Digital Commons Network^™

Efficacy Of Repellent-Treated Structural Barriers For Richardson’S Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus Richardsonii (Sabine)) And House Mice (Mus Musculus L.), Shelagh T. Deliberto, Hailey E. Mclean, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The worldwide presence of vertebrate pests such as rodents has created a need for non-lethal control methods that can be applied to integrated pest management plans. Chemical repellents are often a useful wildlife management tool as they can be directly applied to a commodity or structure to prevent infringement and damage. We assessed the efficacy of an anthraquinone (AQ)-based repellent in a structural barrier model against Richardson’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii (Sabine)) (RGS) and house mice (Mus musculus L.). The AQbased repellent was applied to pieces of burlap which were secured over each end of a small section …

Effects Of Immunization Against Bone Morphogenetic Protein-15 And Growth Differentiation Factor-9 On Ovarian Function In Mares, Kelli A. Davis, Kristin M. Klohonatz, Darcy S.O. Mora, Hannah M. Twenter, Peter E. Graham, Pablo Pinedo, Douglas C. Eckery, Jason E. Bruemmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Currently there is no contraceptive vaccine that can cause permanent sterility in mares. This study investigates the effect of vaccination against oocyte-specific growth factors, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 (BMP-15) and Growth Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF-9), on ovarian function of mares. It was hypothesized that immunization against these growth factors would prevent ovulation and/or accelerate depletion of the oocyte reserve. For this study, 30 mares were randomly assigned to three groups (n=10/group) and vaccinated with BMP-15 or GDF-9 peptides conjugated to KLH and adjuvant, or a control of phosphate buffered saline and adjuvant. Horses received vaccinations at weeks 0, …

The Elusive Search For An Effective Repellent Against Voles: An Assessment Of Anthraquinone For Citrus Crops, Roger A. Baldwin, Ryan Meinerz, Gary W. Witmer, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Vole (Cricetidae) girdling of tree trunks is a common form of damage experienced by tree and vine growers throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. Management programs that effectively incorporate chemical repellents and vegetation management would be of substantial assistance to growers that experience such damage. Anthraquinone has proven effective as a repellent against voles in lab trials, yet controlled field tests of combined anthraquinone and vegetation management programs are lacking. Therefore, we established a mesocosm-based study in central California, USA, to test the efficacy of anthraquinone and vegetation management for reducing girdling damage caused by California voles Microtus californicus to …

Evidence Of Two Cocirculating Canine Distemper Virus Strains In Mesocarnivores From Northern Colorado, Usa, Darren J. Wostenberg, Nikki Walker, Karen A. Fox, Terry R. Spraker, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Amy Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious pathogen that principally infects wildlife and domestic carnivores. Peridomestic species such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) experience outbreaks with high mortality. Clinical signs of infection include anorexia, fever, respiratory infection, and neurologic complications. Although not zoonotic, CDV poses a high risk to unvaccinated domestic animals and the conservation of endangered species. During 2013–16, we opportunistically collected wild and domestic carnivore specimens through a rabies surveillance program in northern Colorado, US. Brainstem and cerebellar tissue samples were independently tested for rabies and CDV by fluorescent antibody test. We tested a total of …

Cottontail Rabbits Shed Clade 2.3.4.4 H5 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A Viruses, J. Jeffrey Root, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Nicole L. Marlenee, Richard A. Bowen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

During 2014-2015, clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza A viruses (IAV) were first detected in North America and subsequently caused one of the largest agricultural emergencies in U.S. history. Recent evidence has suggested that cottontail rabbits can shed multiple IAV subtypes. We experimentally infected cottontail rabbits with three HP H5Nx IAVs. All rabbits tested shed virus on at least one day by at least one route. Cottontail rabbits appear to be an exception to the limited capacity for replication that has been previously reported for certain other mammalian species inoculated with clade 2.3.4.4 HP H5Nx avian influenza A …

