Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 45
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Does Age Structure Influence Golden-Cheeked Warbler Responses Across Areas Of High And Low Density?, Hannah L. Pruett, Ashley M. Long, Heather A. Mathewson, Michael L. Morrison
Does Age Structure Influence Golden-Cheeked Warbler Responses Across Areas Of High And Low Density?, Hannah L. Pruett, Ashley M. Long, Heather A. Mathewson, Michael L. Morrison
Western North American Naturalist
Age-based differentiation in the timing of avian migration can influence subsequent habitat use and, therefore, reproductive success. Over 2 breeding seasons, we compared arrival dates, pairing success, and fledging success for second-year (SY) and after-second-year (ASY) federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warblers (Setophaga chrysoparia) occupying areas of low (n = 9 sites) and high (n = 10 sites) warbler density. Male warblers arrived on low-density sites on average 6 days later (11 March) than high-density sites (5 March). Male warblers that established territories on low-density sites tended to be younger than male warblers that established territories on high-density …
First Record Of Sorex Tenellus From Utah, Eric A. Rickart, Shannen L. Robson, Lois F. Alexander, Duke S. Rogers
First Record Of Sorex Tenellus From Utah, Eric A. Rickart, Shannen L. Robson, Lois F. Alexander, Duke S. Rogers
Western North American Naturalist
A specimen of the Inyo shrew, Sorex tenellus, was collected in piñon-juniper woodland at 2017 m elevation in Granite Creek Canyon, Deep Creek Range, Juab Co., Utah. This is the easternmost record for this species and the first record for Utah.
Un especimen de la musaraña Inyo, Sorex tenellus, fué colleccionado en el bosque de piñón y enebro a una elevación de 2017 m dentro de Granite Creek Canyon, Deep Creek Range, Juab Co., Utah. Este es el registro más oriental de esta especie y el primer registro para Utah.
Range Extension Of The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus Floridanus) In Quintana Roo, Mexico, Mircea G. Hidalgo-Mihart, Rugieri Juárez-López, Alejandro Jesús De La Cruz, Yaribeth Bravata-De La Cruz, Jesús Iglesias-Hernández, Freddy Pérez-Garduza, Christian A. Delfin-Alfonso, Alberto González-Gallina
Range Extension Of The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus Floridanus) In Quintana Roo, Mexico, Mircea G. Hidalgo-Mihart, Rugieri Juárez-López, Alejandro Jesús De La Cruz, Yaribeth Bravata-De La Cruz, Jesús Iglesias-Hernández, Freddy Pérez-Garduza, Christian A. Delfin-Alfonso, Alberto González-Gallina
Western North American Naturalist
The eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus; ECR) is highly adaptable to human activities and widely distributed across the Yucatan Peninsula. However, the eastern part of the peninsula, where the Mexican state of Quintana Roo is located, had only marginal records. Herein, we report the collection of one individual and the observation of 7 different individuals of the ECR in northeastern Quintana Roo. These records increase the range of the species by 66 km into the eastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula. The absence of previous records of the species—even though the mammalian fauna of the region has been surveyed …
Road Dust Correlated With Decreased Reproduction Of The Endangered Utah Shrub Hesperidanthus Suffrutescens, Matthew B. Lewis, Eugene W. Schupp, Thomas A. Monaco
Road Dust Correlated With Decreased Reproduction Of The Endangered Utah Shrub Hesperidanthus Suffrutescens, Matthew B. Lewis, Eugene W. Schupp, Thomas A. Monaco
Western North American Naturalist
Roads associated with energy development have fragmented much of the Uinta Basin, the Colorado Plateau in general, and other areas of western North America. Beyond reducing available habitat, spreading exotic species, and creating barriers to dispersal, unpaved roads also increase dust loads on plants and pollinators, which may reduce plant growth and reproduction. We studied the effects of an unpaved road on reproduction of an endangered Utah endemic shrub. We measured the size and reproductive output of 156 plants and the dust deposition in plots at increasing distances from the road. We also hand outcrossed 240 flowers from 80 plants …
Bringing Santa Rosa Island Into Channel Islands National Park: The Written Documents 1979–1987, Kate Roney Faulkner
