Digital Commons Network^™

Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Response To Ontario Rabies Vaccine Baits (Onrab) In St. Lawrence County, New York, Usa, Kerri Pedersen, Amy T. Gilbert, Kathleen M. Nelson, Daniel P. Morgan, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Dennis Slate, Richard B. Chipman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) campaigns have been conducted annually in the US over the past two decades to prevent raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies, which is enzootic along the eastern region of the country from southeastern Canada to Alabama. Because raccoon rabies has been eliminated from neighboring Canadian provinces, continued detection of the variant in the US is of concern due to the potential for infected raccoons to cross the border via the St. Lawrence River. Ontario Rabies Vaccine Baits (ONRAB) containing a live, recombinant human adenovirus expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein have been under experimental use in the …

Taking The Bait: Species Taking Oral Rabies Vaccine Baits Intended For Raccoons, Betsy S. Haley, Are R. Berentsen, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoon rabies in eastern USA is managed by strategically distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. The attractiveness, palativity, density, and non-target species bait take affect ORV effectiveness. We examined raccoon and non-target species differences in investigating/removing fish-meal polymer and coated sachet baits applied to simulate two aerial bait distribution densities. Bait densities of 150 baits/km² and 75 baits/km² were evaluated, respectively, in zones expected to have high and low raccoon densities. Three primary non-target species visited baits: coyotes, white-tailed deer, and feral swine. The proportion of bait stations visited by raccoons during 1 week observation periods ranged from …

Potential Role Of Wildlife In The Usa In The Event Of A Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus Incursion, Vienna R. Brown, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) which affects domestic and wild cloven-hoofed species. The FMD-free status of the USA and the tremendous economic impact of a virus incursion motivated the development of this evaluation of the potential role of wildlife in the event of a virus introduction. Additionally, this manuscript contains a summary of US vulnerabilities for viral incursion and persistence which focuses specifically on the possible role of wildlife. The legal movement of susceptible live animals, animal products, by-products and animal feed containing animal products pose a risk of virus introduction and spread. Additionally, the …

Trail Cameras Are A Key Monitoring Tool For Determining Target And Non-Target Bait-Take During Rodent Removal Operations: Evidence From Desecheo Island Rat Eradication, Aaron B. Shiels, D. Will, C. Figuerola-Hernández, K.J. Swinnerton, S. Silander, C. Samra, G.W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Efforts to remove invasive rodents (e.g. Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) from islands often use toxicant-laced baits containing the anticoagulants brodifacoum or diphacinone. Rodenticide baits are generally delivered through aerialor hand-broadcast, or in bait stations. These baits are not rodent-specific and are subject to non-target consumption or secondary exposure (e.g. an individual preying upon another individual that has consumed bait). During rodenticide applications, it is generally unknown which animals are visiting and consuming bait; and to quantify this, we recommend using trail cameras (e.g. Reconyx^tm motion-activated infra-red) positioned to monitor individual bait pellets. To demonstrate the importance and effectiveness …

Black Bear Use Of Forest Roads In Western Washington, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Radiolocations (108) of 20 black bears were used to assess use or avoidance of 3 forest road types in western Washington. Distances of bears to each type of road were compared to distances of 108 random points using t-tests. Females and males avoided 2-lane roads, while only males avoided 1-lane roads, the most common road type in the area. Females, but not males, were located closer to overgrown, spur roads than expected. This road type has substantial cover of grasses, forbs, and berry-producing shrubs along with protective tree cover. This situation may provide easy travel for females along with security …

Home Range And Habitat Use Of West Virginia Canis Latrans (Coyote), Lauren M. Mastro, Dana J. Morin, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Canis latrans (Coyote) has undergone a range expansion in the United States over the last century. As a highly opportunistic species, its home range and habitat use changes with ecological context. Coyotes were first reported in West Virginia in 1950 but were not commonly observed until the 1990s, and there is scant information on Coyotes in the region. We used telemetry data from 8 radiocollared Coyotes in West Virginia to estimate home-range size and third-order habitat selection. Home-range areas (95% utilization distributions; UDs) varied from 5.22 to 27.79 km2 (mean = 12.48 ± 2.61 km2), with highly concentrated use of …

The Role Of Scavenging In Disease Dynamics, Joaquín Vicente, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

