Animal Sciences Commons^™

Aspects Of The Ecology Of A Distinct Population Of Xenosaurus Platyceps From Querétaro, México, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Geoffrey R. Smith, Royce E. Ballinger

Papers in Herpetology

Lizards in the genus Xenosaurus (Xenosauridae) show a flattened morphology, which is presumably an adaptation for their crevice-dwelling habits. Despite their general morphological similarities (Ballinger et al., 2000a), there is considerable variation among species and populations in ecological traits, and even populations of nominally the same species (e.g., X. grandis grandis and X. g. agrenon; Ballinger et al., 1995; Lemos-Espinal et al., 2003a) show variation, sometimes as much as between different species.

Populations of Xenosaurus are often geographically isolated (e.g., Pérez Ramos et al., 2000; Nieto Montes de Oca, 2001), and movement appears to be minimal (Lemos-Espinal et al., …

Reflections On Animal Selves, Marc Bekoff, Paul W. Sherman

Sentience Collection

Is self-cognizance a uniquely human attribute, or do other animals also have a sense of self? Although there is considerable interest in this question, answers remain elusive. Progress has been stymied by misunderstandings in terminology, a focus on a narrow range of species, and controversies over key concepts, experimental paradigms and interpretations of data. Here, we propose a new conceptual and terminological framework, emphasizing that degrees of self-cognizance differ among animals because of the cognitive demands that their species-specific social structures and life-history characteristics have placed upon them over evolutionary time. We suggest that the self-cognizance of an organism falls …

Differences In Response To Hypoxia In The Three-Spined Stickleback From Lotic And Lentic Localities: Dominance And An Anaerobic Metabolite, L. U. Sneddon, J. Yerbury

Aquaculture Collection

Dominance hierarchies of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from river and pond populations were subjected to hypoxia (20%, range±1%). Under hypoxia, the hierarchies were less stable in terms of rank position and tissue L-lactate was higher in river fish than pond fish under normoxia and hypoxia. Dominant fish gained mass under normoxia but lost mass under hypoxic conditions possibly due to them maintaining high levels of aggression.

Market Lamb Docking- The Better Way, Unknown Unknown

All Archived Publications

Tail removal or docking of lambs by the commercial sheep industry is a standard management practice. When properly docked, the tail or dock will be long enough that when lifting the tail to defecate, the caudal folds on the under side of the tail are raised.

Seasonal Activity And Reproduction In Bats Of East-Central Nebraska, Kenneth N. Geluso, Russell A. Benedict, Francis L. Kock

Biology Faculty Publications

Information on seasonal activity and reproduction is presented for seven species of bats inhabiting east-central Nebraska (Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis septentrionalis, Nycticeius humeralis, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, and Pipistrellus subflavus). Early and late dates of capture show five species active in the state for longer periods than previously reported. During some years, E. fuscus and M. septentrionalis emerge from winter torpor in March and feed on insects. Some E. fuscus inhabiting a floodplain forest in summer use houses in nearby towns as hibernacula, and year-round use of buildings by E. fuscus is substantial compared to other species of bats. …

The Prevalence Of The Q-Fever Agent Coxiella Burnetii In Ticks Collected From An Animal Shelter In Southeast Georgia, John H. Smoyer Iii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: Q-fever is a zoonosis caused by a worldwide-distributed bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Ticks are vectors of the Q-fever agent but play a secondary role in transmission because the agent is also transmitted via aerosols. Most Q-fever studies have focused on farm animals but not ticks collected from dogs in animal shelters. In order to detect the Q-fever agent in these ticks, a nested PCR technique targeting the 16S rDNA of Coxiella burnetii was used. A collection of 450 ticks from the animal shelter were screened via nested PCR and 144 (32%) were positives. The positive PCR products were also …

Pastoral Resources And Their Management In The Pilbara Region Of Western Australia, A M E Van Vreeswyk, Alan Payne, K A. Leighton

Agriculture reports

This report is a product of the rangeland survey of the Pilbara area of Western Australia which was conducted jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land Administration ... in 1995-1999. This report is primarily intended to be used to assist pastoralists in station management and to assist others involved with the pastoral industry. The survey area includes all of the De Grey, East Pilbara and Roebourne/Port Hedland Land Conservation Districts, part of the Ashburton Land Conservation District.

