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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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Polyurea Elastomer Protects Utility Pole Crossarms From Damage By Pileated Woodpeckers, Shelagh Tupper, William Andelt, John Cummings, Charles Weisner, Richard Harness Jan 2010

Polyurea Elastomer Protects Utility Pole Crossarms From Damage By Pileated Woodpeckers, Shelagh Tupper, William Andelt, John Cummings, Charles Weisner, Richard Harness

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Woodpeckers cause severe damage to utility poles and crossarms, resulting in substantial economic losses to utility companies. We evaluated effectiveness of a polyurea elastomer coating material for reducing damage by captive pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) to utility pole crossarms. Because woodpeckers inflicted essentially no damage to the fully coated crossarms, we infer that the coating material holds substantial promise for protecting utility pole crossarms. Additional research should be conducted to evaluate the coating under field conditions.

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Increased Risk Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Rocky Mountain Elk Associated With Decreased Magnesium And Increased Manganese In Brain Tissue, Stephen N. White, Katherine I. O’Rourke, Thomas Gidlewski, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michelle R. Mousel, Gregory E. Phillips, Terry R. Spraker Jan 2010

Increased Risk Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Rocky Mountain Elk Associated With Decreased Magnesium And Increased Manganese In Brain Tissue, Stephen N. White, Katherine I. O’Rourke, Thomas Gidlewski, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michelle R. Mousel, Gregory E. Phillips, Terry R. Spraker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of Rocky Mountain elk in North America. Recent studies suggest that tissue and blood mineral levels may be valuable in assessing TSE infection in sheep and cattle. The objectives of this study were to examine baseline levels of copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and molybdenum in the brains of Rocky Mountain elk with differing prion genotypes and to assess the association of mineral levels with CWD infection. Elk with leucine at prion position 132 had significantly lower magnesium levels than elk with 2 copies of methionine. Chronic wasting disease-positive elk …

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Review Of Issues Concerning The Use Of Reproductive Inhibitors, With Particular Emphasis On Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts In North America, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller, Gary Killian, Christi A. Yoder Jan 2010

Review Of Issues Concerning The Use Of Reproductive Inhibitors, With Particular Emphasis On Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts In North America, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller, Gary Killian, Christi A. Yoder

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This manuscript provides an overview of past wildlife contraception efforts and discusses the current state of research. Two fertility control agents, an avian reproductive inhibitor containing the active ingredient nicarbazin and an immunocontraceptive vaccine, have received regulatory approval with the Environmental Protection Agency and are commercially available in the USA. OvoControl G Contraceptive Bait for Canada Geese and Ovo Control for pigeons are delivered as oral baits. An injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for use in female white-tailed deer in September 2009. An injectable product (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) is registered for use …

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Synchronous Monitoring Of Vulture Movements With Satellite Telemetry And Avian Radar, Robert C. Beason, J. S. Humphrey, N. E. Myers, Michael L. Avery Jan 2010

Synchronous Monitoring Of Vulture Movements With Satellite Telemetry And Avian Radar, Robert C. Beason, J. S. Humphrey, N. E. Myers, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Radar and satellite global positioning system-platform transmitter terminal (GPSPTT) transmitters provide complementary information on the movements and behaviors of individual birds. The GPS-PTT tag provides a snapshot of altitude and location of a specific individual of an identified species at predefined intervals. The history of the individual is known because each transmitter has a unique identification code. The radar cannot identify individuals or even species but it provides continuous position reports (altitude and location) of birds within its detection range. By integrating data from the two sources, the behavior and movements of identified individuals (not possible with radar) can be …

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Experimental Infection Of Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) With West Nile Virus, J. Jeffrey Root, Kevin T. Bentler, Nicole M. Nemeth, Thomas Gidlewski, Terry R. Spraker, Alan B. Franklin Jan 2010

Experimental Infection Of Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) With West Nile Virus, J. Jeffrey Root, Kevin T. Bentler, Nicole M. Nemeth, Thomas Gidlewski, Terry R. Spraker, Alan B. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To characterize the responses of raccoons to West Nile virus (WNV) infection, we subcutaneously exposed them to WNV. Moderately high viremia titers (≤ 104.6 plaque forming units [PFU]/mL of serum) were noted in select individuals; however, peak viremia titers were variable and viremia was detectable in some individuals as late as 10 days post-inoculation (DPI). In addition, fecal shedding was prolonged in some animals (e.g., between 6 and 13 DPI in one individual), with up to105.0 PFU/fecal swab detected. West Nile virus was not detected in tissues collected on 10 or 16 DPI, and no histologic lesions attributable …