Introduction................ 161

The Use of Animal Remains and the Exposure of Scavengers to Disease........ 163

The Relevance of Scavenging for Pathogens to Spread and Persist.......... 166

Human Related Factors Resulting in Increased Risk for Disease Transmission Through Scavenging.............. 170

Management of Scavenging to Reduce Disease Risks.............. 173

Restoration of Large Predators.................. 174

Elimination of Hunting of Scavengers............ 174

Destruction of Big Game and Domestic Animal Carcasses........... 174

Restoration of the Effects of Overabundance............. 175

Excluding Mammalian and Avian Scavengers from Natural Carrions.......... 176

Excluding Mammalian and Avian Scavengers from Vulture Restaurants........... 176

Conclusions and Future Perspectives........... 178

References............... 178

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Bird Harassment On Fish Ponds, Ciera A. Rhoades, Peter J. Allen, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The effects of aquaculture decline on piscivorous birds in the Mississippi Delta concern catfish farmers, with possible increases in fish loss and disease transmission. Piscivorous birds quickly habituate to most current methods of harassment (loud noises and visual disturbances) leading to increased depredation and disease. Our study was designed to test the efficacy of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to effectively control piscivorous birds at fish farms. We hypothesized that a UAV would be more efficient at reducing the number of fish-eating birds on fish ponds than current forms of harassment. We conducted pre-treatment bird surveys, harassment observations, and post-treatment …

Locally Fixed Alleles: A Method To Localize Gene Drive To Island Populations, Jaye Sudweeks, Brandon Hollingsworth, Dimitri V. Blondel, Karl J. Campbell, Sumit Dhole, John D. Eisemann, Owain Edwards, John Godwin, Gregg R. Howald, Kevin P. Oh, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Thomas A.A. Prowse, Joshua V. Ross, J. Royden Saah, Aaron B. Shiels, Paul Q. Thomas, David W. Threadgill, Michael R. Vella, Fred Gould, Alun L. Lloyd

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity on islands. While successes have been achieved using traditional removal methods, such as toxicants aimed at rodents, these approaches have limitations and various off-target effects on island ecosystems. Gene drive technologies designed to eliminate a population provide an alternative approach, but the potential for drive-bearing individuals to escape from the target release area and impact populations elsewhere is a major concern. Here we propose the “Locally Fixed Alleles” approach as a novel means for localizing elimination by a drive to an island population that exhibits significant genetic isolation from neighboring populations. Our …

Expression Of Alternative Oxidase In The Copepod T. Californicus When Exposed To Environmental Stressors, Carly Tward

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In addition to the typical electron transport system in animal mitochondria responsible for oxidative phosphorylation, some species possess an alternative oxidase (AOX) pathway, which causes electrons to bypass proton pumping complexes. Although AOX appears to be energetically wasteful, studies have revealed its wide taxonomic distribution, and indicate it plays a role in environmental stress tolerance. AOX discovery in animals is recent, and further research into its expression, regulation, and physiological role has been impeded by the lack of an experimental model organism. DNA database searches using bioinformatics revealed an AOX sequence present in the arthropod Tigriopus californicus. Multiple sequence …

Factors Influencing The Movement Of Livestock Guardian Dogs In The Edwards Plateau Of Texas: Implications For Efficacy, Behavior, And Territoriality, John M. Tomeček, Justin T. French, John W. Walker, Nova J. Silvy, Nicholas A. Bromen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Livestock guardian dog (Canis lupus familiaris; LGD) breeds of domestic dog worldwide provide a degree of control over predation losses. The application of LGDs as a wildlife damage management tool evolved as a cultural practice in the Old World. In the 1970s, this tool emerged in North America. Despite several decades of science and application, gaps still exist in our knowledge regarding applications for LGDs. From February 2016 to November 2017, we deployed global positioning system transmitters on 4 LGDs on a 20-km² ranch in Menard County, Texas, USA operated by Texas A&M AgriLife Research to investigate …

Spatial Relationships Between Livestock Guardian Dogs And Mesocarnivores In Central Texas, Nicholas A. Bromen, Justin T. French, John Walker, Nova J. Silvy, John M. Tomeček

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The use of livestock guardian dogs (Canis lupus familiaris; LGDs) to deter predators from preying on domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra spp.) herds continues to increase across the United States. Most research regarding the efficacy of LGDs has been based on queries of rancher satisfaction with LGD performance, yet little is known regarding LGD influence on mesocarnivores, including those species against which they protect livestock. Here, we provide some preliminary observations regarding the effect of LGDs deployed with sheep and goat herds from May 2016 to April 2017 on the detected activity of …

