Animal Sciences Commons^™

Can Diet Affect Coloration In Tiger Salamanders?, Katherine Novak

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2018

Amphibians are the fastest known declining taxonomic group in the world with 48% of populations in decline (Stuart et. al. 2004). These declines in amphibian populations are partially due to the lack of basic life history data (Semlitsch 2003). For example, amphibians are known for their bright coloration and ability to rapidly change color. Coloration is key to amphibian survival in terms of defense (as camouflage or a warning sign to predators), thermoregulation (darker skin warms faster), and communication (primarily mating displays) (Rudh and Qvanstrom 2013). One aspect of amphibian coloration that is poorly understood is how much the environment …

Food Habits Of The Hoary Bat In An Agricultural Landscape, Mathew K. Perlik, Brock R. Mcmillan, John D. Krenz

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Information on diets is fundamental to ecological studies. Prey use by the solitary, tree-roosting hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in agricultural landscapes is not known. We examined the stomach contents and fecal material from carcasses of hoary bats collected during a mortality study at wind turbine sites in southwestern Minnesota. We compared diet of hoary bats to availability of prey to determine whether bats were opportunistic or selective. Food of the hoary bats primarily consisted of lepidopterans (moths; 49-50 %) and coleopterans (beetles; 28-40 %). The abundance of insects in the diet of hoary bats was not proportional to the estimated …

Minnesota Banded Darters (Etheostoma Zonale) Exhibit A High Degree Of Genetic Similarity In Mitochondrial Dna Sequences Occurrence, Jean Porterfield, Molly Fee, Jessica Theorin

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Hylogeography, or the historical interpretation of population genetic data, is a useful tool for addressing historical processes like the colonization history of organisms. North American freshwater fishes have experienced glacial ebb and flow in their relatively recent past (as little as 10,000 years before present in Minnesota), and studies of variation in intraspecific DNA sequences of these fishes can shed light on their radiations into previously glaciated areas. This study assessed intraspecific variation in two mitochondrial genes of the banded darter (Etheostoma zonale) from seven Minnesota localities. A high degree of similarity was found among all individuals in the study. …

A New Distributional Checklist Of Minnesota Fishes, With Comments On Historical Occurrence, Jay T. Hatch, Konrad P. Schmidt, Dann P. Siems, James C. Underhill, Robert A. Bellig, Richard A. Baker

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Historical documents, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stream surveys, and the 66,000 record distributional database of the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History (1879-2002) were used to produce a field-usable checklist of the 160 fish species known from Minnesota waters and waters shared with its boundary states and Canadian provinces. The checklist includes distribution by eight major drainages, the conservation status for each species, and reference to nomenclatural changes over the past 20 years. Fishes are arranged according to the latest interpretations of phylogenetic relationships among species and supraspecific taxa. New distributional information is presented for six species introduced …

Unusual Foraging Behavior By An Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciuridae: Sciurus Carolinensis) In An Urban Habitat, Brian S. Shaffer, Barry W. Baker

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

A unique observation of foraging by an Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is described. The squirrel was observed consuming insects that had been impacted on automobile radiators.

What We Know About Minnesota's First Endangered Fish Species: The Topeka Shiner, Jay T. Hatch

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The Topeka shiner, Notropis topeka, is the first of Minnesota's native ichthyofauna to be classified as federally endangered. The species is in serious decline in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa but is far more common in Minnesota than once was thought. At present, it is known from 89 sites in 17 streams of the Missouri River Drainage. Topeka shiners are multiple-clutch spawning nest associates of sunfishes and reproduce over an eight- to ten-week period between late May and early August. Mean clutch size is 261 to 284. Longevity is three years. Males grow faster than females, reaching longer mean total …

Effect Of Human Disturbance On Small Mammal Communities In Itasca State Park, Minnesota, Nancy L. Staus, Kathleen Conforti, Leslie N. Clapper, Jennifer A. Longhenry, C. C. Schoenbauer, Michael S. Rentz, John R. Tester

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

We determined effects of different levels of human disturbance on small mammal richness and relative abundance from live-trapping data obtained in Itasca State Park in northwestern Minnesota. We developed a quantitative measure of human disturbance based on disturbance units and trapped small mammals on three study sites, each reflecting a different level of disturbance. Our data revealed that small mammal diversity decreased with increasing human disturbance. Amount of ground cover and litter depth also appeared to be important in explaining differences in the demographic patterns of small mammals among sites.

