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Reproductive Characteristics Of South Florida Sternotherus Odoratus And Kinosternon Baurii (Testudines: Kinosternidae), Walter E. Meshaka Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Mammalian Species Recovered From A Study Of Barn Owl, Tyto Alba, Pellets From Southwestern Arkansas, Tim W. Steward, J. D. Wilhide, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Daniel R. England

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Wolf Distribution And Road Density In Minnesota, L. David Mech, Steven H. Fritts, Glenn L. Radde, William J. Paul

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Distribution of the wolf (Canis lupus) in parts of Wisconsin (Thiel 1985) and Michigan and Ontario (Jensen et al. 1986) has been related to the density of roads passable by 2-wheel-drive vehicles. Wolves in those regions generally do not occur where road densities exceed 0.58 km/km², whereas similar areas nearby with fewer roads do contain wolves.

In a small segment of the wolf range in Minnesota, wolves did not have territories where roads exceeded a density of 0.73 km/km² (T. K. Fuller, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, unpublished data). In another small area of Minnesota …

Can We Guarantee The Safety Of Genetically Engineered Organisms In The Environment?, Kathleen H. Keeler, Frances E. Sharples

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Can we guarantee the safety of genetically engineered organisms in the environment? To anticipate my remarks, the answer to the title question is “No, we cannot guarantee the safety of genetically engineered organisms released into the environment.” Indeed, it is a tenet of the scientific method that nothing can be proved, only disproved. Thus, we can never show that a release will be safe. We could only show that it would be unsafe, if that were the case. However, if the question is posed differently, for example, can we safely release genetically engineered organisms into the environment?, the answer is …

Diet Choices Of Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata) As A Function Of Time Spent Foraging, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan C. Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Optimal diet theory predicts choices among prey types. With sequential prey encounters, less profitable prey types may be rejected immediately because rejecting the prey item at hand increases the probability of encountering more profitable types. However, Lucas (1985) argued that at the end of a foraging bout, all encountered prey types should be accepted because the opportunity to encounter more profitable types is limited. We tested Lucas’s prediction in a simulation, allowing blue jays to hunt for two moth types differing in profitability. During the last min of both 10- and 20-min foraging bouts, the less profitable type was attacked …

Mitochondrial Dna Polymorphism In Three Antillean Island Populations Of The Fruit Bat, Artibeus Jamaicensis, Dorothy E. Pumo, Everett Z. Goldin, Beth Elliot, Carleton J. Phillips, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis, occurs throughout Latin America and on many islands in the Caribbean. Populations from Jamaica (in the Greater Antilles) to Barbados (in the Lesser Antilles) have been classified as a subspecies (A. j. jamaicensisi separate from that on the Lesser Antillean island of St. Vincent (A. j. schwartzi). Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was isolated from 54 individuals collected on these islands, analyzed by digestion with restriction endonucleases, and the restriction sites were mapped. Three different mtDNA genotypes (16,000 ± 200 bp) were identified: J-1 (16 animals from Jamaica, one from St. Vincent, …

Fish Aid: The Lake Mead Fertilization Project, Richard Axler, Larry Paulson, Peter Vaux, Patrick Sollberger, Donald H. Baepler

Publications (WR)

Sport fishing at Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona is a resource valued at nearly $100 million per year to southern Nevada. During the past two decades, salmonids, mostly trout, have disappeared entirely, the largemouth bass catch has drastically declined despite greater fishing pressure, and the condition factors for striped bass have steadily deteriorated. It appears that a major reduction in phosphorus loading caused by the upstream impoundment of the Colorado River to form Lake Powell in 1963 and advanced wastewater treatment removal of phosphorus from domestic wastewater inflows in 1981 are the principal factors responsible for decreased production at …

Ecology And Interspecific Relationships Of The Painted Turtle, (Chrysemys Picta) In A Marsh-Fen Ecosystem, Eric S. Mcgee

Masters Theses

An ecological study of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) was conducted at the Fox River site in Chain O' Lakes State Park in northeastern Illinois from March to September in 1987. Findings were compared to two studies in 1986 concerning the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and Blandings turtle (Emydoidea blandingi) also present in the area. Population densities and composition were evaluated to determine the degree of interspecific competition.