Assessing Individual And Population-Level Effects Of Anticoagulant Rodenticides On Wildlife, Niamh Quinn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Anticoagulant rodenticides have been detected in many species of wildlife worldwide. However, the origins, exposure pathways, and effects of this exposure are not well understood. To accurately characterize the risks to wildlife from rodenticide use, better information is needed regarding the proportion of populations being exposed, what proportion of individuals in populations are affected, and in what ways. The relationship between anticoagulant rodenticide concentrations found in wildlife and the rate of mortality or illness have been the subjects of much research. Residue levels observed in liver and whole-body analyses vary and overlap extensively among apparently healthy asymptomatic individuals and sublethal …

A California Without Rodenticides: Challenges For Commensal Rodent Management In The Future, Niamh Quinn, Sylvia Kenmuir, Laura Krueger

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rodenticides are an essential tool in the integrated pest management of infestations of commensal rodents (Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus, and Mus musculus). With the introduction of Assembly Bill 1788, the California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2019, California is potentially facing a future with new restrictions on the use of anticoagulant rodenticides to manage commensal rodents in urban areas. Assembly Bill 1788 has been proposed specifically to protect predators from anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning and seeks to restrict the application of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) for use in many urban and non-urban areas of California, USA. Exclusion and cultural …

A Review Of Rat Lungworm Infection And Recent Data On Its Definitive Hosts In Hawaii, Chris N. Niebuhr, Susan I. Jarvi, Shane R. Siers

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a zoonotic nematode that causes rat lungworm disease (angiostrongyliasis), a potentially debilitating form of meningitis, in humans worldwide. The definitive hosts for rat lungworm are primarily members of the genus Rattus, with gastropods as intermediate hosts. This parasite has emerged as an important public health concern in the United States, especially in Hawaii, where the number of human cases has increased in the last decade. Here we discuss the current knowledge of the rat lungworm, including information on the life cycle and host species, as well as updates on known infection levels. Three …

Temporal Variation Of Moose–Vehicle Collisions In Alaska, Lucian R. Mcdonald, Terry A. Messmer, Michael R. Guttery

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between vehicles and wildlife have long been recognized to pose threats to motorists and wildlife populations. In addition to the risk of injury or mortality faced by the motorists involved in wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs), other drivers are also put at risk due to road obstructions and traffic congestions associated with WVCs. Most WVCs in Alaska involve moose (Alces alces), an animal that is sufficiently large to pose a threat to property and human life when involved in collisions. We analyzed the temporal variation in the number of moose–vehicle collisions (MVCs) reported in the 4 most populous boroughs …

On Neglected Taxa: Protostomes And The Evolution Of Myelination, Michaella P. Andrade, Charles Morphy D. Santos

Animal Sentience

Understanding the evolution of nervous and sensory systems in animals is key to understanding the distribution of animal sentience. However, the use of model organisms – mostly vertebrates, and especially mammals – often biases comparative analyses. Sneddon et al. (2018a,b) point out that using nonhuman animals as models helps us better understand the multifaceted aspects of animal pain and sentience. Several concerns need to be considered in dealing with model organisms. Here we discuss how models that are unrepresentative phylogenetically influence hypotheses about the evolution of the myelination in animals. Greater effort is needed to escape “vertebrate-centrism” in evolutionary research.

Evaluating Spatial Distributions Of Scent-Marks In Semi-Free-Ranging Groups Of Lemur Catta At The Duke Lemur Center, Shallu Prasher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Scent-marking is a widespread form of olfactory signaling exhibited in mammals and for a select group of primates. Although research exists on the process of scent-marking, surface preferences, and for the function of scent-marking in lemurs, analyses of how lemur group scent-marking distributions map onto their home range are lacking. The endangered ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) deposits scent-marks using its ano-genital, chest, and wrist glands. This project was designed to collect data on two groups of semi-free-ranging captive ring-tailed lemurs at the Duke Lemur Center to first assess how scent-marks are distributed within their home ranges; and second, to evaluate …

Preliminary Contributions Toward A Revision Of Greek Messor Forel,1890 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Sebastian Salata, Lech Borowiec

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Based on recently collected material and study on type specimens Messor carpathous Menozzi, 1936 n. stat. and Messor concolor Santschi, 1927 n. stat. are raised to species rank and redescribed. Messor creticus sp. nov. is described as a new endemic species to Crete. Revised data for members of the Messor structor complexes are given and updated checklist of Greek Messor taxa is provided.

