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2018

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Articles 12331 - 12360 of 12524

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Evaluating Blackbird Behavioral Response Toward Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uass): Exploiting Antipredator Behavior To Enhance Avoidance, Conor C. Egan, Lucas Wandrie, Bradley F. Blackwell, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Page E. Klug Jan 2018

Evaluating Blackbird Behavioral Response Toward Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uass): Exploiting Antipredator Behavior To Enhance Avoidance, Conor C. Egan, Lucas Wandrie, Bradley F. Blackwell, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals respond to nonlethal forms of human disturbance using behavior strategies adapted to detect, avoid, and evade natural predators. This phenomenon suggests antipredator behavior can be exploited to optimize efficacy of wildlife management tools such as visual deterrents. According to models of antipredator theory, wildlife managers could encourage animals to abandon a resource patch in zones of human-wildlife conflict by enhancing perceived predation risk associated with disturbance stimuli. One human-wildlife conflict of interest is the economic loss and human safety hazards caused by birds. For example, blackbirds (Icteridae) pose a significant risk to the commercial aviation industry through …

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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 Jan 2018

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 …

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Black - Billed Magpie Agonistic Mobbing Attack On A Bullsnake, James J. Delutes Iii, Richard M. Engeman Jan 2018

Black - Billed Magpie Agonistic Mobbing Attack On A Bullsnake, James J. Delutes Iii, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Snakes have been targeted as a presumed enemy for non-predatory, agonistic attacks by individuals from many species, including other reptiles (e.g., Engeman et at. 2009, Kaiser et. at. 2013). Mobbing is an attack involving multiple individuals that has been observed against many species of vertebrate predators (e.g., Altmann 1956, Owings and Coss 1977), and snakes especially appear to be recipients of mobbing behavior (e.g., Owings and Coss 1977). Probably more than any other taxa, birds have been documented to mob snakes (e.g., Guthrie 1932, Curio et at. 1978), with mobbing attacks sometimes simultaneously involving multiple bird species (e.g., Sieving et …

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Nutritional Depletion Of Total Mixed Rations By European Starlings: Projected Effects On Dairy Cow Performance And Potential Intervention Strategies To Mitigate Damage, James C. Carlson, R. S. Stahl, S. T. Deliberto, J. J. Wagner, T. E. Engle, R. M. Engeman, C. S. Olson, J. W. Ellis, S. J. Werner Jan 2018

Nutritional Depletion Of Total Mixed Rations By European Starlings: Projected Effects On Dairy Cow Performance And Potential Intervention Strategies To Mitigate Damage, James C. Carlson, R. S. Stahl, S. T. Deliberto, J. J. Wagner, T. E. Engle, R. M. Engeman, C. S. Olson, J. W. Ellis, S. J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

European starlings are an invasive bird species in North America that are known to cause damage to commercial dairies through the consumption of total mixed rations (TMR) destined for dairy cows. We hypothesized that large foraging flocks of starlings alter the physical composition of TMR, and that this change may be significant enough to affect milk production. To better determine if production losses could potentially occur in commercial dairies as a consequence of feed consumption by foraging flocks of starlings, we conducted controlled feeding experiments using a TMR sourced from a commercial dairy that is chronically plagued with seasonal starling …

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A Review Of Classical Swine Fever Virus And Routes Of Introduction Into The United States And The Potential For Virus Establishment, Vienna R. Brown, Sarah N. Bevins Jan 2018

A Review Of Classical Swine Fever Virus And Routes Of Introduction Into The United States And The Potential For Virus Establishment, Vienna R. Brown, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Classical swine fever (CSF) is caused by CSF virus (CSFV) which can be the source of substantial morbidity and mortality events in affected swine. The disease can take one of several forms (acute, chronic, or prenatal) and depending on the virulence of the inoculating strain may result in a lethal infection irrespective of the form acquired. Because of the disease-free status of the United States and the high cost of a viral incursion, a summary of US vulnerabilities for viral introduction and persistence is provided. The legal importation of live animals as well as animal products, byproducts, and animal feed …

