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Front Matter, Vol. 8

Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs

No abstract provided.

The Diet Of The Gopher Tortoise, Gopherus Polyphemus, In A Sandhill Habitat In Central Florida, Laurie Ann Macdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scat analysis and foraging observations were used to determine the diet of a gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, population in a sandhill community in west central Florida. Live vegetation was assessed to determine plant availability. The bulk of the gopher tortoise diet was composed of the dominant plant species in the habitat while the tortoises were selective with respect to most plant genera. Tortoises ingested many plant taxa with Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Pinaceae and Fagaceae being the most frequent components of the diet. Sixty-eight genera from 26 families were identified in the tortoise diet. In the scat the most common …

Variations In Radial Maze Performance Under Different Levels Of Food And Water Deprivation, Robert H.I. Dale, William A. Roberts

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Four groups of rats were tested on an eight-arm radial maze under a free-choice procedure. The subjects were maintained at either 80% or 100% of their preexperimental free-feeding weights through restricted access to either food or water. Water-deprived subjects received water in the maze; food-deprived subjects received food. Water-deprived subjects learned the task faster than food-deprived subjects. The four groups developed different response patterns. These were measured by the mean transition size, the average angular distance (in 45° units) between consecutively chosen arms. Rats foraging for food and water developed different search strategies, with water-deprived subjects exhibiting lower mean transition …

Hybrid Bluebird Update, Barbara L. Wilson, Jim Minyard, Hope Minyard

Nebraska Bird Review

The female Mountain Bluebird and male Eastern x Mountain Bluebird nesting in Dawes Co. (NBR 53: 67) successfully fledged two broods, each with four young, in the summer of 1985. Young from the first nesting fledged in the last week of June. About 1 July the parents renested. Since the pair was observed copulating, it is highly probable that the hybrid male was the father of the young to be raised.

In mid-July the eggs hatched, but at this time the female became obviously ill. She sat on a fence with feathers ruffled and did not feed the young. …

1985 Treasurer's Report & 1986 Annual Meeting Announcement From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1986) 54(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

1985 Treasurer's Report

1986 ANNUAL MEETING, NORTH PLATTE, 17-18 MAY

"Book Reviews," From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1986) 54(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

From Laurel Hill to Siler's Bog: The Walking Adventure of a Naturalist. John K. Torres, 228 pp., 6.25 x 8.25, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C. Flexibound, $12.95.

Bird Conservation 2, Stanley A. Temple, editor, 182 pp., 6 x 9, The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wis. No index, $17.50 cloth, $12.95± paper.

Aviary Birds in Color, Frank Woolham, 176 pp., 6 x 7.75, Blandford Press, UK, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, paperbound, $7.95.

Common Black-Headed Gull In Nebraska, Loren Padelford, Babs Padelford

Nebraska Bird Review

About noon on 18 November 1985 B.J. Rose (14937 N St., Omaha, Neb. 68137) saw a gull flying over the Hartford Sand & Gravel Co.'s sandpit lake, a mile north of Venice, Douglas Co. Because of the size and flight pattern he expected it to be a Kittiwake, but when he got the binoculars on it he saw the white wedge along the outer wing, similar to that of a Bonaparte's. However, except for the white outer primaries, the underwings were uniformly dark. It was an adult winter-plumaged bird with a dark spot behind the eye, bill brownish color (not …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 1986) 54(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Treasurer's Report.................2

1985 Christmas Count.................3

1985 (Twenty-eighth) Fall Occurrence Report .................7

Notes .................16

Hybrid Blue bird Update.................26

Book Reviews .................27

Common Black-headed Gull in Nebraska.................28

1985 Christmas Count

Nebraska Bird Review

The Christmas count includes 101 species, two more than last year, and three species (compared to two last year) were recorded as present during the count period but not recorded on the count day on any count. Two additional localities (Beaver Valley, northwest Boone Co., and Norfolk) brought the total reporting areas to ten. Fourteen species, compared to eighteen last year, were reported from all localities this year. The total investment count this year was 124,642, compared to 345,092 last year and 43,652 in 1983. The Red-winged Blackbird count for Omaha last year was 255,806; this year it was 32. …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1986) 54(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December, by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Inc. as its official journal and sent to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on a calendar year basis only) are $10.00 per year in the United States, $12.00 per year in Canada and Mexico and $12.50 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $3.00 each, postpaid, in the United States; $3.50 elsewhere. Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Students, $3.00; Active $7.00; Sustaining $15.00; Family Active $10.00; Family Sustaining $20.00; Life $100.00.