Ecology Of Sceloporus Undulatus Speari (Sauria: Phrynosomatidae) From North-Central Chihuahua, Mexico, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Geoffrey R. Smith, Royce E. Ballinger, Hobart M. Smith

Papers in Herpetology

We studied the ecology of a population of Sceloporus undulatus speari from the Transmontane Sand Dune region of northern Chihuahua, México. Most of the individuals in our population used fence posts or yucca plants as perches and were only rarely seen on the ground. The majority of individuals in our population were seen in full sun, although a substantial number were in shade. Mean body temperature in our population was 35.2°C. Individuals first seen in full sun had lower T_bs than individuals first seen in shade. Lizards using different microhabitats (e.g., yucca vs. fence post) had different body …

Assessing Animal Welfare At The Farm And Group Level: The Interplay Of Science And Values, D. Fraser

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

In the social debate about animal welfare we can identify three different views about how animals should be raised and how their welfare should be judged: (1) the view that animals should be raised under conditions that promote good biological functioning in the sense of health, growth and reproduction, (2) the view that animals should be raised in ways that minimise suffering and promote contentment, and (3) the view that animals should be allowed to lead relatively natural lives. When attempting to assess animal welfare, different scientists select different criteria, reflecting one or more of these value-dependent views. Even when …

Ua66/5 Newsletter, Wku Agriculture

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by WKU Agriculture Department re: faculty/staff, students/alumni, student organizations and clubs and donors.

Novel Object Test: Examining Nociception And Fear In The Rainbow Trout, Lynne U. Sneddon, Victoria A. Braithwaite, Michael J. Gentle

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

This study aimed to assess fear responses to a novel object while experiencing a noxious event to determine whether nociception or fear will dominate attention in a fish in novel object testing paradigm. This experimentally tractable animal model was used to investigate (1) the degree of neophobia to a novel object while experiencing noxious stimulation, (2) the response of the fish after removing the fear-causing event by using a familiar object, and (3) the effects of removing the nociceptive response by morphine administration and examining the response to a novel object. Control animals displayed a classic fear response to the …

The Evidence For Pain In Fish: The Use Of Morphine As An Analgesic, Lynne U. Sneddon

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

This paper discusses the evidence for pain perception in fish and presents new data on morphine analgesia in fish. Recent anatomical and electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that fish are capable of nociception, the simple detection of a noxious, potentially painful stimulus and the reflex response to this. To prove pain perception, it must be demonstrated that an animal’s behaviour is adversely affected by a potentially painful event and this must not be a reflex response. The present study examined the acute effects of administering a noxious chemical to the lips of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to assess what changes occurred …

Social Learning Of Prey Location In Hatchery-Reared Atlantic Salmon, C. Brown, A. Markula, K. Laland

Aquaculture Collection

Naïve, hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr were paired with demonstrators that had been pre-trained to accept live prey from the surface or from the benthos. After 6 days of observing demonstrators through a clear perspex partition the naïve fish’s benthic foraging skills were tested. The results revealed that hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon can be taught to target benthic prey items by observation alone and social learning protocols can be utilized to dramatically increase benthic foraging success. The results are discussed with reference to refining hatchery-rearing practices with a view to improving the post-release survival of hatchery fishes. The role of …

Do Fishes Have Nociceptors? Evidence For The Evolution Of A Vertebrate Sensory System, Lynne U. Sneddon, Victoria A. Braithwaite, Michael J. Gentle

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Nociception is the detection of a noxious tissue-damaging stimulus and is sometimes accompanied by a reflex response such as withdrawal. Pain perception, as distinct from nociception, has been demonstrated in birds and mammals but has not been systematically studied in lower vertebrates. We assessed whether a fish possessed cutaneous nociceptors capable of detecting noxious stimuli and whether its behavior was sufficiently adversely affected by the administration of a noxious stimulus. Electrophysiological recordings from trigeminal nerves identified polymodal nociceptors on the head of the trout with physiological properties similar to those described in higher vertebrates. These receptors responded to mechanical pressure, …

Considering Animals—Not “Higher” Primates, Marc Bekoff

Sentience Collection

In this essay I argue that many nonhuman animal beings are conscious and have some sense of self. Rather than ask whether they are conscious, I adopt an evolutionary perspective and ask why consciousness and a sense of self evolved—what are they good for? Comparative studies of animal cognition, ethological investigations that explore what it is like to be a certain animal, are useful for answering this question. Charles Darwin argued that the differences in cognitive abilities and emotions among animals are differences in degree rather than differences in kind, and his view cautions against the unyielding claim that humans, …

