Animal Sciences Commons^™

How Variation In Activity Time And Duration At Water Sources Affects Feral Horse Vulnerability To Cougar Predation In Southern Nevada, Katelyn Davies

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Feral horses have become prominent in the Intermountain West. Approximately 43,000 horses are found in Nevada alone. With increasing numbers, they have become a large portion of ungulate biomass. Thus, it is important to understand their behavior, as they become integrated into western wildlife communities. However, little research has been conducted on the ecology of feral horses, and their relationships with native ungulates, carnivores, and local resources such as water.

To address these concerns, I outlined three objectives: (1) determine if horses changed their water visitation activity times in relation to temperature. As a primarily diurnal species, we were interested …

Investigating The Demise Of East Bank Ridge Through Local Fishery Perceptions And Fish Population Metrics, Marissa R. Lamb

Theses and Dissertations

East Bank Ridge is a natural reef formation located 18 nautical miles off the coast of South Padre Island, covering an area of over 80 km2, with the southern portion extending into Mexico. There is no previous record of the structural composition or fish community present at the site. The ridge was a well-known fishing site in the local community over the past decades but catch rates have decreased substantially according to personal accounts from local anglers. In this study, areas of reef habitat were identified, and fish presence and abundance metrics were determined at East Bank Ridge. These measures …

Defining A Haplotype Encompassing The Lcorl-Ncapg Locus Associated With Increased Lean Growth In Beef Cattle, Leif E. Majeres

Masters Theses

Numerous studies have shown genetic variation at the LCORL-NCAPG locus is strongly associated with growth traits in beef cattle. However, a causative molecular variant has yet to be identified. To define all possible candidate variants, 34 Charolais-sired calves were whole genome sequenced including 17 homozygous for a long-range haplotype associated with increased growth (QQ), and 17 homozygous for potential ancestral haplotypes for this region (qq). The Q haplotype was refined to an 814-kb region between chr6:37,199,897-38,014,080 and contained 218 variants not found in qq individuals. These variants include an insertion in an intron of NCAPG, …

Evaluating The Effects Of 6-Day And 7-Day Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination Protocols Using Sex-Sorted Semen On Pregnancy In Beef Cattle, Nicole Noel Noga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, 527 beef heifers from three locations across two states were enrolled between November 2020 and May 2021 for experiment 1, divided into three sub-experiments: 1A (n = 85), 1B (n = 383), and 1C (n = 59). These heifers were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Treatments 1 and 2 involved a 6-day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol, including administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 100 μg IM; Factrel; Zoetis Animal Health, Parssipany, NJ) and a CIDR insert (EAZI-BREED CIDR; 1.38g P4; Zoetis Animal Health) on Day 0, followed by prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α; 25 mg IM; Lutalyse …

Determination Of Ileal Digestible Phosphorous Values In Various Inorganic Sources Meat And Bone Meal Sources, Jay Hampton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concerns around the economic and environmental consequences of suboptimal or excess dietary P levels in broiler diets has led to increased interest in determining ileal P digestibility values for feed ingredients. Therefore, two experiments (EXP) were conducted to determine the apparent (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of P in various inorganic phosphates and meat and bone meals (MBM) using the direct method. In both EXP 1 and 2, ileal samples were collected at 22 d post-hatch from birds fed semi-purified diets based on dextrose and corn starch containing test ingredients and one N and P free (NPF) diet for …

Dispersal Movement And Overwintering Ecology Of A Cryptic Migratory Forest Owl, Mitchell Lee Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding species’ distributions and how a species uses its environment is a vital aspect of ecology and important for the development and implementation of conservation planning. In migratory species, with distinct breeding and nonbreeding ranges, understanding distributions is a complex endeavor. Nevertheless, evaluating movement behavior by linking seasonal distributions and identifying source areas is vital for understanding a species’ full annual cycle ecology. Understanding distributions is particularly important for predators, like birds of prey, that can exert top-down effects on community structure and ecosystem function through their influence on prey populations. Among raptors, owls are severely understudied in large part …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of A Commercial Lippia Origanoides Essential Oil Extract On Salmonella Serovar Enteritidis As A Natural Alternative To Antibiotics In The Poultry Industry, Abdiel Atencio

