Stopped In Their Tracks: Assessing The Effects Of Anthropogenic Barriers On Gopherus Polyphemmus, Bridget Vincent, Katelyn S. Lanctot, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Scott A. Martin, M. Rebecca Bolt, Richard A. Siegel
Jan 2017
Stopped In Their Tracks: Assessing The Effects Of Anthropogenic Barriers On Gopherus Polyphemmus, Bridget Vincent, Katelyn S. Lanctot, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Scott A. Martin, M. Rebecca Bolt, Richard A. Siegel
Bridget Vincent
Roads are known to hinder gene flow and fragment habitat for terrestrial organisms, including Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). However, railroad tracks may cause similar problems as tortoises often become trapped in the tracks and face mortality from overheating and dehydration. To test the effect railroad tracks have on Gopher Tortoises, 12 adult tortoises familiar with the tracks and 12 unfamiliar with the tracks were placed in a 20 meter stretch of inactive track at the Kennedy Space Center. Additionally, 12 tortoises were placed in a control area of equal size. Behavior and crossing attempts were recorded for one …
Influence Of Rock-Pool Characteristics On The Distribution And Abundance Of Inter-Tidal Fishes, Gemma E. White, Grant C. Hose, Culum Brown
May 2016
Influence Of Rock-Pool Characteristics On The Distribution And Abundance Of Inter-Tidal Fishes, Gemma E. White, Grant C. Hose, Culum Brown
Culum Brown, PhD
Rock pools can be found in inter-tidal marine environments worldwide; however, there have been few studies exploring what drives their, fish species composition, especially in Australia. The rock-pool environment is highly dynamic and offers a unique natural laboratory to study the habitat choices, physiological limitations and adaptations of inter-tidal fish species. In this study rock pools of the Sydney region were sampled to determine how the physical (volume, depth, rock cover and vertical position) and biological (algal cover and predator presence) parameters of pools influence fish distribution and abundance. A total of 27 fish species representing 14 families was observed …
Human–Wildlife Conflict And Coexistence, Philip J. Nyhus
Dec 2015
Human–Wildlife Conflict And Coexistence, Philip J. Nyhus
Philip J. Nyhus
Human interactions with wildlife are a defining experience of human existence. These interactions can be positive or negative. People compete with wildlife for food and resources, and have eradicated dangerous species; co-opted and domesticated valuable species; and applied a wide range of social, behavioral, and technical approaches to reduce negative interactions with wildlife. This conflict has led to the extinction and reduction of numerous species and uncountable human deaths and economic losses. Recent advances in our understanding of conflict have led to a growing number of positive conservation and coexistence outcomes. I summarize and synthesize factors that contribute to conflict, …
Responses Of Four Arthropod Prey Species To Mechanosensory, Chemosensory And Visual Cues From An Arachnid Predator: A Comparative Approach, Scott Kight
Dec 2015
Responses Of Four Arthropod Prey Species To Mechanosensory, Chemosensory And Visual Cues From An Arachnid Predator: A Comparative Approach, Scott Kight
Scott Kight
Comparisons of multiple invertebrate prey species to direct predator sensory cues are relatively uncommon. We compared prey responses to arachnid predators (Araneae: Lycosidae) of four species: Blattella germanica (Blattodea: Blattellidae), Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllinae), Armadillidium vulgare (Oniscidea: Armadillidae), and Porcellio laevis (Oniscidea: Porcellionidae). Prey experienced combinations of direct mechanosensory, chemosensory or visual cues. All species responded to all cues, but response structure differed among species. Mechanosensory and chemosensory predator cues elicited frequent shifts between behaviors, whereas visual stimuli tended to diminish responses. Mechanosensory stimuli produced the most extreme responses, particularly in crickets and cockroaches, but responses to mechanosensory stimuli diminished …
The Fine-Scale Habitat Use Of Risso’S Dolphins Off Bardsey Island, Cardigan Bay (Uk), Marijke N. De Boer, Sonja Eisfeld, Mark P. Simmonds
Dec 2014
The Fine-Scale Habitat Use Of Risso’S Dolphins Off Bardsey Island, Cardigan Bay (Uk), Marijke N. De Boer, Sonja Eisfeld, Mark P. Simmonds
Mark P. Simmonds, OBE
The main objectives of this study were (1) to estimate the population size of Risso’s dolphins off Bardsey Island using mark-recapture techniques (De Boer et al., 2013); and (2) to study habitat-use in relation to fine-scale oceanographic features. This work provides preliminary information on the habitat-use of Risso’s dolphins and will benefit future studies, along with the development of effective conservation measures for this species throughout the region.
