Animal Sciences Commons^™

Surveys Of Aphonopelma Hentzi In Missouri: Conservation Efforts Through Population, Genetics, And Habitat Studies, Anderson B. Spencer Mr., Becky Hansis-O'Niell

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Aphonopelma hentzi and other tarantula species are greatly understudied organisms. In the Missouri regions there is little knowledge on their mating patterns, gene diversity, or population sizes. The focal glades in this experiment display regional fragmentation, which could prevent tarantulas from traveling and mating between regions of their glades. Due to the lack of knowledge surrounding them, methods for determining gene diversity are harmful to the organism. Our recent work has shown that it is possible to extract genetic information from the molts of burrowing tarantulas. This will allow us to safely determine the lineages and interbreeding patterns of the …

Mark-Recapture Methods In Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) Monitoring, Carissa J. Adams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus; EDB) are an imperiled species native to the Southeastern United States longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem. Several markrecapture methods have been used range-wide in hopes of increasing knowledge on their population numbers. I explored the efficacy of two mark-recapture methods (scale cauterization and dorsal head photography) using the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC EDB population in this multi-part study. The first method I evaluated was ventral scale branding, which has been widely implemented without knowledge of brand permanence. I classified misidentification errors at capture status (new versus recapture) and …

Greenfeed Methane Measuring Machine, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) now has the cutting-edge GreenFeed machine which measures emissions from individual cows and sheep, allowing us to determine Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions more accurately in the paddock.

Osteohistological Assessment Of Edmontosaurus Radii From The Liscomb Bonebed, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope, Alaska, Emma Griffin

Student Research Poster Presentations 2024

Hadrosaurs were one of the most diverse dinosaur groups in the Late Cretaceous period and are known for their numerous articulated skeletons and monodominant bonebeds (Wosik et al., 2020). They are more commonly known as duck-billed dinosaurs and are found globally including latitudinal extremes such as the artic and Antarctica. Edmontosaurus, a genus of hadrosaur, are herbivores and are very large growing up to 8,000 pounds. Edmontosaurus were known to travel in herds as a defense mechanism and were one of the last non-avian dinosaurs living during the late Campanian stage through the end of the Maastrichtian stage, right up …

Estimation Of Probability Of Habitat Use Of Roosevelt Elk On The Olympic Peninsula, Vincent Michael Gugliotti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Estimating the probability of habitat use for a particular species is crucial to the direct management and conservation of that species. Without knowledge of habitat preferences, managers cannot effectively focus efforts on vital resources or landscape types. However, modelling probability of habitat use can be done in several ways which leaves room for variation and uncertainty in the estimates produced by each method. This study is an examination of the variation between two estimates of probability of habitat use while focusing on a particular subspecies of elk that inhabits a unique ecosystem relative to other elk subspecies. I modeled elk …

Using Community Science To Monitor Eastern Box Turtles And Engage Public In Conservation, Sarah Zoppa

Masters Theses

The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina; EBT) is a charismatic species with populations in decline due to habitat loss, disease, and other anthropogenic factors. However, due to their cryptic nature, studying an EBT population can be a difficult and intensive process. To investigate EBT populations in Coles County, Illinois, we used a combination of community science and computer-based pattern analysis to develop an approach to tracking individual turtles. Citizen volunteers submitted photos of encountered eastern box turtle carapaces for shell pattern analysis along with GPS coordinates of the encounter. We have received 220 submissions from 47 community volunteers. …

Impact Of Short-Distance Road Transportation On Horse Health, Erica Jacquay

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Horses are regularly transported across the United States; however, the reasons for travel, trip lengths, and management practices are not well characterized. While long distance transportation has been associated with increased incidences of health-related problems, the impact of short distance transportation on horse health is less understood. Notably, aged horses ( > 15 years) have an altered immune response following short-distance transportation, but this has yet to be compared to young horses. It is also unknown whether transportation stress would alter endocrine responses of horses with metabolic disorders, such as insulin dysregulation (ID) or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID).

