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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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Crop Diversification Leads To Diverse Bird Problems In Hawaiian Agriculture, Marni E. Koopman, William C. Pitt Sep 2007

Crop Diversification Leads To Diverse Bird Problems In Hawaiian Agriculture, Marni E. Koopman, William C. Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over the last 20 years, Hawaii’s agriculture has shifted from a focus on sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) and pineapples (Ananas comosus) produced on large farms to a diverse array of products produced on a multitude of smaller farms. This dramatic shift in production, in addition to the introduction of many new avian species, has resulted in a concomitant change in the problems faced by agriculture. We surveyed farmers to determine the extent of bird damage to crops, the species responsible, the crops most vulnerable, and control methods employed. Bird problems varied by island, but cardinals ( …

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From The Field: An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin Sep 2007

From The Field: An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are a particularly destructive exotic species in the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1999), including Florida, which, along with Hawaii, is one of 2 states cited as having the most severe invasive species problems (U.S. Congress 1993) in the country. First introduced to North America by the European colonists (Conover 2007) hogs were one of the first invasive exotic species to take hold in Florida. They can transmit disease to livestock (Hartin et al. 2007) and humans (Conover and Vail 2007). They impose a variety of negative environmental impacts, including habitat degradation and …

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Birds, George M. Linz, Jim Hanzel Sep 2007

Birds, George M. Linz, Jim Hanzel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sunflower, due to the easy accessibility and high nutritional value of its seed, is particularly vulnerable to damage by birds (Figure 101). Seeds are exposed and the large head serves as a perch during feeding. Sunflower seed is a preferred bird food because the seed contains many proteins and fats essential to their growth, molt, fat storage and weight maintenance processes. Although many species of birds feed in maturing sunflower fields, the greatest losses are caused by migrating flocks of red-winged blackbirds, yellow- headed blackbirds and common grackles (Figure 102). Significant losses can occur in fields near cattail marshes.

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Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap Sep 2007

Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) negatively impact the environment in most places around the world where they have been introduced into the wild. In many places, hog removal is essential to protect special habitats, in particular, wetlands. This paper describes techniques developed for use in adaptive management approaches to enhance hog removal efforts in Florida, as well as methods to evaluate the economic impacts from hog management. A valuable adaptive management tool that can be an easily applied index to monitor feral hog activity is track plots. This method has been effective for monitoring hog distribution and relative abundance, …

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A Fence Design For Excluding Elk Without Impeding Other Wildlife, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan W. Seward, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Gregory W. Phillips Sep 2007

A Fence Design For Excluding Elk Without Impeding Other Wildlife, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan W. Seward, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Gregory W. Phillips

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Concentrated herbivory by elk (Cervus elaphus) can degrade vegetative communities and alter ecosystem processes. Areas severely damaged by elk are commonly protected with woven wire fence, which can exclude other animals. Complete exclusion and prevention of large mammal herbivory might not always be necessary to restore vegetative communities. We designed and evaluated a simple fence that excluded elk, but maintained access for deer and other species. We enclosed a 1-ha stand of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michaux) with our fence in an area with a high density of elk. We monitored effectiveness of the fence with trackplots, …

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Foraging Preferences Of Captive Canada Geese Related To Turfgrass Mixtures, Brian E. Washburn, Scott C. Barras, Thomas W. Seamans Sep 2007

Foraging Preferences Of Captive Canada Geese Related To Turfgrass Mixtures, Brian E. Washburn, Scott C. Barras, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Overabundant populations of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) cause economic and safety concerns associated with collisions with civil and military aircraft. Habitat management techniques that reduce the use of airfield habitats by geese might reduce these concerns. The objective of this study was to determine if captive Canada geese exhibited a foraging preference between a vegetation mixture consisting mostly of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) versus an endophyte-infected tall fescue- (Festuca arundinacea) based vegetation mixture. We established 6 paired plots of perennial ryegrass-dominated and tall fescue-dominated mixtures at NASA …