Identification Of Walleye X Sauger Hybrid By Isozyme Electrophoresis, J. E. Fulton, J. S. Otis, K. S. Guise

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Of 125 phenotypic walleye screened by isozyme electrophoresis, one unusual individual was detected and subsequently suspected of being a walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) x sauger (S. canadense) hybrid. The isozyme pattern obtained for L-iditol dehydrogenase (IDDH, E.C. 1.1.1.14), phosphoglucomutase (PGM, E.C. 5.4.2.2) and a fast migrating aspartate aminotransferase (AAT, E.C. 2.6.1.1) isozyme showed that this individual had both walleye and sauger isozymes. Isozyme analyses is a useful technique for distinguishing walleye x sauger hybrids from parent species. This is the first report of alleles of the AAT* locus being species specific for sauger and walleye, and the first confirmed report …

Biological Processes: Relationships Between Earthworms And Soil Temperature, Edwin C. Berry, Jerry K. Radke

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Soil fauna play important roles in many soil processes and conditions which relate to agricultural systems. Earthworms are credited with enhancing soil fertility and soil physical properties by their feeding and burrowing activities. Most research on earthworms has focused on the warmer seasons of the year and relatively little is known about earthworm activity and survival during the portion of the year with frozen soils. Earthworms may survive winter by acclimatization, aestivation, or by burrowing to deeper depths where the soil is not frozen. More research is needed on the fate of earthworms in frozen soils. Suggested research areas include: …

The Impact Of Phorate On The Genetic Diversity Of Wetland Aquatic Invertebraes, M. A. Brinkman, W. G. Duffy, C. F. Facemire

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Impacts of the insecticide phorate on the genetic diversity of wetland invertebrates were investigated using field and laboratory studies in 1991. Electrophoretic methods were evaluated for revealing the impact of insecticides. Objectives were to determine the ability of electrophoresis to reveal the impact of phorate on invertebrates and to determine the influence of phorate on the genetic diversity in two common invertebrates. Amphipods, Hyallela azteca and mayflies, Callibaetis ferrugineus (Walsh) were placed in constructed mesocosms in wetlands and were exposed to varying amounts of phorate. Survivors and individuals from the parent population were genetically tested using cellulose acetate electrophoresis techniques. …

Fishery Resource Of The Upper Mississippi River And Relationship To Stream Discharge, William A. Swenson, G. David Hebberling, Daniel J. Orr, Timothy D. Simonson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

ABSTRACT-Fish population data collected through the Northern States Power Company monitoring program near its plants at Monticello and Becker, Minnesota were analyzed to describe species diversity, changes in recreational fishing, fishing success, and the influence of stream discharge on smallmouth bass year-class success and abundance. The work is part of a more extensive effort to develop a model applicable in managing the upper Mississippi River to meet the growing needs of recreation, agriculture, communities, and industry. Analysis of these data shows 48 species to be present and that smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu~ is the most important game species in the …

Distribution, Habitat, And Status Of The Gilt Darter (Percina Evides) In Minnesota, J. T. Hatch

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The distribution and habitat of gilt darter (Percina evides) populations in Minnesota were studied from 1977 through 1983. Gilt darters occurred only in the St. Croix River drainage in moderate to large rivers or near the mouths of large streams. In the late spring, gilt darters were found most often in cobble raceways of moderate to swift current, where they later spawned. Young-of-the-year occupied this same habitat until early fall, when they and the adults moved to deep, swift chutes of rubble riffles to overwinter. Gilt darters tended to associate with the deeper, swifter portions of raceways and riffles, and …

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

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

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

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

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

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

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

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

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

Mosquito Control And Minnesota Amphibians, Tom R. Johnson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

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

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

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

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

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

The Distribution, Ecology And Growth Of The Chestnut Lamprey, Ichthyomyzon Castaneus, In The Clearwater River, Minnesota, Charles S. Holt, Paul A. Durkee