Bringing Santa Rosa Island Into Channel Islands National Park: The Written Documents 1979–1987, Kate Roney Faulkner
Western North American Naturalist
The National Park Service (NPS) purchased Santa Rosa Island from private landowners Vail & Vickers in 1986. Immediately following the purchase, NPS personnel stated that they and the former landowners were negotiating a 5- to 10-year phaseout of cattle ranching and hunting of introduced deer and elk. Later, NPS staff stated that the former landowners had a 25-year right to presale land uses. This unsubstantiated “right” became the justification for the NPS issuing a series of permits that continued the operations of the former landowner. Over time, questions arose regarding the environmental impacts of the cattle, deer, and elk on …
Reproductive Strategies Matter For Rare Plant Conservation: Pollination, Phenology, And Mating In An Endemic Plant Of The Sky Islands Of Arizona, Erigeron Lemmonii A. Gray (Lemmon's Fleabane) (Asteraceae), Pamela Bailey, Peter Kevan
Reproductive Strategies Matter For Rare Plant Conservation: Pollination, Phenology, And Mating In An Endemic Plant Of The Sky Islands Of Arizona, Erigeron Lemmonii A. Gray (Lemmon's Fleabane) (Asteraceae), Pamela Bailey, Peter Kevan
Western North American Naturalist
Erigeron lemmonii A. Gray is extremely rare, but not endangered. There are fewer than 1000 individuals, but they compose an apparently stable, heterozygotic, diploid (2n = 18) population. The plants are perennial and endemic to one small location (about 0.5 km2) in Scheelite Canyon, Huachuca Mountains (Cochise County), Fort Huachuca Army Base, part of the Sky Island region, Arizona. Erigeron lemmonii grows from crevices in cliffs, ledges, and rock faces where it can form mats by spreading vegetatively from the roots as they proliferate, especially in microsites where soil accumulates. Our goals were to (1) investigate floral anatomy for reproductive …
Discovery Of Yellow-Bellied Marmots In The Pilot Range: Implications For Species Distribution Models In The Great Basin, Chris H. Floyd
Discovery Of Yellow-Bellied Marmots In The Pilot Range: Implications For Species Distribution Models In The Great Basin, Chris H. Floyd
Western North American Naturalist
The array of island-like mountains that characterizes the Great Basin has long been a model system for studying the effects of past and present climate change on distributions of montane mammals. One of the smallest of these mountains is the Pilot Range (Nevada/Utah). This range has relatively few species of montane mammals, presumably because of its small size and the fact that it was isolated by the waters of Lake Bonneville during much of Pleistocene. One of the species previously assumed to be absent in the Pilot Range is the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris). On 23 May 2016, …
Winter Ecology And Spring Dispersal Of Common Ravens In Wyoming, Luke W. Peebles, Michael R. Conover
Winter Ecology And Spring Dispersal Of Common Ravens In Wyoming, Luke W. Peebles, Michael R. Conover
Western North American Naturalist
Numbers of Common Ravens (Corvus corax) have increased in western North America, and these high abundances are the source of problems throughout the species’ range. Little is known about the winter ecology of ravens. We studied a population of ravens in Wyoming during the winters of 2013–2015; our goals were to examine use of landfills for foraging and use of anthropogenic structures for roosting, as well as dispersal patterns of ravens from these landfills in the spring. On average, 22% of radio-marked ravens foraged at landfills on a given day and 68% roosted at anthropogenic sites (e.g. on …
Effects Of Ponderosa Pine Forest Restoration On Habitat For Bats, Shelly A. Johnson, Carol L. Chambers
Effects Of Ponderosa Pine Forest Restoration On Habitat For Bats, Shelly A. Johnson, Carol L. Chambers
Western North American Naturalist
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in the southwestern United States, used by 16 species of bats, are managed with thinning and prescribed fire to restore tree densities and fire regimes to conditions that existed prior to Euro-American settlement. Using 2 approaches (roosting and foraging) to categorize forest habitat for bats, we evaluated how restoration treatments may affect habitat use. We hypothesized that more foraging activity would occur in thinned stands because more species are adapted to open forest, but that more roosts would occur in unthinned stands where snags were unaffected by mechanical treatments and prescribed fire. During …
