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Leptodeira Septentrionalis (Northern Cat-Eyed Snake), Richard M. Engeman, Carrie Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Beginning at 1838 h on 30 May 2014 at the Caves Branch Jungle Lodge in Belize, we observed an encounter between a Leptodeira septentrionalis and an Incilius valliceps that appeared to have initiated as a predation attempt by the toad on the snake. The toad (SVL ca. 9 cm) had the dorsal portion of the snake’s head in its mouth (Fig. 1); however, the toad was motionless and the snake (with its head in the toad’s mouth) was retracting backwards up a stone wall into a crevice, pulling the toad with it. The snake’s lower jaw was beneath the lower …

Anthraquinone-Based Repellent For Horned Larks, Great-Tailed Grackles, American Crows And The Protection Of California's Specialty Crops, Scott J. Werner, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Anna M. Mangan, Susan E. Pettit, Jeremy W. Ellis, James C. Carlson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Specialty crops include fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and horticultural and nursery crops. California accounts for 28% of the specialty crop acreage in the United States of America, including 72% of U.S. lettuce production (Lactuca sativa L.), 27% of U.S. melon production and 100% of U.S. almond production (Prunus dulcis L.). We conducted controlled feeding experiments to evaluate an anthraquinonebased repellent for horned larks (Eremophila alpestris L.), great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus Gmelin) and American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm) associated with the depredation of California's lettuce, melon and almond crops, respectively.We observed 38-100% feeding …

Threats To Humans And Beasts, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The transmission of pathogens from wildlife to livestock and humans is an increasing concern across the globe. Dr Kurt VerCauteren and colleagues are performing multifaceted research into wildlife diseases and looking for new and practical means of reducing their occurrence and burden.

Evaluation Of Resident Canada Goose Movements To Reduce The Risk Of Goose- Aircraft Collisions At Suburban Airports, M. Elizabeth Rutledge, Christopher E. Moorman, Brian E. Washburn, Christopher S. Deperno

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resident (non-migratory) Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations in suburban

environments pose risks to human health and safety. Specifically, the relatively large size and gregarious

behavior of geese combined with an overlap in aircraft flight space pose substantial risk of property damage and human fatalities from goose-aircraft collisions. We estimated home range and core use areas of resident Canada geese and evaluated goose movements to better define the risk of goose-aircraft collisions around Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.We placed satellite transmitters on 16 of 763 neck- and leg-banded geese to identify and track individuals over an 18-month …

Barriers To Seed And Seedling Survival Of Once-Common Hawaiian Palms: The Role Of Invasive Rats And Ungulates, Aaron B. Shiels, Donald R. Drake

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mammalian herbivores can limit plant recruitment and affect forest composition. Loulu palms (Pritchardia spp.) once dominated many lowland ecosystems in Hawai‘i, and non-native rats (Rattus spp.), ungulates (e.g. pigs Sus scrofa, goats Capra hircus) and humans have been proposed asmajor causes of their decline. In lowland wet forest, we experimentally determined the vulnerability of seeds and seedlings of two species of Pritchardia, P. maideniana and P. hillebrandii, by measuring their removal by introduced vertebrates; we also used motion-sensing cameras to identify the animals responsible for Pritchardia removal. We assessed potential seed dispersal of P. maideniana by spool-andline tracking, and conducted …

Dynamics Of Virus Shedding And Antibody Responses In Influenza A Virus-Infected Feral Swine, Hailiang Sun, Fred L. Cunningham, Jillian Harris, Yifei Xu, Li-Ping Long, Katie Hanson-Dorr, John A. Baroch, Paul Fioranelli, Mark W. Lutman, Tao Li, Kerri Pedersen, Brandon S. Schmit, Jim Cooley, Xiaoxu Lin, Richard G. Jarman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Given their free-ranging habits, feral swine could serve as reservoirs or spatially dynamic ‘mixing vessels’ for influenza A virus (IAV). To better understand virus shedding patterns and antibody response dynamics in the context of IAV surveillance amongst feral swine, we used IAV of feral swine origin to perform infection experiments. The virus was highly infectious and transmissible in feral swine, and virus shedding patterns and antibody response dynamics were similar to those in domestic swine. In the virus-inoculated and sentinel groups, virus shedding lasteddays, respectively. Antibody titres in inoculated swine peaked at 1 : 840 on day 11 post-inoculation (p.i.), …