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the bactericidal activity of a microencapsulated Lippia origanoides essential oils (LOEOs) against Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in an in vitro crop assay and in a prophylactic broiler chicken model using three low doses of the product: 75 ppm, 150 ppm and 300 ppm. Two trials of each assay were conducted. Day-of-hatch male Cobb-Vantress broiler chickens were randomly allotted to one of four groups: 1) positive control group; 2) 75 ppm LOEOs group; 3) 150 ppm LOEOs group; 4) 300 LOEOs group. Chicks were fed and watered ad libitum in heated brooder batteries …

Evaluation Of Protein Turnover, Lipid Turnover, And Calcium Utilization On Broiler Breeder Performance, Cole Alan Umberson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broiler breeder performance is based upon egg production. Breeders are reared from day of hatch to ovulation with the main goal of controlling body weight. Maintaining body weight in breeders is highly emphasized prior to first egg as to reach optimum peak production feeding increases dramatically to meet energy needs. Energy is supplied to the breeder in three forms carbohydrates (fast energy), protein (medium energy), and fat (slow energy). Carbohydrates are quickly used by the breeders, while protein is constantly being utilized by the breeder for growth and egg production, fat is stored and used lastly as the energy requirements …

Heterogenous Impacts Of Pathogenic Avian Diseases On Global Poultry Production, Elsbeth Hamilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, poultry is one of the most versatile and cost-effective sources of animal-based protein. Due to its wide variety of uses and variability of growing styles, poultry production is applicable in nearly every country. With the increase of scale and concentration of production, pathogenic diseases have decreased the efficiency of production through worsened feed conversion, morbidity, and mortality. In addition to physiological health, climate largely impacts the suitable conditions for growing. With more extreme climate events, locations once ideal for poultry are less efficient due to increased resource cost. This analysis seeks to determine the heterogeneity of production and the …

Migration And Breeding Ecology Of King Rails (Rallus Elegans) In Southeast Arkansas, Jessica M. Schmit

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

King Rails (Rallus elegans) are a secretive marsh bird species of conservation concern in Arkansas. Freddie Black Choctaw West WMA in southeast Arkansas has multiple confirmed pairs of breeding King Rails and offered an opportunity to investigate King Rail migration ecology, as well as nesting ecology and nest site selection. In Chapter 1, we determined migratory status (resident vs. migratory) and described seasonal movement. To do this, we captured and outfitted 23 birds with Argos GPS tags to track migration patterns throughout the season. We found that most of the population did not make long distance migrations but instead were …

Sheep And Goat Industry Funding Scheme Annual Report 2022/2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme (IFS) has been operating since 2010 to address biosecurity threats relevant to the Western Australian (WA) sheep and goat industry. The Scheme was established by regulation under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 to enable sheep and goat producers to identify pest and disease priorities at a whole-of-industry level and raise funds for activities to address these priorities.

There are currently three Industry Funding Schemes in operation. In addition to the Sheep and Goat IFS, there is a Cattle IFS and a Grains, Seeds and Hay IFS. The three IFSs operate in …

Does Urbanization Surrounding Stopping Sites Affect Migratory Behavior In American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor)?, Zoe Pavlik

Honors College

Urban landscapes may influence bird species in complex ways, with some species exploiting urban environments, others adapting to them, and others avoiding them. Migratory birds encounter urbanization not just during breeding and overwintering, but also at stopping sites during migration. Migration routes of American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), a bird species experiencing long term population declines, follow the east coast of the United States, including the major urbanized areas of the eastern seaboard. I explored the effects of urbanization around stopping sites on Woodcock migratory behavior using the percentage of impervious surfaces within a buffer surrounding the site as a measure …