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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 Jan 2018

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 …

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Is Razor-Wire An Effective Deterrent For Birds Perching On Security Fences At Airports?, David L. Bergman, Brian E. Washburn Jan 2018

Is Razor-Wire An Effective Deterrent For Birds Perching On Security Fences At Airports?, David L. Bergman, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife-aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious risk to aircraft and cost civil aviation in the United States an estimated $957 million annually. Blackbirds and doves in particular have caused some of the most devastating aircraft accidents related to wildlife strikes in the United States and Europe. Birds perching on security fences and other structures are a problem at airports and other locations where birds are not desired. Reduction of available perching sites should make airports less attractive to these species and thus reduce the risk of damaging wildlife strikes. We conducted a series of experiments to determine if 3 …

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Livestock Abundance Predicts Vampire Bat Demography, Immune Profiles And Bacterial Infection Risk, Daniel J. Becker, Gábor Á. Czirják, Dmitriy V. Volokhov, Alexandra B. Bentz, Jorge E. Carrera, Melinda S. Camus, Kristen J. Navara, Vladimir E. Chizhikov, M. Brock Fenton, Nancy B. Simmons, Sergio E. Recuenco, Amy T. Gilbert, Sonia Altizer, Daniel G. Streicker Jan 2018

Livestock Abundance Predicts Vampire Bat Demography, Immune Profiles And Bacterial Infection Risk, Daniel J. Becker, Gábor Á. Czirják, Dmitriy V. Volokhov, Alexandra B. Bentz, Jorge E. Carrera, Melinda S. Camus, Kristen J. Navara, Vladimir E. Chizhikov, M. Brock Fenton, Nancy B. Simmons, Sergio E. Recuenco, Amy T. Gilbert, Sonia Altizer, Daniel G. Streicker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human activities create novel food resources that can alter wildlife–pathogen interactions. If resources amplify or dampen, pathogen transmission probably depends on both host ecology and pathogen biology, but studies that measure responses to provisioning across both scales are rare. We tested these relationships with a 4-year study of 369 common vampire bats across 10 sites in Peru and Belize that differ in the abundance of livestock, an important anthropogenic food source. We quantified innate and adaptive immunity from bats and assessed infection with two common bacteria. We predicted that abundant livestock could reduce starvation and foraging effort, allowing for greater …

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Neutralizing Antibodies Against Flaviviruses, Babanki Virus, And Rift Valley Fever Virus In Ugandan Bats, Rebekah C. Kading, Robert M. Kityo, Eric C. Mossel, Erin M. Borland, Teddie Nakayiki, Betty Nalikka, Luke Nyakarahuka, Jeremy P. Ledermann, Nicholas A. Panella, Amy T. Gilbert, Mary B. Crabtree, Julian Kerbis Peterhans, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Stuart T. Nichol, Ann M. Powers, Julius J. Lutwama, Barry R. Miller Jan 2018

Neutralizing Antibodies Against Flaviviruses, Babanki Virus, And Rift Valley Fever Virus In Ugandan Bats, Rebekah C. Kading, Robert M. Kityo, Eric C. Mossel, Erin M. Borland, Teddie Nakayiki, Betty Nalikka, Luke Nyakarahuka, Jeremy P. Ledermann, Nicholas A. Panella, Amy T. Gilbert, Mary B. Crabtree, Julian Kerbis Peterhans, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Stuart T. Nichol, Ann M. Powers, Julius J. Lutwama, Barry R. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduction: A number of arboviruses have previously been isolated from naturally-infected East African bats, however the role of bats in arbovirus maintenance is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure history of Ugandan bats to a panel of arboviruses. Materials and methods: Insectivorous and fruit bats were captured from multiple locations throughout Uganda during 2009 and 2011–2013. All serum samples were tested for neutralizing antibodies against West Nile virus (WNV), yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue 2 virus (DENV-2), Zika virus (ZIKV), Babanki virus (BBKV), and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) by plaque reduction neutralization test …