Exposure To Rabies In Small Indian Mongooses (Herpestes Auropunctatus) From Two Regions In Puerto Rico, Are R. Berentsen, Shylo R. Johnson, Amy T. Gilbert, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) was introduced to several Caribbean Islands to control rat (Rattus spp.) damage to sugarcane plantations. Mongooses failed at suppressing rat populations and are now considered pests throughout most of their introduced range. Importantly, mongooses are rabies reservoirs on several Caribbean Islands. In Puerto Rico, mongooses have been implicated in up to 70%of reported animal rabies cases. There is no rabies vaccination program for wildlife in Puerto Rico, and data on rabies in mongooses are limited. We conducted a serosurvey of mongooses in two different ecologic environments in Puerto Rico: El Yunque National Forest and …

Rabies Surveillance Among Bats In Tennessee, Usa, 1996–2010, Amy T. Gilbert, Gary F. Mccracken, Lorinda L. Sheeler, Lisa I. Muller, Dorcas O'Rourke, William J. Kelch, John C. New Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies virus (RABV) infects multiple bat species in the Americas, and enzootic foci perpetuate in bats principally via intraspecific transmission. In recent years, bats have been implicated in over 90% of human rabies cases in the US. In Tennessee, two human cases of rabies have occurred since 1960: one case in 1994 associated with a tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) RABV variant and another in 2002 associated with the tricolored/silver-haired bat (P. subflavus/ Lasionycteris noctivagans) RABV variant. From 1996 to 2010, 2,039 bats were submitted for rabies testing in Tennessee. Among 1,943 bats in satisfactory condition for testing and with a …

Mechanisms Of Antimicrobial Resistant Salmonella Enterica Transmission Associated With Starling–Livestock Interactions, James C. Carlson, Doreene R. Hyatt, Jeremy W. Ellis, David R. Pipkin, Anna M. Mangan, Michael Russell, Denise S. Bolte, Richard M. Engeman, Thomas J. Deliberto, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird–livestock interactions have been implicated as potential sources for bacteria within concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO). European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in particular are known to contaminate cattle feed and water with Salmonella enterica through their fecal waste.We propose that fecal waste is not the only mechanisms through which starlings introduce S. enterica to CAFO. The goal of this study was to assess if starlings can mechanically move S. enterica. We define mechanical movement as the transportation of media containing S. enterica, on the exterior of starlings within CAFO.We collected 100 starlings and obtained external wash and gastrointestinal tract (GI) samples. …

Network Analysis Of Host–Virus Communities In Bats And Rodents Reveals Determinants Of Cross-Species Transmission, Angela D. Luis, Thomas J. O'Shea, David T.S. Hayman, James L.N. Wood, Andrew A. Cunningham, Amy T. Gilbert, James N. Mills, Colleen T. Webb

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bats are natural reservoirs of several important emerging viruses. Cross-species transmission appears to be quite common among bats, which may contribute to their unique reservoir potential. Therefore, understanding the importance of bats as reservoirs requires examining them in a community context rather than concentrating on individual species. Here, we use a network approach to identify ecological and biological correlates of cross-species virus transmission in bats and rodents, another important host group. We show that given our current knowledge the bat viral sharing network is more connected than the rodent network, suggesting viruses may pass more easily between bat species. We …

