Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Animal Sciences (131)
- Aquaculture and Fisheries (84)
- Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology (54)
- Population Biology (51)
- Behavior and Ethology (28)
-
- Biology (25)
- Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (21)
- Other Animal Sciences (15)
- Marine Biology (8)
- Physical Sciences and Mathematics (8)
- Plant Sciences (8)
- Cell and Developmental Biology (7)
- Evolution (7)
- Environmental Sciences (6)
- Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (5)
- Forest Sciences (4)
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health (4)
- Developmental Biology (3)
- Earth Sciences (3)
- Environmental Health (3)
- Environmental Monitoring (3)
- Natural Resources and Conservation (3)
- Research Methods in Life Sciences (3)
- Animal Experimentation and Research (2)
- Cell Biology (2)
- Environmental Health and Protection (2)
- Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment (2)
- Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology (2)
- Keyword
-
- West Virginia (18)
- Crayfish (7)
- Morphology (6)
- Natural history (5)
- Ecology (4)
-
- Ohio River (4)
- Salamander (4)
- <p>Eastern diamondback rattlesnake.</p> <p>Habitat (Ecology)</p> (3)
- <p>Plesiosauria.</p> (3)
- Behavior (3)
- Cabell County (3)
- Crotalus adamanteus (3)
- Distribution (3)
- Habitat selection (3)
- Herpetology (3)
- Natural History (3)
- <p>Salamanders - West Virginia.</p> (2)
- <p>Salamanders -- West Virginia.</p> <p>Salamanders -- Habitat.</p> <p>Giant salamanders -- Habitat.</p> (2)
- Allometry (2)
- Ambush site selection (2)
- Amphibian (2)
- Anuran (2)
- Aquatic (2)
- Automated recording systems (ARS) (2)
- Bacteria (2)
- Breeding calls (2)
- Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) (2)
- Diet (2)
- Eastern Box Turtle (2)
- Fathead Minnow (2)
Articles 1 - 30 of 168
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Factors Associated With Acoustic Bat Presence During Spring Emergence In The Appalachian Mountains Of Western Virginia, Emily Kirk Pody
Factors Associated With Acoustic Bat Presence During Spring Emergence In The Appalachian Mountains Of Western Virginia, Emily Kirk Pody
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Studies of threats that bats face during hibernation have increased in response to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has ravaged North American bat populations. However, impacts of WNS on bat ecology during spring emergence, when bats are potentially recovering from infection and allocating resources for reproduction, is relatively understudied. As more bat species become listed at the federal and state level, the need to understand the factors associated with spring emergence is critical for improving conservation guidelines and habitat management practices. Acoustic monitoring is an efficient method for monitoring bat presence for prolonged periods of time, giving biologists …
Factors That Influence Small Mammal Long Bone Morphology: An Analysis Of The Femora, Tibiae, And Humeri Of The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis), Tyler Everette Blake
Factors That Influence Small Mammal Long Bone Morphology: An Analysis Of The Femora, Tibiae, And Humeri Of The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis), Tyler Everette Blake
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The goal of this study is to examine the effect of urbanization and latitude on bone morphology, specifically limb length and bone density among gray squirrels endemic to the eastern United States. This study’s hypotheses are as follows: gray squirrels occupying lower latitudes will have larger body sizes and longer limbs relative to body size than those at higher latitudes following Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules. Further, squirrels in urban habitats will have greater bone density than those in rural habitats. Results show moderate correlation between body mass and respective proxies and latitude following Bergmann’s rule. Weak correlations were found between …
The Comparison Of Different Wetland Fish Assemblages Over Time, Robert Edward Adelstein
The Comparison Of Different Wetland Fish Assemblages Over Time, Robert Edward Adelstein
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services. Historically, we have drained and filled 73% of wetlands for agricultural use throughout the United States from the 1780s to the 1980s (Dahl, 1990). A nationwide focus on restoring wetlands has since occurred. Literature on restored/mitigated wetlands is rife with examples that do and do not support the same ecosystem services as natural wetlands (Langston, 1997; Meil, 2014). Restoration of wetlands occurred at the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area (GBWMA) over several decades. Various sections of the wetland were classified by age, water depth, and vegetation. One hypothesis was that differences in fish assemblage would …
Assessing The Unionid Assemblage Of The Robert C. Byrd Pool, Ohio River, Ethan Hunter Bellamy
Assessing The Unionid Assemblage Of The Robert C. Byrd Pool, Ohio River, Ethan Hunter Bellamy
