Life Sciences Commons^™

Hsus Exposes Livestock Transportation Cruelty

Close Up Reports

No abstract provided.

The Hsus Condemns Psychological Experimentation On Animals

Close Up Reports

No abstract provided.

Distribution Of The Shoshone Scuplin (Cottus Greenei: Cottidae) In The Hagerman Valley Of South Central Idaho, Richard L. Wallace, J. S. Griffith Jr., D. M. Daley, Patrick J. Connolly, G. B. Beckham

Great Basin Naturalist

Cottus greenei, a potentially threatened species endemic to Idaho, was collected from 49 localities in 25 springs/streams in south central Idaho. Most localities were along the north bank of the Snake River in waters of the Thousand Springs formation, Gooding County. One population was found in a spring in the main Snake River. Another sculpin, Cottus bairdi, was collected with C. greenei at 23 locations in 16 springs/streams. Confusion concerning the type locality of Cottus greenei is discussed.>

New Jersey Outlaws Steel-Jaw, Leghold Trap!

Close Up Reports

New Jersey's wildlife will soon roam the woods free from the threat of steel-jaw, leghold traps.

The Hsus Petitions U.S. Government To Protect Fur Seals

Close Up Reports

Our battle to end U.S. seal clubbing continues

Warm Water Aquaculture Using Waste Heat And Water From Zero Discharge Power Plants In The Great Basin, Richard A. Heckmann, Robert N. Winget, Rex C. Infanger, Roger W. Mickelsen, John M. Hendersen

Great Basin Naturalist

Two series of experiments were completed to determine (a) toxicity of waste water from power plants on warm water fish and (b) multiple use of waste heat and water for aquatic animal and plant production. All three types of waste water from a typical coal-fired power plant are acceptable for growing catfish and tilapia following aeration. This growth was compared with fish raised in spring water. Closed, recirculating polyculture systems using evaporation pond water operated efficiently for plant (duckweed) and animal (fish and freshwater prawns) production. Duckweed is an excellent supplement for fish feed. Tilapia and freshwater prawns grew rapidly …

Microgeographic Variation In The Mexican Vole, Microtus Mexicanus, Meredith J. Hamilton, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Altitudinal variation was assessed in 115 (62 male; 53 female) Mexican voles (Microtus mexicanus) from six localities in Jalisco, Mexico. Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques were employed in the data analyses. A total of 49 skeletal measurements were investigated, and of these, 17 showed significant interlocality variation. Rostral breadth, depth of braincase, rostral height, width of third molar and nasal length were found to be the most variable characters. Component I (a size factor) accounted for 36% of the total phenetic variation; components II and III accounted for 30% and 19%, respectively. Larger individuals were found to occur at lower …

A Closer Look At Parrots As Pests, John L. Long

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Small parrots have been attacking fruit and grain crops in the south of Western Australia at least since agriculture expanded into their native habitats in the early 1900s. The parrots are capable of quickly adapting to new situations so it is not surprising that they have eaten crops.

It is not known whether parrot numbers have increased since European settlement began, but this appears likely. The present landscape of islands of uncleared country interspersed with areas of agriculture appears to favour the survival of the red-capped parrot, western rosella and the Port Lincoln parrot. These species were investigated during a …

The Secretive Silvereyes, I J. Rooke

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Durinf the past five years the agricultural Protection Board, in co-operation with scientists from CSIRO's Division of Wildlife Research and the University of Western Australia, had studied the biology and control of the silvereye in the South-West of Western Asustralia. The project was partially funded by a voluntary levy on vignerons in the Margaret River and Mt Barker areas.

The first part of the study investigated the bird's bioloogy - its food requirements, reproductive rate, how it interacted with other birds and its seasonal movements, It was hoped that this knowledge would help develop effective techniques for either controlling the …

The Use Of Buffer Zones In Dingo Control, P C. Thomson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The aim of dingo control is to protect livestock, not to eliminate dingos from Australia's vast ininhabited areas. However, with labour costs rising, dingo control must become more cost effective.

In this article, P.C. Thomson discusses the "buffer zone" control strategy which involves removing dingos from a strip of country adjacent to stocked land.