Modeling And Mapping The Probability Of Occurrence Of Invasive Wild Pigs Across The Contiguous United States, Meredith L. Mcclure, Christopher L. Burdett, Matthew L. Farnsworth, Mark W. Lutman, David M. Theobald, Philip D. Riggs, Daniel A. Grear, Ryan S. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa), also known as wild swine, feral pigs, or feral hogs, are one of the most widespread and successful invasive species around the world. Wild pigs have been linked to extensive and costly agricultural damage and present a serious threat to plant and animal communities due to their rooting behavior and omnivorous diet. We modeled the current distribution of wild pigs in the United States to better understand the physiological and ecological factors that may determine their invasive potential and to guide future study and eradication efforts. Using national-scale wild pig occurrence data reported between 1982 and …

Efficacy Of Potential Chemical Control Compounds For Removing Invasive American Bullfrogs (Rana Catesbeiana), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Rachael S. Moulton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive American bullfrogs [Rana catesbeiana (Lithobates catesbeianus)] are outcompeting and predating on native biota and contributing to reductions in biodiversity worldwide. Current methods for controlling American bullfrogs are incapable of stopping their expansion, thus more cost-effective and broadly applicable methods are needed. Although chemical control compounds have been identified as effective for removing other invasive amphibians, none have been tested for American bullfrogs. Our objective was to expand on previous research and test the efficacy of 10 potential chemical control compounds for removing invasive American bullfrogs. After a dermal spray-application of 4 ml, we found 3 compounds (i.e., chloroxylenol, rotenone …

Novel Eurasian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A H5 Viruses In Wild Birds, Washington, Usa, 2014, Hon S. Ip, Mia Kim Torchetti, Rocio Crespo, Paul Kohrs, Paul Debruyn, Kristin G. Mansfield, Timothy Baszler, Lyndon Badcoe, Barbara Bodenstein, Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Mary Lea Killian, Janice C. Pedersen, Nichole Hines, Thomas Gidlewski, Thomas J. Deliberto, Jonathan M. Sleeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The novel Eurasian lineage clade 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N8) virus (http://www.who.int/influenza/gisrs_laboratory/h5_nomenclature_clade2344/en/) spread rapidly and globally during 2014, substantially affecting poultry populations. The first outbreaks were reported during January 2014 in chickens and domestic ducks in South Korea and subsequently in China and Japan (1–4), reaching Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom by November 2014 and Italy in early December 2014 (5). Also in November 2014, a novel HPAI H5N2 virus was reported in outbreaks on chicken and turkey farms in Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada (5). This H5N2 influenza virus is a reassortant that contains the …

Human–Carnivore Interactions: Lessons Learned From Communities In The American West, Julie K. Young, Zhao Ma, Ann Laudati, Joel Berger

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Types, causes, and intensity of human–carnivore interactions are related to historical context, management policy, and human perception. We used four rural communities in the American West with varying histories and management policies to assess the complexities of human–carnivore interactions and to determine factors influencing individual willingness to coexist with carnivores. By analyzing focus group and interview data from 49 community members, we found that human perceptions towards carnivores and their management were influenced by self-perceived knowledge about carnivores, ability to be heard and have a voice in management decisions, and economic concerns rather than ecological factors. Willingness to coexist with …

Cascading Effects Of Canopy Opening And Debris Deposition From A Large-Scale Hurricane Experiment In A Tropical Rain Forest, Aaron B. Shiels, Grizelle Gonzalez, D. Jean Lodge, Michael R. Willig, Jess K. Zimmerman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Intense hurricanes disturb many tropical forests, but the key mechanisms driving post-hurricane forest changes are not fully understood. In Puerto Rico, we used a replicated factorial experiment to determine the mechanisms of forest change associated with canopy openness and organic matter (debris) addition. Cascading effects from canopy openness accounted for most of the shifts in the forest biota and biotic processes, which included increased plant recruitment and richness, as well as the decreased abundance and diversity of several animal groups. Canopy opening decreased litterfall and litter moisture, thereby inhibiting lignin-degrading fungi, which slowed decomposition. Debris addition temporarily increased tree basal …