Two hundred-forty five turtles were captured in 1986 and 1987. Painted turtles comprised 75 percent of the chelonian population, while Blandings turtles and snapping turtles …

The Southern Redbelly Dace, Phoxinus Erythrogaster (Rafinesque), In Clark County, Illinois, Susan C. Darrow

Masters Theses

Population and feeding ecology of the southern redbelly dace, Phoxinus erythrogaster (Rafinesque), was studied at Rocky Branch Nature Preserve, sections 29 and 30, T12N, R12W in Clark County, Illinois. Three stations designated along the eastern portion of Rocky Branch stream were seined bimonthly July through September, 1987. The length/frequency distribution curve constructed for the 358 dace collected determined Age class 0 to be dace less than 39mm, age classes I and II were indistinguishable because of overlap of fish lengths, and age class III was determined to be dace between 69 and 74mm. Other species encountered in abundance during this …

Incubation Energetics Of The Laysan Albatross, Ted N. Pettit, K A. Nagy, Hugh I. Ellis, G Causey Whittow

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

The energy expenditure of incubating and foraging Laysan Albatross (Diomedea immutabilis, mean body weight 3.07 kg) was estimated by means of the doubly-la- belled water technique. During incubation, the energy expenditure was similar to that of resting birds that were not incubating an egg. The energy expenditure of foraging albatross (2072 kJ/day) was 2.6 times that of resting birds. It was concluded that the energy expenditure of the tropical Laysan Albatross was not less than that of species foraging over cold, high-latitude oceans. An energy budget compiled for an incubating pair of albatross revealed that the energy expenditure of the …

Front Matter, Elephant Editors

Elephant

No abstract provided.

Mineral-Deficient Diets And The Pig’S Attraction To Blood: Implications For Tail-Biting, David Fraser

Abnormal Behavior Collection

In two experiments, individually penned growing pigs were exposed daily to two "tail models” (lengths of cotton cord about the size of a pig's tail), one of which had been impregnated with pigs' blood. When fed a balanced "control" diet, the pigs chewed significantly more on the blood-covered model than on the plain one, but with Iarge individual differences between animals. Four weeks of receiving a diet lacking all mineral supplements (iodized salt, dicalcium phosphate, limestone, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, and selenium) caused a pronounced increase in chewing the blood-covered model, and 4 wk of recovery on the control diet …

A Development Plan For The South Coast Inshore Trawl Fishery, Fisheries Department Of Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

In March 1986 discussions were commenced between officers of the Fisheries Department and the Australian Fisheries Service concerning management measures for trawl fishery in the Great Australian Bight. These measures were considered necessary as a Western Australian Company (Toskel Fishing Co.) had commenced fishing the area. Given the excess fishing capacity in other Australian trawl fisheries it was considered advisable to institute management at an early stage and control development of this deep water fishery. Concurrent with these developments, mainly directed towards the control of larger trawlers in deeper waters, several small Western Australian trawlers operating out of Esperance and …

Lake Mead Prefertilization Study: Preliminary Nutrient Enhancement Studies In Lake Mead, Richard P. Axler, Larry J. Paulson, Patrick J. Sollberger, Donald H. Baepler, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Studies conducted by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), and the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) have identified decreased algal production as a major factor involved in the decline of the Lake Mead sport fishery. Phosphorus-laden silt particles in the Colorado River have been sedimenting out in Lake Powell since the completion of Glen Canyon Dam 286 miles upstream in 1963. This sharp decrease in phosphorus loading to Lake Mead (>5000 tons per year) has resulted in decreased …

New Uses Of Livestock Guarding Dogs To Reduce Agriculture/Wildlife Conflicts, R. Coppinger, J. Lorenz, Lorna Coppinger

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Pilot programs in several states have shown that livestock guarding dogs are 70-80% effective in reducing predation on livestock by wildlife, primarily coyotes. In order to increase that percentage, ineffective dogs were studied and new techniques tested that had the potential of turning problems into successes.