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The Ecology Of Vertebrate Pests And Integrated Pest Management (Ipm), Gary W. Witmer Aug 2007

The Ecology Of Vertebrate Pests And Integrated Pest Management (Ipm), Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Across the world, vertebrates cause considerable annual damage to agriculture, property, human health and safety, and natural resources. Although some species of all vertebrate groups have been implicated in damage, the species most often involved in serious amounts of damage are birds and mammals. Agroecosystems have provided many new opportunities for vertebrates to exploit, resulting in their becoming serious "pests" with humans taking various steps to protect their agricultural resources. This conflict has intensified as the human population has increased, efforts to get more production out of traditional croplands have intensified, and marginal lands have been placed into crop production. …

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Species-Specific Visitation And Removal Of Baits For Delivery Of Pharmaceuticals To Feral Swine, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long Aug 2007

Species-Specific Visitation And Removal Of Baits For Delivery Of Pharmaceuticals To Feral Swine, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Within the domestic swine industry there is growing trepidation about the role feral swine (Sus scrofa) play in the maintenance and transmission of important swine diseases. Innovative disease management tools for feral swine are needed. We used field trials conducted in southern Texas from February to March 2006 to compare species-specific visitation and removal rates of fish-flavored and vegetable-flavored baits with and without commercially available raccoon (Procyon lotor/) repellent (trial 1) and removal rates of baits deployed in a systematic and cluster arrangement (trial 2). During trial 1, 1) cumulative bait removal rates after four nights …

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Relaxin As A Diagnostic Tool For Pregnancy In The Coyote (Canis Latrans), Debra A. Carlson, Eric M. Gese Jul 2007

Relaxin As A Diagnostic Tool For Pregnancy In The Coyote (Canis Latrans), Debra A. Carlson, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The diagnosis of pregnancy in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) often employs specialized equipment, experienced staff, and the cooperation of the bitch. These procedures can be challenging when the subject is a wild canid, particularly in a field setting. In addition, reproductive hormone assays are unreliable as a diagnostic tool because the estrous profiles of pregnant and pseudopregnant canines are similar. However, research has demonstrated that the hormone relaxin can be detected in maternal blood after embryonic implantation, but remains negligible in non-pregnant females. We investigated the use of relaxin as a diagnostic marker of pregnancy in the …

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Demographics Of Black Vultures In North Carolina, Bradley F. Blackwell, Michael L. Avery, Bryan D. Watts, Martin S. Lowney Jul 2007

Demographics Of Black Vultures In North Carolina, Bradley F. Blackwell, Michael L. Avery, Bryan D. Watts, Martin S. Lowney

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding the contributions of vital rates to species population growth is critical to developing new management protocols. We constructed a model population for black vultures (Coragyps atratus) in North Carolina, USA, based on demographic data from a 14-year study. The model population was similar in stage structure to the reference population, and adult survival was the primary contributor to the annual rate of increase (10.6%). We suggest that the North Carolina black vulture population is experiencing high rates of survival and fertility, potentially breeding at an age younger than previously assumed, and growing rapidly.

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Wildlife Disease Management: An Insurmountable Challenge?, Scott E. Henke, Alan M. Fedynich, Tyler A. Campbell Jul 2007

Wildlife Disease Management: An Insurmountable Challenge?, Scott E. Henke, Alan M. Fedynich, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife biologists are increasingly being thrust onto the frontlines of wildlife disease management and surveillance in the United States. For example, biologists now routinely engage in oral vaccination of wildlife [e-g., Oral Rabies Vaccination Programs (QRVPs)] and collect specimens for both diagnostic purposes and disease surveillance or monitoring (e.g., avian influenza in migratory bids). For many, these responsibilities are novel compared to the more traditional roles of population estimation. habitat manipulation, and formulation of harvest recommendations. Wildlife disease investigation and management, in reality, we in their infancy compared with disciplines of human and domestic animal disease management. The recent focus …