Evaluation Of Rhodamine B As A Biomarker For Assessing Bait Acceptance In Wild Pigs, James Beasley, Sarah C. Webster, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Fred L. Cunningham

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Worldwide, there is growing interest in the use of pharmaceutical baits to control populations of wild pigs (Sus scrofa). In this study we evaluated the utility of Rhodamine B (RB), a chemical marker commonly used in wildlife research and management, as a potential biomarker for quantifying bait uptake in wild pigs. Thirty wild pigs were live-trapped, transported to a captive facility on the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site located in South Carolina, USA, during autumn 2013, and administered RB orally at a dosage of 30mg/kg. Eight vibrissae and guard hairs were collected pre- and post-RB exposure (7 …

Evaluation Of 9,10 Anthraquinone Application To Pre-Seed Set Sunflowers For Repelling Blackbirds, Megan D. Niner, George M. Linz, Mark E. Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Most nonlethal methods available for reducing blackbird (Icteridae) damage to sunflowers rely on fright responses (e.g., propane cannons, distress calls, pyrotechnics, raptor silhouettes) that birds quickly learn to ignore. Chemicals that cause taste or feeding aversions have potential to overcome the spatial and behavioral limitations of frightening methods. Anthraquinone (AQ) is an effective feeding repellent as a seed treatment to deter birds from eating freshly planted grains. In the United States, foliar application of AQ is not permitted on food crops except on small experimental plots. In August 2013, we applied 37.4 L/ha of an aqueous mix consisting of 15.1 …

Multi-Trophic Level Feeding Interactions Among Two Native And Two Non-Native Species: Implications For The Endangered Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma Bishopi), Kelly C. Jones, Brandon K. Rincon, Thomas A. Gorman, Carola A. Haas, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Eglin Air Force Base (Eglin) in Florida is one of few remaining public lands where the Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) occurs, and it represents the only remaining location within the entire range of this endangered species to have two populations that both occur in wetland complexes with >2 occupied wetlands (Gorman et al., 2009). The decline of the species has been rapid and few remaining breeding locations for this species remain. It was listed as federally endangered in 2009 (USFWS, 2009). Flatwoods salamanders depend on complex herbaceous vegetation for all aspects of their life history and while …

Serologic Survey Of Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) In The Greater Yellowstone Area For Brucellosis, Tularemia, And Snowshoe Hare Virus, Jack Rhyan, Dan Tyers, Jeremy Zimmer, Kristen Lewandowski, Steve Hennager, John Young, Ryan Pappert, Amanda Panella, Olga Kosoy

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined sera from snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) livetrapped in the northern Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA), US, for antibodies to Brucella abortus, Francisella tularensis, and snowshoe hare virus (SSHV). Zero of 90, 0 of 67, and 40 of 100 samples were antibody positive for B. abortus, F. tularensis, and SSHV, respectively. Hares were trapped from 2009 to 2012, and of the six animals that were captured twice with at least 1 yr between captures, four developed antibody to SSHV, indicating active exposure to the agent, These findings suggest snowshoe hares in the GYA do not play …

Food Habits Of Adult Male White-Tailed Deer Determined By Camera Collars, Michael J. Lavelle, Chad R. Blass, Justin W. Fischer, Scott E. Hygnstrom, David G. Hewitt, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many factors influence what and why animals select the foods they eat. Several methods have been used to estimate food habits of herbivores, but they all have limitations such as defining available foods and misrepresenting particular forages. We evaluated plant consumption by adult male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with camera collars in a semi-enclosed population in southern Texas, USA, during late autumn 2010. We collected 1,241 videos taken at all times of the day and night from 15 camera collars and confirmed consumption of 40 plant species with an 84% probability of identification. Diets of individual deer varied …