"Notes," From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1986) 54(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

CORRECTION TO CRESCENT LAKE ITEMS. Mark J. Heisinger's name was misspelled in the Crescent Lake items in the December issue -- NBR 53, pages 53 and 80 (twice), and Kevin J. Brennan was misspelled the first time mentioned on page 72.

HERON ROOKERY. When South Sioux City pilot Gene Martin flew over an area of mature cottonwoods along the Missouri River, near Homer, Neb., on 15 June 1985 he spotted about 30 heron nests in the tree tops. This was near the Thurston Co. line. The following morning Art Huser, of Sioux City, Iowa, and I located the rookery from …

"1985 (Twenty-Eighth) Fall Occurrence Report," From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1986) 54(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred eighty-five species (plus the possibility that the Empidonax species was one not listed) from eleven "full-time" locations and eight "spot check" locations are listed in this report. Comparable figures for previous years are 278 from 12 locations in 1984, 262 from 10 locations in 1983, and 269 from 10 locations in 1982.

The information is presented in a rough west (left) to east (right) order, with locations of about the same longitude listed with the northernmost first. Two dates indicate the first and last records for the period.

Population Decline Of The Endangered Indiana Bat, Myotis Sodalis, In Arkansas, Michael J. Harvey, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Concanavalin A-Nonbinding Enzymes Of Crotalus Scutulatus Scutulatus Venom, C. K. Childs, Michael W. Hinson, Dewey H. Sifford, Bob D. Johnson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus crude venom was separated into two fractions by Concanavalin A Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. The Concanavalin A-nonbinding fraction (F-l) exhibited phosphomonoesterase (orthophosphoric monoester phosphohydrolase EC 3.1 .3.2), phosphodiesterase, 5 '-nucleotidase (5 '-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.5), phospholipase A (phosphatidate 2-acylhydrolase EC 3.1.1.4), hyaluronidase (hyaluronate glycanohydrolase EC 3.2.1.d), N-benzoyl-Larginine ethyl esterase, p-toluenesulfonyl-L-arginine methyl esterase, L-amino acid oxidase (L-amino acid: O2 oxidoreductase [deaminating] EC 1.4.3.2), and caseinolytic activities. Thrombin-like and NAD nucleosidase (5 '-ribonudeotide phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.5) activities were not observed. DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion exchange chromatography by two stage elution of F-l yielded several fractions having proteinase activities. Proteinase …

Age And Growth Of Redear Sunfish Lepomis Microlophus (Gunthur), From Bob Kidd Lake, Rex R. Roberg, Thoniot T. Prabhakaran, Raj V. Kilambi

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Total lengths (62-285mm) and body scales from 75 redear sunfish collected by electroshocking from Bob Kidd Lake during October and November 1985 were used for this study. The length-frequency distribution yielded five age groups, however, the body scale analysis revealed eight age groups. The total length scale radius relationship was estimated as, TL = 17.98 + 0.92 Sr . Lengths attained at earlier ages were estimated by the Fraser-Lee method and the Bertlanffy growth model was fitted to the lengths for ages five through ten, and the resulting equation, L₁ = 295 [1 - exp — 0.29 (t - 1.83)], …

River Otter In Arkansas. Iv. Winter Food Habits In Eastern Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, Anthony W. King, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Stomachs and intestines of 89 river otters (Lutra canadensis) collected in eastern Arkansas during the trapping seasons (December- January) of 1978-1983 were examined for food remains. Fish (primarily centrarchids, catostomids, and clupeids) dominated the diet (71.2%). The next most abundant prey was crayfish (18.3% of the diet). Other foods included gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), wood duck (Aixsponsa), snakes (Thamnophis proximus), frogs (Ranidae and Hylidae), and beetles (Coleoptera).

Harvest Trends Of The Bobcat (Felix Rufus) In Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas bobcat fur harvest records were examined in relation to forest cover, furbuyer distribution, and price. Availability of forest cover correlated with areas of greatest harvest, and a dynamic forest products industry in southern Arkansas is believed to support a greater density, and therefore greater harvest, of bobcats. Comparison of furbuyer distribution with harvest level among physiographic regions suggested that the fur industry in southern Arkansas could expand. Prices increased dramatically in the 1970's, and 94.5% of the variation in harvest level could be explained by price.

