Animal Sciences Commons^™

Reproductive Biology, Food Habits, And Forage Ratios Of The Candy Darter, Etheostoma Osburni, In The Cherry River, West Virginia, With An Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna, Ann Elizabeth Schoolcraft

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Etheostoma osburni, the candy darter, is endemic to the lower New River drainage of West Virginia and Virginia and Gauley River drainage of West Virginia. As a result of its endemism and evidence of declining population numbers, the species has been given the status of Special Concern in both states. Candy darters occur in the Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley provinces, and are influenced by different environmental selective pressures. In this study, candy darters were collected in the summer and fall of 1998 and spring of 1999 by backpack electroshocking for determination of their seasonal reproductive biology, food …

Survey Of Medium And Large Mammals In An Urban Park (Murray Park), Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, Josie H. Dickins, David W. Clark, Steffany C. White, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Because of increased environmental awareness by city planning commissions, there are more urban parks and greenbelt areas. These areas often result in increased human and wildlife contacts, thus resulting in the need for management plans regarding urban wildlife. From September 1998 to March 1999, we conducted mammal surveys of the urban greenspace Murray Park, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Surveys were conducted using five methods: direct observations; spot lighting; live trapping; animal sign; and scent posts. Species recorded included, opossum (Didelphis virginiana), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), beaver (Castor canadensis), woodchuck (Marmota monax), …

Effects Of Predation On Two Species Of Stream-Dwelling Crayfish (Orconectes Marchandi And Cambarus Hubbsi) In Pool And Riffle Microhabitats, Heidi Dukat, Daniel D. Magoulick

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Community structure may be governed by many abiotic and biotic factors. Of the biotic factors, predation is often considered to be critical in structuring freshwater stream communities. In the Warm Fork of the Spring River, the crayfish Cambarus hubbsi is found mainly in riffles, whereas the crayfish Orconectes marchandi is found in high numbers in pools. We hypothesized that predation, mainly by fish, is a factor causing this segregation. Higher predation rates for C. hubbsi than 0. marchandi in the pools and higher predation rates for 0. marchandi than C. hubbsi in the riffles were expected. A transplant tethering experiment …

Post-Metomorphic Growth And Reproduction In The Eastern Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne Carolinensis) From Northeastern Arkansas, Stanley E. Trauth, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Robert L. Cox Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Post-metamorphic growth and the reproductive cycle of the eastern narrowmouth toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis) were studied from 204 individuals collected during the April August 1989 activity season in a two-county area of northeastern Arkansas near the northwestern edge of the species' geographic range. Late summer metamorphs require a full growing season before they can reproduce as they approach their second year of life. The oldest individuals may be at least five years old. By late April, gonadal cycles of adults had commenced; the males were producing sperm, and some of the females were gravid. Fertility of both sexes increased during the …

Alpha Status, Dominance, And Division Of Labor In Wolf Packs, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The prevailing view of a wolf (Canis lupus) pack is that of a group of individuals ever vying for dominance but held in check by the “alpha” pair, the alpha male and alpha female. Most research on the social dynamics of wolf packs, however, has been conducted on non-natural assortments of captive wolves. Here I describe the wolf-pack social order as it occurs in nature, discuss the alpha concept and social dominance and submission, and present data on the precise relationships among members in free-living packs, based on a literature review and 13 summers of observations of wolves …

Unidad De Los Anfibios Modernos Como Grupo Natural, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

RESUMEN

La monofilia de la infraclase Lissamphibia ha sido cuestionada. Algunos autores sugieren un origen independiente del Orden Gymnophiona basados en la condición compacta (= estegocrotafía) del cráneo de la cecilias. La presente revisión indica la irrelevancia del estegocrotafismo para establecer las relaciones filogenéticas del grupo. Los datos disponibles sugieren: 1) el estegocrotafismo es secundariamente derivado en cecilias, y 2) Lissamphibia representa un grupo monofilético.

SUMMARY

Unity of modern Amphibians as a natural group

The monophyly of Lissamphibia has been previously questioned. Some authors suggested an independent origin of Gymnophiona based on the solid condition (= stegokrotaphy) of the caecilian …

Regurgitative Food Transfer Among Wild Wolves, L. David Mech, Paul C. Wolf, Jane M. Packard

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Few studies of monogamous canids have addressed regurgitation in the context of extended parental care and alloparental care within family groups. We studied food transfer by regurgitation in a pack of wolves on Ellesmere Island, North West Territories, Canada, during 6 summers from 1988 through 1996. All adult wolves, including yearlings and a post-reproductive female, regurgitated food. Although individuals regurgitated up to five times per bout, the overall ratio of regurgitations per bout was 1.5. Pups were more likely to receive regurgitations (81%) than the breeding female (14%) or auxiliaries (6%). The breeding male regurgitated mostly to the breeding female …