Although variations of this strategy have existed for some time, detailed knowledge of dingo behaviour and movement patterns was required to ensure that the concept was soundly based. Much of this information came from a long-term study of dingos carried out in unstocked country and adjacent …

Dingoes And Sheep In Pastoral Areas, P C. Thomson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Since 1975, a long-term study of dingoes in the Fortescue River area of northern Western Australia has sought to provide the detailed information necessary to devise efficient dingo management strategies.

Dingoes have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars, then tracked and observed from a specially equipped aircraft. Their movements, breeding, hunting and social behaviour have been monitered in the rugged, spinifex-covered ironstone terrain which represents typicaldingo refuge country, and in neighbouring sheep country.

Although the pastoral and agricultural industry have long recognised the need to control dingoes to protect livestock, particularily sheep, there is little published evidence about the type of …

The Bush Tick, R B. Besier

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A newly discovered livestock parasite has focused attention on farms in the Walpole district in the south-west of Western Australia. Ticks submitted to the Department of Agriculture in December 983 were identified as the bush tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. An intensive campaign to locate areas of infestation and to limit spread was started in January 1984.

The bush tick is a pest of livestock in some areas of New South Wales and Queensland. It is important in a narrow coastal strip from Sydney to Brisbane where total summer rainfall can exceed 1000 mm. In this area heavy tick infestation causes …

Dispelling Some Myths About 'Dermo', J R. Edwards

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about dermatophilosis, a disease which can kill young lambs, affect wool quality, make shearing difficult and make sheep susceptible to fly strike.

One misconception is perpetuated by the incorrect use of the name mycotic dermatitis, which implies that a fungus causes the disease. This is not so.

The disease is caused by the bacteria Dermatophilus congolensis, which attacks the sheep's skin and eventually forms a lesion or scab in the wool, and so is better called dermatophilosis, 'dermo' or 'lumpy wool'.

Veterinary Epidemiologist at the Albany Regional Office, J.R. Edwards, discusses …

Nest Predators And Breeding Birds: Do Initial Vocalizations Correlate With Predator Type And Future Defense Strategy?, Bradley M. Gottfried, Michaela Haug, Kathryn Andrews

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The initial vocalizations of breeding catbirds in response to predator models positioned at their nests were analyzed to determine if they were correlated with the type of later defense employed (attack model vs. no attack), intensity of defense, and type of predator model (snake vs. blue jay). Statistical differences were found in the types and numbers of vocalizations used in relation to type of nest predator and form of future defense. The data suggest that the initial catbird vocalizations may indeed encode a variety of information.

Recoveries Of Great Horned Owls Banded In Central Minnesota, Robert T. Bohm

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Although great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) are often considered permanent residents, data from band returns have shown that movements by this species do occur. In banding activities conducted in central Minnesota from 1967 through 1983, 329 great horned owls were banded and 24 (7.3 percent) recoveries were reported. Twelve of the 24 recoveries (50.0 percent) were made 15 kilometers or more from where the individuals were banded. Five of these recoveries ( 41.7 percent) were to the southeast. Of 23 owls recovered dead, eight (34 .8 percent) were reported only as "found dead," seven (30.4 percent) were found near highways …

Survival Strategies Of Invertebrates In Disturbed Aquatic Habitats, Rosemary J. Mackay

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Disturbance in aquatic habitats may be caused by drought, flood , changes in temperature, and unusual or unnatural introductions of particulate or dissolved substances from the surrounding land. Aquatic invertebrates survive disturbance by moving to a refuge or alternative habitat or by having resistant or specially protected stages in the life cycle. Some invertebrates are able to exploit the richer and more available food materials that may result from the disturbance. Most species in disturbed aquatic habitats are efficient colonizers; they combine one or more survival strategies with high powers of dispersal, rapid growth rates, and characteristics of ecological generalists.