A New Larval Species Of Balaustium (Acari: Actinotrichida: Erythraeidae) From Turkey, Javad Noei, Fi̇rdevs Ersi̇n, İbrahi̇m Çakmak

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The larvae of Balaustium izmirensis Noei & Ersin sp. nov. were obtained by rearing adults collected from building walls and window ledges in Bornova, İzmir, Turkey. The larva of B. izmirensis Noei & Ersin sp. nov. is described and illustrated. A key to larval species of Balaustium is provided.

A New Brachineurini Genus And Two New Species(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Cecidomyiinae) From Yunnan, China, Ke-Long Jiao, Hao Wang, Wen-Jun Bu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A new free-living genus of the mycophagous tribe Brachineurini, Loborrhizomyia gen. nov., and its type species (Loborrhizomyia phaneroectata sp. nov.) and another new species (Loborrhizomyia aphanata sp. nov.) are described from the Caiyang River Nature Reserve, Pu?er, Yunnan, China. The new genus is characterized in the tribe Brachineurini by the unique gonostylus having a ventral lobe protruding to the distal. The taxonomic status of the new genus and two new species is discussed with a comparison between the other related groups and an updated key to all known Brachineurini genera including the new genus is provided.

Identification And Expression Of Dmrt1 And Sox9 During The Gonadal Differentiation Of Rana Chensinensis, Xin-Yi Li, Wen-Jie Jin, Lei Lei, Yuhui Zhang

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Gonadal sex differentiation proceeds by the interplay of various genes including the transcription factors and secretory factors in a complex network. Dmrt1 and Sox9 were considered to be the essential genes involved in the testicular differentiation in mammals, birds, reptiles, and fishes. Here, we have successfully isolated and characterized cDNAs encoding the Rana chensinensis orthologs of Dmrt1 and Sox9, and we have determined patterns of expression during gonadal differentiation and adult tissues. At the molecular level, a clear sexual dimorphism of rcDmrt1 and rcSox9 was observed in the gonad-mesonephros complex or gonads of tadpoles during stages 26-46. The rcDmrt1 transcript …

Spatiotemporal Distribution And Population Structure Of Clibanarius Symmetricus (Randall, 1840) (Crustacea, Diogenidae) In An Amazon Estuary, Ana Carolina Melo Rodrigues, Jussara Moretto Martinelli-Lemos

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Rocky outcrops in the intertidal zones of estuaries often contain a highly diverse microbenthic community which includes the hermit crab, Clibanarius symmetricus, an abundant species on the equatorial Amazon coast. However, the ecology of this anomuran is poorly understood. Given this, the present study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution and structure of the C. symmetricus populations that inhabit the rocky outcrops of the Marapanim estuary in northern Brazil. Samples were collected monthly over a yearly cycle covering both the dry and rainy seasons in the upper and lower midlittoral zones during low tide. The distribution and abundance of C. symmetricus were …

Application Of Multifactorial Discriminant Analysis In The Morphostructural Differentiation Of Wild And Cultured Populations Of Vieja Azul (Andinoacara Rivulatus), Johanna Caez, Ana Gonzalez, Martin A. Gonzalez, Elena Angon, Jorge M. Rodriguez, Francisco Peña, Cecilio Barba, Antón García

Turkish Journal of Zoology

To better determine the ecological variation (body shape and structure) of the Vieja Azul (Andinoacara rivulatus; syn.: Aequidens rivulatus) in northwest Ecuador (Los Ríos Province), 300 specimens of both sexes (150 male and 150 female) were collected from 3 different locations, one from a wild production system and two from fish farm populations in the Quevedo River. Twelve meristic, 26 traditional morphometric, and 32 truss measurements, among 25 anatomical landmarks, were determined. The body weight (BW), total length (TL), eye diameter (ED), dorsal fin ray length (DFRL), and body perimeter 3 (P3) showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between production systems, and sex had significant influence on preanal length (Pre-AL), P3, and body width 2 (LC2). Females showed higher mean values than males in all measurements, except for BW. The Fulton factor differed for both factors considered. The canonical discriminant analysis revealed a percentage of correct assignment of 64.42% for the dataset, 85% and 60.9% for cultured and wild females, and 62.1% and 56.3% for wild and cultured males, respectively, as well as morphometric variation between groups. Results could be attributed to environmental conditions (habitat, temperature, and food). The Mahalanobis test showed greater distances among females than among males. In conclusion, this study provides valuable morphological information on the shape and structure of Andinoacara rivulatus that can be used to characterize and quantify the changes that occur as a consequence of adaptation to a different habitat. The authors hope that the information obtained from the present study will be helpful for fisheries, biologists, and taxonomists.