Trigeminal Somatosensory Innervation Of The Head Of A Teleost Fish With Particular Reference To Nociception, Lynne U. Sneddon

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Trigeminal somatosensory receptors have not been characterised in teleost fish and studies in elasmobranchs have failed to identify nociceptors. The present study examined the trigeminal nerve of a teleost fish, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to determine what types of somatosensory receptors were present on the head of the trout specifically searching for nociceptors. Single unit recordings were made from receptive fields on the head of the fish innervated by the trigeminal nerve. Each receptive field was tested for sensitivity to mechanical, thermal and chemical stimulation. Five different receptor types were found: fast adapting receptors responding to mechanical stimulation; slowly …

Reconstructing Cetacean Brain Evolution Using Computed Tomography, Lori Marino, Mark D. Uhen, Nicholas D. Pyenson, Bruno Frohlich

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Until recently, there have been relatively few studies of brain mass and morphology in fossil cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises) because of difficulty accessing the matrix that fills the endocranial cavity of fossil cetacean skulls. As a result, our knowledge about cetacean brain evolution has been quite limited. By applying the noninvasive technique of computed tomography (CT) to visualize, measure, and reconstruct the endocranial morphology of fossil cetacean skulls, we can gain vastly more information at an unprecedented rate about cetacean brain evolution. Here, we discuss our method and demonstrate it with several examples from our fossil cetacean database. This …

Miedo, Amor, Ternura ... ¿Qué Sienten Los Animales? Emociones A Lo Bestia, Eva NúÑEz-MéNdez

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

A brief inquiry into the question of whether or not animals have feelings, emotions, or possess consciousness. Reviews the current state of scientific research and how it attempts to answer this question.

Dam Design For Pastoral Stock Water Supplies, J S. Addison, R J. Law, G B. Eliot

Bulletins 4000 -

These notes provide information on many components of water harvesting storage systems designed for use in semi-arid areas. The notion of a water harvesting and storage system is deliberately emphasised. No single design component can be considered in isolation if the goal of a drought-proof water supply is to be achieved.

A drought-proof surface water supply is achieved by integrating the many design components of a water harvesting/storage system into a practical plan.

A Simple Reason For A Big Difference: Wolves Do Not Look Back At Humans, But Dogs Do, Ádám Miklósi, Eniko Kubinyi, József Topál, Márta Gácsi, Zsófia Virányi, Vilmos Csányi

Communication Skills Collection

The present investigations were undertaken to compare interspecific communicative abilities of dogs and wolves, which were socialized to humans at comparable levels. The first study demonstrated that socialized wolves were able to locate the place of hidden food indicated by the touching and, to some extent, pointing cues provided by the familiar human experimenter, but their performance remained inferior to that of dogs. In the second study, we have found that, after undergoing training to solve a simple manipulation task, dogs that are faced with an insoluble version of the same problem look/gaze at the human, while socialized wolves do …

Utah Alert: West Nile Virus, Clell V. Bagley Dvm

All Archived Publications

West Nile Virus (WNV) has killed thousands of crows and caused human and equine deaths in North America since it first appeared in New York City in 1999. It has been detected in 144 species of birds, 22 species of mosquitoes, as well as in horses, bats, cats, rabbits and other animals. Birds carry the virus and mosquitoes spread it to other birds, animals or humans. Animals, other than horses and birds, rarely show any illness from the infection.

The Bold And The Shy: Individual Differences In Rainbow Trout, L. U. Sneddon

Aquaculture Collection

Boldness and shyness were investigated as ‘personality’ traits in hatchery-reared rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Bold fish spent more time in an open area and were more active than shy fish and these behaviours could be used as indicators of boldness and shyness. These differences were related to learning ability in a simple conditioning task. Bold fish learned the task more quickly than shy fish.