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Unionid mussels are the most imperiled taxa in the United States and are vastly understudied. The entire Robert C. Byrd (RCB) pool of the Ohio River is the study area. I selected sites from the 2019 and 2013 ORSANCO RCB pool assessments that utilize random site selection across the pool. I used SCUBA to survey and collect data on unionid diversity, reproduction, and habitat. I collected 1,083 individuals over 19 species in RCB pool. I compared results from RCB pool survey to two similar surveys conducted in Greenup Pool. Both richness and abundance in the Upper Section of Greenup Pool …
Characterizing The Vegetation And Effects Of Climate Change On Parris Island, A Sea Island Ecosystem, Cody Hart Goodson
Characterizing The Vegetation And Effects Of Climate Change On Parris Island, A Sea Island Ecosystem, Cody Hart Goodson
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Coastal habitats provide many ecosystem services, protecting coastlines from storm surges and erosion, diminishing the effects of eutrophication, sequestering large amounts of carbon, and acting as vital wildlife habitat. Sea-level rise and increased storm surge intensity associated with climate change are increasingly disrupting coastal habitats. These disturbances can shift environmental gradients that drive the zonation of coastal vegetation types, driving habitat conversion. Monitoring coastal habitat conversion can improve our understanding of the dynamic effects of climate change on these landscapes. Therefore, our objectives for chapter 1 were to identify and describe the distributions of vegetation types present on Marine Corps …
An Analysis Of The Preferences, Morphometrics, And Survey Efficacy Of The Freshwater Mussel Community In The Greenup Pool, Ohio River, Jacob Miller
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The Greenup Pool is one of the most unique pools of the Ohio River in terms of habitat richness and anthropogenic impact both historical and current. The Greenup Pool spans 61.8 miles reaching from Greenup Dam in Greenup, KY to Robert C. Byrd Dam in Apple Grove, WV. We surveyed 17 sites to assess mussel communities within the Greenup Pool using the 2017 West Virginia Mussel Survey Protocol. At these sites, six 100-meter transects were surveyed for surface and subsurface mussels. Each transect was divided into 10-meter intervals. These surveys resulted in 4,041 live individuals from 21 species, including eight …
Mortality Risk Associated With Urban Land Use For Adult Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus), Mya Wiles
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Snakes have been a traditionally under-represented organism in urban ecology, but they face similar, if not greater challenges in the face of growing urban sprawl. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus, EDBs) are under consideration for listing under the Endangered Species Act due to population declines resulting from historical human persecution and habitat loss. This study used radio-telemetry data from a long-term monitoring project of adult EDBs on a developed sea island in South Carolina, USA. I reclassified a National Land Cover Dataset to reflect relative mortality risk for snakes attempting to move through the landscape. High-risk cover types …
Using Occupancy Modeling For Protocol Development And Habitat Assessment Of Necturus Maculosus In A Large Nagivational River, Alyssa Rachelle Jones
Using Occupancy Modeling For Protocol Development And Habitat Assessment Of Necturus Maculosus In A Large Nagivational River, Alyssa Rachelle Jones
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Determining the survey effort required to reliably detect population change can be challenging for cryptic, elusive species. The secretive nature of amphibians makes it difficult to monitor population status and gather information about their natural history, including habitat use, which is essential for amphibian monitoring programs. The goals of this study were to examine if detection probabilities were affected by bait (i.e., light and food), breeding activity, and environmental covariates in a population of fully aquatic salamanders, Necturus maculosus. I evaluated the effectiveness of three bait treatments (light bait, food bait, combined light and food bait) and an unbaited …
Ephemeroptera Culturing Methods: An Analysis On Rearing And Toxcity Testing On Sensitive Early Life Stages Of Native Mayfly Taxa, Geneve Rainette Edwards
Ephemeroptera Culturing Methods: An Analysis On Rearing And Toxcity Testing On Sensitive Early Life Stages Of Native Mayfly Taxa, Geneve Rainette Edwards
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Standard toxicity testing organisms are utilized for regulatory purposes and often ecological risk assessments. Ephemeroptera taxa have been reported to be more sensitive to aquatic contaminants than the standard toxicity testing organisms currently used in determining effects on aquatic ecosystems. Establishing methods for culturing native Ephemeroptera taxa will provide a more sensitive test organism to determine the toxicity of contaminants and will be more representative of the responses of native taxa. Additionally, it will provide a test organism at the most sensitive life stages. The objective of this research is to develop methods for culturing and testing of native Ephemeroptera …
