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Exercise And The Timing Of Snack Choice: Healthy Snack Choice Is Reduced In The Post-Exercise State, Christopher R. Gustafson, Nigina Rakhmatullaeva, Safiya E. Beckford, Ajai Ammachathram, Alexander Cristobal, Karsten Koehler

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Acute exercise can induce either a compensatory increase in food intake or a reduction in food intake, which results from appetite suppression in the post-exercise state. The timing of food choice—choosing for immediate or later consumption—has been found to influence the healthfulness of foods consumed. To examine both of these effects, we tested in our study whether the timing of food choice interacts with exposure to exercise to impact food choices such that choices would differ when made prior to or following an exercise bout. Visitors to a university recreational center were equipped with an accelerometer prior to their habitual …

Exploring H.Pylori Seropositivity As A Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes, Virginia Chaidez, Yumou Qiu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: In the US, the percentage of adults with diagnosed diabetes are higher in members of racial and ethnic minority groups compared to non-Latino Whites. Understanding why such disparities exist has been less forthcoming.

Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 cross-sectional data.

Results: H.pylori seropositivity was highest in Mexican Americans (43.7%), lowest in non- Hispanic Whites (18.1%). Diabetes was highest in non-Hispanic Blacks (5.9%); lowest in non-Hispanic whites (4.3%). H.pylori seropositivity was associated with greater likelihood of having type 2 diabetes (1.927, 95% CI 1.142, 3.257) compared to H.pylori negative …

Vegetation Responses To Sagebrush-Reduction Treatments Measured By Satellites, Aaron N. Johnston, Erik A. Beever, Jerod A. Merkle, Geneva Chong

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Time series of vegetative indices derived from satellite imagery constitute tools to measure ecological effects of natural and management-induced disturbances to ecosystems. Over the past century, sagebrush-reduction treatments have been applied widely throughout western North America to increase herbaceous vegetation for livestock and wildlife. We used indices from satellite imagery to 1) quantify effects of prescribed-fire, herbicide, and mechanical treatments on vegetative cover, productivity, and phenology, and 2) describe how vegetation changed over time following these treatments. We hypothesized that treatments would increase herbaceous cover and accordingly shift phenologies towards those typical of grass-dominated systems. We expected prescribed burns would …

Exotic Invasive Pomacea Maculata (Giant Apple Snail) Will Depredate Eggs Of Frog And Toad Species Of The Southeastern Us, Jacoby Carter, Darren Johnson, Sergio Merino

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Pomacea maculata (Giant Apple Snail) is a freshwater snail from South America that is an invasive species on the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain. A sister species has been shown to prey on amphibian eggs in Asia. To test whether the Giant Apple Snail will prey on amphibian eggs, we presented eggs of Lithobates palustris (Pickerel Frog), Lithobates pipiens (Northern Leopard Frog), and Anaxyrus americanus (American Toad) to Giant Apple Snails in a laboratory experiment. Giant Apple Snails ate the eggs of all 3 species.

Evaluating Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetlands, Andrew H. Baldwin, Richard S. Hammerschlag, Donald R. Cahoon

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Tidal freshwater wetlands are recognized as highly productive coastal wetlands that support diverse assemblages of plants and animals and complex biogeochemical cycles (in this book, see Chapter 18 by Whigham et al. and Chapter 19 by Megonigal and Neubauer). Many tidal freshwater wetlands and their associated ecosystem services have been damaged or destroyed by urbanization, agriculture, and other human activities (Baldwin, 2004; Barendregt et al., 2006). Increasing recognition of the value of remaining wetlands and environmental regulations requiring wetland mitigation (i.e., enhancement, creation, or restoration of wetlands to compensate for wetland losses; Kentula, 2000) has driven the restoration of all …

Conclusions, Challenges, And Research Needs, Gary W. Witmer, William C. Pitt, James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

At least 392 species of introduced vertebrate species (excluding fish) occur in the United States and its territories (Witmer and Fuller 2011). Many of these species can be truly considered “invasive,” causing various types of economic, social, and ecological harm. In this book, we have presented examples of many invasive vertebrates in the United States, the impacts they cause, and the methods used to control or eradicate them in various parts of the country.