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Response Of Captive Skunks To Microencapsulated Tetracycline, Brandon S. Schmit, Thomas M. Primus, Jerome C. Hurley, Dennis J. Kohler, Shawna F. Graves Jan 2010

Response Of Captive Skunks To Microencapsulated Tetracycline, Brandon S. Schmit, Thomas M. Primus, Jerome C. Hurley, Dennis J. Kohler, Shawna F. Graves

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A captive striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) study was conducted between February and June 2004 at the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. The main objective was to determine the percentage of adult striped skunks that were marked after consuming placebo oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits containing 100 mg of an experimental microencapsulated (coated microparticle) tetracycline hydrochloride biomarker. Biomarkers were identified in the canine teeth and mandibles of five of five skunks that consumed an ORV bait. A second objective was to determine if …

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New Evidence Suggests Southern China As A Common Source Of Multiple Clusters Of Highly Pathogenic H5n1 Avian Influenza Virus, Bin Wu, Chengmin Wang, Guoying Dong, Yunhai Guo, Dale L. Nolte, Thomas Jude Deliberto, Jianguo Xu, Mingxing Duan, Hongxuan He Jan 2010

New Evidence Suggests Southern China As A Common Source Of Multiple Clusters Of Highly Pathogenic H5n1 Avian Influenza Virus, Bin Wu, Chengmin Wang, Guoying Dong, Yunhai Guo, Dale L. Nolte, Thomas Jude Deliberto, Jianguo Xu, Mingxing Duan, Hongxuan He

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza is considered an avian disease, although there is some evidence of limited human-to-human transmission of the virus. A global effort is underway to control or eradicate the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in poultry and prevent human exposure, both of which may also reduce the risk of pandemic emergence. Hemagglutinin gene sequences from 215 human H5N1 influenza viruses were used to trace the source and dispersal pattern of human H5N1 influenza viruses on a global scale. A mutation network and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin gene show that human H5N1 influenza viruses can be …

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Temporal Variation In Terrestrial Invertebrate Consumption By Laughing Gulls In New York, Glen E. Bernhardt, Lisa Kutschbach-Brohl, Brian E. Washburn, Richard Chipman, Laura Francoeur Jan 2010

Temporal Variation In Terrestrial Invertebrate Consumption By Laughing Gulls In New York, Glen E. Bernhardt, Lisa Kutschbach-Brohl, Brian E. Washburn, Richard Chipman, Laura Francoeur

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Laughing gulls (Larus atricilla) are commonly found in many areas of North America and little is known about their diet, particularly in coastal-urban interfaces where gull-aircraft collisions can be a serious concern. The objective of this study was to describe and quantify the consumption of terrestrial invertebrates by laughing gulls at a coastal-urban interface in the northeastern United States. We examined the stomach contents of laughing gulls (n = 1053) collected during wildlife damage management operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport during the summers of 2003 and 2004. Terrestrial invertebrates consumed by laughing gulls represented 2 taxonomic …

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Cold Weather And The Potential Range Of Invasive Burmese Pythons, Michael L. Avery, Richard M. Engeman, Kandy L. Keacher, John S. Humphrey, William E. Bruce, Tom C. Mathies, Richard E. Mauldin Jan 2010

Cold Weather And The Potential Range Of Invasive Burmese Pythons, Michael L. Avery, Richard M. Engeman, Kandy L. Keacher, John S. Humphrey, William E. Bruce, Tom C. Mathies, Richard E. Mauldin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) is established in Everglades National Park and neighboring areas in south Florida. Beyond its substantial ecological impacts to native fauna in south Florida, concerns have been raised as to its potential to occupy other parts of the USA, even as far north as Washington, DC. During a recent period of cold weather, seven of nine captive Burmese pythons held in outdoor pens at our facility in north-central Florida died, or would have died absent our intervention. This cold-induced mortality occurred despite the presence of refugia with heat sources. Our findings cast doubt …