Clinostomum Poteae N. Sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae), In The Trachea Of A Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax Auritus Lesson, 1831 And Molecular Data Linking The Life-Cycle Stages Of Clinostomum Album Rosser, Alberson, Woodyard, Cunningham, Pote & Griffin, 2017 In Mississippi, Usa, Thomas G. Rosser, Wes A. Baumgartner, Neely R. Alberson, Travis W. Noto, Ethan T. Woodyard, D. Tommy King, David J. Wise, Matt J. Griffin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Clinostomum spp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) are a group of trematodes commonly found in the buccal cavity and oesophagus of a variety of piscivorous birds. The metacercariae, colloquially known as ‘‘yellow grubs,’’ have been reported from a diverse group of freshwater fishes worldwide. In the catfish farming region of the southeastern USA, piscivorous birds present a continuous challenge for aquaculturists in the form of fish depredation and the introduction of trematodes into these static, earthen pond systems. Clinostomum spp. are commonly encountered in farmraised catfish. While generally considered pests of minimal importance, heavy infections can result in unmarketable fillets. Of the piscivorous …

Civil Airports From A Landscape Perspective: A Multi-Scale Approach With Implications For Reducing Bird Strikes, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Jason D. Kougher, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Collisions between birds and aircraft are a global problem that jeopardizes human safety and causes economic losses. Although landscape features have been suggested as one of a number of factors contributing to bird strikes, no evidence exists to support this suggestion. We investigated the effects of landscape structure on the adverse effect (AE) bird strike rate at 98 civil airports in the United States. The number of reported AE bird strikes was standardized by air carrier movements between 2009 and 2015. Land use structure and composition were quantified within 3, 8, and 13 km radii extents from airports. We predicted …

Variation In Inbreeding Rates Across The Range Of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix Occidentalis Caurina): Insights From Over 30 Years Of Monitoring Data, Mark P. Miller, Susan M. Haig, Eric D. Forsman, Robert G. Anthony, Lowell Diller, Katie M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Tracy L. Fleming, Scott Gremel, Damon B. Lesmeister, Mark Higley, Dale R. Herter, Stan G. Sovern

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Inbreeding has been difficult to quantify in wild populations because of incomplete parentage information. We applied and extended a recently developed framework for addressing this problem to infer inbreeding rates in Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) across the Pacific Northwest, USA. Using pedigrees from 14,187 Northern Spotted Owls, we inferred inbreeding rates for 14 types of matings among relatives that produce pedigree inbreeding coefficients of F=0.25 or F=0.125. Inbreeding was most common in the Washington Cascades, where an estimated 15% of individuals are inbred. Inbreeding was lowest in western Oregon (3.5%) and northern California (2.7%), …

Experimental And Modeled Thermoregulatory Costs Of Repeated Sublethal Oil Exposure In The Double-Crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Auritus, Paul D. Mathewson, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Warren P. Porter, Steven J. Bursian, Karen M. Dean, Kate Healy, Katherine Horak, Jane E. Link, K. E. Harr, Brain S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To fully understand the impact of oil exposure, it is important to understand sublethal effects like how increased thermoregulatory costs may affect survival and reproduction. However, it is difficult and time-consuming to measure these effects in wild animals. We present a novel use of a bioenergetics model, Niche Mapper™, to estimate thermoregulatory impacts of oiling, using data from captive Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) experimentally exposed to oil. Oiled cormorants had significant increases in surface body temperatures following exposure. Niche Mapper accurately predicted surface temperatures and metabolic rates for unoiled and oiled cormorants and predicted 13–18% increased daily energetic …

A Molecular Analysis To Assess Codling Moth Cydia Pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Predation By Orchard Birds, Anna M. Mangan, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Matthew W. Hopken, Scott J. Werner, Liba Pejchar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The codling moth Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a major economic pest in organic apple orchards. Observational methods, prey removal experiments and correlative experiments with exclosures or nest boxes have demonstrated that birds contribute to the removal of this insect pest. However, the majority of research conducted in the last several decades has taken place outside of the United States and methods for studying biological pest control have advanced dramatically and now include molecular techniques. We conducted a proof-of-concept study to test a DNA-based approach to detect C. pomonella prey in the diets of birds occupying organic apple orchards. …