While progress has been and is being made in the management of invasive vertebrates in the United States, there are still many challenges and issues to …

Evaluating The Waterfowl Breeding Population And Habitat Survey For Scaup, Michael L. Schummer, Alan D. Afton, Shannon S. Badzinski, Scott A. Petrie, Glenn H. Olsen, Mark A. Mitchell

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Potential bias in breeding population estimates of certain duck species from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has been a concern for decades. The WBPHS does not differentiate between lesser (Aythya affinis) and greater (A. marila) scaup, but lesser scaup comprise 89% of the combined scaup population and their population estimates are suspected to be biased. We marked female lesser scaup (i.e., marked scaup) in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways, Canada and United States, with implantable satellite transmitters to track their spring migration through the traditional and eastern survey areas of the WBPHS, 2005–2010. Our goal was to …

Feral Goats And Sheep, Steven C. Hess, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sheep and goats are among the earliest animals domesticated by mankind (Zeder 2009). Both goats and sheep may have made better candidates for domestication than other animals like deer because they follow a single dominant leader, the herdsman (Geist 1971). They now have a nearly ubiquitous worldwide distribution, and they are among the most abundant of all commensal animals. However, they have also become some of the most widespread invasive feral mammals, particularly on the 100 or more islands throughout the world where they have been introduced, causing severe damage to island ecosystems, in some cases for hundreds of years …

Ecology Of The Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes Auropunctatus) In North America, Are R. Berentsen, William C. Pitt, Robert T. Sugihara

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is a diurnal opportunistic omnivore native to parts of the Middle East, India, and Asia (Corbet and Hill 1992; Lekagul and McNeely 1977; Veron et al. 2007). Much of what is known about the species comes from records of populations where they were introduced to control rodents on sugarcane plantations (predominantly the Caribbean Islands and Hawaii) rather than their native range (Horst et al. 2001). In published research, the introduced mongoose is alternately, and often synonymously, identied as H. auropunctatus or H. javanicus. However, research by Veron et al. (2007) suggests …

Comparison Of Mixing Methods And Associated Residual Levels Of Zinc Phosphide On Cabbage Bait For Rodent Management, Roger A. Baldwin, Benjamin G. Abbo, David A. Goldade

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Zinc phosphide is a toxicant that is used extensively for rodent management throughout many parts of the world. Some rodent species, such as Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi Merriam, 1888), often avoid zinc phosphide grain baits, leaving green vegetation such as cabbage as the only viable carrier for rodenticides. However, to date, ambiguity has existed as to the most appropriate mixing strategy for zinc phosphide-coated cabbage baits, and it is unknown how rapidly zinc phosphide degrades on these green carriers. Following laboratory and field-enclosure trials, we detected no significant difference in mean zinc phosphide concentrations or variability in zinc …

Monk And Rose-Ringed Parakeets, Michael L. Avery, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Worldwide, there are about 350 species of parrots and parakeets (order: Psittaciformes). According to the analyses of Cassey et al. (2004), 54 of these species have been introduced to areas outside their native ranges, and 38 species have become established in the nonnative range. Humans exhibit ambivalent feelings toward parrots and parakeets. Many of these birds are strikingly beautiful and highly prized as companion animals, while others are banned because of potential agricultural damage or competition with native species. Many parrot species are afforded special protection because they are endangered in their native habitats, but often these same species are …

It Takes Two: Evidence For Reduced Sexual Conflict Over Parental Care In A Biparental Canid, Christopher J. Schell, Julie K. Young, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Jill M. Mateo, Rachel M. Santymire

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In biparental systems, sexual conflict over parental investment predicts that the parent providing care experiences greater reproductive costs. This inequality in parental contribution is reduced when offspring survival is dependent on biparental care. However, this idea has received little empirical attention. Here, we determined whether mothers and fathers differed in their contribution to care in a captive population of coyotes (Canis latrans). We performed parental care assays on 8 (n = 8 males, 8 females) mated pairs repeatedly over a 10-week period (i.e., 5–15 weeks of litter age) when pairs were first-time breeders (2011), and again as experienced …