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Pharmacokinetics Of Anticoagulant Rodenticides In Target And Non-Target Organisms, Katherine Horak, Penny M. Fisher, Brian M. Hopkins Jan 2018

Pharmacokinetics Of Anticoagulant Rodenticides In Target And Non-Target Organisms, Katherine Horak, Penny M. Fisher, Brian M. Hopkins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The concentration of a compound at the site of action is a determinant of its toxicity. This principle is affected by a variety of factors including the chemical properties of the compound (pKa, lipophilicity, molecular size), receptor binding affinity, route of exposure, and physiological properties of the organism. Many compounds have to undergo chemical changes, biotransformation, into more toxic or less toxic forms. Because of all of these variables, predicting toxic effects and performing risk assessments of compounds based solely on dose are less accurate than those that include data on absorption, distribution, metabolism (biotransformation), and excretion of the compound. …

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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 Jan 2018

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 …

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A Cage Efficacy Study Of Sodium Nitrite Formulations For Rodent Control, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael Moulton, Celeste Samura Jan 2018

A Cage Efficacy Study Of Sodium Nitrite Formulations For Rodent Control, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael Moulton, Celeste Samura

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents cause extensive damage to human and natural resources around the world. Rodenticides are heavily relied upon to reduce rodent populations and damage. However, some rodenticides are becoming less effective while others are becoming more restricted in their use. Additionally, there are growing concerns about the non-target effects of rodenticides and the humaneness of some rodenticides. In this study, we tested some formulations containing sodium nitrite, a salt that can be toxic in high enough concentrations. One of our previous studies indicated an LD50 of about 246 mg/kg for various rodent species. It was also determined that rodents could eat …

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Cage Efficacy Study Of An Experimental Rodenticide Using Wild-Caught House Mice, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael Moulton, Celeste Samura Jan 2018

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 …

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Perspectives On Existing And Potential New Alternatives To Anticoagulant Rodenticides And The Implications For Integrated Pest Management, Gary W. Witmer Jan 2018

Perspectives On Existing And Potential New Alternatives To Anticoagulant Rodenticides And The Implications For Integrated Pest Management, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Comprising over 1400 species worldwide, rodents are the largest taxonomic group of mammals (Nowak 1999). Rodent use of habitats is extensive and varied. Most rodent species are relatively small, secretive, prolific, adaptable, and have continuously growing incisors which require constant eroding by gnawing. Rodents are known for their high reproductive potential; however, there is much variability between species as to the age at first reproduction, size of litters, and the number of litters per year. All rodent species have ecological, scientific, social, and/or economic values. They recycle nutrients, aerate soils, distribute seeds and spores, and affect plant succession. Some provide …

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Phase 2 Wildlife Management - Addressing Invasive And Overabundant Wildlife: The White-Tailed Deer Continuum And Invasive Wild Pig Example, Kurt Vercauteren, Amy Davis, Kim Pepin Jan 2018

Phase 2 Wildlife Management - Addressing Invasive And Overabundant Wildlife: The White-Tailed Deer Continuum And Invasive Wild Pig Example, Kurt Vercauteren, Amy Davis, Kim Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife managers in many countries around the world are facing similar challenges, which include: a lack of means to address invasive species and locally overabundant native species issues particularly in the face of declining fiscal resources, reduced capacity to achieve management goals, and a need to garner public support in the wake of changing societal values and increasing human populations. Meeting these challenges requires building off the profession’s successes and developing new paradigms and strategies to curtail the negative impacts invasive and overabundant species are having on our natural resources. Like our predecessors in conservation succeeded in developing our profession …

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Anticoagulant Rodenticides And Wildlife: Introduction, Nico W. Van Den Brink, John E. Elliott, Richard F. Shore, Barnett A. Rattner Jan 2018