Marine Noise Pollution - Increasing Recognition But Need For More Practical Action, Mark P. Simmonds, Sarah J. Dolman, Michael Jasny, E. C. M. Parsons, Lindy Weilgart, Andrew J. Wright, Russell Leaper
Dec 2014
Marine Noise Pollution - Increasing Recognition But Need For More Practical Action, Mark P. Simmonds, Sarah J. Dolman, Michael Jasny, E. C. M. Parsons, Lindy Weilgart, Andrew J. Wright, Russell Leaper
Mark P. Simmonds, OBE
Over the last two decades, marine noise pollution has become increasingly recognized as an issue of major significance. The issue has become a primary focus of marine mammal research, but is also of concern to the public and policy makers. The result has been efforts involving a variety of disciplines, and relevant legislation and associated guidance are now in place in many parts of the world. Most current mitigation efforts are directed at reducing the risk of injury from exposure to intense noise, although the effectiveness of such mitigation measures in terms of risk reduction has rarely been quantified. Longer-term …
Do Predator Cues Influence Turn Alternation Behavior In Terrestrial Isopods Porcellio Laevis Latreille And Armadillidium Vulgare Latreille?, Scott Kight
Dec 2013
Do Predator Cues Influence Turn Alternation Behavior In Terrestrial Isopods Porcellio Laevis Latreille And Armadillidium Vulgare Latreille?, Scott Kight
Scott Kight
Terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Oniscidea) make more alternating maze turns in response to negative stimuli, a navigational behavior that corrects divergence from a straight line. The present study investigates this behavioral pattern in two species, Porcellio laevis Latreille and Armadillidium vulgare Latreille, in response to short-term vs. long-term exposure to indirect cues from predatory ants. Neither isopod species increased the number of alternating turns in response to short-term indirect exposure to ants, but both species made significantly more alternating turns following continuous indirect exposure to ants for a period of one-week. These results are surprising given differences in behavioral and …
Evidence Of Population-Level Lateralized Behaviour In Giant Water Bugs, Belostoma Flumineum Say (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae): T-Maze Turning Is Left Biased, Scott Kight
Dec 2007
Evidence Of Population-Level Lateralized Behaviour In Giant Water Bugs, Belostoma Flumineum Say (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae): T-Maze Turning Is Left Biased, Scott Kight
Scott Kight
Lateralized behaviour occurs in diverse animals, but relatively few studies examine the phenomenon in invertebrates. Here we report a population-level left turn bias in the giant water bug Belostoma flumineum Say (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) in an underwater T-maze. Individuals made significantly more left turns than right turns, including when they were na ̈ıve and first introduced to the maze. Water bugs also showed significantly longer runs of consecutive left turns than right turns (i.e. LLLLL). The length of these runs, however, did not increase with experience in the maze, suggesting that the effect is not the result of learning. There were …
Classical Conditioning Of Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Scott Kight
Dec 2004
Classical Conditioning Of Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Scott Kight
Scott Kight
We examined associative learning as it relates to the sensory ecology of the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus, using a classical conditioning design to evaluate the response of salamanders to different kinds of stimuli. Conditioned stimuli (CS) reflected visual, chemosensory, and mechanosensory modalities of P. cinereus, with brief exposures to (I) white light, (II) acetic acid fumes, (III) low-frequency sound, and (IV) low-frequency vibration. In all experiments, a gentle mechanical stimulation of the tail served as the unconditioned stimulus (US), which consistently elicited movement of the head or body as the unconditioned response (UR). For two days, the US …
Costs Of Reproduction In The Terrestrial Isopod Porcellio Laevis Latreille (Isopoda: Oniscidea): Brood-Bearing And Locomotion, Scott Kight
Jan 2002
Costs Of Reproduction In The Terrestrial Isopod Porcellio Laevis Latreille (Isopoda: Oniscidea): Brood-Bearing And Locomotion, Scott Kight
Scott Kight
Female terrestrial isopods carry eggs and young throughout early development, a habit that places constraints on reproductive success. One such constraint is impaired locomotion during the brooding period. Brooding and non-brooding females were subjected to a negative-phototaxis experiment in which females moved away from a light source along a graduated surface. In both groups, velocity was positively and significantly correlated with distance traveled. Velocity and distance were also significantly associated with the physical dimensions of the exoskelton: larger females moved greater distances at faster speeds. Non-brooding females, however, moved significantly farther at significantly greater velocities than brooding females, suggesting that …