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Green Iguanas (Iguana Iguana): The Unintended Consequence Of Sound Wildlife Management Practices In A South Florida Park, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Henry T. Smith, Elizabeth Golden, Jon A. Moore, Stephanie Fitchett, Ernest M. Cowan, Richard M. Engeman, Stacey R. Sekscienski, Heather L. Cress Jul 2007

Green Iguanas (Iguana Iguana): The Unintended Consequence Of Sound Wildlife Management Practices In A South Florida Park, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Henry T. Smith, Elizabeth Golden, Jon A. Moore, Stephanie Fitchett, Ernest M. Cowan, Richard M. Engeman, Stacey R. Sekscienski, Heather L. Cress

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined the demographic response of the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) to the removal of Raccoons in an urban maritime state park in southern Florida. The rapid growth of iguanas to sexual maturity in an underexploited, if not vacant, niche contributed to the rapid recruitment of a large and growing population during the four and one half years since removal of its limiting predator. We proffer here that at sites where Green Iguanas and high density Raccoons are syntopic, future Raccoon removal programs should be concurrent with an equally concerted effort to remove resident Green Iguanas. In this …

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The Introduction And Emergence Of Wildlife Diseases In North America, Robert G. Mclean Jun 2007

The Introduction And Emergence Of Wildlife Diseases In North America, Robert G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents:

Specific Invasive and Emerging Wildlife Diseases: West Nile Virus, Hantavirus, Lyme Disease, Monkeypox, Raccoon Rabies
Foreign Wildlife Diseases That Could Invade the United States: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Rift Valley Fever, Nipah Virus, Japanese Encephalitis
Prevention, Detection, and Control of Invading and Emerging Diseases
References

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Coyotes As Sentinels For Monitoring Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence In White-Tailed Deer, Todd C. Atwood, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Thomas J. Deliberto, Holly J. Smith, Justin S. Stevenson Jun 2007

Coyotes As Sentinels For Monitoring Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence In White-Tailed Deer, Todd C. Atwood, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Thomas J. Deliberto, Holly J. Smith, Justin S. Stevenson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), is endemic in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 5 counties (Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle) in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA. The presence of a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis in Michigan and the incidence of bTB in cattle (Bos taurus) resulted in Michigan losing its bTB accredited-free status. Subsequent wildlife surveillance programs identified relatively high disease prevalence in coyotes (Canis latrans), generating interest in their potential to serve as a sentinel species to detect bTB prevalence in white-tailed deer. …

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Cameras, Coyotes, And The Assumption Of Equal Detectability, Eveline Se Quin Larrucea, Peter F. Brussard, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett Jun 2007

Cameras, Coyotes, And The Assumption Of Equal Detectability, Eveline Se Quin Larrucea, Peter F. Brussard, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Remote cameras are an increasingly important tool in management and wildlife studies. However, we often do not know if they provide an unbiased sample of populations. Using a marked, radio-collared population of coyotes (Canis latrans) of known social status, we evaluated the influence of temporal (daily and seasonal) and spatial (distance between units, habitat, and proximity to human structures) factors on vulnerability to photo-captures. During 8 unbaited camera sessions of 6 weeks each, we obtained 158 coyote photographs at a photo-capture success rate of 1.6%. We were able to identify not only marked individuals, but also a number …

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Fence-Line Contact Between Wild And Farmed Cervids In Colorado: Potential For Disease Transmission, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan W. Seward, Justin W. Fischer, Gregory E. Phillips Jun 2007

Fence-Line Contact Between Wild And Farmed Cervids In Colorado: Potential For Disease Transmission, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan W. Seward, Justin W. Fischer, Gregory E. Phillips

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Direct and indirect contact between wild and farmed cervids along perimeter fences may play a role in transmission of diseases like chronic wasting disease (CWD), but no studies have quantified such interactions. At 9 high-fenced commercial elk (Cervus elaphus) farms in Colorado, USA, during October 2003 to January 2005, we used animal-activated video to estimate rates of fence-line use by wild cervids, rates of direct contact between farmed and wild cervids, and probability of direct contact when wild cervids were present. We recorded 8-foldmore wild elk per unit time than mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) at fence …