Anticoagulant Rodenticides And Wildlife: Introduction, Nico W. Van Den Brink, John E. Elliott, Richard F. Shore, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents began to associate with humans at least from the early Neolithic era with the beginnings of systematic sequestering of food stores by humans (Cucchi and Vigne 2006; Reperant and Osterhaus 2014). About the year 541, the Justinian plague started amid the central granaries and crowded, unsanitary conditions of the later Roman cities. The resulting pandemic was the first documented example of the potentially devastating impact of commensal rodents on European society. The primary reservoir host and source of the plague was the black rat (Rattus rattus), which has widely thought to have disseminated from South-East Asia along …

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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 Jan 2018

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 …

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Anticoagulant Rodenticide Toxicity To Non-Target Wildlife Under Controlled Exposure Conditions, Barnett A. Rattner, F. Nicholas Mastrota Jan 2018

Anticoagulant Rodenticide Toxicity To Non-Target Wildlife Under Controlled Exposure Conditions, Barnett A. Rattner, F. Nicholas Mastrota

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Our knowledge of the toxicity of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) can be traced to investigations of Karl Paul Link and colleagues on “bleeding disease” in cattle, the eventual isolation of dicoumarol from moldy sweet clover, synthesis of this causative agent, and its application as a therapeutic anticoagulant in clinical medicine in 1941 (Link 1959). The notion of a coumarin-based rodenticide as a better “mouse-trap” occurred to Link in 1945 while reviewing laboratory chemical and bioassay data. By 1948, the highly potent compound number 42, warfarin, was promoted as a rodenticide (Link 1959; Last 2002). Through laboratory studies and clinical use of …

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Lessons Learned From Research And Surveillance Directed At Highly Pathogenic Influenza A Viruses In Wild Birds Inhabiting North America, Andrew M. Ramey, Thomas J. Deliberto, Yohannes Berhane, David E. Swayne, David E. Stallknecht Jan 2018

Lessons Learned From Research And Surveillance Directed At Highly Pathogenic Influenza A Viruses In Wild Birds Inhabiting North America, Andrew M. Ramey, Thomas J. Deliberto, Yohannes Berhane, David E. Swayne, David E. Stallknecht

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Following detections of highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) in wild birds inhabiting East Asia after the turn of the millennium, the intensity of sampling of wild birds for IAVs increased throughout much of North America. The objectives for many research and surveillance efforts were directed towards detecting Eurasian origin HP IAVs and understanding the potential of such viruses to be maintained and dispersed by wild birds. In this review, we highlight five important lessons learned from research and surveillance directed at HP IAVs in wild birds inhabiting North America: (1) Wild birds may disperse IAVs between North America …

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Feminization Of Male Brown Treesnake Methyl Ketone Expression Via Steroid Hormone Manipulation, M. Rockwell Parker, Saumya M. Patel, Jennifer E. Zachry, Bruce A. Kimball Jan 2018

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, …

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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 Jan 2018

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 …

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The Effect Of Wildfire On Population Dynamics For Two Native Small Mammal Species In A Coastal Heathland In Queensland, Australia, Adam C. Liedloff, John C. Wilson, Richard M. Engeman Jan 2018

The Effect Of Wildfire On Population Dynamics For Two Native Small Mammal Species In A Coastal Heathland In Queensland, Australia, Adam C. Liedloff, John C. Wilson, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The influences of wildfire through population dynamics and life history for two species of small mammals in a south-east Queensland heathland on Bribie Island are presented. Trapping results provided information on breeding, immigration and movement of Melomys burtoni (Grassland melomys) and Rattus lutreolus (Swamp rat). We first investigated and optimized the design of trapping methodology for producing mark-recapture population estimates to compare two adjacent populations, one of which was subjected to an extensive wildfire during the two year study. We consider how well rodents survive wildfire and whether the immediate impacts of fire or altered habitat have the greatest impact …