Twenty-Year Home-Range Dynamics Of A White-Tailed Deer Matriline, Michael E. Nelson, L. D. Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We examined the seasonal migration and home-range dynamics of a multigeneration white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) matriline comprising six females from four generations spanning a 20-year period in northeastern Minnesota. All, from the matriarch to her great-granddaughter, migrated to the same summer and winter ranges, the longest individual record being 14.5 years. Three maternal females concurrently occupied exclusive fawning sites within their ancestral matriarch’s summer range, while two nonmaternal females explored new areas and ranged near their mothers. One great-granddaughter expanded her summer range 1 km beyond the matriarch’s summer range while essentially vacating half of her ancestors’ range …

Changes In Small Mammal Community Attributes Associated With Increasing Pine Stand Age In Managed Pine Plantations In Southeastern Virginia, James Douglas Dolan

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Loblolly pine plantations were examined at different ages to identify small mammal community attributes in relation to the succession of the plant community. Forest floor and understory plant communities were characterized. Small mammals were collected by Fitch (live) traps and pitfall traps in four age classes during five seasons of study. Fitch live traps and pitfall traps were used in conjunction with one another to obtain the most accurate depiction of the small mammal community. Fitch traps accounted for 65 % of small mammal captures and 7 of 9 species captured. Small mammal abundance and biomass declined with increasing stand …

Fisheries Research Report No. 110 - A Research Vessel Survey Of Bottom Types In The Area Of The Abrolhos Islands And Mid-West Trawl Fishery., C. J. Dibden, L. M. Joll

Fisheries Research Reports

To address the concern expressed by Commercial rock lobster fishers operating in the Abrolhos Islands area, that expanding saucer scallop trawl activity was damaging the sea floor biota in areas which they considered good rock lobster habitat and poor scallop habitat, an underwater video survey was conducted by the Fisheries Department Research Division, with the following objectives:

1. Examine, classify and map the benthic habitat of areas currently and historically trawled for scallops in the Abrolhos Islands area and adjacent waters;

2. Examine, classify and map the benthic habitat of areas adjacent to these trawled areas, where potential for conflict …

Natural History Of The Southern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina Carolinensis, Hugh H. Genoways, Jerry R. Choate

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The southern short-tailed shrew, Blarina carolinensis, inhabits a broad range of ecological situations in the southeastern United States and, in many areas, is among the two or three most abundant species of small mammals. Nevertheless, its natural history is poorly known and much of what researchers assumed was fairly well understood about this species actually resulted from work on another species (Blarina brevicauda) and may not be correct in all instances. This problem resulted when modem systematic methods revealed that the wide-ranging and well-studied species known at that time as Blarina brevicauda actually consisted of three species …

Life History, Ecology, And Low Ph Tolerance Of The Freshwater Prawn, Palaemonetes Kadiakensis Rathbun, In A Mitigated Wetland Of The Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, West Virginia, Jennifer Ann Aderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An ecological life history study of the freshwater prawn Palaemonetes kadiakensis was conducted at the mitigated wetland of the Green Bottom Wildlife management Area (GBWMA). Monthly samples were collected from November 1996 through November 1997. In addition, weekly samples were collected from May through November for growth and reproductive analysis. Monthly samples yielded 520 prawns. Palaemonetes kadiakensis had a one-year life cycle, with all adults dying by September. Males averaged 23.82 mm (range = 14.15 to 36.75 mm) and females averaged 26.78mm (range = 15.06 to 38.60 mm) in length. Males averaged 0.087g (range = 0.014to 0.293 g) and females …

An Assessment Of The Prevalence Of The Bass Tapeworm, Proteocephalus Ambloplitis, And Other Parasites In Five Species Of Basses From River And Lake Ecosystems In West Virginia, J. Alyce Bradbury

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Two-hundred and fifteen basses were collected from four river sites (Racine Locks and Dam, Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam; Ashland, KY—Ohio River; London Locks and Dam—Kanawha River) and five reservoir sites (Beech Fork Lake, East Lynn Lake, Summersville Lake, Burnsville Lake, and Stonewall Jackson Lake,). The five species of bass caught were: largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides; smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieui; spotted bass, Micropterus punctulatus; white bass, Morone chrysops; and hybrid bass, Morone chyrsops x Morone saxatilis. Basses were collected by three methods: 1) local anglers (hook and line), 2) gill netting surveys; and 3) …

Management Of Red Squirrel Feeding Damage To Lodgepole Pine By Stand Density Manipulation And Diversionary Food, Thomas P. Sullivan

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 18th (1998)

The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) feeds on the vascular tissues of sapling lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) during spring periods in forests of interior British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. This damage may lead to mortality and reduced growth of crop trees in managed stands. Manipulation of stand density by pre-commercial thinning to densities < 1,000 stems/ha is an effective method to lower squirrel populations and feeding damage. Lowering stand density enhances the growth of crop trees, and understory herbs and shrubs as wildlife habitat, while protecting trees from squirrel feeding. This approach has been successful in several forest ecological zones. An alternative management tool is provision of diversionary food (sunflower seed) for those stands susceptible to feeding damage, and where stand thinning has already been completed. Diversionary food can be applied aerially and is very cost effective for protecting managed stands. These techniques may be used to maintain or even enhance species diversity of small mammal communities in those forest stands requiring protection.