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Importance Of Resource Selection And Social Behavior To Partitioning Of Hostile Space By Sympatric Canids, Todd Atwood, Eric Gese Jan 2010

Importance Of Resource Selection And Social Behavior To Partitioning Of Hostile Space By Sympatric Canids, Todd Atwood, Eric Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Investigations into mechanisms of resource partitioning are particularly suited to systems where nascent interactive behaviors are observable. Wolf (Canis lupus) recolonization of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem provided such a system, and we were able to identify behaviors influencing the partitioning of resources by coyotes (Canis latrans) and wolves. We observed coyote–wolf interactions immediately after wolf recolonization, when reemergent behaviors mediating the outcome of competitive interactions were detectable and mechanisms of spatial avoidance were identifiable. Although coyotes used the same space as wolves, they likely minimized risk of encounter by making adaptive changes in resource selection based …

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Using A Cost-Effectiveness Model To Determine The Applicability Of Ovocontrol G To Manage Nuisance Canada Geese, Joe Caudell, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Michael Slater Jan 2010

Using A Cost-Effectiveness Model To Determine The Applicability Of Ovocontrol G To Manage Nuisance Canada Geese, Joe Caudell, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Michael Slater

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

OvoControl G is a relatively new product that reduces hatchability of Canada goose (Branta canadensis) eggs, and few data are available on its cost effectiveness. Variables such as presence of nontargets, alternative foods, and public support can affect cost efficacy. We present a model that uses these and other factors to estimate the cost of application of OvoControl G for managing nuisance Canada geese. We found that at low goose densities (<35 pairs of geese), fixed labor was a significant portion of costs. As goose densities increase, OvoControl G becomes more cost effective than other methods, such as egg oiling or addling. Managers can use this model to determine whether OvoControl G will provide a successful and cost-effective treatment for population control of Canada geese in specific management areas.

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Review Of Issues Concerning The Use Of Reproductive Inhibitors, With Particular Emphasis On Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts In North America, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller, Gary Killian, Christi A. Yoder Jan 2010

Review Of Issues Concerning The Use Of Reproductive Inhibitors, With Particular Emphasis On Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts In North America, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller, Gary Killian, Christi A. Yoder

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This manuscript provides an overview of past wildlife contraception efforts and discusses the current state of research. Two fertility control agents, an avian reproductive inhibitor containing the active ingredient nicarbazin and an immunocontraceptive vaccine, have received regulatory approval with the Environmental Protection Agency and are commercially available in the USA. OvoControl G Contraceptive Bait for Canada Geese and Ovo Control for pigeons are delivered as oral baits. An injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for use in female white-tailed deer in September 2009. An injectable product (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) is registered for use …

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Management Effects On Breeding And Foraging Numbers And Movements Of Double-Crested Cormorants In The Les Cheneaux Islands, Lake Huron, Michigan, Brian S. Dorr, Tony Aderrnan, Peter H. Butchko, Scott C. Barras Jan 2010

Management Effects On Breeding And Foraging Numbers And Movements Of Double-Crested Cormorants In The Les Cheneaux Islands, Lake Huron, Michigan, Brian S. Dorr, Tony Aderrnan, Peter H. Butchko, Scott C. Barras

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The yellow perch fishery of the Les Cheneaux Islands (LCl) region of Lake Huron, MI suffered a collapse in 2000, attributed in part to the increase of double-crested cormorants (Phalocrocorax auritus) in the region. A management program involving egg-oiling and lethal culling was initiated in 2004 to reduce cormorant foraging on yellow perch in the LC1. Counts of cormorant nests, nests oiled, cormorants culled, and aerial counts and telemetry surveys were used to evaluate management. Management contributed to a 74% reduction of cormorants on breeding colonies from 2004 to 2007. Cormorants used the LC1 area significantly more (P<0.05) than surrounding areas. Aerial counts of foraging cormorants declined significantly (P<0.05) over the entire survey area but not within the LCl proper. However, aerial counts of cormorants in the LCI were five-fold less than cormorant counts in the same area in 1995. Reduced cormorant numbers were attributed in part to the elimination of cormorant nesting on a large colony due to the introduction of raccoons. Although the numbers of cormorants using the LC1 did not decline, flocks were significantly smaller and more dispersed after management began. The reduced number of cormorants from 1995 levels and more dispersed foraging likely reduced predation on fish stocks including yellow perch in the LC1. Our findings indicate that the relationship between reduction in cormorant breeding numbers and reduced cormorant foraging in a given area is complex and may be influenced by density dependent factors such as intraspecific competition and quality of the forage base.