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Development And Evaluation Of A Bait Station For Selectively Dispensing Bait To Invasive Wild Pigs, Michael Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Joe M. Halseth, John C. Kinsey, Justin A. Foster, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2018

Development And Evaluation Of A Bait Station For Selectively Dispensing Bait To Invasive Wild Pigs, Michael Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Joe M. Halseth, John C. Kinsey, Justin A. Foster, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Populations of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa; hereafter, wild pigs) are expanding, requiring cost effective tools for control, and disease prevention, such as toxic or vaccine baits. Specifically, development of a novel and humane toxicant is underway for control of wild pigs in the United States and Australia. A species specific bait station for delivering the toxic bait must be used to protect nontarget animals. Further, a bait station must be designed to maximize feeding by wild pigs by accommodating their group-feeding behaviors.We sought to develop a bait station that delivered bait to the maximum proportion of wild …

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Regional-Based Mitigation To Reduce Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions, Nathan P. Snow, Zhen Zhang, Andrew O. Finley, Brent A. Rudolph, William F. Porter, David M. Williams, Scott R. Winterstein Jan 2018

Regional-Based Mitigation To Reduce Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions, Nathan P. Snow, Zhen Zhang, Andrew O. Finley, Brent A. Rudolph, William F. Porter, David M. Williams, Scott R. Winterstein

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Vehicular collisions with large ungulates pose serious challenges for managing and conserving large ungulates throughout the world. Despite the global frequency, mitigation efforts are mostly limited to localized hotspots and not effective on broad scales. Our goal was to determine whether dynamic, regional attributes could inform broader focus for mitigation efforts. We applied a spatiotemporal dynamic model to examine the regional influences on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)–vehicle collisions (DVCs) throughout the Midwest United States from traffic, abundance of deer, and composition and configuration of the landscape during 2000–2011. The regions included eco-zones representing landscape dominated by shelter-forage habitats …

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Diets Of Kauai’S Invasive Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula Krameri): Evidence Of Seed Predation And Dispersal In A Human-Altered Landscape, Aaron B. Shiels, William P. Bukoski, Shane R. Siers Jan 2018

Diets Of Kauai’S Invasive Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula Krameri): Evidence Of Seed Predation And Dispersal In A Human-Altered Landscape, Aaron B. Shiels, William P. Bukoski, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are the world’s most successful introduced parrots, and[2000 individuals reside on Kauai, Hawaii. These birds destroy crops, but impacts to other native and non-native species are largely unknown. Our study objectives on Kauai were to determine: (1) diets of rose-ringed parakeets at five sites (n = 9–25 per site), by sex, through crop and gizzard analysis and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis, and (2) whether birds are dispersing or depredating seeds. We found 100% of birds (n = 64) were eating plant material and 80% of their diet was seed; males …

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Visual Cues For Woodpeckers: Light Reflectance Of Decayed Wood Varies By Decay Fungus, Sean T. O'Daniels, Dylan C. Kesler, Jeanne D. Mihail, Elisabeth B. Webb, Scott J. Werner Jan 2018

Visual Cues For Woodpeckers: Light Reflectance Of Decayed Wood Varies By Decay Fungus, Sean T. O'Daniels, Dylan C. Kesler, Jeanne D. Mihail, Elisabeth B. Webb, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The appearance of wood substrates is likely relevant to bird species with life histories that require regular interactions with wood for food and shelter. Woodpeckers detect decayed wood for cavity placement or foraging, and some species may be capable of detecting trees decayed by specific fungi; however, a mechanism allowing for such specificity remains unidentified.We hypothesized that decay fungi associated with woodpecker cavity sites alter the substrate reflectance in a species-specific manner that is visually discriminable by woodpeckers. We grew 10 species of wood decay fungi from pure cultures on sterile wood substrates of 3 tree species. We then measured …

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Consistent Individual Behavior: Evidence Of Personality In Black Bears, Patrick J. Myers, Julie K. Young Jan 2018