Ephemeroptera Culturing Methods: Development Of Culturing And Rearing Methodology And High Sulfate Simulated Mine Effluent Toxicity Test Using Field Collected Water, Daniel Edward Brady
Ephemeroptera Culturing Methods: Development Of Culturing And Rearing Methodology And High Sulfate Simulated Mine Effluent Toxicity Test Using Field Collected Water, Daniel Edward Brady
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Ephemeroptera taxa are not frequently used in toxicity testing; however, some mayfly taxa may be more sensitive to aquatic pollutants than standard test organisms used to determine anthropogenic effects on aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, some standard test organisms are not native to the Appalachian region and may not be truly reflective of the effects on native organisms. With mayflies not being the typical test organism, there is not a great deal of literature on culturing methods for this organism. For a standard acute toxicity test, there must be 80% survival within the control organisms for the test to be considered viable. …
Seasonal Variation In Home-Range And Core-Area Size In Verreaux's Sifaka, Brynn Harshbarger
Seasonal Variation In Home-Range And Core-Area Size In Verreaux's Sifaka, Brynn Harshbarger
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Primates living in seasonal forests must adapt to extreme fluctuation in resource availability. Verreaux’s sifaka ( ) live in Madagascar’s highly seasonal tropical dry forests and experience periods of extreme resource abundance and scarcity. Home- range and core-area size were measured using 95% and 50% kernel estimation, and 95% minimum convex polygons to compare seasonal shifts in space use based on resource availability. There have been no long-term space use studies on Verreaux’s sifaka; therefore, we do not know how their space use changes over time in an environment which is both highly seasonal and highly variable. Our study leverages …
Crippling Rapid Evolution Of Metastasis And Drug Resistance In A549 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells With The Clinically Relevant Hsp90 Inhibitor Auy922, Nickolas Anthony Bacon
Crippling Rapid Evolution Of Metastasis And Drug Resistance In A549 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells With The Clinically Relevant Hsp90 Inhibitor Auy922, Nickolas Anthony Bacon
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The ability for species to evolve new features in response to changing circumstances in order to survive and propagate is a ubiquitous observation on both the macroscopic and microscopic levels of living systems. It should be no surprise, then, that diseases such as cancer utilize their own forms of adaptation to perpetuate themselves when exposed to external threats. Indeed, concepts drawn from Darwinian evolution are now widely accepted to help explain certain aspects of carcinogenesis and malignant progression, the sum of which have come to be known as the theory of tumor evolution. Since metastasis and drug resistance are features …
Assessing The Toxicity Of A Reconstituted Water Simulating Streams Influenced By Mountaintop Mining In Central Appalachia, Benjamin David Browning
Assessing The Toxicity Of A Reconstituted Water Simulating Streams Influenced By Mountaintop Mining In Central Appalachia, Benjamin David Browning
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Freshwater ecosystems in Central Appalachia experience increased concentrations of manganese (Mn) and total dissolved solids from the runoff of surface mines and valley fills. Biological communities have been impacted by these surface mining operations and it has been suggested that the increase in total dissolved solids may contribute to these negative effects, but standard laboratory toxicity tests have not found increased concentrations of total dissolved solids to have such negative effects as seen in the field. The elevated total dissolved solids in mining influenced streams may only be toxic in conjunction with another toxicant that is presence in these systems …
The Effects Of Fire On Oak-Forest Plant Communities Along Soil Moisture Gradients: A 25-Year Study, Rebekah Frances Shupe
The Effects Of Fire On Oak-Forest Plant Communities Along Soil Moisture Gradients: A 25-Year Study, Rebekah Frances Shupe
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
In the eastern U.S., fire is a natural disturbance process in Quercus (oak) forests. Fire is thought to promote oak regeneration and plant diversity by reducing competition, preparing a suitable seedbed, and increasing light availability. However, the era of fire suppression that began in the early 20th century is thought to have negatively impacted oak regeneration and the biodiversity of the understory layer. In this study, we examined the effects of prescribed fire on tree regeneration and the understory layer over 25 years. From a study initiated in 1994, we resampled 45 permanent vegetation plots measuring 1250 m2 …
An Exceptionally Small New Polycotylid Plesiosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) With Raptorial Eyes From The Western Interior Seaway Of North America, Robert O’Brien Clark