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Jaguars, Livestock, And People In Brazil: Realities And Perceptions Behind The Conflict, Sandra C. Cavalcanti, Silvio Marchini, Alexandra Zimmermann, Eric M. Gese, David W. Macdonald Jan 2010

Jaguars, Livestock, And People In Brazil: Realities And Perceptions Behind The Conflict, Sandra C. Cavalcanti, Silvio Marchini, Alexandra Zimmermann, Eric M. Gese, David W. Macdonald

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest predator in the Neotropics and is arguably the most charismatic species for .conservation in Central and South America. Regrettably, the jaguar is also the carnivore that is least compatible with humans in twenty-first century Brazil. This fundamental incompatibility is due to the jaguar's need for abundant, large prey, as well as extensive, undisturbed habitat. Humans (also large, top predators) have competed directly with jaguars for food (i.e. native and domestic ungulates) for as long as they have coexisted (Jorgenson and Redford 1993), and lately threaten them directly and indirectly through deforestation …

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Reproductive Biology Of Male Brown Treesnakes (Boiga Irregularis) On Guam, Tom Mathies, John A. Cruz, Valentine A. Lance, Julie A. Savidge Jan 2010

Reproductive Biology Of Male Brown Treesnakes (Boiga Irregularis) On Guam, Tom Mathies, John A. Cruz, Valentine A. Lance, Julie A. Savidge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reproductive biology of males in the Guam population of the Brown Treesnake, Boiga irregularis, was investigated through monthly examinations of the urogenital system organs and plasma testosterone levels. All males examined during the 12 consecutive months of the study were spermatogenic and had sperm in the ductus epididymis and ductus deferens. No evidence of testicular recrudescence or regression was observed. Testis mass did not vary among months. Epithelial height of the kidney sexual segment was the only feature examined that varied significantly among months, with lowest heights observed in May through July. Despite this variation, the sexual segment in all …

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Contraceptive Efficacy Of A Novel Intrauterine Device (Iud) In White-Tailed Deer, Karl D. Malcolm, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, Darrel J. Kesler, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2010

Contraceptive Efficacy Of A Novel Intrauterine Device (Iud) In White-Tailed Deer, Karl D. Malcolm, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, Darrel J. Kesler, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) pose risks to property, health, and safety of human beings. Public concerns about lethal management can impair efforts to address these issues, particularly in urban settings. Several techniques developed for reducing reproductive output of deer have limited utility because they require repeated dosing to achieve permanent effect and face uncertain regulatory approval for use beyond experimentation. From 10 August 2006 through 30 December 2007, we evaluated the contraceptive efficacy of copper-containing intrauterine devices (IUDs) implanted trans-cervically in white-tailed deer at the E.S. George Reserve in Pinckney, Michigan. Intrauterine devices were implanted before (n …

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Acetaminophen As An Oral Toxicant For Nile Monitor Lizards (Varanus Niloticus) And Burmese Pythons (Python Molurus Bivittatus), Richard E. Mauldin, Peter J. Savarie Jan 2010

Acetaminophen As An Oral Toxicant For Nile Monitor Lizards (Varanus Niloticus) And Burmese Pythons (Python Molurus Bivittatus), Richard E. Mauldin, Peter J. Savarie

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Invasive species are a growing global problem. Biological invasions can result in numerous harmful impacts on local ecologies, and non-native herpetofauna are frequently ignored. Nile monitor lizards (Varanus niloticus) and Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus, recently reassessed as Python bivittatus bivittatus), have become established in southern Florida. Both are large, semi-aquatic predators that pose serious threats to a variety of threatened and endangered species, as well as to the unique ecology of the area.