From the population of over 1,000 dogs that has been placed on farms and ranches nationwide during the past ten years under the auspices of the Livestock Dog Project at Hampshire College, data was analyzed for each of the three basic behaviors (trustworthy, attentive, protective) that a good guardian needs to exhibit. A wide …

Categorization And Seasonal Periodicity Of Terrestrial Vertebrate Pest Control Inquiries In Virginia, Harry J. Dutton, Jefferson L. Waldon, Peter T. Bromley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Information requests for species-specific preventive and control measures directed to the state's extension wildlife specialist were recorded by species or species group, month, day, and year, and by type of human group inquiring. Skunks (15.5%), snakes (14.7%), and bats (10.9%) were inquired about most often. Homeowners (67.4%) were the most frequent inquirers. Summer (43.5%) and spring (29.0%) were the seasons when most information requests occurred. Woodpeckers (16.0%) were the most frequently reported species in the spring. In the summer, the most frequently requested information was about bats (20.2%). Snakes (29.7%) were the most frequently reported species in the fall. Over …

Catch Effectiveness And Selectivity Of Several Traps, Edward P. Hill

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The effectiveness and selectivity of several traps and trap modifica­tions were field-evaluated and compared in Alabama from 1977 to 1980. No. 220 Conibear traps placed in baited open-end boxes (TB) on the ground posed a hazard to dogs and were not recommended for general use in terrestrial sets. They may be effective to control feral dogs in special situations or areas. TB devices attached to tree trunks 1 m above the ground eliminated the hazard to dogs, but rendered the trap ineffective for taking small mammals.

No. 220 Conibear traps with selective position treadle triggers placed in trail water-sets were …

Wildlife Damage To Agriculture In Nebraska: A Preliminary Cost Assessment, R. J. Johnson, R. M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We estimate the annual financial losses resulting from wildlife damage to major crops and livestock in Nebraska. For each wildlife species, the damage problem is presented along with a description of how the estimate was made. Field crop estimates include losses from Plains pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius), commensal rodents (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus), field rodents in grain fields (e.g. Peromyscus maniculatus, Dipodomys ordi, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), house sparrows (Passer domesticus), blackbirds (e.g. Agelaius phoeniceus and Ouiscalus guiscula), lagomorphs (Sylvilagus floridanus, Lepus californicus, and L. townsendii), deer (Odocoileus …

Wolf, Golden Eagle, And Coyote Problems In Montana, B. W. O'Gara, W. Rightmire

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The average annual reported loss of sheep and lambs to predators in Montana from 1982 through 1986 was 46,000 animals worth $1,980,000. During recent years, coyote predation has been the single most important cause of death for lambs. Coyotes accounted for 80% of the predator kills during 1985 and 72% during 1986, and 8,321 coyotes were killed by ADC during those 2 years. Aerial gunning accounted for more than half of the kills. During the first year of a study on a ranch in western Montana without predator control, coyotes killed 8% of the ewes and 27% of lambs. Predation …

Deer Damage Control Preferences And Use Decisions Of New York Orchardists, K. G. Purdy, W. F. Siemer, G. A. Pomerantz, T. L. Brown

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Previous studies in New York, the nation's second leading state in apple production, have contributed much to deer management decisions that give consideration to orchardists' concerns about crop damage. Little information, however, has been reported about orchardists' reasons for adopting or not adopting particular types of deer damage controls or their preference for various forms of possible damage control assistance. Two complementary studies, conducted in early 1987 by the Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, have addressed these information needs. A mail survey of orchardists in an important fruit-producing region of southeastern New York indicated that …

The Urban-Suburban Canada Goose: An Example Of Short-Sighted Management?, Michael R. Conover

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During the last 30 years, Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) populations have become established in many urban and suburban parts of North America. Most of these scattered populations were established when live geese were released in these areas or nearby rural areas by individual hunters, sportmen's groups and game agencies. The birds quickly found lawns in urban-suburban areas an abundant source of nutritious grass for grazing and discovered people willing to provide supplementary handouts. The resident goose populations thrived; in Connecticut alone their population has increased to 9,000. However, the increased populations contributed little to the hunter's take because …

Management Of Suburban Deer: An Emerging Controversy, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During the last 10 years the presence of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in suburban areas has become an increasing concern from the standpoint of damage and nuisance problems. It is unclear whether (a) overall deer numbers in suburban environments have increased (possibly because of residential development in "natural" settings and creation of food sources represented by residents' ornamental plantings and vegetable gardens), (b) more development in suburban areas has forced deer into adjacent remaining patches of suitable habitat, resulting in increased deer densities in certain localities, or (c) some combination of both. Regardless of the factors perpetrating the situation, …

The Bird Strike Hazard (Bash) Program, Edgardo R. Farraro, Russell P. Defusco

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The hazards birds pose to aircraft has been of concern to the Air Force for more than 20 years. After losing several aircraft due to bird strikes in the early 1960's, the Air Force formed a team to evaluate bird hazards to Air Force aircraft. The team, from the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFWL) at Kirtland AFB NM, handed over this mission to the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Team at HQ Air Force Engineering and Services Center (AFESC) at Tyndall AFB in 1975. In 1986 (October) the BASH team moved to Bolling AFB, Washington DC.