Interactions Between Response Stereotypy And Memory Strategies On The Eight-Arm Radial Maze, Robert H.I. Dale, Nancy K. Innis

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Three groups of water-deprived rats collected water from the ends of the 8 arms of an 8-arm radial maze. Sighted subjects, and subjects blinded either with or without pre-enucleation experience on the radial maze, all retrieved the water efficiently. Most of the subjects exhibited the same response stereotypy, regularly choosing 8 adjacent arms of the maze, then stopping in the center of the maze. The strategies underlying this performance were analyzed by interrupting trials and rotating the maze 180° after the subject had made 3 choices. Sighted subjects depended on extramaze stimuli, naive-blind subjects depended on intramaze stimuli and experienced-blind …

Spatial And Temporal Response Patterns On The Eight-Arm Radial Maze, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Six maze-experienced hooded rats were timed during five trials on which they collected water from all arms of an eight-arm radial maze, then made five more choices. All subjects frequently exhibited a “task-completion pause:” The subjects rarely spent more than 1 sec in the center of the maze between choices until they had entered all eight arms, then stopped in the center of the maze. In contrast, the time spent in each arm gradually increased until all of the water had been obtained, then decreased slightly. Four subjects began every trial by choosing eight consecutive adjacent arms. The task-completion pause …

Comparison Of The Symbiotic Fauna Of The Family Plethodontidae In The Ouachita Mountains Of Western Arkansas, Douglas A. Winter, Wojciech M. Zawada, Arthur A. Johnson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

During the spring of 1985, 101 salamanders representing six host species (29 Plethodon ouachitae, 25 P. caddoensis, 6 P. fourchensis, 23 P. serratus, 13 Desmognathus brimleyorum, and 5 P. glutinosus glutinosus) were collected from six localities in three counties in Arkansas (Polk, Scott, and Montgomery) and examined for symbionts. With the exception of Hannemania dunni, all symbionts recovered from the first five species listed constitute new host records, and the endoparasitic fauna in all species establish new locality records. Examinations revealed one or more species of parasites in 82% of the hosts. Eight species of symbionts (3 nematode, 1 trematode, …

Abandoned Mine Fauna Of The Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas: Vertebrate Taxa, Darrell R. Heath, David A. Saugey, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Numerous visits, over the past four years, of 27 abandoned mines in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas revealed that the mines are serving as hibernacula, breeding sites, and permanent or temporary habitats for numerous vertebrates. The following species were observed either directly or by sign: Class Amphibia, Order Urodela — Eurycea multiplicata, Desmognathus brimleyorum, Plethodon caddoensis, P. glutinosus. Order Anura — Gastrophyrne carolinensis, Rana palustris, R. catesbeiana. Class Reptilia, Order Squamata, Suborder Serpentes — Thamnophis proximus, Diadophis punctatus, Elaphe obsoleta, Nerodia erythrogaster, Agkistrodon contortrix. Class Aves, Order Passeriformes--Sayornis phoebe. Order Strigiformes — Otus asio. Class Mammalia, Order Marsupialia —Didelphis virginiana. …

The Hold-Release Mechanism In The Family Crotalidae, Ronald K. Easter

Masters Theses

Strike/release vs. strike/hold feeding behavior was observed for 5 Crotalus atrox and 5 Agkistrodon piscivorous. Two sizes of warm blooded prey were offered to the rattlesnakes on alternate weeks. Cottonmouths were offered, alternately, fish or mice of equal size. Although data varied among individual subjects, cottonmouths offered fish demonstrated the strike/hold behavior significantly more often than the strike/release behavior; cottonmouths offered mice struck and released significantly more often than they struck and held. It is concluded that the strike/hold strategy in sreponse to fish is adventageous because the danger of holding such prey is minimal and the release of …

Factors Affecting The Predator-Prey Relationship Between Predaceous Diving Beetle Larvae (Dytiscus Fasciventris) And Two Anuran Tadpole Species (Bufo Americanus And Hyla Crucifer), Todd S. Campbell