Aims. Acetaminophen (CAS#103-90-2), a lethal oral toxicant for the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam, was investigated …

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Seeking A Second Opinion: Uncertainty In Disease Ecology, Brett T. Mcclintock, James D. Nichols, Larissa L. Bailey, Darryl I. Mackenzie, William. L. Kendall, Alan B. Franklin Jan 2010

Seeking A Second Opinion: Uncertainty In Disease Ecology, Brett T. Mcclintock, James D. Nichols, Larissa L. Bailey, Darryl I. Mackenzie, William. L. Kendall, Alan B. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Analytical methods accounting for imperfect detection are often used to facilitate reliable inference in population and community ecology. We contend that similar approaches are needed in disease ecology because these complicated systems are inherently difficult to observe without error. For example, wildlife disease studies often designate individuals, populations, or spatial units to states (e.g., susceptible, infected, post-infected), but the uncertainty associated with these state assignments remains largely ignored or unaccounted for. We demonstrate how recent developments incorporating observation error through repeated sampling extend quite naturally to hierarchical spatial models of disease effects, prevalence, and dynamics in natural systems. A highly …

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A Silent Enzootic Of An Orthopoxvirus In Ghana, West Africa: Evidence For Multi-Species Involvement In The Absence Of Widespread Human Disease, Mary G. Reynolds, Darin S. Carroll, Victoria A. Olson, Christine Hughes, Jack Galley, Anna Likos, Joel M. Montgomery, Richard Suu-Ire, Mubarak O. Kwasi, J. Jeffrey Root, Zach Braden, Jason Abel, Cody Clemmons, Russell Regnery, Kevin Karem, Inger K. Damon Jan 2010

A Silent Enzootic Of An Orthopoxvirus In Ghana, West Africa: Evidence For Multi-Species Involvement In The Absence Of Widespread Human Disease, Mary G. Reynolds, Darin S. Carroll, Victoria A. Olson, Christine Hughes, Jack Galley, Anna Likos, Joel M. Montgomery, Richard Suu-Ire, Mubarak O. Kwasi, J. Jeffrey Root, Zach Braden, Jason Abel, Cody Clemmons, Russell Regnery, Kevin Karem, Inger K. Damon

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human monkeypox has never been reported in Ghana, but rodents captured in forested areas of southern Ghana were the source of the monkeypox virus introduced into the United States in 2003. Subsequent to the outbreak in the United States, 204 animals were collected from two commercial trapping sites in Ghana. Animal tissues were examined for the presence of orthopoxvirus (OPXV) DNA using a real-time polymerase chain reaction, and sera were assayed for antibodies against OPXV. Animals from five genera (Cricetomys , Graphiurus , Funiscirus, and Heliosciurus ) had antibodies against OPXV, and three genera (Cricetomys , Graphiurus …

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Behavioral Flexibility And Species Invasions: The Adaptive Flexibility Hypothesis, Timothy F. Wright, J.R. Eberhard, E.A. Hobson, Michael L. Avery, M.A. Russello Jan 2010

Behavioral Flexibility And Species Invasions: The Adaptive Flexibility Hypothesis, Timothy F. Wright, J.R. Eberhard, E.A. Hobson, Michael L. Avery, M.A. Russello

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Behavioral flexibility is an important adaptive response to changing environments for many animal species. Such plasticity may also promote the invasion of novel habitats by introduced species by providing them with the ability to expand or change their ecological niche, a longstanding idea with recent empirical support. At the individual level, flexibility may arise through innovation, in which an individual invents a new behavior, or through social learning, in which an individual adopts a behavior used by others. There is increasing evidence that the adaptive value of these two modes of learning, and the overall expression of behavioral flexibility, may …

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Modeling The Economic Impact Of Feral Swine-Transmitted Foot-And- Mouth Disease: A Case Study From Missouri, Tyler Cozzens, Karen Gebhardt, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Mark W. Lutman, Kerri Pedersen, Seth Swafford Jan 2010

Modeling The Economic Impact Of Feral Swine-Transmitted Foot-And- Mouth Disease: A Case Study From Missouri, Tyler Cozzens, Karen Gebhardt, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Mark W. Lutman, Kerri Pedersen, Seth Swafford

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive feral swine combine a number of characteristics (e.g., high mobility, high fecundity, destructive behavior, reservoir of diseases, etc.) that make them one of the most serious wildlife threats to American agriculture. Additionally, feral swine are susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) infection and could play a significant role in spreading and maintaining FMD if it was introduced to the U.S. Outbreaks of FMD also have devastating economic impacts and cause the loss of billions of dollars to the agricultural economy. Problems associated with spread and control would be exacerbated if FMD was contracted and spread by feral swine, threatening the …