Taxonomic And Compositional Differences Of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods In Riparian Habitats In Glen Canyon, Arizona, Usa, Barbara E. Ralston, Neil S. Cobb, Sandra L. Brantley, Jacob Higgins, Charles B. Yackulic
Taxonomic And Compositional Differences Of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods In Riparian Habitats In Glen Canyon, Arizona, Usa, Barbara E. Ralston, Neil S. Cobb, Sandra L. Brantley, Jacob Higgins, Charles B. Yackulic
Western North American Naturalist
The disturbance history, plant species composition, productivity, and structural complexity of a site can exert bottom-up controls on arthropod diversity, abundance, and trophic structure. Regulation alters the hydrology and disturbance regimes of rivers and affects riparian habitats by changing plant quality parameters. Fifty years of regulation along the Colorado River downstream of Glen Canyon Dam has created a no-analog, postdam “lower” riparian zone close to the water’s edge that includes tamarisk (Tamarix sp.), a nonnative riparian shrub. At the same time, the predam “upper” facultative riparian zone has persisted several meters above the current flood stage. In summer 2009, …
Aberrant Plant Diversity In The Purgatory Watershed Of Southeastern Colorado And Northeastern New Mexico, Joseph A. Kleinkopf, Dina A. Clark, Erin A. Tripp
Aberrant Plant Diversity In The Purgatory Watershed Of Southeastern Colorado And Northeastern New Mexico, Joseph A. Kleinkopf, Dina A. Clark, Erin A. Tripp
Western North American Naturalist
Despite a dearth of biological study in the area, the Purgatory Watershed concentrated in southeastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico is home to a number of unique land formations and endemic organisms. At onetime nonarable land where Dust Bowl storms of the 1930s originated, the Purgatory Watershed is presently home to the Comanche National Grasslands, the Picketwire Canyonlands, and the expansive Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site. The Purgatory Watershed is composed of deep canyons, eroded mesas, and extensive intact shortgrass plains, and is located at a crossroads of the biodiversity of the Southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Chihuahuan Desert. Here …
Range Expansion Of A Locally Endangered Mustelid (Eira Barbara) In Southern Mexico, Fernando Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Enrique Vázquez-Arroyo, Cuauhtémoc Chávez
Range Expansion Of A Locally Endangered Mustelid (Eira Barbara) In Southern Mexico, Fernando Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Enrique Vázquez-Arroyo, Cuauhtémoc Chávez
Western North American Naturalist
We documented the occurrence of Eira barbara in the municipalities of Tecpán de Galeana and Petatlán, state of Guerrero, Mexico. Our records represent a 450-km range expansion from the most recent northern occurrences of this species in the Mexican Pacific coast states.
Se documentó la presencia del viejo de monte (Eira barbara) en los municipios de Tecpán de Galeana y Petatlán, Guerrero, México. Estos registros representan un aumento de su área de distribución al norte en 450-km de los registros más recientes de la especie en la costa del Pacífico Mexicano.
Silver-Haired Bats Associated With Abandoned Mines In Colorado Provide Insights Into Winter Habitat And Roost Use, Lea' R. Bonewell, Mark A. Hayes, Nancy Lamantia-Olson, Elijah Wostl, Kirk W. Navo
Silver-Haired Bats Associated With Abandoned Mines In Colorado Provide Insights Into Winter Habitat And Roost Use, Lea' R. Bonewell, Mark A. Hayes, Nancy Lamantia-Olson, Elijah Wostl, Kirk W. Navo
Western North American Naturalist
Herein we present the first published records (N = 5) of silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) roosting in abandoned mines in Colorado during winter. The records are based on internal surveys of abandoned mines during the winter period from 2004 to 2008. These noteworthy records provide insights into the winter roosting ecology and habitat use of this species in southwestern Colorado.