The objectives …

Determining Population Structure In Kentucky Parascaris Univalens Specimens, Constance Finnerty

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Parascaris univalens is a highly pathogenic nematode that affects the gastrointestinal system of young horses. When unaddressed, this parasite causes severe intestinal impactions and even death. Parascaris univalens is also found to have an emergence of anthelmintic resistances, causing a concern for horse owners. Despite its clinical significance, very little work has been done on Parascaris univalens to identify its population structure. This study aimed to determine the population structure of Parascaris univalens through Illumina next generation sequencing (NGS) on three hierarchical categorizations: within a horse, within an isolated herd, and within horses in the state of Kentucky. A total …

Genomic Studies Of The Equine Bloodworm, Strongylus Vulgaris, Nichol Ripley

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Strongylus vulgaris is the most pathogenic nematode parasite of grazing horses worldwide. This gastrointestinal parasitic nematode is in the family Strongylidae under the subfamily Strongylinae, or Strongylins. While the epidemiology, complete life cycle, and high pathogenicity of the fourth and fifth larval stages of S. vulgaris are well established, we understand very little about its biology. This parasite is renowned for its unique life cycle and capacity to cause arterial damage, leading to significant health and economic impacts for the equine industry. It also is the most intensively documented Strongylin; however, S. vulgaris has yet to gain drug resistance as …

The Bird Family Tree: How All The Major Bird Groups Are Related To Each Other., Eric M. Ray

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This is a video project designed to help inform those who are curious about the shape of the bird family tree. This tree (or phylogeny) covers how the major groups of birds are related to each other. Though not a deep dive into the phylogeny (individual bird families are not covered, for example), this video seeks to give people the basic overview of how groups relate to each other. The total length is just under 30 minutes. At the start the video covers the basics on how to read a phylogeny, and then gets into the discussion of how the …

Multi-Year Effectiveness Of Pzp-22 In Free-Roaming Suburban White-Tailed Deer, Allen T. Rutberg, Kali M. Pereira, Kayla A. Grams, John W. Turner Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To address the challenge that is posed to the use of fertility control to mitigate human–deer (Cervidae) conflicts by the need to regularly re-inoculate free-roaming animals, we captured, ear-tagged, and hand-injected 68 individual adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive vaccine from February through April, 2014 to 2017, in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. Approximately 2.5 years after initial treatments, we booster-darted 29 of the previously treated females with either PZP-22 or native PZP (ZonaStat-D). We observed fawn production between 2014 and 2021. The combination of initial PZP-22 hand-treatments followed by single dart-delivered PZP …

Efficacy Of A Laser As A Starling Deterrent And Its Effect On Lactating Dairy Cow Behavior, Callan A. Lichtenwalter, Marcos Marcondes, Kyle R. Taylor, Craig Mcconnel, Amber Adams Progar

Human–Wildlife Interactions

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) cause damage (including structural damage) on dairies, eat cattle feed, and can potentially spread disease through their fecal matter. Deterring starlings from dairies without affecting cow (Bos taurus) welfare is vital, and lasers have been effective starling deterrence tools in urban roosts and in some crops. To evaluate if the use of lasers on dairies would affect starling use of freestall barns as night roosts, or lactating cow behavior, 1 laser was installed in each of the 2 freestall barns at the Knott Dairy Center at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA. …

State Barrier Fence - Esperance Extension Project Overview 2024, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Western Australia’s State Barrier Fence plays an important role in protecting landholders inside the fence by preventing the movement of animal pests, including wild dogs and emus, from pastoral areas into the agricultural regions. It is a state asset which is managed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The original fences (numbers 1, 2 and 3) were constructed between 1902 and 1907. Originally known as the Rabbit Proof Fences, it has also been known as the State Vermin Fence, the Emu Fence and now the State Barrier Fence. Since 2010, the fence has been upgraded to wild …

Compliance And Roughness In Relation To Gecko Locomotion, Brooklynn Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and …

Gastrointestinal Parasite Prevalence Of Missouri Dogs Against Various Risk Factors, Mattie Cobban

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Gastrointestinal parasites infect various mammalian species, including dogs, causing symptoms like diarrhea, lethargy, anemia, and possible death. Some gastrointestinal parasites possess zoonotic potential posing risk to dog owners, shelter workers, trainers, veterinary staff, groomers, and the public since dogs have access to public areas such as parks and stores. This study aims to understand the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in southwest Missouri under different environmental conditions. Fecal samples were collected from the Polk County Humane Society, local dog trials, and dog owners. The Mini-FLOTAC fecal flotation method was employed to quantify the type and number of parasite ova …

Alpaca Assisted Activities In The New England Alpaca Industry: A Possible Solution To Farm Profitability And Participant Mental Health, Ashley Michele Masse

Honors Theses and Capstones

The high operating costs of the New England alpaca industry were putting the majority of alpaca farmers in this region in a state of financial loss. On a separate note, American communities were experiencing a prevalence of anxiety and depression. What if a single solution could help improve the outcome of both these challenges that seem to have little to do with each other? Alpaca Animal Assisted Activities (alpaca AAAs) was a possible solution. This study explored New England alpaca farm profitability and alpaca AAAs in a way no other research study has done before. A Farmer Survey was mailed …