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Fence-Line Contact Between Wild And Farmed White-Tailed Deer In Michigan: Potential For Disease Transmission, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan W. Seward, Justin W. Fischer, Gregory E. Phillips Jun 2007

Fence-Line Contact Between Wild And Farmed White-Tailed Deer In Michigan: Potential For Disease Transmission, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan W. Seward, Justin W. Fischer, Gregory E. Phillips

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interactions between wild and farmed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) along perimeter fences may play a role in the transmission of diseases like bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease. However, no study has evaluated direct contact between wild and farmed deer through fences. We used animal-activated cameras to estimate rates of interaction between wild and farmed deer at 6 high-fenced commercial white-tailed deer farms in Michigan, USA, during October 2003 to January 2005. We recorded only 2 direct, naso-oral contacts between wild and farmed deer during >77,000 hours of camera monitoring. We documented little direct contact between wild and …

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Caffeine Formulation For Avian Repellency, Scott J. Werner, John L. Cummings, Shelagh K. Tupper, Jerome C. Hurley, Randal S. Stahl, Thomas M. Primus Jun 2007

Caffeine Formulation For Avian Repellency, Scott J. Werner, John L. Cummings, Shelagh K. Tupper, Jerome C. Hurley, Randal S. Stahl, Thomas M. Primus

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Nonlethal management alternatives are needed to reduce avian depredation of agricultural crops. Caffeine has promise as an effective, economical, and environmentally safe avian repellent, yet formulation improvements are needed for field applications. We included sodium benzoate in subsequent formulations to enhance the solubility of caffeine. Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) discriminated between untreated rice and rice treated with 250 ppm or 10,000 ppm caffeine and sodium benzoate in captivity. We observed a positive concentration–response relationship among birds offered rice treated with 250 ppm, 1,000 ppm, 2,500 ppm, 5,000 ppm, 10,000 ppm, or 20,000 ppm caffeine and sodium benzoate. Relative …

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Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Diet Of Coyotes In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Paul S. Morey, Eric M. Gese Jun 2007

Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Diet Of Coyotes In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Paul S. Morey, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are an opportunistic predator that have adapted to many human-modified environments. Conflicts between coyotes and humans are an increasing concern for managers in urban areas. We examined the spatial and temporal utilization and availability of natural and human-associated food for coyotes in the Chicago metropolitan area, Illinois, USA. We collected 1429 coyote scats from May 2000 to December 2002, and conducted prey surveys in 2002, in 4 sites that varied in their degree of urban development. Dominant food items included small rodents, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), fruit, eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) …

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Solutions Through Science: Economics Of Wildlife Damage Management Jun 2007

Solutions Through Science: Economics Of Wildlife Damage Management

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife is a public resource greatly valued by all Americans. As the stewards of this valuable resource, wildlife managers plan management actions based upon the best biological information available. Often, though, they do not clearly explain the economic benefits of their actions. Thorough economic analyses can aid in the prioritization of management efforts. Additionally, as more citizens request increasing fiscal responsibility from government agencies, wildlife managers can turn to economics to provide information on the financial benefits and costs associated with their management activities.
Within the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC)—the research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife …

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Laboratory Findings In Acute Cytauxzoon Felis Infection In Cougars (Puma Concolor Couguar) In Florida, John W. Harvey, Mike R. Dunbar, Terry M. Norton, Michael J. Yabsley May 2007

Laboratory Findings In Acute Cytauxzoon Felis Infection In Cougars (Puma Concolor Couguar) In Florida, John W. Harvey, Mike R. Dunbar, Terry M. Norton, Michael J. Yabsley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Intraerythrocytic piroplasms, morphologically indistinguishable from Cytauxzoon felis, were identified in stained blood films from more than one third of free-ranging cougars (Puma concolor cougar) in southern Florida in a study that failed to demonstrate negative effects of piroplasm infection on measured hematologic parameters. However, a recent study with a nested 18s rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay identified only 9% of the free-ranging cougars in southern Florida as infected with C. felis but found 83% of these animals were infected with an unnamed small Babesia sp. In this study, hematology and clinical chemistry parameters were determined during …