Notes On The Natural History Of Lasiurus Borealis In Arkansas, David A. Saugey, Robin L. Vaughn, Betty G. Crump, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Since June 1982 we have studied various aspects of red bat ecology in Arkansas with emphasis on field work in the Ouachita Mountains and examination of specimens submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health Rabies Laboratory (ADHRL).This study reports on continued field work in the Ouachita Mountains using radiotelemetry and updates information regarding red bats submitted to the ADHRL through December 1996. In addition, we revisited a cave previously reported to contain a large number of red bat skull and skeletal remains. We also report remains from another cave system in northcentral Arkansas. These investigations have yielded additional information on …

Highland Pond Utilization By Bats In The Ozark National Forest, Arkansas, J. D. Wilhide, Michael J. Harvey, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Vernon E. Hoffman

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

During May through August 1996, wildlife ponds (man-made and/or naturally occurring) and road ruts on the Sylamore Ranger District, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas, were mist netted to determine extent of utilization by bats. Thirty-nine ponds and road ruts were netted one or more times during 53 nights. These water sources were originally constructed to support wildlife species such as deer, turkey, etc.. This study demonstrates that taxonomically and numerically diverse bat populations use these water sources. Seven hundred and seventy bats of nine species, including two endangered species, were netted. Bats were identified, and sex, reproductive status, forearm length, and …

Quantifying Community Separation And Increase In Number Of Avian Species With Corresponding Increase In Habitat Complexity, An African Example, Douglas A. James

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The relationship between increase in faunal diversity and corresponding increase in habitat complexity was quantified using shrubland bird communities in western Africa. Vegetational characteristics were measured in circular plots around bird positions. Bird species were then arranged from grassy open habitats to dense shrubland and found to be separated into three distinct communities when subjected to Duncan's multiple range procedure in conjunction with discriminant functions analysis. Random samples classified with respect to bird species showed there were few species in the more abundant open habitats and a disproportionate number of species were packed into the less common but complex shrubby …

Chondrocranial Anatomy And Skeletogenesis In Dendrobates Auratus, Rafael O. De Sá, Shannon Hill

Biology Faculty Publications

The larval chondrocranium and visceral skeleton of Dendrobates auratus ls described and compared with those of other dendrobatids. Four characters, i.e. lack of fusion between orbital cartilages and otic capsules, wide processus muscularis palatoquadrati, lack of processus pseudopterygoideus, and lack of processus anterolateralis hyalis, represent derived conditions for Dendrobates within Dendrobatidae. Cranial and postcranial ossification sequences are reported for D. auratus and Epipedobates tricolor. Skeletogenesis is earlier in E. tricolor, but the overall pattern of ossification is similar in the two species.

The Role Of Bowfin, Amia Calva, In Multiple Species Management Plans, Benjamin Jacob Hausmann

Masters Theses

The major challenge to fisheries managers of the 21st century will be to maintain the diversity, not only of fishing opportunity, but also of traditionally non-game and economically unimportant species. With the relatively recent understanding of the importance of ecosystem level management, attention is being focused on native species that were often ignored or eradicated under past management practices. One such fish that has been largely ignored is the bowfin, Amia calva. Ecological data pertaining to bowfin natural history are limited and to date no attempt has been made to integrate bowfin into fisheries management decisions within the species native …

Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) Use Of Wildlife Ponds In Northcentral Arkansas, Michael E. Cartwright, Stanley E. Trauth, J. D. Wilhide

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Forty-one wildlife ponds were monitored between 1988 and 1992 for breeding use by wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). Data were collected on egg deposition and pond characteristics. Breeding activity and characteristics were similar to that reported in other portions of the range of the wood frog. We also monitored 15 newly-constructed ponds to determine chronological breeding patterns. Data collected for each site indicated a significant increase (P< 0.05) in the number of egg masses deposited in ponds as they age from 1-3 years during our study period. Increased chronological use of newly-constructed ponds may be due to localized population increase resulting from greater availability of breeding habitat

In-Stream Monitoring Of Sediments And Water In The Lower Ouachita River For Site Impact To Aquatic Biota, Jerry L. Farris, J. T. Knight, C. D. Milam, F. Buzen, J. F. Nix