Farm Disease Crises In The United Kingdom: Lessons To Be Learned, Michael C. Appleby

State of the Animals 2003

Over the last fifteen years, a diverse succession of disease-related crises has befallen farm animal and food industries in the United Kingdom. Some have involved animal health, with little risk to humans. Some have involved human health, with animals acting as a reservoir for infection but little affected themselves. Some, however— including the most alarming— have involved both animal and human health through zoonoses, diseases transmittable from animal to human. All of these crises are linked in the public mind and in many commentaries, and indeed there are issues that many of them share. The most common of these is …

Wild Dog Control : Facts Behind The Strategies, Peter Thomson

Agriculture reports

Background information to how strategies for controlling wild dogs have been developed over the years, not just in Western Australia, but also other parts of Australia. The information is based on scientific studies, including detailed evaluations of techniques and strategies, and also considerable practical experience from doggers, operational staff and landholders. This publication focuses on sheep enterprises.

Description Of A Poorly Differentiated Carcinoma Within The Brainstem Of A White Whale (Delphinapterus Leucas) From Magnetic Resonance Images And Histological Analysis, Sam H. Ridgway, Lori Marino, T. P. Lipscomb

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

In this study we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate neuroanatomical structure in the brain of a white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) that died from a large tumor within the brainstem. This specimen was also compared with a normal white whale brain using MRI. MRI scans of the white whale specimen show how the tumor deformed surrounding brain structure. Histopathological analysis indicated a poorly differentiated carcinoma of uncertain origin. These analyses demonstrate the usefulness of supplementing histological analyses of pathology with studies of gross morphology facilitated by MRI.

Endogenous Gonadal Hormone Exposure And Bone Sarcoma Risk, Dawn M. Cooley, Benjamin C. Beranek, Deborah L. Schlittler, Nita W. Glickman, Lawrence T. Glickman, David J. Waters

Endocrinology Collection

Although experimental and clinical evidence suggest that endogenous sex hormones influence bone sarcoma genesis, the hypothesis has not been adequately tested in an appropriate animal model. We conducted a historical cohort study of Rottweiler dogs because they frequently undergo elective gonadectomy and spontaneously develop appendicular bone sarcomas, which mimic the biological behavior of the osteosarcomas that affect children and adolescents. Data were collected by questionnaire from owners of 683 Rottweiler dogs living in North America. To determine whether there was an association between endogenous sex hormones and risk of bone sarcoma, relative risk (RR) of incidence rates and hazard ratios …

Predators And Life Histories Shape Lestes Damselfly Assemblages Along A Freshwater Habitat Gradient, Robby Stoks, Mark A. Mcpeek

Dartmouth Scholarship

Survey data from New England showed that assemblages of Lestes dam- selflies are organized along the entire gradient of pond permanence and predator presence. One assemblage occupies vernal ponds lacking large dragonfly predators and fish; four are largely confined to temporary ponds that typically contain dragonfly predators; one dom- inates fishless permanent ponds and lakes where dragonflies are the top predators; and one dominates permanent ponds and lakes where fish are the top predators. We determined the role of life history and predation in maintaining this striking pattern by conducting a series of transplant experiments in the field and a …

Impact Of The Agricultural Sector On The Arkansas Economy, H. L. Goodwin Jr., Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller, Gina Vickery, Z. Clayton-Niederman

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agriculture historically has been one of the primary sectors of the Arkansas economy. Agriculture is defined as the sum of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production and processing activities unless otherwise specified. Not only does agriculture contribute to the economy through direct agricultural production and added value processing, it also plays an important role through the economy’s other sectors. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Affairs and the State of Arkansas, the economic impact of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the latest year available, 1999. Gross State Product (GSP) information for Arkansas was compared with …

Ua66/5 Newsletter, Wku Agriculture

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by WKU Agriculture Department re: faculty/staff, students/alumni, student organizations and clubs and donors.

Mitochondrial Dna And The Origins Of The Domestic Horse, Thomas Jansen, Peter Forster, Marsha Levine, Hardy Oelke, Matthew Hurles, Colin Renfrew, Jürgen Weber, Klaus Olek

Genetics Collection

The place and date of the domestication of the horse has long been a matter for debate among archaeologists. To determine whether horses were domesticated from one or several ancestral horse populations, we sequenced the mitochondrial D-loop for 318 horses from 25 oriental and European breeds, including American mustangs. Adding these sequences to previously published data, the total comes to 652, the largest currently available database. From these sequences, a phylogenetic network was constructed that showed that most of the 93 different mitochondrial (mt)DNA types grouped into 17 distinct phylogenetic clusters. Several of the clusters correspond to breeds and/or geographic …