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

This study dealt primarily with the ammocoete stage of the chestnut lamprey, lchthyamyzan castaneus (Girard). The population estimate for ammocoetes in the 25.5 m2 section studied was 540 individuals. The lengths of 452 ammocoetes collected ranged from 42 to 164 mm. A total of 213 chestnut lampreys were retained for laboratory study. Twenty of these were adults with an average length of 136.8 mm (range= 125 mm to 191 mm). Six age classes of ammocoetes were determined. An average increase in body length of recaptured ammocoetes of 2.9 mm was observed during the summers of 1980 and 1981. The habitat …

Siberian Tiger Species Survival Plan: A Strategy For Survival, U. S. Seal, T. F. Foose

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The wild population of Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) is estimated at about 300 in six separate populations. Since an effective population size of at least 500 is necessary for long-term survival and evolution, and since the wild populations are not going to be able to expand in their natural habitat, it is evident that a captive breeding program is necessary for sustained preservation of this form. There are 1000 living Siberian tigers in zoos; only three outside of Russia are wild-born. About 250 are in North American zoos. Although about 68 wild-caught animals have been brought into zoos, six …

Earthworms Of Two Minnesota Forest Areas, R. O. Morgenweck, W. H. Marshall

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

This paper reviews Lumbricidae records for Minnesota and reports on two collections in northern areas of the state. The first site, Itasca State Park, lies to the northwest with "Maple-basswood representative of climax forest to the south and southeast" and " Spruce-fir stands representative of climax forest to the north and northeast" (Buell and Gordon 1945). The Cloquet Forestry Center (CFC); site of the other collection, is near Duluth, 150 miles to the east, where the forests are largely coniferous. Here seven forest types, as described by Wenstrom (1973), and known to be used by American woodcock (Philohela minor), were …

A Vertebrate Survey Of Kasota Prairie, Kenneth Hessenius

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Kasota Prairie is a 30-acre tract of near-virgin prairie in Le Seur County, Minnesota. The vertebrate population at the prairie was studied to determine its significance as habitat for those species. Several species of birds which require prairie or prairie-like habitat were found to be nesting there. Many other avian species also utilize the area for feeding purposes. Small mammal populations were highly influenced by annual prairie maintenance burning.

Browse Use By Eastern Cottontails In A S.E. Minnesota Farmstead Shelterbelt, Robert K. Swihart, Richard H. Yahner

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Use of woody vegetation as winter food by eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) was investigated in a southeastern Minnesota farmstead shelterbelt. Cottontails browsed on 11 species but exhibited a clear preference only for gooseberry (Ribes spp). When snow covered herbaceous vegetation during late winter, cottontails relied more heavily on high fiber, lower protein woody browse. Shelterbelt management that allows invasion of gooseberry and blackcap raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) provides winter food for cottontails and may reduce damage to planted trees.

Utilization Of Wood Duck Nest Boxes By Wildlife Near Cohasset, Minnesota, Robert T. Bohm

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Twenty-seven wood duck boxes located along the Mississippi River near Cohasset, Minnesota were monitored for winter and spring wildlife use from 198o-1982. During these three yearn, overall nest box use was 84 percent, 72 percent, and 82 percent, respectively; winter utilization was 44 percent, 56 percent, and 68 percent; spring utilization was 48 percent, 44 percent, and 37 percent. Most winter use was by red squirrels, gray squirrels, and starlings. Principal spring use was by wood ducks and common goldeneyes, During the course of the study, wood duck use decreased and common goldeneye use Increased. Aspects of the nesting season …

Alternative Hypotheses On Ecological Effects Of Meningeal Parasite (Parelaphostrongylus Tenuis), Glen F. Cole

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

P. tenuis is a ubiquitous parasite of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) that can cause mortality in woodland caribou (Rangerifer tarandus) and moose (Alces alces). A hypothesis that P. tenuis prevents overlapping distributions of these species in southern boreal regions was inconsistent with distribution records. A revised hypothesis that P. tenuis does not prevent overlapping distributions if deer exist at natural densities was consistent with these records but did not state the parasite's ecological effects. A hypothesis that P. tenuis allows deer to outcompete woodland caribou or moose on portions of natural environments or in man-modified environments where deer densities are …