Assessing The Utility Of Metabarcoding For Diet Analyses Of The Omnivorous Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa), Michael S. Robeson Ii, Kamil Khanipov, George Golovko, Samantha M. Wisely, Michael D. White, Michael J. Bodenchuck, Timothy J. Smyser, Yuriy Fofanov, Noah Fierer, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species descended from both domestic swine and Eurasian wild boar that was introduced to North America during the early 1500s. Wild pigs have since become the most abundant free-ranging exotic ungulate in the United States. Large and ever-increasing populations of wild pigs negatively impact agriculture, sport hunting, and native ecosystems with costs estimated to exceed $1.5 billion/ year within the United States. Wild pigs are recognized as generalist feeders, able to exploit a broad array of locally available food resources, yet their feeding behaviors remain poorly understood as partially digested material …

Seroconversion Of Raccoons Following Two Oral Rabies Vaccination Baiting Strategies, Are R. Berentsen, Erin M. Patrick, Chad Blass, Keith Wehner, Brett Dunlap, Bradley Hicks, Robert Hale, Richard B. Chipman, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Seroprevalence of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (rVNA) in raccoons (Procyon lotor) following oral rabies vaccination (ORV) with RABORAL V-RG® in the United States has annually averaged 30% since 1997, a level that is unlikely to successfully interrupt rabies transmission in raccoon populations. A longitudinal ORV zone is maintained in the eastern United States with raccoon variant rabies established east of the zone but absent to the west. However, questions remain regarding the effect of the bait application strategy towards achieving optimal population immunity. We estimated the number of ORV baits/km2 of raccoon home range and calculated rVNA seroprevalence …

Evaluation Of The Palatability And Toxicity Of Candidate Baits And Toxicants For Mongooses (Herpestes Auropunctatus), Robert T. Sugihara, William C. Pitt, Are R. Berentsen, Cynthia G. Payne

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is an invasive pest species responsible for damage to native avian, reptile, and amphibian species on Hawaii, Croatia, Mauritius, and several Caribbean Islands, among other regions.Mongoose control has been pursued through a variety of means, with varying success. One toxicant, diphacinone, has been shown to be effective in mongooses and is co-labeled in a rodenticide bait for mongoose control in Hawaii; however, preliminary observations indicate low performance as a mongoose toxicant due likely to poor consumption. We evaluated the efficacy and palatability of 10 commercial rodenticide baits, technical diphacinone powder, and two …

Evaluating The Waterfowl Breeding Population And Habitat Survey For Scaup, Michael L. Schummer, Alan D. Afton, Shannon S. Badzinski, Scott A. Petrie, Glenn H. Olsen, Mark A. Mitchell

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Potential bias in breeding population estimates of certain duck species from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has been a concern for decades. The WBPHS does not differentiate between lesser (Aythya affinis) and greater (A. marila) scaup, but lesser scaup comprise 89% of the combined scaup population and their population estimates are suspected to be biased. We marked female lesser scaup (i.e., marked scaup) in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways, Canada and United States, with implantable satellite transmitters to track their spring migration through the traditional and eastern survey areas of the WBPHS, 2005–2010. Our goal was to …

Species With Greater Aerial Maneuverability Have Higher Frequency Of Collisions With Aircraft: A Comparative Study, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, James Brand, Bradley F. Blackwell, Thomas W. Seamans, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antipredator responses may appear unsuccessful when animals are exposed to approaching vehicles, often resulting inmortality. Recent studies have addressed whether certain biological traits are associated with variation in collision risk with cars, but not with higher speed-vehicles like aircraft. Our goal was to establish the association between different species traits (i.e., body mass, eye size, brain size, wing loading, wing aspect ratio) and the frequency of bird collisions with aircraft (hereafter, bird strikes) using a comparative approach controlling for the effects of shared ancestry. We proposed directional predictions as to how each of the species traits would affect the frequency …

Common Ravens Conditioned To A Nutritious Seasonal Aquatic Food Source In Rocky Mountain National Park, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Common Ravens (Corvus corax) are among the most intelligent of birds with extraordinary problem-solving capabilities (Heinrich 1995, Heinrich and Bugnyar 2005). Their intelligence, behavioral flexibility, and omnivorous diet allow ravens to adapt to many conditions and innovatively learn foraging behaviors, especially in context with human landscape changes and food sources (e.g., Ficken 1977, Andersson 1989, Heinrich 1995, Lefebvre et al. 1997). Ravens can also identify interconnections between stimuli and potential unseen food resources. For example, a controlled experiment in Wyoming found that Common Ravens learned to fly toward gunshots, but only in forested areas where the auditory stimuli …