Post‑Fledging Movement And Spatial Ecology Of The Endangered Cape Vulture (Gyps Coprotheres), Francis R. Martens, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Colleen T. Downs, Jan A. Venter

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The post-fledging dependence period (PFDP) is one of the most critical stages in the life history of some avian species. Birds are particularly sensitive to mortality during this stage as they must learn essential skills, such as efficient locomotion, proficient food location and predator avoidance. Knowledge of the PFDP would provide valuable information for conservation management of endangered species, many of which experience high juvenile fatality rates. Post-fledging movements of five endangered Cape Vultures were recorded using Global Positioning System/Global System for Mobile communication telemetry in South Africa. Home range sizes, distances travelled from the nest and habitat use were …

Assessing Ecological And Social Outcomes Of A Bear-Proofing Experiment, Heather Johnson, David L. Lewis, Stacy A. Lischka, Stewart W. Breck

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human-black bear conflicts within urban environments have been increasing throughout North America, becoming a high priority management issue. The main factor influencing these conflicts is black bears foraging on anthropogenic foods within areas of human development, primarily on residential garbage. Wildlife professionals have advocated for increased bear-proofing measures to decrease the accessibility of garbage to bears, but little research has been conducted to empirically test the effectiveness of this approach for reducing conflicts. Between 2011 and 2016, we conducted a before-after-control-impact experiment in Durango, Colorado where we distributed 1,110 bear-resistant trash containers, enhanced education, and increased enforcement to residents in …

Assessment Of Zinc Phosphide Bait Shyness And Tools For Reducing Flavor Aversions, Katherine Horak, N. M. Hofmann, B. A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster Wagner) cause extensive damage in agricultural, suburban, and urban environments. Control of these animals has historically relied on the use of anticoagulant rodenticides and zinc phosphide. However, shyness to zinc phosphide baits has reduced its efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors involved in zinc phosphide bait shyness through preference testing. Baits were made using a rolled oat base and contained various combinations of the components of zinc phosphide baits such as lecithin, magnesium carbonate and known flavor modulators sodium cyclamate and zinc sulfate. Encapsulation of zinc phosphide was also tested …

Efficacy Of Ontario Rabies Vaccine Baits (Onrab) Against Rabies Infection In Raccoons, Amy Gilbert, Shylo Johnson, Nikki Walker, Chad Wickham, Alex Beath, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the US, rabies lyssavirus (RABV) only circulates in wildlife species and the most significant reservoir from a public and animal health perspective is the raccoon (Procyon lotor). Management of wildlife rabies relies principally on oral rabies vaccination (ORV) strategies using vaccine-laden bait delivery to freeranging target hosts, in order to reduce the susceptible population to prevent the spread of and eliminate RABV circulation. Our objective was to evaluate efficacy of the Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (ONRAB) against a lethal RABV challenge in captive raccoons. Sham or live vaccine baits were offered to 50 raccoons and efficacy was …

Prevalence And Amount Of Feral Swine Damage To Three Row Crops At Planting, Richard M. Engeman, Jason Terry, Leif R. Stephens, Kenneth S. Gruver

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine damage to corn, cotton and peanut crops at planting was assessed for 46 fields in Alabama. Damage was assessed on the basis of prevalence among fields and the quantity lost within each damaged field. Feral swine control by professionals dedicated to that task appeared to greatly reduce the prevalence of damage among fields, as the 14 fields which were within the areas where professional swine control operations took place were not damaged. For the 32 fields not receiving such protection, seven (21.9%) received some level of damage. Of those, 40% (four of 10) peanut fields, 15.4% (two of …