Urban Gray Squirrel Damage And Population Management: A Case History, J. Hadidian, D. Manski, V. Flyger, C. Cox, G. Hodge

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Lafayette Park, a 3.0 hectare national park located across the street from the White House in Washington D.C., has had a gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) density as high as 50 animals/hectare. In recent years this large population caused significant damage to mature trees and other vegetation. In keeping with the legislative mandate to protect and preserve the historic landscape in Lafayette Park, the National Park Service implemented a squirrel management program following an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. The population was studied and monitored to determine the ecological bases for high squirrel numbers. Action was taken through a …

Controlling Blackbirds And Starlings At Winter Roosts Using Pa-14, J. F. Heisterberg, A. R. Stickley Jr., K. M. Garner, P. D. Foster Jr.

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The only EPA-registered chemical for lethal control of winter roosting blackbird (Icterinae) and European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) populations is Compound PA-14 Avian Lethal Agent (PA-14). Between 1978 and 1987, 39 PA-14 spray operations, 15 by helicopter and 24 by ground-based spray systems, have been conducted at 33 winter roosts in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. In-roost bird mortality for the aerial operations have been poor, averaging only 4% of the pretreatment roost populations or 114,000 birds killed per spray operation. Although very labor-intensive, a ground-based sprinkler system application method has proven much more successful, averaging 67% in-roost bird mortality …

Coyote Control Techniques And Their Applications In The Eastern United States, Rick D. Owens

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Conflicts between coyotes and man's activities are varied and include such problems as predation on livestock, agricultural crops, and other wildlife, as well as threats to human health or safety. Formerly restricted to the Great Plains, the coyote's adaptability has enabled expansion of its population throughout most of the United States, Canada and Mexico. This expansion has occurred in spite of large-scale control and/or eradication efforts.

Landowner Perceptions Of Beaver Damage And Control In Arkansas, T. B. Wigley, M. E. Garner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Landowner perceptions of damage caused by beavers (Castor canadensis) and of beaver control programs in Arkansas were determined by mail survey. Beavers were present on lands owned by 36% of the 1,716 respondents. Girdled timber, blocked culverts and flooded timber were the first, second and third most common damages reported, respectively. Thirty-two percent of all respondents and 90% of those with beavers reported at least one form of damage. Four percent of land owned by respondents was flooded by beavers. Of landowners with beavers, 50% described damage as substantial or severe, and 46% perceived damage as unreasonable. At …

Involving Hunting And Trapping In Cooperative Wildlife Damage Control, Ed Hackett

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The perception of a wildlife damage problem may vary greatly among groups with a stake in the problem. To the deer hunter, there is no such problem as too many deer. To the farmer, in the midst of a personal economic disaster, one deer may seem too many. To the conservation officer (CO) who has spent a career building deer populations, the farmer's problem may be a sign of success. To the USDA-APHIS-ADC staff member, solving the farmer's problem may be the most important issue. The key to resolving these conflicting views of the same event is to make each …

Bait Stations For Controlling Voles In Apple Orchards, Mark E. Tobin, Milo E. Richmond

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Bait stations made with polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe were compared with hand-broadcast applications of rodenticides for achieving long-term control of pine and meadow vole populations (Microtus pinetorum and M. pennsylvanicus, respectively) in two apple orchards in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York. The stations were constructed of three pieces of 1.5-in diameter PVC tubing joined together in the shape of an inverted "T". Roofing shingles were placed over the entrances to some of the bait stations to encourage use by voles, while others were left uncovered. All stations were tied to trees, with no attempt to place them near …

An Evaluation Of Controlled Hunting For Management Of Feral Pigeons, Michael D. Hoy, Albert E. Bivings

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Pigeons (Columba livia) are a problem for municipal governments throughout most of the eastern United States. Toxicants, sterilants, trapping, and shooting are the principal control techniques. Due to a general public aversion to toxicants and to monetary constraints, a pigeon control program which utilized periodic hunting pressure was initiated in Stuttgart, Arkansas County, Arkansas. Guidelines for organization of controlled hunts are presented along with pigeon harvest rates and population trends. The city government and interested citizens consider the program to be successful and cost effective.