An Exceptionally Small New Polycotylid Plesiosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) With Raptorial Eyes From The Western Interior Seaway Of North America, Robert O’Brien Clark
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Polycotylidae is a family of plesiosaurian marine reptiles that evolved during the Early Cretaceous and radiated into multiple genera during the Late Cretaceous, achieving a worldwide distribution. Derived polycotylids of the subclade Polycotylinae have a gracile and elongated rostrum, homodont dentition, an extended mandibular symphysis, and foreshortened temporal fenestrae. In this thesis, I describe a small and highly derived new polycotylid taxon based on three specimens from the Campanian of the Western Interior Seaway in North America. A high number of maxillary teeth, fused neural arches, propodials with well-defined facets, and heavily remodeled cortical bone indicate the specimens are adults, …
Foraging Strategy Plasticity In Fiordland Penguins (Eudyptes Pachyrhynchus): A Stable Isotope Approach, Jeffrey Wayne White
Foraging Strategy Plasticity In Fiordland Penguins (Eudyptes Pachyrhynchus): A Stable Isotope Approach, Jeffrey Wayne White
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Foraging ecology in the crested penguins (genus: Eudyptes) is an active area of research, with new techniques rapidly increasing our understanding of these charismatic species. The most common techniques to assess foraging ecology include stomach content analysis, fecal DNA analysis, stable isotope analysis, tracking, and video loggers. Here we review dietary research on all 8 taxa within the genus Eudyptes to identify gaps in our current knowledge. However, foraging studies that assess dietary segregation require a method for quickly and accurately sexing penguins in the field. Obvious sexual dimorphism in plumage is largely absent in penguins leaving behavioral cues …
Laboratory Investigation On The Effects Of Conductivity On The Sensitive Early Life Stages Of Fishes From The Appalachian Region, Logan Ryan Beach
Laboratory Investigation On The Effects Of Conductivity On The Sensitive Early Life Stages Of Fishes From The Appalachian Region, Logan Ryan Beach
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
While it is known there is a link between land disturbance and elevations in ionic constituents in streams, the relationship between elevated conductivity and aquatic taxa impairment is harder to define. Multiple field studies demonstrating correlations between conductivity and fish or benthic macroinvertebrate communities have not described the mechanisms of impairment and impairment has not been demonstrated with traditional toxicity testing. In an effort to explore more sensitive sub-lethal endpoints for evaluation of instream effects of mining effluent, chronic toxicity testing was conducted on eggs and early life stages of trout species and the fathead minnow, utilizing a simulated mining …
The Effectiveness Of Long-Distance Translocation Of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus), Allison Grace Kelley
The Effectiveness Of Long-Distance Translocation Of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus), Allison Grace Kelley
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Translocations have the potential to aim conservation efforts as well as to reduce mortality caused by human activities. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus, EDB) have a limited ability to adapt to habitat loss and fragmentation due to the species’ slow life history and minimal dispersal ability. Because they are a venomous species, they are viewed as nuisance animals and are often killed on sight. We translocated a cohort of EDBs to investigate the potential of using translocations as a conservation and mitigation tool for this species. In July 2018, we translocated twelve adult eastern diamondback rattlesnakes from Parris …
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) Ambush Site Selection In Coastal Saltwater Marshes, Emily Rebecca Mausteller
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) Ambush Site Selection In Coastal Saltwater Marshes, Emily Rebecca Mausteller
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus; EDB) is a species of conservation concern associated with the imperiled longleaf pine-grassland ecosystem. The longleaf pine ecosystem is characterized by an open canopy and rich ground cover. Researchers have speculated that the vegetation structure of salt marshes may serve as a surrogate habitat for longleaf pine savannas. Although these marshes have little topography, they provide a heterogeneous landscape with patches of mud flats, sandy hard marsh along upper tidal areas, and salt marsh hummocks throughout. I used radio telemetry to monitor free-ranging EDBs on a South Carolina sea island. The goal of my …
Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Foraging Behavior And Population Dynamics, John Huang
Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Foraging Behavior And Population Dynamics, John Huang
