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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Spatial Ecology And Resource Selection Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Ewes In A Prairie Badlands Population, Erin Wood
School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The basic spatial ecology and habitat relationships of female bighorn sheep in Nebraska are poorly understood. Establishing seasonal patterns of space use and resource selection for this population at the margin of their historical and current range addresses a key knowledge gap and provides important baseline information for ongoing conservation efforts in Nebraska. We deployed GPS radio-collars on 56 adult ewes in western Nebraska to quantify seasonal space use, movements, and resource selection of ewes. To investigate spatial ecology, we quantified movements of ewes and the factors that influence home range size, seasonal use, and spatial stability across seasons. Home …
Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata) Copulating In Water: An Incidental Observation Or Ancestral Behavior, Ashley Forrester, Michael Rohde, Mary Harner, Carter Kruse, Keith Geluso
Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata) Copulating In Water: An Incidental Observation Or Ancestral Behavior, Ashley Forrester, Michael Rohde, Mary Harner, Carter Kruse, Keith Geluso
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
Herein, we report the first observation of the terrestrial Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) copulating in water. To understand whether such an event reflected an isolated incident, we compiled observations reported in the literature of copulatory behaviors in water for other North American turtles. Our literature review revealed that other species of box turtles in North America, the Coahuilan Box Turtle (Terrapene coahuila) and Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina major), occasionally also copulate in water. The vast majority of turtles in North America copulate in water, as most are semi-aquatic, including all species …
Range Extension For Dekay’S Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi) In South-Central Nebraska, Macy K. Cool, Keith Geluso
Range Extension For Dekay’S Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi) In South-Central Nebraska, Macy K. Cool, Keith Geluso
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) generally occurs in southeastern parts of the state, where the species was known from 16 counties. Herein, we update the distribution of S. dekayi in the state and briefly comment on habitat and abundance from observations in September and October 2018. We documented 7 new county records that extend its distribution in south-central Nebraska. We observed that S. dekayi does not only reside in mesic wooded habitats in Nebraska but also occupies open environments, including areas with upland grasslands and row-crop agriculture. Dekay’s Brownsnake currently is listed as a species of concern …