Invertebrates Consumed By Dabbling Ducks (Anatinae) On The Breeding Grounds, George A. Swanson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Foods consumed by dabbling ducks on the breeding grounds of south-central North Dakota were investigated during the spring and summer of 1967-80. Invertebrates dominated the diet of laying females. Animal foods comprised 99%, 72%, and 77% of the diet of laying blue-winged teal and northern shovelers, gadwalls, and mallards, and northern pintails, respectively. Factors that influence food selection include morphological adaptations for feeding, current physiological demands, the nutritional value of food items, and food availability. Preservation of waterfowl production habitat requires that the value of the wetland complex be recognized. Temporary, seasonal, and semi permanent wetlands provide abundant and highly …

Potential Effects Of Insecticides On The Survival Of Dabbling Duck Broods, Patrick W. Brown, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The effect of insecticides on the survival of dabbling duck broods was investigated by reviewing studies of natural brood survival and depression of growth rates for ducklings raised on wetlands treated with insecticides. Ducklings raised on an insecticide-treated wetland took 5 days longer to reach the normal 14-day body weight. Normal brood mortality for three species of dabbling ducks was highest in the first two weeks of life and ranged from 25% to 51%. High mortality of young ducklings is probably related to their small size. Thus, mortality rates could be in creased to 35% to 70% because of the …

Mosquito Control And Minnesota Amphibians, Tom R. Johnson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Minnesota has 19 species of amphibians. Most of these animals have habitat requirements that include natural marshes, woodland ponds, and temporary pools. Amphibians need a stable and unpolluted environment. Changes in the pH of marshes or other aquatic habitats can be detrimental to Minnesota's amphibians. Habitat loss through the draining of marshes will be especially damaging. Several questions concerning mosquito control and its effects on amphibians need to be addressed.

The Response Of Invertebrates In Temporary Vernal Wetlands To Altosid Sr-10 As Used In Mosquito Abatement Programs, Ronald W. Lawrenz

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Three temporary vernal wetlands on the Bayport Wildlife Management Area in eastern Washington County, Minnesota, were divided by sandbag barrier into treatment and control areas. Designated areas were treated with Altosid® SR-10 briquets at standard mosquito control rates. Invertebrate populations were monitored weekly using net sweeps, column samples, and ocular estimates.

The development of Eubranchtpus bundyi, Lyncerus sp, and Daphnia sp., the three major components of the invertebrate fauna, was delayed by as much as one week in site 47. Similar developmental lags were noted for E. bundyi populations in the treated portions of sites 6 and 32. Delay of …

Protecting Off-Shears Sheep In Adverse Weather, T M. Ellis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In January 2982 in the Narrogin-Darkan area of Western Australia, about 14,500 sheep up to 40 days off-shears died after a 48-hour period of heavy soaking rain that followed a thunderstorm three days previously. An estimated 100,000 sheep died throughout the South-West at the time.

P. G. Buckman - at the time Department of Agriculture District Veterinary Officer, Narrogin - surveyed 17 properties in the area. He found that losses in unshedded sheep 0 to 40 days off-shears ranged from 0 to 84 per cent of sheep on the property with an overall average of 27.9 per cent. Rainfall in …

New Developments In Footrot Control, R B. Richards, L. J. Depiazzi, R. V. R. Gwynn

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The eradication policy for footrot in sheep adopted by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture has produced an overall decline in the number of properties with the disease.

Our knowledge of the disease has improved substantially as a result of the research conducted at the Slabany Regional Veterinary Laboratory in recent years. Laboratory tests now sssist stock inspectors and veterinary officers to distinguish between different forms of footrot and to quarantine and eradicate accordingly.

The recent discovery of more effective foot-bathing solutions by officers of the Victorian Department of Agriculture will greatly assist further eradication procedures.

Western Australia's sheep industry …

Effects Of Commercial Fish Removal On Sport Fish Populations In Two Arkansas Reservoirs, Tommie Crawford

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Commercial netting occurred October through April, 1971-1976 on Nimrod Lake and from October through April, 1973-1977 on Blue Mountain Lake in west central Arkansas. Using 7.6 cm or larger mesh gill and/or trammel nets, commercial fishermen harvested commercial fishes (buffalofishes [Ictiobus spp.]; common carp [Cyprinus carpio], carpsuckers [Carpiodes spp.]; drum [Aplodinotus grunniens]; gars [Lepisosteus spp.]; suckers [Catostomidae); and catfishes [Ictalurus spp. and Pylodictis olivaris]). During the study period, cove rotenone samples were conducted on an annual basis. Fishes collected were placed into age classes and enumerated. Data were then grouped into general categories (black basses [Micropterus spp], crappie [Pomoxis spp.], …