Presentamos aquí los primeros registros publicados (N = 5) de murciélagos de pelo plateado (Lasionycteris noctivagans) que se refugian, durante el invierno, en minas abandonadas de Colorado. Los registros están basados en inspecciones internas …
Landscape Movements By Two Species Of Migratory Nectar-Feeding Bats (Leptonycteris) In A Northern Area Of Seasonal Sympatry, Michael A. Bogan, Paul Cryan, Christa D. Weise, Ernest W. Valdez
Landscape Movements By Two Species Of Migratory Nectar-Feeding Bats (Leptonycteris) In A Northern Area Of Seasonal Sympatry, Michael A. Bogan, Paul Cryan, Christa D. Weise, Ernest W. Valdez
Western North American Naturalist
Animals often migrate to exploit seasonally ephemeral food. Three species of nectar-feeding phyllostomid bats migrate north from Mexico into deserts of the United States each spring and summer to feed on blooms of columnar cactus and century plants (Agave spp.). However, the habitat needs of these important desert pollinators are poorly understood. We followed the nighttime movements of 2 species of long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and L. nivalis) in an area of late-summer sympatry at the northern edges of their migratory ranges. We radio-tracked bats in extreme southwestern New Mexico during 22 nights over 2 summers and …
Responses Of Small Mammal Communities To Pinyon-Juniper Habitat Treatments, Mark E. Peterson, Cynthia E. Rebar, Karen S. Eisenhart, Denise I. Stetson
Responses Of Small Mammal Communities To Pinyon-Juniper Habitat Treatments, Mark E. Peterson, Cynthia E. Rebar, Karen S. Eisenhart, Denise I. Stetson
Western North American Naturalist
Small mammals should be considered in wildlife management decisions because they are an important component of ecosystems. We examined small mammal population abundances (N) on 4 habitat treatment types in Colorado pinyon pine (Pinus edulis)–Utah juniper ( Juniperus osteosperma) woodlands on the Uncompahgre Plateau, Montrose, Colorado. We trapped small mammals in Sherman live traps on 4 habitat treatment types—including 2 types of management treatments (chaining, roller chop), sites with high drought-related mortality of pinyon pine, and sites of mature pinyon-juniper (PJ) woodland—on 3 mesas. We modeled detection probability of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) …
Comparative Trends In Log Populations In Northern Arizona Mixed-Conifer And Ponderosa Pine Forests Following Severe Drought, Joseph L. Ganey, Scott C. Vojta
Comparative Trends In Log Populations In Northern Arizona Mixed-Conifer And Ponderosa Pine Forests Following Severe Drought, Joseph L. Ganey, Scott C. Vojta
Western North American Naturalist
Logs provide an important form of coarse woody debris in forest systems, contributing to numerous ecological processes and affecting wildlife habitat and fuel complexes. Despite this, little information is available on the dynamics of log populations in southwestern ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and especially mixed-conifer forests. A recent episode of elevated tree mortality in these forest types in northern Arizona caused a pulse in log inputs as dead trees broke and fell. We documented changes in these log populations from 2004 to 2009 in an earlier paper. Here, we extended that work to evaluate changes in log abundance …
Single-Species And Multiple-Species Connectivity Models For Large Mammals On The Navajo Nation, Erica Fleishman, Jesse Anderson, Brett G. Dickson
Single-Species And Multiple-Species Connectivity Models For Large Mammals On The Navajo Nation, Erica Fleishman, Jesse Anderson, Brett G. Dickson
Western North American Naturalist
Estimation of connectivity for multiple species could increase the efficiency of resource management and elucidate trade-offs among maintenance of connectivity for different taxa. We identified potential areas of high connectivity for 5 species of mammals on the Navajo Nation and adjacent lands in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, USA: mountain lion (Puma concolor), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), American black bear (Ursus americanus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). These species were identified by the Navajo Nation as relevant to the benefit of their present and future …
A Surprising Discovery Of American Pika Sites In The Northwestern Great Basin, Mackenzie R. Jeffress, K. Jane Van Gunst, Constance I. Miller
A Surprising Discovery Of American Pika Sites In The Northwestern Great Basin, Mackenzie R. Jeffress, K. Jane Van Gunst, Constance I. Miller
Western North American Naturalist
Although the American pika (Ochotona princeps) continues to receive attention due to documented declines and range retractions, particularly in the Great Basin, thorough range inventories have yet to be completed in many parts of the region. Here we report on recently discovered populations in northwestern Nevada in areas not suspected to support pika activity under current climate regimes. We describe 238 new locations (“sites”) with evidence of past or current occupancy by pikas which cluster into 31 locales, which we interpret as metapopulations or “demes,” in 15 distinct mountain ranges or geographic areas. We documented twice as many …