Chapter 11 An International Perspective On The Regulation Of Rodenticides, John D. Eisemann, Penny M. Fisher, Alan Buckle, Simon Humphrys

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the late 1940s, anticoagulant active ingredients were introduced into the global rodenticide market. They were rapidly favored over existing rodenticides, such as red squill, zinc phosphide, strychnine and inorganic compounds, because they were comparatively inexpensive and did not appear to have any unpalatable taste, odor or cause any immediate post-ingestive reaction that could lead to bait shyness in rodents (Wardrop and Keeling 2008). The number of products registered in the United States (US) under Section 3 of the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which was passed in 1947 and was the first US law to require product …

Individual Variation In Avian Avoidance Behaviours In Response To Repeated, Simulated Vehicle Approach, Travis L. Devault, T. W. Seamans, B. F. Blackwell, S. L. Lima, E. Fernandez-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Birds exhibit variation in alert and flight behaviours in response to vehicles within and between species, but it is unclear how properties inherent to individuals influence variation in avoidance responses over time. We examined individual variation in avoidance behaviours of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)) in response to repeated presentation of a simulated vehicle approach in a video playback scenario. Wemodeled temporal alert and flight behaviours to determine whether overall behavioural variation resulted primarily from variation within individuals (i.e., intraindividual variation) or between individuals (i.e., interindividual variation). We examined reaction norms (individual × treatment day) and whether birds …

Prophage Induction Reduces Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia Coli (Stec) And Salmonella Enterica On Tomatoes And Spinach: A Model Study, Brigitte Cadieux, Anna Colavecchio, Julie Jeukens, Luca Freschi, Jean-Guillaume Emond-Rheault, Irena Kukavica-Ibrulj, Roger C. Levesque, Sakjia Bekal, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Shannon M. Coleman, Bledar Bisha, Lawrence D. Goodridge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fresh produce is increasingly implicated in foodborne outbreaks and most fresh produce is consumed raw, emphasizing the need to develop non-thermal methods to control foodborne pathogens. This study investigates bacterial cell lysis through induction of prophages as a novel approach to control foodborne bacterial pathogens on fresh produce. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella enterica isolates were exposed to different prophage inducers (i.e. mitomycin C or streptonigrin) and growth of the cells was monitored by measuring the optical density (OD₆₀₀) during incubation at 37C. Beginning at three hours after addition of the inducer, all concentrations (0.5, …

Management Of Wintering Short-Eared Owls At Airports In The Lower Great Lakes Region, Aaron Bowden, Robert J. Hromack, Christopher H. Loftis, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing …

Foraging Behavior Of Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius Phoeniceus) On Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) With Varying Coverage Of Anthraquinone-Based Repellent, Brandon K. Kaiser, Mike Ostlie, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals attempt to maximize foraging efforts by making strategic foraging decisions. Foraging efforts can be influenced by chemically defended food. Food resources that are chemically defended force foragers to balance the nutritional gain with the toxic costs of foraging on a defended food resource. Chemical defense, in this case sunflower treated with chemical repellent, may be capable of deterring birds from foraging on treated crops. Blackbirds (Icteridae) cause significant damage to sunflower (Helianthus annuus) with damage estimates of $3.5 million annually in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, the largest sunflower producing state. Chemical repellents …

Effects Of Vulture Exclusion On Carrion Consumption By Facultative Scavengers, Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. Devault, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Jerrod L. Belant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Vultures provide an essential ecosystem service through removal of carrion, but globally, many populations are collapsing and several species are threatened with extinction. Widespread declines in vulture populations could increase the availability of carrion to other organisms, but the ways facultative scavengers might respond to this increase have not been thoroughly explored. We aimed to determine whether facultative scavengers increase carrion consumption in the absence of vulture competition and whether they are capable of functionally replacing vultures in the removal of carrion biomass from the landscape. We experimentally excluded 65 rabbit carcasses from vultures during daylight hours and placed an …

Cage Efficacy Study Of An Experimental Rodenticide Using Wild-Caught House Mice, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael Moulton, Celeste Samura