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Usda/Aphis/Wildlife Services Research Needs Assessment 2006, Larry Clark, David Nelson, Kirk Gustad May 2007

Usda/Aphis/Wildlife Services Research Needs Assessment 2006, Larry Clark, David Nelson, Kirk Gustad

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Research Needs Assessment Report
Reassessment of WS Research Needs (NWRC Director memo)
WS Research Needs Assessment (WS Deputy Administrator memo to WS Program)
WS Research Needs Assessment (NWRC Director memo to WSNAC)
Current APHIS/WS Methods Development Research

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A Hierarchical Analysis Of Habitat Selection By Raccoons In Northern Indiana, James C. Beasley, Travis L. Devault, Monica I. Retamosa, Olin E. Rhodes Jr. May 2007

A Hierarchical Analysis Of Habitat Selection By Raccoons In Northern Indiana, James C. Beasley, Travis L. Devault, Monica I. Retamosa, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although numerous studies have examined habitat use by raccoons (Procyon lotor), information regarding seasonal habitat selection related to resource availability in agricultural landscapes is lacking for this species. Additionally, few studies using radiotelemetry have investigated habitat selection at multiple spatial scales or core-use areas by raccoons. We examined seasonal habitat selection of 55 (31 M, 24 F) adult raccoons at 3 hierarchical orders defined by the movement behavior of this species (second-order home range, second-order core-use area, and third-order home range) in northern Indiana, USA, from May 2003 to June 2005. Using compositional analysis, we assessed whether habitat …

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Stress Response Of Working African Elephants To Transportation And Safari Adventures, Joshua J. Millspaugh, Tarryne Burke, Gus Van Dyk, Rob Slotow, Brian E. Washburn, Rami J. Woods May 2007

Stress Response Of Working African Elephants To Transportation And Safari Adventures, Joshua J. Millspaugh, Tarryne Burke, Gus Van Dyk, Rob Slotow, Brian E. Washburn, Rami J. Woods

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are intensively managed in southern Africa and are routinely translocated between reserves. Domesticated elephants are used for elephant-back safaris and interactions with guests. Understanding how elephants respond to such activities is critical because of welfare issues associated with both humans and elephants. We investigated the stress response (i.e., fecal glucocorticoid metabolite secretion [FGM]) of working elephants in Letsatsing Game Reserve, South Africa, over 1 year to evaluate their response to transportation and ecotourism activities. We used free-ranging elephants in adjacent Pilanesburg National Park as controls. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites were greatest prior to and during …

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Comparative Patterns Of Predation By Cougars And Recolonizing Wolves In Montana’S Madison Range, Todd C. Atwood, Eric M. Gese, Kyran E. Kunkel May 2007

Comparative Patterns Of Predation By Cougars And Recolonizing Wolves In Montana’S Madison Range, Todd C. Atwood, Eric M. Gese, Kyran E. Kunkel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Numerous studies have documented how prey may use antipredator strategies to reduce the risk of predation from a single predator. However, when a recolonizing predator enters an already complex predator–prey system, specific antipredator behaviors may conflict and avoidance of one predator may enhance vulnerability to another. We studied the patterns of prey selection by recolonizing wolves (Canis lupus) and cougars (Puma concolor) in response to prey resource selection in the northern Madison Range, Montana, USA. Elk (Cervus elaphus) were the primary prey for wolves, and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were the primary …

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Mountain Beaver: A Primitive Fossorial Rodent, Wendy M. Arjo May 2007