Alpaca Assisted Activities In The New England Alpaca Industry: A Possible Solution To Farm Profitability And Participant Mental Health, Ashley Michele Masse

Honors Theses and Capstones

The high operating costs of the New England alpaca industry were putting the majority of alpaca farmers in this region in a state of financial loss. On a separate note, American communities were experiencing a prevalence of anxiety and depression. What if a single solution could help improve the outcome of both these challenges that seem to have little to do with each other? Alpaca Animal Assisted Activities (alpaca AAAs) was a possible solution. This study explored New England alpaca farm profitability and alpaca AAAs in a way no other research study has done before. A Farmer Survey was mailed …

The Continuation Of Thoroughbred Racing: A Dual Mission, Isabella V. Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

Thoroughbred racing is the highest-profile segment of the equine industry in the United States and around the world, accounting for 50% of industry jobs and 25% of industry revenue. Public interest in the sport is rising thanks to social media and celebrity involvement at marquee events like the Kentucky Derby, leading to increased scrutiny of the sport, posing a high risk to human and equine participants alike. Public outcry at equine injuries in particular threatens the sport’s social license to operate (SLO), making it critical to protect the “whole-life welfare” of the animals involved in the sport to ensure its …

You Can Lead A Horse To Water: Mapping Seasonal Water Resources To Predict Wild Horse Movements On Utah Rangelands, David C. Stoner, Eric Thacker, Linden Greenhalgh, Mark Nelson

All Current Publications

All wild horse herd management areas in Utah overlap BLM grazing allotments. Although horses and cattle have similar dietary habits, both species rely heavily on predictable water sources during dry periods. The concentration of wildlife and livestock in mesic areas during droughts can become problems for farmers and livestock producers. We aimed to map the annual distribution of temporary surface water across Utah that cattle, horses, and wildlife could use. Herein we analyzed an 18-year record of satellite imagery to create a statewide map of seasonal surface-water availability for agricultural and wildlife management purposes.

A Year Of Wins For Farmed Animals, Lewis Bollard

General – Farm Animal Issues

Although the European Union shelved its ambitious farmed animal welfare reforms, there were other “wins” for farmed animals in 2023. There were 130 new corporate pledges to eliminate cages for laying hens and the worst abuses of broiler chickens. So far, over 1,000 corporate pledges have been fully implemented, and 39% of American hens, 60% of European hens, and 80% of British hens are cage-free, up from 6%, 41%, and 48%, respectively, a decade ago. The US Supreme Court upheld California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of eggs, pork, and veal from caged animals and their offspring in California. …

A Year Of Wins For Farmed Animals, Lewis Bollard

Nexus – UNEP – Animal Welfare, Environment, Sustainable Development

Although the European Union shelved its ambitious farmed animal welfare reforms, there were other “wins” for farmed animals in 2023. There were 130 new corporate pledges to eliminate cages for laying hens and the worst abuses of broiler chickens. So far, over 1,000 corporate pledges have been fully implemented, and 39% of American hens, 60% of European hens, and 80% of British hens are cage-free, up from 6%, 41%, and 48%, respectively, a decade ago. The US Supreme Court upheld California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of eggs, pork, and veal from caged animals and their offspring in California. …

Status Survey Of Eight Rare Aquatic Macroinvertebrates In East Texas, Alexandra Randall

Biology Theses

Freshwater is essential to human existence. The health of each freshwater source is connected to the survival of pollution intolerant species of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT taxa). A higher presence of EPT taxa equates to better water quality because their water bound larvae assist in maintaining clean freshwater environments and will not survive in highly polluted water. Human disruption to natural environments is causing increases in polluted freshwater, leading to decreases in the presence of EPT taxa. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department documentation shows major concern for the populations of eight EPT species of …

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …

Of Changing Climate And Habitat: Range-Wide Individual Growth And Local Patterns Of Phenology And Landscape Use In A Threatened Pit-Viper, James Helferich

Theses and Dissertations

Over the 21st century, climate change and wetland habitat loss will pose major threats to the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a federally threatened and Great Lakes region endemic rattlesnake. I collected capture-recapture data from sites across the range and modeled the effect of climatic variables on growth rate and asymptotic size. I found that high snow residence time was associated with larger asymptotic sizes but slower growth, while high spring precipitation increased growth rate. I then projected future growth and size under different carbon emission scenarios. Given the threat posed by successional encroachment of woody vegetation, I used spatially explicit …