Distribution Of Small Mammals On The Apostle Islands, Gail E. Kantak

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Five weeks of small mammal trapping on the Apostle Islands in 1978 yielded few captures. The low capture rate was attributed to low invasion rates and high extinction rates. Distribution records of small mammal species on individual islands were compiled from studies conducted as early as 1917. The distribution of many small mammal species on these islands remains largely undocumented, and further study is desirable before the patterns are disrupted by human activity.

Winter Sampling Of Benthic Stream Fishes In Minnesota With A One-Man Net, James E. Erickson

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Newly designed one-man nets were used extensively between 1973 and 1977 to collect fishes in a variety of stream habitats in southeastern Minnesota. They proved to be especially effective In winter sampling of benthic stream fishes such as Etheostome zonale, Etheostome ceeruleum, Percina phoxocephala, Percina shumardi, Percina caprodes, Rhinichthyes cataractae, and Noturus flavus. Effectiveness and potential importance of these one-man nets as winter sampling devices was demonstrated during three consecutive winters of use In the Cannon River at Welch, Goodhue County, Minnesota.

Age Study Of Minnesota Red Fox Using Cementum Annulae Counts And Tooth X-Rays, Dennis E. Simon, Merrill J. Frydendall

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

A prerequisite to the proper management of an animal species is understanding of its population dynamics. Attempting this, the age structure of 297 red fox trapped or shot in southern Minnesota was investigated, using the techniques of tooth sectioning and x-ray. Results from two seasons (1977 and 1978) were similar, with 76.8 percent of the harvested population being juveniles (78.4 percent, 1977 and 74.6 percent, 1978), whereas only 0 .6 percent of the total were in the 4½ year old class. The percentage of juveniles corresponds closely to the numbers predicted by a Department of Natural Resources model developed by …

Distribution And Ecology Of Orconectes Iowaensis Fitzpatrick And Orconectes Rusticus (Girard) In Minnesota, Gary S. Phillips, Larry A. Reis

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

During 1979, a field study was conducted to determine the species of crayfish present in southern Minnesota. Specimens of Orconectes iowaensis Fitzpatrick, Orconectes rusticus (Girard), and Orconectes virilis (Hagen) were collected. These represent new state records for O. iowaensis and O. rusticus. O. iowaensis appears restricted to the Root River drainage system in extreme southeastern Minnesota. O. rusticus was found in the West Fork of the Des Moines River in southwestern Minnesota and the Cedar River drainage system in south central Minnesota. Notes on the ecology of these species are included.

Macroinvertebrate Populations In The Upper Mississippi River, David R. Mcconville

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The macroinvertebrate community of the Mississippi River near Monticell, Minnesota, was examined for 22 months. Quantitative bottom fauna information was obtained by use of concrete block artificial substrate sampling units. Representative organisms were obtained from seven (7) orders, 15 families and 35 genera of benthic macroinvertebrates. All taxa collected displayed definite seasonal trends. The Orders Trichoptera, Diptera, and Ephemeroptera were the most abundant groups collected, Trichoptera (Hydropsyche and Cheumatopsyche) were the dominant members of the benthic population in both numbers and biomass. Midges and blackflies were the dominant Diptera. Pseudocloeon, Stenonema, and Ephemerella were the most frequently collected mayflies.

Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Platorhynchus) In The Minnesota River, Paul Durkee, Brian Paulson, Robert Bellig

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhyncus platorhyncus, according to Eddy and Underhill (1974) has not been reported from the Minnesota River for a number of years. Recently, Wilcox et. al. (1978) reported a single adult taken in 1974, and two others in 1976. Our survey of the fishes in the Minnesota River showed a substantial number of shovelnose sturgeon, at least in certain locations. Twenty specimens were taken in 42 gill net days. Other data obtained included food habits and age-length relationships. Food habits were determined through volumetric analysis of stomach contents, and ages were obtained by sectioning the marginal pectoral fin …