Germination Of Netleaf Hackberry Seeds On The North Sides Of Boulders: A Shift Away From Patterns Of Mature Hackberry Distribution?, Michael T. Stevens, Daniel L. Holland
Germination Of Netleaf Hackberry Seeds On The North Sides Of Boulders: A Shift Away From Patterns Of Mature Hackberry Distribution?, Michael T. Stevens, Daniel L. Holland
Western North American Naturalist
Because limited numbers of netleaf hackberry (Celtis reticulata) seedlings are observed in nature, we evaluated patterns of germination of hackberry seeds (n = 2545) that we planted near boulders in the Wasatch Mountain foothills. Seeds were followed over 2 growing seasons. Germination rates were very low overall, but significantly more seeds germinated on the north sides of boulders compared to other boulder aspects. That we found higher rates of germination on the north sides of boulders, instead of on the south sides of boulders where mature hackberry shrubs tend to grow, could reflect year-to-year variation in seed …
Westward Expansion Of The Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) In The United States, With Notes On The First Record From New Mexico, Brett R. Andersen, Keith Geluso, Hans W. Otto, Larisa Bishop-Boros
Westward Expansion Of The Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) In The United States, With Notes On The First Record From New Mexico, Brett R. Andersen, Keith Geluso, Hans W. Otto, Larisa Bishop-Boros
Western North American Naturalist
The general lack of trees in the Great Plains has limited colonization by eastern woodland mammals in the past, but recent expansion of forests in corridors along prairie waterways and in towns has enabled an assortment of woodland species to expand distributional ranges westward. The evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) historically occurred in woodlands throughout the eastern United States. Following our capture of the first evening bat in New Mexico, we updated the distributional range for this species by amassing recent records from published literature and museum voucher records west of its historic range published in 1981, the last …
Distribution Of Western Juniper Seeds Across An Ecotone And Implications For Dispersal, Lindsay A. Dimitri, William S. Longland
Distribution Of Western Juniper Seeds Across An Ecotone And Implications For Dispersal, Lindsay A. Dimitri, William S. Longland
Western North American Naturalist
Western juniper woodlands have been the focus of extensive research and management due to range expansion and infilling that began over a century ago. Understanding juniper seed dispersal is vital to identifying processes behind this expansion. Dispersal of Juniperus seeds has generally been attributed to consumption of female juniper cones (“berries”) by frugivorous birds and mammals, which then defecate seeds after gut passage. However, recent studies have found that scatter-hoarding rodents harvest and cache juniper seeds. Rodents caching and failing to recover juniper seeds that have been removed from feces may constitute a secondary mode of dispersal that accounts for …
Historical Occurrence Of White-Tailed Ptarmigan In Wyoming, Clait E. Braun, Gregory T. Wann
Historical Occurrence Of White-Tailed Ptarmigan In Wyoming, Clait E. Braun, Gregory T. Wann
Western North American Naturalist
We found 13 specimens (11 museum skins, 2 skeletons) of White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) collected in Wyoming. All were collected in the 1911–1967 period: 12 from the Snowy Range (Albany County) and one from near Encampment (Carbon County). The last verifiable observations of White-tailed Ptarmigan in the Snowy Range were 2 separate reports in 1974, both of 4 individuals in the same location. A more recent report of 2 birds north of the Snowy Range on 15 October 2005 has also been verified. None of the verifiable observations or collection events was of more than 6 individuals. Most …
Range Extension Of The Giant Water Bug Belostoma Flumineum Say 1832 (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) To Saskatchewan, Canada, Iain D. Phillips, Stephen Srayko, Kate S. Prestie, Aaron J. Bell, Dale Parker
Range Extension Of The Giant Water Bug Belostoma Flumineum Say 1832 (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) To Saskatchewan, Canada, Iain D. Phillips, Stephen Srayko, Kate S. Prestie, Aaron J. Bell, Dale Parker
Western North American Naturalist
We collected a single specimen of the giant water bug Belostoma flumineum Say 1832 (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) during routine macroinvertebrate biomonitoring in the Souris River, Saskatchewan. This is the first record of B. flumineum in the province of Saskatchewan and represents a more northern record than the previously documented locations in Montana, North Dakota, and southeastern Manitoba.