Induction Of Abnormal Sperm Heads In Small Mammals Under Chronic Ionizing Radiation, Lyudmila Bashlykova, Oksana Raskosha, Natalia Starobor

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The results of this study show a mutagenic effect of low-dose ionizing radiation in male germ cells. The damage of male germ cells was assessed by the frequency of abnormal sperm heads in tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus Pall.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus Schreb.), and field mice (Apodemus agrarius Pall.) from the 30 km exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power station and for laboratory animals (mice and rats) under chronic γ-irradiation. The abnormal sperm head detection method used appeared to be sensitive to conditions of low-dose irradiation and can consequently be recommended as a bioindicator to monitor environmental radiation pollution.

Hardly Habitual: Chimpanzees And Gorillas Show Flexibility In Their Motor Responses When Presented With A Causally-Clear Task, Sarah L. Jacobson, Lydia M. Hopper

Publications and Research

In contrast to reports of wild primates, studies of captive primates' flexibility often reveal conservatism: individuals are unable to switch to new and more efficient strategies when task demands change. We propose that such conservatism might be a result of task design and hypothesize that conservatism might be linked to primates' lack of causal understanding in relation to experimental apparatuses. We investigated if chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) would show greater flexibility when presented with a causally-clear task. We presented six chimpanzees and seven gorillas with a clear tube from which …

An Assessment Of Night Time And Seasonal Electrofishing In The Lower Wabash River, Eric Christopher Hine

Masters Theses

Large rivers are highly important systems; being exploited both commercially and recreationally. Because of this usage by humans, close monitoring of the ecology of theses rivers is of the utmost importance. The Long-Term Electrofishing project (LTEF) monitors the fish communities of the Illinois, Mississippi, Wabash, and Ohio rivers using day time, pulsed-DC electrofishing during the late Spring through the early Fall each year. Given that previous studies have noted diel and seasonal changes in catch and composition of fish communities, the addition of night time electrofishing may be beneficial to the overarching goals of the LTEF. This study sought to …

Why Are Sheep Sheepish? How Perception Affects Animal Stereotyping, Robert G. Franklin Jr.

Animal Sentience

Marino & Merskin present compelling evidence that many stereotypes of sheep are incorrect. One factor that may play an important role in animal stereotyping is the physical appearance of animals, which can directly lead to stereotyping through automatic mental processes. Sheep have a round and babyish appearance that directly evokes judgments of warmth and docility. Depictions of sheep in art, and especially cartoons, reinforce this stereotype.

Movement Ecology Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator: Integrating Radio Telemetry And Tri-Axial Accelerometry To Evaluate Spatial Strategies And Activity Patterns By Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Atrox), Dominic L. Desantis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An animal's decision to move from one location to another within its environment is determined by a complex blend of internal and external factors. Teasing apart the relative roles of specific variables in this web of interacting mechanisms has been a long-standing challenge in animal movement ecology. Historically, this problem was viewed as a sort of black box for which a myriad of methodological limitations precluded rigorous study. Recently, a diversity of animal-borne transmitters and dataloggers (i.e., bio-loggers) have circumvented many of these traditional limitations and transformed field studies of animal movement, behavior, and physiology - in some cases, allowing …

Natural History Of The Eastern Harvest Mouse In Southeastern Virginia, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Eastern Harvest Mouse, Reithrodontomys humulis, has been studied extensively in southeastern Virginia since 1979, using a combination of live and pitfall trapping methods. This smallest rodent of eastern North America also is one of most versatile, occupying a range of habitats in southeastern Virginia from old fields in different stages of succession, brushy edges, and forests of different types. As with other species of Reithrodontomys, R. humulis often is associated with the Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon hispidus, with both reaching modest densities in old fields. Two capture-mark-release studies of small mammal communities in southern Chesapeake lasting …