Masters Theses

It has previously been demonstrated that American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles are more vulnerable to predation by diving beetle larvae (Dytiscus fasciventris) than are spring peeper (Hyla crucifer) tadpoles. A laboratory study was undertaken to further delineate factors that contribute to the differential vulnerability observed. Beetle larvae are more effective tadpole predators in shallow, than in deep, water and appear to prefer to adopt a "sit-and-wait" predator strategy while clinging to emergent vegetation. Depth preference experiments in the laboratory indicated that both tadpole species prefer deep areas to shallow areas irrespective of whether a …

Late Prehistoric And Protohistoric Large Mammal Zoogeography Of Virginia, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence derived from18late prehistoric (middle and late Woodland Period) archeological sites, from several early historical accounts, and from the current understanding of the distribution of Virginia mammals indicates that the large mammal fauna of the Commonwealth has not changed substantially within the past 4,000 yrs. Some species (e.g., bison, elk, timber wolf, and mountain lion) have been extirpated since the settlement of Virginia by Europeans; some previously extirpated species (e.g., porcupine, coyote, and beaver) have been naturally or artificially reintroduced during the historical period, and others (e.g., woodchuck and red fox) probably have expanded their distributions as a result of …

Effects Of Low Ph On Lactate Dehydrogenase Kinetics Of Diving And Nondiving Reptiles, Dennis A. Baeyens, Salim R. Hurley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The properties of lactate dehydrogenase were examined in two snake species, Nerodia rhombifera and Elaphe obsoleta, and a turtle species, Pseudemys scripta. Our purpose was to compare the LDH activity of reptiles with limited anaerobic capabilities with that of the well established diver Pseudemys. The Michaelis-Menten kinetics of LDH and its susceptibility to inhibition by elevated pyruvate concentrations were investigated in the brain and heart of the three species. All tissue incubations and enzyme activity determinations were done at a pH of 7.0 in order to stimulate a diving blood pH in the three species. In both tissues the LDH …

Tagging And Marking Crawfish (Procambarus Clarkii) In A Population Estimation Study, Frank Meriweather

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) were tagged with enumerated plastic streamers and released in 0.1-ha ponds to observe recapture frequency in stand-up traps. Also, crawfish were marked by a uropod punch, released and recaptured in 0.1-ha ponds for population estimation. Survival of streamer-tagged crawfish in indoor tanks averaged 46.7% after 25 days, indicating that tagging caused stress leading to mortality, especially during molt. Recapture frequencies of tagged crawfish indicated sampling bias which obviated use of the tagging method in population assessments. Short term (3-day) survival of marked crawfish (92%) and retention of the mark after molt indicated potential application in population assessment …

Bat Fauna Of Southeast Arkansas, Tim W. Steward, V. Rick Mcdaniel, David A. Saugey, Daniel R. England

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A systematic survey of the mammalian fauna of Southwest Arkansas has resulted in the accumulation of more than 200 records of bats from the 21 counties comprising the study area. The records reveal distributional patterns for 12 species of bats and represent a total of 68 new county records for this area of Arkansas.

Spiders Collected In Southeast Arkansas Using Pitfall Traps Placed In Pine-Hardwood Forests That Received Various Forestry Treatments--A Preliminary List, Peggy Rae Dorris, L. C. Thompson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Los Zoológicos: ¿Último Recurso?, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Eimeria Halleri Sp. N. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From The Round Stingray, Urolophus Halleri (Rajiformes: Dasyatidae), Steve Upton, John Bristol, Scott Lyell Gardner, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Eimeria halleri sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is described from the rectal contents ofthe round stingray, Urolophus halleri Cooper (Rajiformes: Dasyatidae) from Puerto Penasco, Mexico. Oocysts are spherical or subspherical, 16.9 x 16.8 (15.0-18.0 x 15.0-18.0) /μm, with a smooth, thin wall. Micropyle, polar granule, and oocyst residuum are absent. Sporocysts are ovoid, 11.1 x 6.8 (10.0-13.0 x 6.0-7.5) /μm and possess Stieda and substieda bodies. Sporozoites are comma-shaped, 9.9 x 3.2 (9.0-11.0 x 2.8-4.0) /μm and contain an ovoid posterior and a spherical anterior refractile body. The sporocyst residuum consists either of numerous finely granular particles scattered among the sporozoites …