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The change in the interaction between southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) and eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) provided an opportunity to examine sublethal effects of predation as it relates to a species’ risk perception and habitat structure at two scales. The interactions allowed us to examine the evolutionary responses of the southern fox squirrel and eastern gray squirrel to predation risk reflective of their historically associated landscapes and habitat structures. Second, the succession of savanna woodlands into closed-canopy mixed forest provided an opportunity to assess the flexible behaviors of both species in response to changes …
Long-Term Effects Of Elevated Manganese On Procambarus Clarkii Behavior, Cody W. Lambert
Long-Term Effects Of Elevated Manganese On Procambarus Clarkii Behavior, Cody W. Lambert
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Manganese is a prominent heavy metal within the earth’s crust and a micro mineral essential for biological function, however, high level exposure may lead to neurological defects. Industrial activities allow elevated manganese (Mn2+)to enter air and waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implements secondary standards for aesthetics in drinking water at 0.05 ppm Mn2+, although evidence indicates levels at, or below this concentration negatively impact aquatic life. Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were exposed to environmentally relevant Mn2+ concentrations for 6 months, while the control group was kept in reconstituted fresh water for the same time period. …
Modeling Chlorophyll Concentrations On The Ohio River Using Remotely Sensed Data, Thaddaeus Stephen Tuggle
Modeling Chlorophyll Concentrations On The Ohio River Using Remotely Sensed Data, Thaddaeus Stephen Tuggle
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Traditional direct water quality methodologies limit the ability to spatially and temporally predict algal blooms in lotic systems due to the size and characteristics of large river systems. Algal blooms potentially can be predicted by knowing the spatial and temporal patterns of change in cyanobacteria concentrations at large scales. Remote sensing studies investigating freshwater algal blooms, some known to secrete harmful toxins, are primarily conducted on lentic systems while large lotic systems are greatly ignored. In this study I developed a chlorophyll concentration estimation model for the Ohio River using a satellite remote sensing approach. Ground-truth water quality measures, including …
Using Environmental Dna And Occupancy Modeling To Examine Drivers Of Eastern Hellbender Extirpation And Sampling Method Efficiency In West Virginia, Sean Michael Wineland
Using Environmental Dna And Occupancy Modeling To Examine Drivers Of Eastern Hellbender Extirpation And Sampling Method Efficiency In West Virginia, Sean Michael Wineland
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Amphibian population declines and range constrictions are widespread but poorly understood. Effective conservation planning relies on accurate distribution data to develop a fundamental understanding of causal changes in species distributions. However, conventional detection methods for cryptic and elusive amphibians suffer from imperfect detection. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as an innovative and powerful conservation tool for detecting aquatic species presence; however comparative studies aimed at fully understanding eDNA detection probabilities are lacking. In this study, I used environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling methods and detailed historical records to identify drivers of extirpation and sampling method efficiency for an imperiled, long-lived giant …
Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Translocation, Occupancy, And Foraging Behaviors, Katelyn Marie Amspacher
Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Translocation, Occupancy, And Foraging Behaviors, Katelyn Marie Amspacher
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Southern fox squirrels (SFSs) are habitat specialists within the longleaf pine ecosystem of the southeastern US whose populations are declining due to habitat fragmentation. Eastern gray squirrels (EGSs) are generalists found throughout the eastern US that have historically avoided competition with SFSs through habitat-partitioning. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) use translocation as a conservation tool to establish a population of SFSs on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI), South Carolina and monitor survival, home range size, and habitat use post-translocation, 2) estimate SFS density on Spring Island, SC and examine patterns of SFS and EGS occupancy, …
A Characterization Of West Virginia Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Utilizing Skull Morphology, Katharina E. Scholer
A Characterization Of West Virginia Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Utilizing Skull Morphology, Katharina E. Scholer
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are now found throughout North and Central America, but before European colonization were restricted to west of the Mississippi. Migration occurred in two major paths to the East; north over the Great Lakes (through Canada) and south below the Great Lakes. The location of these routes is significant because those migrating north interbred with the wolves that reside there. These hybrid animals are larger and behaviorally different from their western counterparts. It is possible to differentiate these hybrids morphologically and genetically. Hybrids are known to be located in Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania, but the interest of …