Bad Dog: Feral And Free-Roaming Dogs As Agents Of Conflict, Julie K. Young, D. L. Bergman, M. Ono

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Domestic dogs are ubiquitous where humans reside. While typically considered a companion animal, their ability to thrive as feral and free-roaming animals often results in conflict with wildlife and is an impediment to conservation goals (Gompper, 2013). Home, Bhatnagar & Vanak (2018) provides evidence for this in India, illustrating the role of feral and free-roaming dogs as an invasive species with negative impacts on endemic wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. The authors found that the majority of wildlife attacks by dogs happen when dogs are not with people. It seems that this is the true canine conundrum: humans value …

An Assessment Of The Us Endangered Species Act Recovery Plans: Using Physiology To Support Conservation, Jessica L. Mahoney, Page E. Klug, Wendy L. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Applying physiology to help solve conservation problems has become increasingly prominent. It is unclear, however, if the increased integration into the scientific community has translated into the application of physiological tools in conservation planning. We completed a review of the use of animal physiology in the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery plans released between 2005 and 2016. Over those 11 years, 135 of the 146 recovery plans mentioned physiology, with 56% including it as background information on the natural history of the species and not as part of …

Modeling The Distributions Of Tegu Lizards In Native And Potential Invasive Ranges, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Mark A. Hayes, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Bryan G. Falk, Michelle A. M. Collier, Lea R. Bonewell, Page E. Klug, Sergio Naretto, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive reptilian predators can have substantial impacts on native species and ecosystems. Tegu lizards are widely distributed in South America east of the Andes, and are popular in the international live animal trade. Two species are established in Florida (U.S.A.) - Salvator merianae (Argentine black and white tegu) and Tupinambis teguixin sensu lato (gold tegu) – and a third has been recorded there—S. rufescens (red tegu). We built species distribution models (SDMs) using 5 approaches (logistic regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, boosted regression trees, random forest, and maximum entropy) based on data from the native ranges. We then projected …

Accounting For Location Uncertainty In Azimuthal Telemetry Data Improves Ecological Inference, Brian D. Gerber, Mevin B. Hooten, Christopher P. Peck, Mindy B. Rice, James H. Gammonley, Anthony D. Apa, Amy J. Davis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Characterizing animal space use is critical for understanding ecological relationships. Animal telemetry technology has revolutionized the fields of ecology and conservation biology by providing high quality spatial data on animal movement. Radio-telemetry with very high frequency (VHF) radio signals continues to be a useful technology because of its low cost, miniaturization, and low battery requirements. Despite a number of statistical developments synthetically integrating animal location estimation and uncertainty with spatial process models using satellite telemetry data, we are unaware of similar developments for azimuthal telemetry data. As such, there are few statistical options to handle these unique data and …

Reimmunization Increases Contraceptive Effectiveness Of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Vaccine (Gonacon-Equine) In Freeranging Horses (Equus Caballus): Limitations And Side Effects, Dan L. Baker, Jenny G. Powers, Jason I. Ransom, Blake E. Mccann, Michael W. Oehler, Jason E. Bruemmer, Nathan L. Galloway, Douglas C. Eckery, Terry M. Nett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife and humans are increasingly competing for resources worldwide, and a diverse, innovative, and effective set of management tools is needed. Controlling abundance of wildlife species that are simultaneously protected, abundant, competitive for resources, and in conflict with some stakeholders but beloved by others, is a daunting challenge. Free-ranging horses (Equus caballus) present such a conundrum and managers struggle for effective tools for regulating their abundance. Controlling reproduction of female horses presents a potential alternative. During 2009±2017, we determined the long-term effectiveness of GnRH vaccine (GonaCon-Equine) both as a single immunization and subsequent reimmunization on reproduction and side …

