Other Animal Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Free-Roaming Horse Conflicts With Wildlife In The Great Basin, S. Nicole Frey, Eric Thacker, Katlyn Uhart

All Current Publications

Horses and burros were introduced to North America in the 1600s with European missionaries and explorers. Over time, abandoned and released horses and burros formed herds and by the time European-American settlers began to explore North America in the 1700s, these free-roaming horses and burros had adapted to their habitat and been incorporated into Native American culture. By the mid-1900s, most Americans considered these horses as wild and symbols of freedom and beauty.

In 1971, Congress passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 73-482) to provide federal protection for free-roaming horses and burros (also known as …

Intake Of Supplemental Deer Pellets Containing Ground Blueberry Juniper By Wild Pigs, Jessica L. Glasscock, Travis R. Whitney, David G. Hewitt, Susan M. Cooper, Fred C. Bryant, Christina M. Toenjes

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Supplemental feeding of cervid species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; deer) is now a common management practice in the United States. Supplemental feeding can be costly and more expensive when supplements are consumed by non-target species such as wild pigs (Sus scrofa; pigs). From May 13 to June 17, 2015, we evaluated the effects of using ground blueberry juniper (Juniperus ashei) or cottonseed (Gossypium spp.) hulls as a roughage ingredient in a supplemental deer pellet to deter pig consumption at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in San Angelo, Texas, USA. We analyzed …

Identifying Fox Squirrels And Their Damage In Your Yard, S. Nicole Frey, Jessica Tegt

All Current Publications

Native to the eastern United States, fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were first documented in Utah in 2011. It is unknown how fox squirrels made their way into Utah; however, it is possible they followed riparian corridors (areas along rivers, where trees often grow) through Colorado into Utah and were only detected once their populations grew in number. Since the Utah Natural Heritage Program began tracking them, there have been over 500 observations of this species, predominantly around Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front. Fox squirrels are the largest tree squirrel in the U.S. (17–28 inches, and 17.5–37.5 ounces). This …

Mammals Of Cedar Breaks National Monument, S. Nicole Frey, Natalie D'Souza, Ethan Hammer, Bryan Larsen, Jake Nielson

All Current Publications

This document is the result of a study of the terrestrial mammals found at Cedar Breaks National Monument from 2017-2019. During this time, we conducted a survey of mammals using a series of trail cameras. We used survey results to provide an index of terrestrial mammals (excluding bats) within the park. Our goal is to provide a beginner’s guide to the mammals at Cedar Breaks National Monument. We include information regarding appearance, diet, habitat, and population status according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The guide represents the species a visitor to Cedar Breaks National Monument …

Usu Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies Facilities Designed Master Plan, Lindsie C. Smith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) is recognized as a therapeutic approach for persons with disabilities. The USU Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department provides EAAT instruction and services; however, they do not have the appropriate facilities to model best-practices in the delivery of these services. This design research entailed the development of a phased masterplan to support the instruction and delivery of equine-assisted activities and therapies in an innovative and accessible environment that supports animal-assisted intervention and natural equine behaviors.

The methodology used to approach the master plan design was derived from Norman K. Booth’s (1990) design process, as described …

Predicting Changes In Bee Assemblages Following State Transitions At North American Dryland Ecotones, Melanie R. Kazenel, Karen W. Wright, Julieta Bettinelli, Terry L. Griswold, Kenneth D. Whitney, Jennifer A. Rudgers

All PIRU Publications

Drylands worldwide are experiencing ecosystem state transitions: the expansion of some ecosystem types at the expense of others. Bees in drylands are particularly abundant and diverse, with potential for large compositional differences and seasonal turnover across ecotones. To better understand how future ecosystem state transitions may influence bees, we compared bee assemblages and their seasonality among sites at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NM, USA) that represent three dryland ecosystem types (and two ecotones) of the southwestern U.S. (Plains grassland, Chihuahuan Desert grassland, and Chihuahuan Desert shrubland). Using passive traps, we caught bees during two-week intervals from March–October, 2002–2014. The …

Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Radio-Marking Devices On Feral Horses And Burros In A Captive Setting, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Sarah R. B. King, Gail H. Collins

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Radio-collars and other radio-marking devices have been invaluable tools for wildlife managers for >40 years. These marking devices have improved our understanding of wildlife spatial ecology and demographic parameters and provided new data facilitating model development for species conservation and management. Although these tools have been used on virtually all North American ungulates, their deployment on feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) or burros (E. asinus) has been limited. To determine if radio-collars and radio-tags could be safely deployed on feral equids, we conducted a 1-year observational study in 2015 to investigate fit and wear of radio-collars …