Mountain Beaver: A Primitive Fossorial Rodent, Wendy M. Arjo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As the largest mammalian order, rodents are nearly cosmopolitan in distribution, can exploit a broad spectrum of foods, and can often reach high population densities. One sole representative of the most primitive family of rodents, Aplodontidae, does not share some of these common rodent characteristics. The aplodontoid rodents in the family Aplodontidae and Mylagsulidae radiated during the Miocene from the Allomyinae family (Carraway and Verts 1993). The extinct Mylagaulidae represents the earlier radiation of these rodents who exhibited great specialization (Carraway and Verts 1993). Unlike the other members of the rodent order, mountain beavers are not prolific breeders; nor are …

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Subterranean Rodents As Pests: The Case Of The Pocket Gopher, Gary W. Witmer, Richard M. Engeman May 2007

Subterranean Rodents As Pests: The Case Of The Pocket Gopher, Gary W. Witmer, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

With over 2000 species, the order Rodentia has more members than any other order of mammals (Nowak 1999). The distribution of rodents is nearly worldwide; their use of habitats is extensive and varied. Most rodent species are relatively small, secretive, prolific, and all have continuously growing incisors. Many rodent species have ecological, scientific, cultural, and/or economic importance.

A variety of economic and health problems result from rodent interactions with humans. These include damage to growing crops, trees, seeds, pastures; damage and contamination of stored foods; damage to structures and property; and disease transmission (Witmer et al. 1995a). Singleton et al. …

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Pathophysiology Of White-Tailed Deer Vaccinated With Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraceptive, Paul D. Curtis, Milo E. Richmond, Lowell A. Miller, Fred W. Quimby May 2007

Pathophysiology Of White-Tailed Deer Vaccinated With Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraceptive, Paul D. Curtis, Milo E. Richmond, Lowell A. Miller, Fred W. Quimby

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (n = 14 treated, n = 7 control) were examined postmortem to identify any possible pathophysiology resulting from PZP immunocontraception vaccination. Deer were treated twice in 1997; given a booster in 1998, with six being revaccinated in September 2000. Granulomas were found at injection sites of most deer, even 2 years post-treatment. Eosinophilic oophoritis occurred in 6 of 8 (75%) deer vaccinated in 1998, and 3 of 6 (50%) revaccinated in 2000. The 2000 revaccinates without oophoritis, had significantly fewer normal secondary follicles than control females (P = 0.03), and deer in the 1998 treatment group …

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Us Department Of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Brian E. Washburn, Thomas W. Seamans May 2007

Us Department Of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Brian E. Washburn, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Herbaceous vegetation comprises the main habitat type in cool-seasons grasslands and can be managed by various methods. We compared changes in plant communities and bird and mammal use of grasslands that were not managed, managed by mechanical methods (mowing), or managed by chemical methods (plant growth regulator). This 1-year study was conducted from May through October 2003 in Erie County, Ohio. Twelve circular 1.5 ha plots were established: 4 were not managed, 4 were mowed to maintain vegetation height between 9–15 cm, and 4 were sprayed with a plant growth regulator and mowed when vegetation exceeded 15 cm. We monitored …

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Nicarbazin Ovocontrol G Bait Reduces Hatchability Of Eggs Laid By Resident Canada Geese In Oregon, Kimberly Bynum, John D. Eisemann, Gary C. Weaver, Christi A. Yoder, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller Apr 2007

Nicarbazin Ovocontrol G Bait Reduces Hatchability Of Eggs Laid By Resident Canada Geese In Oregon, Kimberly Bynum, John D. Eisemann, Gary C. Weaver, Christi A. Yoder, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Expanding populations of resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are resulting in increased conflicts with humans. Nonlethal and humane means are needed for managing Canada goose flocks at a variety of sites, including golf courses, industrial parks, government sites, and city parks. Decreased egg production and hatching are side effects of nicarbazin, a veterinary drug used to treat coccidiosis in chickens. Capitalizing on these effects, we developed nicarbazin as a reproductive inhibitor for Canada geese and conducted a field efficacy study. We recruited study sites in 2002 and 2003. Following laboratory testing, we conducted a field efficacy trial of …

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