Winging It Through Unprecedented Times: A Study Of Avian Admissions To Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers In The Eastern United States Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thea Tengstrom

Honors College

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has brought new research that examines the many ways in which humans impact wildlife. Wildlife rehabilitation is a tool that attempts to mitigate some negative effects of anthropogenic activity (domestic cats, window strikes), through specialized care to aid injured and orphaned animals. This study sought to investigate if the ‘Anthropause’, which saw a massive change in human behavior, demonstrated an influence on wild bird admissions to wildlife rehabilitation centers. Twelve centers were selected including both urban and non-urban centers throughout the eastern United States. Bird admission data between 2018 and 2021 were …

Evaluating The Effects Of Parasite Infections On Reproductive Ability In Maine Moose, Isabella Costa

Honors College

Despite conservation efforts, moose have experienced increasing mortality rates. Winter ticks are known to cause anemia and lower reproductive potential in moose. Moreover, a genus of bacteria, Anaplasma spp., is known to cause a reduction in reproductive efforts in other animals, such as cattle. Because both winter ticks and Anaplasma spp. may affect female reproductive ability, the overall goal of this research was to determine if Anaplasma bacterial infections could be impacting female moose reproduction within the state of Maine. To address this, samples and biological data from moose were collected during hunter harvest, in collaboration with hunters and the …

Ecological, Molecular, And Electron Microscopical Investigations Of The Distribution Of Shell-Boring Polychaetes Along The Coast Of Maine, Emma Tomasetti

Honors College

Blister worms are polychaete worms that live in various calcareous materials such as dead shells, red algae, limestone, and cinder blocks, along with cultured shellfish, such as oysters or sea scallops. These worms can be considered a pest due to their nature to burrow into their host’s substrate and create blisters that then fill with mud and detritus. In chapter 1, I worked closely with an oyster farm looking at the reproductive status of one species of blister worm, P. websteri, and the efficacy of cold storage as a method of ridding oysters of P. websteri. For chapter 2, I …

Temperature And Energy Interactions In Small Tropical Mammals, Abe Grunwald

Honors College

The study of mammalian energetics focuses on the complex connections between metabolic rate, body temperature, thermoregulation, and much more. Knowledge of mammalian energetics is skewed towards temperate endotherms, making assumptions about energetics biased towards the more studied temperate species. However, tropical endotherms live in environments that are quite different from temperate endotherms, resulting in differences in heat exchange between the endotherm and the environment. To understand how the different dynamic created between ambient temperature and thermoregulation impacts energetics in the tropics, I compare two species of tropical mammals, one with nighttime activity, the western tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus), and one with …

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay Annual Progress Report: 2023 - 2024, Jack R. Buchanan, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

The 2023 juvenile Striped Bass abundance index was 4.26 and was significantly lower than the reference mean of 7.77 for the period 1980 to 2009. Abundance indices were below average in the James and Rappahannock rivers and average in the York River in 2023 compared with the river-specific reference means (1980-2009). Relatively low catches of young‐of‐the‐year Striped Bass from sites upriver and downriver of core nursery areas suggest juvenile Striped Bass largely remained within core nursery areas in 2023.

Indices of abundance were calculated for three additional economically and recreationally important fishes in Virginia waters. Juvenile White Perch abundance indices …

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program: 2023 Annual Report, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2023, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP) has maintained a 28-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (VSFT) under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission-(VMRC) and the Virginia InsƟtute of Marine Science (VIMS) of William & Mary (under the VIMS Marine Advisory Program).

