocturnal migrants in fall. Zugunruhe frequently occurred on nights when there was no migration, but migration occurred only on nights when at least 50 per cent of the caged birds were active. Except for one departure which was atypical in several respects, migration occurred …

A Taxonomic Study Of Two Nominal Subspecies Of Pikas (Ochotona Princeps) In The Cascade Mountains Of Oregon, Richard M. Coots

Dissertations and Theses

Pikas from four colonies in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon were examined. Two colonies were chosen from within the geographical distribution of two nominal subspecies. A discriminate analysis of morphological measurements taken from the specimens showed that each colony could be distinguished from each other. Each colony studied showed more intra-colony similarity than inter-colony similarity regardless of distance separating the colonies or subspecies designations. The results indicate that the validity of subspecies designations for this species can be questioned.

An Investigation Of The Behavior Of Citellus Townsendii Townsendii (Bachman) In Central Washington, Mark Roy Fuller

All Master's Theses

This study of the behavior of Citellus townsendii townsendii was based on field observations of animals at their northern most distribution. The squirrels' seasonal activity and behavioral repertoire, when considered with environmental parameters, suggest important adaptations for survival. The animals were in torpor from about July to February. Activity generally occurred during the midmorning hours, allowing them to avoid temperature extremes. Quantitative analysis of behavioral observations indicated that most activities occurred in a non-random order.

Look After The Tail Enders, B R. Beetson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

IN Department of Agriculture drought feeding trials last summer, shy feeders lost weight and died while the bigger sheep grew fat. When drafted off and fed separately the shy feeders ate their share and survived the summer.