Analysis Of Gray Fox (Urocyon Cinereoargenteus) Fur Harvests In Arkansas, Gary A. Heidt, James H. Peck, Lew Johnston

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

An investigation was conducted on gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) fur harvest in Arkansas. Data were gathered from a mail survey of Arkansas trappers and from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fur harvest records from 1939 to 1983. Analyses of these data demonstrated: 1) gray fox were abundant statewide with lower levels in the Delta region; 2) there was a need for fox trappers to keep better records on their trapping efforts, success and composition of catch, including sex and age data; 3) market price: harvest correlation was high (r = 0.956, p < .001); 4) over the past 10 years, the Ozark Mountain region provided the greatest contribution to annual fox harvests, the Ouachita Mountain and Gulf Coastal Plain regions were similar to each other, but lower than the Ozarks, and the Delta region contributed the least, but with a generally stable harvest.

River Otter In Arkansas Iii. Characteristics Of Otter Latrines And Their Distribution Along Beaver-Inhabited Watercourses In Southwest Arkansas, Mark R. Karnes, C. Renn Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Forty-one river otter (Lutra canadensis) fecal deposit (latrine) sites were located during April 1983 through March 1984 along beaver (Castor canadensis) inhabited watercourses in Clark, Nevada, and Ouachita counties, Arkansas. Latrine sizes ranged from 64 cm² to 5.01 m² (x-bar=0.30 m²; S.D. =0.88), and contained 2 to 78 scats per latrine (x-bar=9.2; S.D. = 13.8). The most common sites for latrines included elevated leaf or moss covered banks (51.2%), beaver lodges or bank dens (17.1 %), and beaver scent mounds (12.2%). Other latrine sites included felled logs over open water, bare soil along elevated banks, and exposed sandbars. Otter presence …

Implant Comparisons For Finishing Steers, S. Laudert, Gerry L. Kuhl, M. Walker

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A one hundred and forty day field trial was conducted to evaluate the relative performance of steers implanted with Compudose, Ralgro and Synovex-S. Daily gains of cattle receiving a single initial implant were increased 8.0% with Compudose, 12.7% with Ralgro and 21.5% with Synovex-S compared to non-implanted controls. Steers on a reimplant program with Ralgro and/or Synovex-S gained 23.6 to 24.9% faster than controls, with no significant difference due to implant brand or sequence.

Rabbit Kitten Survival In The South-West, D R. King

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In the South-West of Western Australis reliable winter rains allow the rabbit breeding season to extend through winter and spring, and thus a large number of kittens are produced each year.

Studies on the biology of rabbits at Cape Naturaliste (270 kilometres south-west of Perth) and Chidlow (40 kilometres east of Perth in the Datling Range) have shown that at these sites each doe produces about 30 and 27 kittens respectively a year. If all these youg rabbits survived, there would be a 15-fold increase in numbers. Within a short time the State would be covered "wall to wall" by …

How Rabbit Poisoning Methods Work, S H. Wheeler

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

While the "rabbit plauges" of the past are a distant memory for most farmers, rabbit numbers must still be controlled in many parts of Western Australia. Rabit control techniques rely heavily on poisoning, which given the right conditions can kill a high percentage of rabbits at risk.

Recent research by the Agricultural Protection Board has been aimed at determining how different poisons, baits and poisoning methods work. By knowing in detail how each method works and what influences its results, we can choose the best control method for a particular place and time, avoid costly failures, and increase the effectiveness …

Preventing Vineyard Damage By Silvereyes, I J. Rooke

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In the previous article, Dr I Rooke outlined the studies which helped to devise practical ways of controlling attacks by silvereyes on vineyards in the South-West of Western Australia. The preventative methods vignerons can use are discussed here.

Keeping Starlings Out Of W.A, John L. Long

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In Europe and North America huge flocks of starlings cause millions of dollars worth of damage to grain and fruit crops each year and large sums of money are spent trying to control them.

Starlings were introduced into australia in the late 1890s when more than 200 birds were released near Melbourne. They are now well established over much of eastern Australia, ranging from central Queensland, south to Tasmania and along the Great Australian Bight to the South Australian-Western Australian border, occasionally crossing it and sometimes moving as far west as the Esperance region on the south coast.

Some people …