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Regulatory And Policy Issues Around Nontarget Mortality And Environmental Fate Of Rodenticides, John D. Eisemann, Catherine E. Swift, Peter A. Dunlevy, William C. Pitt, Gary W. Witmer Jan 2010

Regulatory And Policy Issues Around Nontarget Mortality And Environmental Fate Of Rodenticides, John D. Eisemann, Catherine E. Swift, Peter A. Dunlevy, William C. Pitt, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

One of the goals of this Symposium was to bring together agricultural and conservation users of rodenticides to discuss the impacts of rodenticides on the environment, examine the current regulatory climate governing their use, and identify ways that users can reduce or eliminate these impacts. Some of the presentations in today’s symposium highlighted specific impacts, and the preceding talk described the scenario of what can happen if an issue related to pesticide impacts ends up in the courts. The three agencies that were represented on this panel (USDA, USFWS, and EPA) have regulatory oversight and enforcement authority for the use …

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Dramatic And Immediate Improvements In Insular Nesting Success For Threatened Sea Turtles And Shorebirds Following Predator Management, Richard M. Engeman, Anthony Duffiney, Sally Braem, Christina Olsen, Bernice Constantin, Parks Small, John Dunlap, J.C. Griffin Jan 2010

Dramatic And Immediate Improvements In Insular Nesting Success For Threatened Sea Turtles And Shorebirds Following Predator Management, Richard M. Engeman, Anthony Duffiney, Sally Braem, Christina Olsen, Bernice Constantin, Parks Small, John Dunlap, J.C. Griffin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Predation critically threatens reproductive success of sea turtles and shorebirds at many of Florida's beaches. We examined the biological and bioeconomic results of predator management on two adjacent barrier islands, Cayo Costa and North Captiva, along Florida's west coast. Both islands suffered severe nesting losses due to predation and disturbance due to raccoons, while Cayo Costa also was impacted by a large population of feral swine. In 2006, our initial year of study, neither island received predator management and no least tern production occurred on either island, and sea turtle nest predation was 74% and 60%, respectively, for Cayo Costa …

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Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Movements And Dispersal Associated With Ridges And Valleys Of Pennsylvania: Implications For Rabies Management, Robert B. Puskas, Justin W. Fischer, Craig B. Swope, Mike R. Dunbar, Robert G. Mclean, J. Jeffrey Root Jan 2010

Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Movements And Dispersal Associated With Ridges And Valleys Of Pennsylvania: Implications For Rabies Management, Robert B. Puskas, Justin W. Fischer, Craig B. Swope, Mike R. Dunbar, Robert G. Mclean, J. Jeffrey Root

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) continues to be a prominent terrestrial rabies reservoir in the eastern United States. Describing the dispersal and movements of these animals and determining geographic features that are natural hindrances or corridors to movements could be used to assist oral rabies vaccination efforts. The landscape of the ridge-and-valley system in Pennsylvania exhibits characteristics of both natural potential hindrances and travel corridors to the movements of wildlife. The movements of 49 raccoons were monitored throughout a ridge and two adjacent valley sites to assess their movements related to these landscape features. Results suggest that few raccoons …

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Site Use Of European Starlings Captured And Radio-Tagged At Texas Feedlots During Winter, H. Jeffrey Homan, A.A. Slowik, Linda B. Penry, George M. Linz, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Rickey L. Gilliland Jan 2010

Site Use Of European Starlings Captured And Radio-Tagged At Texas Feedlots During Winter, H. Jeffrey Homan, A.A. Slowik, Linda B. Penry, George M. Linz, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Rickey L. Gilliland

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We radio tagged and tracked 50 European starlings between December 2008 and January 2009 at 3 feedlots in the northern Texas Panhandle. Daily fidelity to sites of capture (home feedlots) was different among the 3 radio-tagged cohorts. Cohorts from Sites A and C were recorded at home feedlots on 48 and 59% of tracking days, respectively. The Site B cohort was at its home feedlot 95% of days. There were qualitative differences in use of home feedlots between cohorts A and C. The former were nearly obligate in their use of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO), whereas the latter tended …