Freshwater Mussels Of The Greenup Navigational Pool, Ohio River, With A Comparison To Fish Host Communities, Mitchell David Kriege
Freshwater Mussels Of The Greenup Navigational Pool, Ohio River, With A Comparison To Fish Host Communities, Mitchell David Kriege
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The Ohio River was historically a free-flowing system with diverse fish and freshwater mussel communities. Heavy industrialization, erosion from deforestation, and wide scale damming during the early-mid 20th century decimated riverine life. While mussel declines are well documented in the United States, in big river systems, freshwater mussel populations are poorly understudied. This thesis project mapped the mussel communities and site-specific sediments of the Greenup pool in the Ohio River for comparison to 2016 nighttime electrofishing data, provided by ORSANCO. Qualitative SCUBA surveys were performed at 18 randomly selected sites and two fixed sites between July and September. Each site …
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) Telemetry Techniques And Translocation, Michael Thomas Jungen
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) Telemetry Techniques And Translocation, Michael Thomas Jungen
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Internal implantation of radio-transmitters is the preferred attachment technique for snakes, but the high costs and invasive nature of the surgery make a functional alternative desirable. External radio-transmitters are cost-effective alternatives to surgical implantation. Rattlesnake rattles are unique morphological features that can serve as an attachment site for external radio-transmitters. Using thread and epoxy, I attached transmitters to the rattles of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus; EDB). I calculated average monitoring duration using radio telemetry data collected from 49 adult EDBs telemetered from 2014 to 2017 in coastal South Carolina. On average, we monitored EDBs for 189 ±78 days with …
Amphibians Among Road-Rut Pools In West Virginia, Abby L. Sinclair
Amphibians Among Road-Rut Pools In West Virginia, Abby L. Sinclair
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
As anthropogenic environmental stressors such as urbanization continue to increase, it is necessary to understand their impact on amphibian ecology. Due largely to their biphasic life history amphibians are negatively impacted by the destruction of lotic habitats i.e., wetlands for the creation of roads and urban centers. I examined the effects of three human-made road rut pools on the reproductive success and species richness of amphibians in southwest West Virginia from May to October 2012. I employed three detection techniques: drift fence pitfall trap arrays, funnel traps and dipnet sampling. Additionally, habitat covariates were taken (i.e., water depth) at each …
Influence Of Developmental Stage, Habitat, And Captivity On Thecutaneous Bacterial Communities Of Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, Rachel Fern Arrick
Influence Of Developmental Stage, Habitat, And Captivity On Thecutaneous Bacterial Communities Of Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, Rachel Fern Arrick
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Microbes inhabit virtually all surfaces of multicellular animal hosts, with microbial cells outnumbering the hosts’ own cells 10:1. Symbiont microbes, collectively referred to as the microbiome, can have profound impacts on the metabolism, development, behavior, and disease resistance of their multicellular hosts. Because the community structure of symbiont bacteria can influence host health, the characterization of amphibian microbiomes is becoming an increasingly important tool for future conservation in the face of global amphibian declines. Eastern hellbenders are good candidates for a microbiome study because they have seen substantial declines in recent decades and learning more about the environmental and physiological …
The Life History Of Faxonius Rusticus (Girard, 1852) In Sunfish Creek, Monroe County, Ohio, Kyle Mcgill
The Life History Of Faxonius Rusticus (Girard, 1852) In Sunfish Creek, Monroe County, Ohio, Kyle Mcgill
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Crayfish are among the most imperiled faunal groups globally. The continued spread of invasive species is a major impact to crayfish. Invasive species, much like the native species, are often understudied. As declines continue, invasive species spread, and new species are discovered; additional life history studies are as important as ever for crayfish conservation. Life history data was collected for rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) from October 2017 to September 2018 in Sunfish Creek, Monroe County, Ohio. Faxonius rusticus are native to the Ohio River drainage around Cincinnati, Ohio but have extensively expanded their range over the past 30 years. Sunfish …