Body Size And Survivorship In Overwintering Populations Of Porcellio Laevis (Isopoda: Oniscidea), Scott Kight
Dec 2000
Body Size And Survivorship In Overwintering Populations Of Porcellio Laevis (Isopoda: Oniscidea), Scott Kight
Scott Kight
Because female Porcellio laevis (Isopoda: Oniscidea) carry eggs and young manca in a ventral marsupium, fecundity and body size are positively correlated. We examined female body size in November and February, a period in which breeding does not occur and changes in body size are unlikely to be attributed to growth. Our results from two consecutive years revealed several general patterns. First, the sex-ratio of individuals collected with baited traps was extremely female biased. Second, body size was significantly larger (as indicated by length of antennae and appendages) in samples collected during November than in those collected during February. Third, …
Temperature-Dependent Parental Investment In The Giant Waterbug Belostoma Flumineum (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae), Scott Kight
Dec 1999
Temperature-Dependent Parental Investment In The Giant Waterbug Belostoma Flumineum (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae), Scott Kight
Scott Kight
We examined the effects of ambient temperature on the brooding behavior of male waterbugs, Belostoma flumineum Say. Male waterbugs are more likely to prematurely terminate care for small egg-pads than for larger egg-pads. Because embryogenesis and breeding season are both associated with ambient temperature, males in warmer environments may respond differently than those in cooler conditions. We studied the effects of temperature on male parental behavior by housing groups of completely and partially egg-encumbered males under different thermal regimes. Completely encumbered males rarely discarded egg-pads, regardless of ambient temperature. Partially encumbered males housed under warm ambient temperatures, however, were signiÞcantly …
Precocene Ii Modifies Maternal Responsiveness In The Burrower Bug, Sehirus Cinctus (Heteroptera)., Scott Kight
Dec 1997
Precocene Ii Modifies Maternal Responsiveness In The Burrower Bug, Sehirus Cinctus (Heteroptera)., Scott Kight
Scott Kight
The anti‐Juvenile Hormone agent precocene II was used to investigate the relationship of corpora allata activity to subsocial behaviour in a burrower bug Sehirus cinctus Palisot (Heteroptera: Cydnidae). Egg‐brooding females treated with a range of dosages of precocene II exhibited reliably depressed maternal defensive behaviour when treated with at least 70 μg of precocene II, but attraction to eggs was only depressed at higher dosages. This effect was not due to precocene II toxicity, as demonstrated by the prevention of depression effects through simultaneous treatments of precocene II and the Juvenile Hormone analogue methoprene. Methoprene, however, failed to reinstate maternal …
Factors Influencing Maternal Behaviour In A Burrower Bug, Sehirus Cinctus (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), Scott Kight
Dec 1996
Factors Influencing Maternal Behaviour In A Burrower Bug, Sehirus Cinctus (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), Scott Kight
Scott Kight
Female burrower bugs, Sehirus cinctus (Cydnidae), brood and provision their young. This study provides an integrative approach to insect parental behaviour by examining the influence of maternal experience on the maintenance and termination of maternal care. Intensity of care (maternal responsivity) was determined by assaying a subject’s response to tactile disturbance and by measuring time spent in proximity to young. First-brood mothers were highly responsive until 3 days after their eggs hatched. Second-brood mothers, however, were only responsive until 1–2 days post-hatching. This effect was associated with differences in age and parity, but not experience, because …
Concaveation And Maintenance Of Maternal Behavior In A Burrower Bug (Sehirus Cinctus): A Comparative Perspective, Scott Kight
Dec 1995
Concaveation And Maintenance Of Maternal Behavior In A Burrower Bug (Sehirus Cinctus): A Comparative Perspective, Scott Kight
Scott Kight
This study investigates 2 patterns of maternal behavior typical of mammals, using a heterop- teran insect as the study animal. Sehirus cinctus, a burrower bug (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), exhibits relatively well-developed maternal behavior that includes guarding eggs and provi- sioning offspring. Mothers remained maternally responsive to stimulus eggs for 24-48 hr following removal of their own eggs, but the response grew weaker with longer separation times. A proportion of nulliparous females also exhibited maternal responsiveness when presented with stimulus eggs. Males, however, never responded parentally to eggs. The results of this study highlight similarities in general female responsiveness to stimulus young …