Evolutionary Pathway For The 2017 Emergence Of A Novel Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H7n9) Virus Among Domestic Poultry In Tennessee, United States, Lei Li, Thomas J. Deliberto, Mary L. Killian, Mia K. Torchetti, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In March 2017, a novel highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N9) virus was detected at two commercial broiler breeder facilities in Tennessee, United States. In this study, a wild bird low pathogenic avian influenza A virus, A/blue-winged teal/Wyoming/AH0099021/2016(H7N9), was shown to be the probable precursor of the novel H7N9 virus; this low pathogenic virus has eight possible progenitor genes sharing> 99% sequence identity with the novel H7N9 virus. Phylogeographic analyses showed that viral gene constellations that formed and circulated among dabbling ducks contributed to the emergence of the novel H7N9 virus. This is in contrast to the virus that caused the …

Sharing An Environment With Sick Conspecifics Alters Odors Of Healthy Animals, Stephanie S. Gervasi, Maryanne Opiekun, Talia Martin, Gary K. Beauchamp, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Body odors change with health status and the odors of sick animals can induce avoidance behaviors in healthy conspecifics. Exposure to sickness odors might also alter the physiology of healthy conspecifics and modify the odors they produce. We hypothesized that exposure to odors of sick (but non-infectious) animals would alter the odors of healthy cagemates. To induce sickness, we injected mice with a bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide. We used behavioral odor discrimination assays and analytical chemistry techniques followed by predictive classification modeling to ask about differences in volatile odorants produced by two types of healthy mice: those cohoused with healthy conspecifics …

Nutritional Depletion Of Total Mixed Rations By Red-Winged Blackbirds And Projected Impacts On Dairy Cow Performance, James C. Carlson, Randal S. Stahl, John J. Wagner, Terry E. Engle, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Dustin A. Reid, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This Research Communication describes an investigation of the nutritional depletion of total mixed rations (TMR) by pest birds. We hypothesized that species-specific bird depredation of TMR can alter the nutritional composition of the ration and that these changes can negatively impact the performance of dairy cows. Blackbirds selected the high energy fraction of the TMR (i.e., flaked corn) and reduced starch, crude fat and total digestible nutrients during controlled feeding experiments. For Holsteins producing 37·1 kg of milk/d, dairy production modeling illustrated that total required net energy intake (NEI) was 35·8 Mcal/d. For the reference TMR unexposed to blackbirds and …

Falcons Using Orchard Nest Boxes Reduce Fruit-Eating Bird Abundances And Provide Economic Benefits For A Fruit-Growing Region, Megan E. Shave, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Julie L. Elser, Catherine A. Lindell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Suppression of pest species via a native predator is a regulating ecosystem service that has the potential to limit crop damage and produce economic benefits. American kestrels Falco sparverius are widespread, highly mobile, generalist predators that hunt in human-dominated habitats and have the potential to provide previously undocumented ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes.

2. We hypothesized that kestrel activity associated with nest boxes and artificial perches acts to increase perceived predation risk that, in combination with direct predation, can reduce fruit-eating bird abundances in orchards. We used counts and observations of fruit-eating birds from fixed-width transect surveys to investigate …

Detection Of Viruses From Bioaerosols Using Anion Exchange Resin, Joshua W. Schaeffer, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Margaret Davidson, Sheryl L. Magzamen, Alma Perez-Mendez, Stephen J. Reynolds, Lawrence D. Goodridge, John Volckens, Alan B. Franklin, Susan A. Shriner, Bledar Bisha

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This protocol demonstrates a customized bioaerosol sampling method for viruses. In this system, anion exchange resin is coupled with liquid impingement-based air sampling devices for efficacious concentration of negatively-charged viruses from bioaerosols. Thus, the resin serves as an additional concentration step in the bioaerosol sampling workflow. Nucleic acid extraction of the viral particles is then performed directly from the anion exchange resin, with the resulting sample suitable for molecular analyses. Further, this protocol describes a custom-built bioaerosol chamber capable of generating virus-laden bioaerosols under a variety of environmental conditions and allowing for continuous monitoring of environmental variables such as temperature, …

Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Biomarker And Rabies Antibody Response To Varying Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait Densities In Northwestern Pennsylvania, Kerri Pedersen, Brandon S. Schmit, Thomas J. Deliberto, Jason R. Suckow, Amy J. Davis, Dennis Slate, Richard B. Chipman, Robert L. Hale, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Distribution of oral rabies vaccine baits has been used as a strategy for managing rabies in the United States since the 1990s. Since that time, efforts have been made to improve baiting strategies with a focus on bait density to maximize both efficiency and cost effectiveness. An optimal rabies management strategy includes a vaccine bait preferred by the target species that is distributed at the minimal density needed to achieve population immunity to prevent rabies spread. The purpose of our pilot study was to examine the effect of 75, 150, and 300 baits/km2 vaccine bait densities on rabies virus neutralizing …

Evaluation Of Movement Behaviors To Inform Toxic Baiting Strategies For Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa), Michael Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Joseph M. Halseth, Eric H. Vannatta, Heather N. Sanders, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Invasive wild pigs damage agriculture, property, and natural ecosystems. To curtail damage, an effective and humane toxic bait containing microencapsulated sodium nitrite is under development. Strategies for delivering the toxic bait are needed to establish adequate spacing of bait sites, and for simultaneously accustoming wild pigs to the novel bait and wild pig-specific bait stations designed to exclude non-target species.

RESULTS: We monitored movements of 32 Global Positioning System (GPS)-collared wild pigs relative to 41 bait sites containing placebo bait. Among the bait sites,we compared three experimental baiting strategies (and a control) to evaluate which strategy led to the …

Feral Swine Sus Scrofa: A New Threat To The Remaining Breeding Wetlands Of The Vulnerable Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander Ambystoma Bishopi, Kelly C. Jones, Thomas A. Gorman, Brandon K. Rincon, John Allen, Carola A. Haas, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine Sus scrofa have been implicated as a major threat to sensitive habitats and ecosystems as well as threatened wildlife. Nevertheless, direct and indirect impacts on threatened species (especially small, fossorial species) are not well documented. The decline of the U.S. federally endangered reticulated flatwoods salamander Ambystoma bishopi, categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, has been rapid and there are few remaining breeding locations for this species. The flatwoods salamander depends on complex herbaceous vegetation in all life stages, including eggs, larvae and adults. Historically sets of hog tracks have been observed only occasionally in the …

Assessing Bird Avoidance Of High-Contrast Lights Using A Choice Test Approach: Implications For Reducing Human-Induced Avian Mortality, Benjamin Goller, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault, Patrice E. Baumhardt, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Avian collisions with man-made objects and vehicles (e.g., buildings, cars, airplanes, power lines) have increased recently. Lights have been proposed to alert birds and minimize the chances of collisions, but it is challenging to choose lights that are tuned to the avian eye and can also lead to avoidance given the differences between human and avian vision. We propose a choice test to address this problem by first identifying wavelengths of light that would over-stimulate the retina using species-specific perceptual models and by then assessing the avoidance/attraction responses of brown-headed cowbirds to these lights during daytime using a behavioral …

Field Trials Of Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait In The Northeastern Usa, 2012–14, Amy Gilbert, Shylo R. Johnson, Kathleen M. Nelson, Richard B. Chipman, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Timothy P. Algeo, Charles E. Rupprecht, Dennis Slate

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the US, rabies virus (RV) has been enzootic in raccoons (Procyon lotor) since the late 1940s. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) was implemented in the 1990s to halt the spread of raccoon RV and continues to be used as a wildlife management tool. Our objective was to evaluate a recombinant human adenovirus–rabies virus glycoprotein vaccine in northern New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire over a 3-yr period, using changes in RV neutralizing antibody (RVNA) seroprevalence in raccoon populations as an immunologic index of ORV impact. Vaccine baits were distributed at 75 baits/km² and 750-m flight-line spacing in …