Another Possible Source Of Archeological Maize Found In Chaco Canyon, Nm: The Tohatchi Flats Area, Nm, Usa, Deanna Grimstead, Sharon M. Buck, Bradley J. Vierra, Larry V. Benson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Understanding the linkage and relationship between Chaco Canyon and its residents to surrounding communities has been a primary research question for several decades. This research has focused on identifying the Chacoan road systems, similar architectural designs, and the sourcing of economic and non-economic goods to outlier communities of origin. Extensive fieldwork has been completed to identify potential source regions of Chacoan corncobs, but the San Juan Basin and surrounding regions are vast and many potential agricultural features remain uninvestigated. One such region is the Tohatchi Flats, located near modern day Gallup, New Mexico. This paper uses ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr …

Seasonal Shifts In Diet And Gut Microbiota Of The American Bison (Bison Bison), Gaddy T. Bergmann, Joseph Craine, Michael S. Robeson, Noah Fierer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American bison (Bison bison) are becoming increasingly important to both grassland management and commercial ranching. However, a lack of quantitative data on their diet constrains conservation efforts and the ability to predict bison effects on grasslands. In particular, we know little about the seasonality of the bison diet, the degree to which bison supplement their diet with eudicots, and how changes in diet influence gut microbial communities, all of which play important roles in ungulate performance. To address these knowledge gaps, we quantified seasonal patterns in bison diet and gut microbial community composition for a bison herd in …

Managing Hybridization Of A Recovering Endangered Species: The Red Wolf Canis Rufus As A Case Study, Eric M. Gese, Fred F. Knowlton, Jennifer R. Adams, Karen Beck, Todd K. Fuller, Dennis L. Murray, Todd D. Steury, Michael K. Stoskopf, Will T. Waddell, Lisette P. Waits

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Hybridization presents a unique challenge for conservation biologists and managers. While hybridization is an important evolutionary process, hybridization is also a threat formany native species. The endangered species recovery effort for the red wolf Canis rufus is a classic system for understanding and addressing the challenges of hybridization. From 1987‒1993, 63 red wolves were released from captivity in eastern North Carolina, USA, to establish a free-ranging, non-essential experimental population. By 1999, managers recognized hybridization with invasive coyotes Canis latrans was the single greatest threat to successful recovery, and an adaptive management plan was adopted with innovative approaches for managing the …

To Cross Or Not To Cross: Modeling Wildlife Road Crossings As A Binary Response Variable With Contextual Predictors, Shane R. Siers, Robert N. Reed, Julie A. Savidge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Roads are significant barriers to landscape-scale movements of individuals or populations of many wildlife taxa. The decision by an animal near a road to either cross or not cross may be influenced by characteristics of the road, environmental conditions, traits of the individual animal, and other aspects of the context within which the decision is made. We considered such factors in a mixed-effects logistic regression model describing the nightly road crossing probabilities of invasive nocturnal Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) through short-term radiotracking of 691 snakes within close proximity to 50 road segments across the island of Guam. All …

Late Quaternary Sea-Level History And The Antiquity Of Mammoths (Mammuthus Exilis And Mammuthus Columbi), Channel Islands National Park, California, Usa, Daniel R. Muhs, Kathleen R. Simmons, Lindsey T. Groves, John Mcgeehin, R. Randall Schumann, Larry D. Agenbroad

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Fossils of Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi) and pygmymammoths (Mammuthus exilis) have been reported from Channel Islands National Park, California. Most date to the last glacial period (Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 2), but a tusk of M. exilis (or immature M. columbi) was found in the lowest marine terrace of Santa Rosa Island. Uranium-series dating of corals yielded ages from 83.8 ± 0.6 ka to 78.6 ± 0.5 ka, correlating the terrace withMIS 5.1, a time of relatively high sea level.Mammoths likely immigrated to the islands by swimming during the glacial periodsMIS 6 (~150 ka) orMIS 8 (~250 ka),when sea levelwas …