The main goal of the program is to train and maintain an experienced group of anglers who volunteer their Ɵme to properly tag and release fishes. Data on tagged and recaptured fish are summarized in annual re- ports and are accessible on …

Conservation Targeting: Models And Policy For Climate Resilience Of Coastal Habitat And Heritage Resources In Virginia’S Coastal Zone, Pamela Mason, Robert Isdell, Christine Tombleson, Rob Evans, David N. Bucklin, Anne C. Chazal, Dan Hannon, Jason F. Bulluck, Joseph T. Weber, Elizabeth Andrews, Gray Montrose

Reports

In response to accelerating sea level rise and its anticipated impacts on coastal habitats and species, we developed spatial models and maps of shoreline habitat distributions in Coastal Virginia to the year 2100. This report is a culmination of a three-year effort to develop and serve geospatial data to inform land use decision making within the context of projected habitat and current elemental occurrences to promote habitat and species persistence and resilience. The project was a collaboration of the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, …

Current Perceptions, Use, And Field Implementation Of Precision Poultry Farming Technologies, Tanner Alan Thornton

Masters Theses

The agricultural sector is experiencing a profound shift driven by technological advancements and the imperative for sustainable food production. Within this context, Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) has emerged as a transformative approach to animal management (Berckmans, 2017), leveraging data-driven decision-making, automation, and monitoring systems to enhance livestock production efficiency while minimizing resource usage and environmental impact. This thesis delves into a comprehensive examination of PLF as applied to broiler farming, particularly focusing on current usage perceptions, needs, and its potential to revolutionize the poultry industry.

Research in Precision Livestock Farming has steadily increased since 2000, with a growing percentage of …

Cradle Explorer: Casfer Interactive Platform For Data And Model Visualization, Olatunde D. Akanbi, Vibha S. Mandayam, Haiping Ai, Arafath Nihar, Erika I. Barcelos, Laura S. Bruckman, Jeffrey Yarus, Yinghui Wu, Huichun (Judy) Zhang, Roger H. French

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

New Records Of Mesobuthus Mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) In Iraq And Mesobuthus Faiki Sp. Nov. From Turkey (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, František Kovařík, Victor Fet, Ridvan Kurt, Fenik S. Hussen, Azhar M. Al-Khazali, Hamid S. Kachel, Ali A. Al-Fanharawi

Euscorpius

New locality records for Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) are given from Iraq. The populations from southeastern Turkey, earlier identified as M. mesopotamicus by Kovařík et al. (2022), are examined and compared with the specimens from the area close to the type locality of M. mesopotamicus. These populations are described as a new species, Mesobuthus faiki sp. nov. Detailed illustrations of both species and a map are given.

An Examination Of The Eastern Nebraska And Western Iowa Flash Flood Event Of 6-7 August 1999, Catherine M. Zapotocny

NOAA Technical Reports and Related Materials

Flash flooding occurs each summer in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. While 10-inch rains are extraordinary, it is not uncommon to have at least one excessive rain event during the annual convective season. A significant flash flood occurred in east central Nebraska and western Iowa the night of August 6, 1999 into the morning of August 7, 1999. Antecedent hydrologic conditions limited the loss of life, however considerable property damage resulted as the heavy rain fell over the urbanized areas in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Several flash flood ingredients came together over the area. These meteorological factors are typical …

An Autosomal Recessive Variant In Pygm Causes Myophosphorylase Deficiency In Red Angus Composite Cattle, Mackenzie Batt, Leila G. Venzor, Keri Gardner, Rachel R. Reith, Kelsey A. Roberts, Nicolas J. Herrera, Anna M. Fuller, Gary Sullivan, J. Travis Mulliniks, Matthew L. Spangler, Stephanie J. Valberg, David J. Steffen, Jessica Lynn Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background Between 2020 and 2022, eight calves in a Nebraska herd (composite Simmental, Red Angus, Gelbvieh) displayed exercise intolerance during forced activity. In some cases, the calves collapsed and did not recover. Available sire pedigrees contained a paternal ancestor within 2–4 generations in all affected calves. Pedigrees of the calves’ dams were unavailable, however, the cows were ranch-raised and retained from prior breeding seasons, where bulls used for breeding occasionally had a common ancestor. Therefore, it was hypothesized that a de novo autosomal recessive variant was causative of exercise intolerance in these calves.