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Reported reduced sportfish densities in the main channel of the Ouachita River prompted an investigation, beginning in 1990, into potential causes of ongoing impairment to aquatic biota. In-stream monitoring that incorporated toxicity testing of sediments and water was conducted to discern potential sources of contaminants that might be related to the suboptimal fishery populations. Organisms selected to evaluate chronic impairment included larval fish, clams, midges and water fleas. The fathead minnow {Pimephales promelas) and cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubid) were used to estimate patterns of toxicity associated with water from seven designated reaches and selected tributaries of the Ouachita River. Larval survival …

Telemetric Observations Of Foraging Ozark Big-Eared Bats In Arkansas, J. D. Wilhide, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Michael J. Harvey, Daniel R. White

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens) foraging activities were studied during 1995 in Marion County, Arkansas. Adult bats were equipped with radiotransmitters and tracked during June and July. Foraging activities were generally within 1 kilometer (km) of the roost cave. Male bats ranged farther than females with the exception of one female that flew 2.5 km into a different watershed. Male big-eared bats and northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) were also found within the maternity colony.

Caudal Courtship Glands In The Cave Salamander, Eurycea Lucifuga (Caudata: Plethodontidae), Butch E. Hamlett, Andy G. Strecker, Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Arkansas Range Extension Of The Seminole Bat (Lasiurus Seminolus), J. D. Wilhide, Brady Baker, David A. Saugey

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Nutritional Condition And Reproduction Of Deer At Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Thomas A. Nelson, Donald A. Phillips

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Mollusks Of The Niobrara River: Final Report, Patricia W. Freeman, Keith Perkins

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We surveyed the mollusks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska from 1992–1996. We found two species of unionid clams and ten species of snails that either must live in water or near water. Both clams and snails are poorly sampled in the state, however we attribute the low number of species of unionid clams in the Niobrara to its cold, fast flow and rocky bottom. In contrast, the Platte River is slower moving with a muddy bottom and has at least 11 species of unionid clams. Each species has been mapped with latitude/longitude coordinates. Specimens have been curated and are …

The Annual Reproductive Cycle Of Oryzomys Palustris In A Virginia Tidal Marsh, Erin A. Dreelin

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The objectives of my study were to determine when the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) begins and ends reproduction during the year, if there are seasonal changes in litter size, and the weight at which sexual maturity is reached. Monthly samples of rice rats were trapped from May 1995 to May 1996 in Northampton County, Virginia. Rice rats were trapped with Fitch live traps, euthanized in the field, and brought to the lab for necropsy. Data from two other studies of rice rats in Northampton County were also examined. Potential breeders did not reproduce with equal intensity throughout the …

Ecological Relationships Between The Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys Palustris) And The Meadow Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus) In Two Virginia Tidal Marshes, Christopher P. Bloch

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Small mammals were trapped for 23 months on two live trap grids in tidal marshes in Northampton County, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, to examine ecological relationships between the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) and the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Population density, survival rates, capture probability, recruitment, residence time, and home range size were calculated for each species. Patterns of reproductive activity and fluctuations in mean weight were also observed.

There were considerable differences in population dynamics between the two sites. At Grid 2, where vegetative cover was more abundant, population densities of rice rats and meadow voles …

Diet And Growth Of Larval And Juvenile Grass Pickerel, Esox Americanus Vermiculatus, And Central Mudminnow, Umbra Limi, In The Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Cabell County, West Virginia, Erica Midkiff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The grass pickerel, Esox americanus vermiculatus, is listed as Undetermined on the Vertebrate Species List of Concern in West Virginia. The central mudminnow, Umbra limi, is a disjunct population in Green Bottom Swamp. The lentic, vegetated areas that are required for spawning for the grass pickerel and the central mudminnow have been reduced by residential, agricultural, and industrial developments. Green Bottom Swamp, a naturally occurring wetland of 58 ha, and a nearby mitigated wetland of 29 ha, provides spawning habitat for the grass pickerel and the mudminnow. Fishes were collected in beds of Potamogetan crispus and Ceratophyllum demursum …

Skeletochronological Study Of Adult Spiny Softshell Turtles (Apalone Spinifera) From Northeastern Arkansas, Stanley E. Trauth, Hilary J. Worley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Skeletochronological techniques were used to examine age and growth in adult spiny softshell turtles {Apalone spiniferd) from northeastern Arkansas. The diaphyseal region offemurs of 24 specimens (8 mars mars; 16 venus venus) was excised, decalcified in weak hydrochloric acid, and histologically prepared for light microscopy. Skeletal growth was determined from histosectioned bones by measuring femur diameters as well as by counting lines of arrested growth (LAGs) that appear between distinct periosteal layers (marks of skeletal growth =MSGs) laid down during a single growing season. Although significant positive correlations were found between carapace length (CL) and femur diameter in both males …