Nutritional Evaluation Of Hydroponic Corn Fodder And Its Effect As Substitute For Feed Concentrates For Buffalo Calves, Charity I. Castillo, Phoebe Lyndia T. Llantada, Cyril P. Baltazar, Mary Rose D. Uy-De Guia, Reynald D. Amido, Arnel N. Del Barrio

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study investigated the effects of hydroponic corn fodder on the growth performance of buffalo calves. Twelve Bulgarian Murrah buffalo calves were divided into two treatment groups: T1, fed with Napier grass and starter feed concentrates, and T2, fed with Napier grass, starter feed concentrates, and hydroponic corn fodder, replacing 50% of the starter feed concentrate. The study found no significant differences between the two groups' average total weight gain and average daily gain. However, the average daily feed intake was significantly higher in T2, possibly due to the tender and young nature of the hydroponic corn fodder. Dry matter …

The Influence Of Invasive Species On Fishers’ Satisfactions, Caroline M. Laplante

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Invasives species are prevalent and widespread in North America. Outdoor recreational activities, such as fishing, introduce a point in which humans may interact with invasive species and have to adapt their own behaviors. Bigheaded carp in the Missouri River below Gavin’s Point Dam are a group of invasive fish species that were thought to be negatively relating to recreational fishers’ satisfactions. Using a content analysis and an importance-grid, we conclude that invasive species do not strongly relate to recreational paddlefish fishers’ satisfactions. Paddlefish fishers represent a small sub-set of recreational fishers in Nebraska and South Dakota. The content analysis revealed …

Game-Theoretic Approaches To Optimal Resource Allocation And Defense Strategies In Herbaceous Plants, Molly R. Creagar

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Empirical evidence suggests that the attractiveness of a plant to herbivores can be affected by the investment in defense by neighboring plants, as well as investment in defense by the focal plant. Thus, allocation to defense may not only be influenced by the frequency and intensity of herbivory but also by defense strategies employed by other plants in the environment. We incorporate a neighborhood defense effect by applying spatial evolutionary game theory to optimal resource allocation in plants where cooperators are plants investing in defense and defectors are plants that do not. We use a stochastic dynamic programming model, along …

Impacts Of Disturbance And Nutrient Addition On Coastal Dune Arthropod Communities, Kayla Beitzel

Honors Theses

Coastal dune ecosystems are globally distributed ecosystems that occur from the tropics to the poles and serve as the first line of defense during storms. They are critical habitats for a variety of organisms and also play a critical role in stabilizing coastal habitats. These systems face increased pressure via urban development, recreational expansion, and sea-level rise (Newman et al. 2023; Webster et al. 2005). Insects are vital consumers in coastal ecosystems and act as regulators of plant growth. Low-diversity ecosystems, like coastal dune systems, often contain a higher abundance of low-diverse insect consumers (Ripple et al. 2021), which can …

Multi-Omics Reveals Largely Distinct Transcript- And Protein-Level Responses To The Environment In An Intertidal Mussel, Lani U. Gleason, Florian J. Fekete, Richelle L. Tanner, W. Wesley Dowd

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Organismal responses to stressful environments are influenced by numerous transcript- and protein-level mechanisms, and the relationships between expression changes at these levels are not always straightforward. Here, we used paired transcriptomic and proteomic datasets from two previous studies from gill of the California mussel, Mytilus californianus, to explore how simultaneous transcript and protein abundance patterns may diverge under different environmental scenarios. Field-acclimatized mussels were sampled from two disparate intertidal sites; individuals from one site were subjected to three further treatments (common garden, low-intertidal or high-intertidal outplant) that vary in temperature and feeding time. Assessing 1519 genes shared between …

Precipitation And Greenness In Pastoral Lands Of East Turkana, Kenya, Paul Akpejeluh

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pastoralism has long supported livelihoods and provided essential ecosystem services in landscapes of East Africa. Vegetation productivity is central to the functioning of pastoral systems but may be affected by changes in climate and landuse. Vegetation monitoring is important for understanding the effects of global change in pastoral lands; however, it can be time and resource intensive. Remote sensing provides opportunities for efficient multi-scale monitoring of vegetation and climatic drivers. In this thesis, I explore the utility of satellite and UAV remote sensing for monitoring vegetation and precipitation trends and relationships in the East of Lake Turkana Region of northern …