Results A genome-wide association analysis utilizing SNP …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxii. Barbaracurus Hofereki Sp. N. From Djibouti, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. from Djibouti is described and compared with other species of the genus. B. hofereki sp. n. is the only species of the genus with pedipalp movable finger with 8 rows of granules and pectinal tooth count 27–28 in female. Also, its pedipalp chela with very narrow manus (chela length/width ratio 6.07 in female), narrower than in all other African species of the genus. A map of the distribution of the genus in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is provided.

Trophic Ecology Of Black Swallowers (Scombriformes: Chiasmodontidae: Chiasmodon) In The Deep-Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Travis J. Kirk

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The ecology of deep-pelagic predatory fishes remains poorly understood despite their importance as ecosystem regulators and energy transfer vectors. This study investigated the trophic ecology of three species of the predatory fish genus Chiasmodon (“black swallowers”) in the Gulf of Mexico, a region that serves as an analog for the global low-latitude deep pelagial, the world’s largest cumulative ecosystem. Foraging habits (e.g., selectivity, chronology, daily ration) of an “advanced” evolutionary fish in a system that is otherwise dominated by basal fish taxa, were quantitatively estimated via high-resolution stomach content analysis. A quantitative dataset of both predator and prey abundance, the …

Microplastic Quantification On The Effect Of Endoparasite Communities In Florida Seabirds, Sarah N. Prieto

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Microplastics are being studied in a variety of different projects to better understand their impact and threat to wildlife species. Although there is an understanding that microplastics are affecting our wildlife, there are still questions about how coastal seabirds come to ingest them and how the ingestion is altering critical biological processes, such as that for endoparasite communities. This project aims to determine a better understanding of two main objectives: assessment of the presence of secondary ingestion of microplastics in coastal seabirds due to the fish species they prey on and relationship between microplastics and endoparasite communities' structure and state …

Ecological Drivers Of Songbird Stopover Behaviour During Autumn Migration In Eastern New Brunswick, Andrew T. Beauchamp

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

As songbirds migrate, they must periodically stop to rebuild the energy needed for flight. Individual traits, local habitat characteristics, and the surrounding landscape can affect stopover refuelling and movement, yet the relative importance of endogenous and exogenous factors and the interrelation between refuelling and movement is less well understood owing to the challenge of measuring these aspects concurrently in free-living songbirds. I applied physiological profiling and habitat assessment together with radio telemetry and radar technologies to evaluate key ecological drivers of stopover performance in songbirds. In my first research chapter, I evaluated how refuelling and diel activity differed among five …

Genetic Diversity Of United States Rambouillet, Katahdin And Dorper Sheep, Gabrielle M. Becker, Jacob W. Thorne, Joan M. Burke, Ronald M. Lewis, David R. Notter, James L. M. Morgan, Christopher S. Schauer, Whit C. Stewart, R. R. Redden, Brenda M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background Managing genetic diversity is critically important for maintaining species fitness. Excessive homozygosity caused by the loss of genetic diversity can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and production performance of a breed. Analysis of genetic diversity can facilitate the identification of signatures of selection which may contribute to the specific characteristics regarding the health, production and physical appearance of a breed or population. In this study, breeds with well-characterized traits such as fine wool production (Rambouillet, N = 745), parasite resistance (Katahdin, N = 581) and environmental hardiness (Dorper, N = 265) were evaluated for inbreeding, effective population size …

The Decline In Monarch Butterfly, Danaus Plexippus, Populations: An Example Of The Global Threat To Biodiversity, Olivia Sidoti

Honors Projects

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of all life on Earth and how these aspects of nature interact with each other. To have stable and abundant biodiversity, vast amounts of species and organisms are required within an ecosystem. As a result of the increase in negative impacts of human activities and behaviors on the health of nature, biodiversity has been decreasing. An example of the decrease in biodiversity is depicted by the recent decline of the monarch butterfly species. The monarch butterfly is an iconic North American insect that is experiencing a decline in its population due to threats such as deforestation, …