Life Sciences Commons^™

Coyotes In Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Evaluation Of Methods To Monitor Relative Abundance, Movement Ecology, And Habitat Use, Barron Allen Crawford

Masters Theses

Introduction: In North America, coyotes (Canis latrans) are the most primitive members of the genus Canis and are believed to have evolved from the ancestral coyote (C. leophagus) (Nowak 1978). During the late Pleistocene period, coyotes were found throughout North America. However, until the 1900's the range of modern coyotes only extended as far east as Wisconsin and south to central Texas (Nowak 1978). It appears that wolf populations were the major factor limiting coyotes in Eastern North America (Nowak 1978, Parker 1988).

Coyotes are adaptable carnivores that have survived human persecution and expanded their range …

Reintroduction Of River Otters Into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mary C. Miller

Masters Theses

Beginning in December 1988, 14 river otters were obtained from South Carolina and Louisiana, implanted with radio transmitters, and released on Little River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). A total of 896 radio locations were obtained. There were four mortalities.

Five otters established home ranges in Little River. Four otters traveled out of Little River. Of those otters, three established home ranges on the North Carolina side of GSMNP. One otter established a home range in the French Broad River outside of GSMNP. The remaining otter has not been located since its release.

After a brief period of …

Diet Content And Overlap Of Six Species Of Turtle Among The Wabash River, Lori Pierce

Masters Theses

A community of six species of turtles from the Wabash River and its backwaters was studied to determine diet composition of each species and amount of dietary overlap among species. Species studied included: Trionyx muticus, Trionyx spiniferus, and Graptemys ouachitensis in the river; Trachemys scripta and Chrysemys picta in both the river and backwaters; and Chelydra serpentina in the backwaters only.

Trionyx muticus, T. spiniferus, and G. ouachitensis all belong to a guild that specializes on aquatic insects. The highest diet overlap (69.6%) was between the two softshells, T. muticus and T. spiniferus. Coexistence is possible because T. spiniferus are …

Size-Specific Growth Of Illinois Stream Fishes: Relationships With Biotic And Abiotic Habitat Variables, John H. Putman Ii

Masters Theses

Growth is an important component in the ecology and management of stream fisheries. Growth of stream fish has received relatively little attention and relationships with habitat variables are largely unknown. We quantified growth of juvenile and adult size classes of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui) from Illinois streams. Growth rates for each species fell within ranges previously reported for lakes and rivers in the United States although they averaged slightly lower. Within each species except channel catfish, growth …

Predation Risk And Feeding Site Preferences In Winter Foraging Birds, Yen-Min Kuo

Masters Theses

A foraging animal's choice of feeding location may represent a trade-off between maximizing its energy or nutrient intake and avoiding predation. In the present study, two hypotheses were investigated to test the influence of predation risk on feeding site preferences of birds: 1) there are differences among the preferences of feeding heights of birds, 2) the magnitude of preference increases with increasing predation risk found in different habitats. In my study site, three feeding stations (located in the woods, the woods/field edge, and an open field) each containing three feeders (0 m, 1.5 m, and 3 m from the ground) …

A Herpetofaunal Survey Of The Braidwood Dunes And Savanna Nature Preserve, Daniel J. O'Connell

Masters Theses

A herpetofaunal survey was conducted on two sand prairie areas in Will Co., IL.; The Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve (BD+S), and Sandridge Savanna. Drift fences with pitfall traps, herpetological attractor panels, aquatic hoop traps, and manual collecting were used to sample the two preserves. A species list was compiled, and the habitat preferences and relative abundance of each species present were determined. The species list was compared with the species lists of other Illinois sand areas and the Nebraska sandhills. Guilds represented by the herpetofaunae of each area were also compared.

Seventeen species were recorded at BD+S and …