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The availability and effectiveness of rodenticides in the US and elsewhere has been changing for various reasons. As a result, new rodenticide formulations and active ingredients are being investigated in the US and other countries. We conducted a cage efficacy study of a paste bait containing 4.4% alphachloralose. A commercial product of this nature is manufactured and used in parts of Europe. While the formulation we tested was effective (100%) in a no-choice trial with wild caught house mice, it was not effective in two-choice trials (≤ 35%). We surmise that palatability may be an issue as the mice consumed …

Chemical Composition Of Glandular Secretions From A Pair-Living Monogamous Primate: Sex, Age, And Gland Differences In Captive And Wild Owl Monkeys (Aotus Spp.), Andrea Spence-Aizenberg, Bruce A. Kimball, Lawrence E. Williams, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Broadening our knowledge of olfactory communication in strictly monogamous systems can inform our understanding of how chemosignals may facilitate social and reproductive behavior between the sexes. Compared to other social and mating systems, relatively little is known about olfactory communication in strictly monogamous non-human primates. Furthermore, platyrrhines are not well represented in chemical analyses of glandular secretions. We conducted semi-quantitative headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to investigate the chemical components of glandular secretions from the subcaudal and pectoral glands of a strictly pair-living platyrrhine, the owl monkey (Aotus spp.). In this study, the first chemical analysis of a …

Invasive Rats (Rattus Sp.), But Not Always Mice (Mus Musculus), Are Ubiquitous At All Elevations And Habitats Within The Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico, Aaron B. Shiels, Gabriela E. Ramirez De Arellano

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive rodents, particularly rats (Rattus spp.), occupy >80% of the world’s islands and are among the greatest threats to native biodiversity and agriculture on islands. At the time of their introduction in the 1500s, there was at least 1 native rat species in Puerto Rico. Today there are no native rodents remaining in Puerto Rico, but R. norvegicus (Norway Rat) may be found in urban settings, and R. rattus (Black Rat) are the most common rat across the island including within natural areas, and invasive Mus musculus (House Mouse) may also be found in urban and non-urban habitats. The …

Feminization Of Male Brown Treesnake Methyl Ketone Expression Via Steroid Hormone Manipulation, M. Rockwell Parker, Saumya M. Patel, Jennifer E. Zachry, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pheromones are useful tools for the management of invasive invertebrates, but have proven less successful in field applications for invasive vertebrates. The brown treesnake, Boiga irregularis, is an invasive predator that has fundamentally altered the ecology of Guam. The development of control tools to manage Boiga remains ongoing. Skin-based, lipophilic pheromone components facilitate mating in brown treesnakes, with females producing the same long-chain, saturated and monounsaturated (ketomonoene) methyl ketones known to function as pheromones in garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis. Boiga also express novel, diunsaturated methyl ketones (ketodienes) with a purported function as a sex pheromone. In our study, …

Cytokine Contributions To Alterations Of The Volatile Metabolome Induced By Inflammation, Patrick Millet, Maryanne Opiekun, Talia Martin, Gary K. Beauchamp, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Several studies demonstrate that inflammation affects body odor. Volatile signals associated with inflammation induced by pyrogens like LPS are detectable both by conspecifics and chemical analyses. However, little is known about the mechanisms which translate detection of a foreign molecule or pathogen into a unique body odor, or even how unique that odor may be. Here, we utilized C57BL/6J trained mice to identify the odor of LPS-treated conspecifics to investigate potential pathways between LPS-induced inflammation and changes in body odor, as represented by changes in urine odor. We hypothesized that the change in volatile metabolites could be caused directly by …

Molecular Population Structure For Feral Swine In The United States, Blake E. Mccann, Timothy J. Smyser, Brandon S. Schmit, Robert A. Newman, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Mathew J. Malek, Seth R. Swafford, Richard A. Sweitzer, Rebecca B. Simmons

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) have invaded most of the United States and continue to expand throughout North America. Given the ecological and economic threats posed by increasing feral swine abundance, it is imperative to develop an understanding of their patterns of natural range expansion and human-mediated introductions. Towards this goal, we used molecular markers to elucidate the genetic structure of feral swine populations throughout the United States and evaluated the association between historical introductions and contemporary patterns of genetic organization. We used STRUCTURE and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) to delineate genetic clusters for 959 individuals genotyped …