Sea Level, Paleogeography, And Archeology On California's Northern Channel Islands, Leslie Reeder- Myers, Jon Erlandson, Daniel R. Muhs, Torben Rick

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Sea-level rise during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene inundated nearshore areas in many parts of the world, producing drastic changes in local ecosystems and obscuring significant portions of the archeological record. Although global forces are at play, the effects of sea-level rise are highly localized due to variability in glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) effects. Interpretations of coastal paleoecology and archeology require reliable estimates of ancient shorelines that account for GIA effects. Here we build on previous models for California's Northern Channel Islands, producing more accurate late Pleistocene and Holocene paleogeographic reconstructions adjusted for regional GIA variability. This region has …

Toxicity Reference Values For Chlorophacinone And Their Application For Assessing Anticoagulant Rodenticide Risk To Raptors, Barnett A. Rattner, Katherine E. Horak, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Sandra L. Schultz, Susan Knowles, Benjamin G. Abbo, Steven F. Volker

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Despite widespread use and benefit, there are

growing concerns regarding hazards of second-generation

anticoagulant rodenticides to non-target wildlife which

may result in expanded use of first-generation compounds,

including chlorophacinone (CPN). The toxicity of CPN

over a 7-day exposure period was investigated in American

kestrels (Falco sparverius) fed either rat tissue mechanically-

amended with CPN, tissue from rats fed Rozol bait

(biologically-incorporated CPN), or control diets (tissue

from untreated rats or commercial bird of prey diet)

ad libitum. Nominal CPN concentrations in the formulated

diets were 0.15, 0.75 and 1.5 µg/g food wet weight, and

measured concentrations averaged 94 …

Decadal Re-Evaluation Of Contaminant Exposure And Productivity Of Ospreys (Pandion Haliaetus) Nesting In Chesapeake Bay Regions Of Concern, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Barnett A. Rattner, Peter C. Mcgowan, Robert C. Hale, Sandra L. Schultz, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Mary Ann Ottinger

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The last large-scale ecotoxicological study of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake Bay was conducted in 2000-2001 and focused on U.S. EPA-designated Regions of Concern (ROCs; Baltimore Harbor/ Patapsco, Anacostia/middle Potomac, and Elizabeth Rivers). In 2011-2012, ROCs were re-evaluated to determine spatial and temporal trends in productivity and contaminants. Concentrations of p,p'-DDE were low in eggs and below the threshold associated with eggshell thinning. Eggs from the Anacostia/ middle Potomac Rivers had lower total PCB concentrations in 2011 than in 2000; however, concentrations remained unchanged in Baltimore Harbor. Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants declined by 40%, and five alternative …

A Simple Web-Based Tool To Compare Freshwater Fish Data Collected Using Afs Standard Methods, Scott A. Bonar, Norman Mercado-Silva, Matt Rahr, Yuta T. Torrey, Averill Cate Jr.

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently published Standard Methods for Sampling North American Freshwater Fishes. Enlisting the expertise of 284 scientists from 107 organizations throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this text was developed to facilitate comparisons of fish data across regions or time. Here we describe a user-friendly web tool that automates among-sample comparisons in individual fish condition, population length-frequency distributions, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) data collected using AFS standard methods. Currently, the web tool (1) provides instantaneous summaries of almost 4,000 data sets of condition, length frequency, and CPUE of common freshwater fishes collected …

Exposure Of Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In The United States To Selected Pathogens, John A. Baroch, Carl A. Gagnon, Sonia Lacouture, Marcelo Gottschalk

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are widely distributed in the United States. In 2011 and 2012, serum samples and tonsils were recovered from 162 and 37 feral swine, respectively, in the US to evaluate exposure to important swine endemic pathogens. Antibodies against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) were found in 2.5% and 25.3% of tested sera, respectively. Positive serological reactions against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae have been detected in 19.7% and 69.7% of animals. More than 15% of animals presented antibodies against these 2 pathogens simultaneously. Most animals were also …