Consistent Individual Behavior: Evidence Of Personality In Black Bears, Patrick J. Myers, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Personality is defined as consistency in individual differences in organismal behavior across time or context, a phenomenon of interest within behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Empirical data have revealed an ever-increasing number and diversity of taxa that display these phenotypic patterns in both wild and captive settings. Moreover, these behavioral traits are frequently linked to wild behavior, life history strategies, and measures of individual fitness. Understanding personality is of particular importance for some animals, such as large carnivores, which may express maladaptive behavior that can lead to conflict with humans. To date, few studies of personality exist on large carnivores and …

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Valuing The Absence Of Feral Swine In The United States: A Partial Equilibrium Approach, J. J. Holderieath, D. L. Pendell, J. C. Hadrich, A. Anderson, C. Slootmaker, E. Harper, S. A. Shwiff Jan 2018

Valuing The Absence Of Feral Swine In The United States: A Partial Equilibrium Approach, J. J. Holderieath, D. L. Pendell, J. C. Hadrich, A. Anderson, C. Slootmaker, E. Harper, S. A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (also called wild pigs; Sus scrofa Linnaeus) are known to cause damage to crops among other types of property damage. This research addresses the lack of economic welfare estimates of wild pig imposed crop damages in the literature by estimating the value of wild pig removal with respect to five crops in nine southern U.S. states. An equilibrium displacement model was used to assess the changes in price and quantity that would result from eliminating damage to corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, and peanuts in these nine states. Changes in price and quantity were used to calculate the changes …

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Influenza D Virus Infection In Feral Swine Populations, United States, Lucas Ferguson, Kaijian Luo, Alicia K. Olivier, Fred L. Cunningham, Sherry Blackmon, Katie Hanson-Dorr, Hailiang Sun, John Baroch, Mark W. Lutman, Bianca Quade, William Epperson, Richard Webby, Thomas J. Deliberto, Xiu-Feng Wan Jan 2018

Influenza D Virus Infection In Feral Swine Populations, United States, Lucas Ferguson, Kaijian Luo, Alicia K. Olivier, Fred L. Cunningham, Sherry Blackmon, Katie Hanson-Dorr, Hailiang Sun, John Baroch, Mark W. Lutman, Bianca Quade, William Epperson, Richard Webby, Thomas J. Deliberto, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Influenza D virus (IDV) has been identified in domestic cattle, swine, camelid, and small ruminant populations across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. Our study investigated seroprevalence and transmissibility of IDV in feral swine. During 2012–2013, we evaluated feral swine populations in 4 US states; of 256 swine tested, 57 (19.1%) were IDV seropositive. Among 96 archived influenza A virus–seropositive feral swine samples collected from 16 US states during 2010–2013, 41 (42.7%) were IDV seropositive. Infection studies demonstrated that IDV-inoculated feral swine shed virus 3–5 days postinoculation and seroconverted at 21 days postinoculation; 50% of in-contact naive feral …

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Efficacy Of Repellent-Treated Structural Barriers For Richardson’S Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus Richardsonii (Sabine)) And House Mice (Mus Musculus L.), Shelagh T. Deliberto, Hailey E. Mclean, Scott J. Werner Jan 2018

Efficacy Of Repellent-Treated Structural Barriers For Richardson’S Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus Richardsonii (Sabine)) And House Mice (Mus Musculus L.), Shelagh T. Deliberto, Hailey E. Mclean, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The worldwide presence of vertebrate pests such as rodents has created a need for non-lethal control methods that can be applied to integrated pest management plans. Chemical repellents are often a useful wildlife management tool as they can be directly applied to a commodity or structure to prevent infringement and damage. We assessed the efficacy of an anthraquinone (AQ)-based repellent in a structural barrier model against Richardson’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii (Sabine)) (RGS) and house mice (Mus musculus L.). The AQbased repellent was applied to pieces of burlap which were secured over each end of a small section …

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