Colectamos un único ejemplar de la chinche gigante de agua Belostoma flumineum Say 1832 (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) durante un biomonitoreo de rutina de macroinvertebrados en el río Souris, Saskatchewan. Este es el primer registro de B. flumineum en la provincia de Saskatchewan y representa un …
Genetic Structure Across A Contact Zone Between Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels In Southern California, Philip Leitner, Jennifer Rippert, Majorie D. Matocq
Genetic Structure Across A Contact Zone Between Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels In Southern California, Philip Leitner, Jennifer Rippert, Majorie D. Matocq
Western North American Naturalist
The Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) is endemic to the western Mojave Desert of California and is state-listed as Threatened. This species is of conservation concern because of the potential for large-scale renewable energy development within its range. Recent evidence suggests that this threatened species may at least occasionally hybridize with the closely related round-tailed ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus) where the species come into contact. As a result, there is great interest in the distribution of the Mohave ground squirrel, especially where it may come in contact with the round-tailed ground squirrel. One of the least …
Seasonal Progression Of Aquatic Organisms In A Temporary Wetland In Northern California, Michael G. Peterson, Kevin B. Lunde, Ming-Chih Chiu, Vincent H. Resh
Seasonal Progression Of Aquatic Organisms In A Temporary Wetland In Northern California, Michael G. Peterson, Kevin B. Lunde, Ming-Chih Chiu, Vincent H. Resh
Western North American Naturalist
Seasonal wetlands are important habitats for biodiversity of both invertebrate and vertebrate fauna. Many aquatic species have life history traits adapted to colonizing and developing in temporary aquatic habitats, and these traits influence the annual succession of the macroinvertebrate community. The chronology of taxon appearance and the variation in relative abundances during the hydroperiod are important for understanding population dynamics, trophic interactions, and responses to drought. This study investigated the successional changes in macroinvertebrate abundances in a seasonal wetland in northern California. Water quality parameters were measured regularly, including dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, surface area, and specific conductance during the …
Estimating Ages Of Utah Chubs By Use Of Pectoral Fin Rays, Otoliths, And Scales, Kayla M. Griffin, Zachary S. Beard, Jon M. Flinders, Michael C. Quist
Estimating Ages Of Utah Chubs By Use Of Pectoral Fin Rays, Otoliths, And Scales, Kayla M. Griffin, Zachary S. Beard, Jon M. Flinders, Michael C. Quist
Western North American Naturalist
Utah chub Gila atraria is native to the Upper Snake River system in Wyoming and Idaho and to the Lake Bonneville Basin in Utah and southeastern Idaho. However, the Utah chub has been introduced into many other waterbodies in the western United States, where it competes with ecologically and economically important species. The objectives of this study were to evaluate between-reader precision and reader confidence in age estimates obtained from pectoral fin rays, lapilli (otoliths), asterisci (otoliths), and scales for Utah chubs collected from Henrys Lake, Idaho. Lapilli have been previously shown to provide accurate age estimates for Utah chubs; …
Between Hot Rocks And Dry Places: The Status Of The Dixie Valley Toad, Matthew J. Forrest, Josefin Stiller, Tim L. King, Greg W. Rouse
Between Hot Rocks And Dry Places: The Status Of The Dixie Valley Toad, Matthew J. Forrest, Josefin Stiller, Tim L. King, Greg W. Rouse
Western North American Naturalist
In Dixie Valley, Nevada, an isolated population of toads has been the subject of proactive conservation measures by the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2008 due to concerns about potential habitat degradation resulting from exploitation of nearby geothermal energy resources. These toads appear to belong within the Anaxyrus boreas species group but are commonly referred to as Dixie Valley toads (DVTs). The DVT is currently confined to an extremely narrow habitat range (370 ha) that is geographically isolated from any other A. boreas population. In this study, genetic variations in mitochondrial genes and …
Fossil Mustela Nigripes From Snake Creek Burial Cave, Nevada, And Implications For Black-Footed Ferret Paleoecology, Nathaniel S. Fox, Steven C. Wallace, Jim I. Mead
Fossil Mustela Nigripes From Snake Creek Burial Cave, Nevada, And Implications For Black-Footed Ferret Paleoecology, Nathaniel S. Fox, Steven C. Wallace, Jim I. Mead
Western North American Naturalist
Morphometric measurements were used to classify 11 mustelid dentaries from Snake Creek Burial Cave (SCBC), a late Pleistocene to early Holocene–aged paleontological locality in eastern Nevada, that were undifferentiated between Mustela nigripes (black-footed ferret) and Neovison vison (American mink) due to their similar size and morphology. We, therefore, classified the SCBC fossils using 10 linear measurements of the dentary using extant M. nigripes and N. vison as proxy. Discriminant function and principal component analyses grouped the 11 unknown SCBC specimens within extant M. nigripes exclusively. Confirmation of M. nigripes at SCBC is significant because Cynomys spp. (their primary prey source …