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Acute Toxicity Of Diphacinone In Northern Bobwhite: Effects On Survival And Blood Clotting, Barnett A. Rattner, Katherine E. Horak, Sarah E. Warner, John J. Johnston Jan 2010

Acute Toxicity Of Diphacinone In Northern Bobwhite: Effects On Survival And Blood Clotting, Barnett A. Rattner, Katherine E. Horak, Sarah E. Warner, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone was slightly toxic (acuteoralLD50 2014 mg/kg) to Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in a 14-day acute toxicity trial. Precise and sensitive assays of blood clotting (prothrombin time, Russell’s Viper venom time, and thrombin clotting time) were adapted for use in quail, and this combination of assays is recommended to measure the effects of anticoagulant rodenticides. A single oral sub lethal dose of diphacinone (434mg/kg body weight) prolonged clotting time at 48 h post-dose compared to controls. At 783 mg/kg (approximate LD02), clotting time was prolonged at both 24 and 48 h post-dose. …

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Superabundant Food At Catfish Aquaculture Facilities Improves Body Condition In American White Pelicans, D. Tommy King, Jerold Belant, Brent Harrel, James Glahn Jan 2010

Superabundant Food At Catfish Aquaculture Facilities Improves Body Condition In American White Pelicans, D. Tommy King, Jerold Belant, Brent Harrel, James Glahn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Few studies have investigated the use of aquaculture-produced foods by piscivorous birds. American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) were collected from four locations (two aquaculture, one riverine and one coastal) in the southeastern United States during winter and spring 1998-1999 to assess the contribution (biomass, frequency of occurrence) of aquaculture-produced foods and their effect on body condition. Pelican diets reflected opportunistic foraging across locations. Diet near catfish ponds consisted mostly of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Diets along the Mississippi River had similarly high biomass of catfish, but otolith counts suggested lower use of catfish. Diets near crawfish ( …

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Exclusion Fencing For Feral Hogs At White-Tailed Deer Feeders, Justin M. Rattan, Billy J. Higginbotham, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell Jan 2010

Exclusion Fencing For Feral Hogs At White-Tailed Deer Feeders, Justin M. Rattan, Billy J. Higginbotham, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Management programs aimed at white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) production often include the use of feeders, either to deliver supplemental feed or bait. However, much of the feed placed into deer feeders is consumed by non-target species, such as feral hogs (Sus scrofa). Our objectives were to compare three exclusion fence designs at deer feeders for their ability to restrict feral hog visitation and enable white-tailed deer visitation. Our high fence design consisted of 86 cm high graduated paneling. Our medium fence design consisted of 76 cm high, 10´10 cm paneling. Our low height design consisted of …

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Experimental Exposure Of Swallow Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) To West Nile Virus, Paul T. Oesterle, Nicole M. Nemeth, Paul Doherty, Robert Mclean, Larry Clark Jan 2010

Experimental Exposure Of Swallow Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) To West Nile Virus, Paul T. Oesterle, Nicole M. Nemeth, Paul Doherty, Robert Mclean, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, Vieillot) could potentially play an important role in the transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) because of its breeding ecology, reservoir competence status, and potentially high natural exposure rates. These birds nest in colonies and their nests are occupied year round by swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius, Hovarth), hematophagus ectoparasites that feed primarily on cliff swallows. Swallow bugs are most likely exposed to WNV while feeding on infectious blood of cliff swallows and, thus, if competent vectors, could contribute to initiation and maintenance of seasonal WNV transmission. In addition, swallow bugs remain …

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What Tradition Teaches: Indigenous Knowledge Complements Western Wildlife Science, Paige M. Schmidt, Heather K. Stricker Jan 2010

What Tradition Teaches: Indigenous Knowledge Complements Western Wildlife Science, Paige M. Schmidt, Heather K. Stricker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In 1977, scientific surveys indicated that bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Beaufort Sea were in trouble, with fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining. The International Whaling Commission took action to put a moratorium on native hunts in order to protect the species. Yet local Inuit hunters didn't see what the fuss was about. Their own estimates, gleaned from time and experience, put bowhead numbers at 7,000. The Inuits also disputed western scientists' contentions that whales couldn't swim under offshore ice and that they did not feed during migration. Researchers responded to these criticisms by developing a new survey …

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