Animal Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Site Fidelity And Habitat Use Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) To Evaluate The Performance Of Two Artificial Reefs In South Texas Utilizing Acoustic Telemetry, Andres Garcia

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Evaluation of artificial reefs is becoming an increasingly important component of fisheries management. This is particularly true for the northwestern Gulf of Mexico where natural hard substrate is limited and 359 petroleum platforms are scheduled for removal in 2013 due to the “idle iron” policy. This study compared the performance of two artificial reef configurations off the south Texas coast, the Texas Clipper and South Padre Island Near Shore Reefs that differ in material, depth, and distance from shore, with respect to behavior of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, an important recreational and commercial species. Red snapper were implanted with depth …

Effects Of Habitat Enrichment On The Stress Level Of The Sit-And-Wait Predator Sand Boa (Gongylophis Colubrinus), Jose Manuel Cantu Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Conditions in which the animals are housed vary according to animal use. Conditions unfamiliar or unsuited to organisms usually induce stress. Stress is mirrored by a hormone cascade resulting in glucocorticoids. Of the glucocorticoids corticosterone is regarded as the most important. The corticosterone levels of sand boas (Gongylophis colubrinus) were measured under enriched and barren soil and cage features. Enriched soil consisted of enough dirt to allow borrowing. Enriched cage featured consisted of a wooded ball. Barren soil consisted of newspaper as substrate. Barren cage features consisted of plane newspaper. Snakes were subject to treatment for two weeks. No significant …

Factors Shaping The Ontogeny Of Vocal Signals In A Wild Parrot, Karl S. Berg, Steven R. Beissinger, Jack W. Bradbury

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Parrots rely heavily on vocal signals to maintain their social and mobile lifestyles. We studied vocal ontogeny in nests of wild green-rumped parrotlets (Forpus passerinus) in Venezuela. We identified three successive phases of vocal signaling that corresponded closely to three independently derived phases of physiological development. For each ontogenetic phase, we characterized the relative importance of anatomical constraints, motor skills necessary for responding to specific contexts of the immediate environment, and the learning of signals that are necessary for adult forms of communication. We observed shifts in the relative importance of these three factors as individuals progressed from …

Responses To Predator Recognition Odors In Marmorkrebs, Loren Samantha Beard

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Marmorkrebs is a parthenogenetic crayfish with no indigenous populations. They have been introduced in several countries and could become an invasive species. Individuals introduced in Germany had longer, sharper spines, suggesting an adaptation to predators via developmental plasticity. This was tested by exposing juveniles to the odor of a fish during development and comparing them to controls. Subsequent spine length or sharpness did not differ. Other crayfish detect predators via an alarm cue, hemolymph, and exhibit avoidant behavior in response. I hypothesized that Marmorkrebs would also treat hemolymph as an alarm cue. The behavior of adult crayfish exposed to food, …

The Study Of The Parasitic Fauna In Sciaenops Ocellatus, Lower Laguna Madre, Texas, Veronica Abrigo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Parasitological investigations provide information on ecosystem health because parasite prevalence and abundance are influenced by biotic and abiotic environmental changes. This survey classified the parasitic fauna of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in the Lower Laguna Madre, TX. Fish (n = 239) were collected from four study sites (May 2005 - June 2006). Parasite identification consisted of digenean and monogenean trematodes, cestodes, larval nematodes, copepods, and protozoans. Parasite prevalence and host length was positively correlated from South Bay (r=0.473), Port Isabel (r=0.533), Arroyo(r=0.314), and Port Mansfield (r=0.630). Significant differences (p<0.001) between zone and parasite prevalence from Arroyo site indicated a higher prevalence of protozoa and monogeneans and reduced prevalence of digeneans. Statistical analyses indicated the greatest difference between Port Isabel and Arroyo sites ( divided by 2= 48.195; p<0.001; df= 14), and the least difference between South Bay and Arroyo sites ( divided by 2= 20.847; p= 1.06; df= 14).

Fabrication Of Mineralized Collagen From Bovine Waste Materials By Hydrothermal Method As Promised Biomaterials, Faheem A. Sheikh, M. A. Kanjwal, Javier Macossay-Torres, Muneeb A. Muhammad, Travis Cantu, Ioannis S. Chronakis, N. A. M. Barakat, Hak Yong Kim

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

In the present study, we aimed to produce mineralized-collagen by hydrothermal process. A simple method not depending on additional foreign chemicals has been employed to isolate the mineralized-collagen fibers from bovine waste. The process of extraction involves the use of hydrothermal method from available bovine bones. The structural and morphological properties of the collagen fibers were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These results indicated well received collagen fibers, having a diameter less than 1 μm and with established mineral content in the individual fibers. The X-ray diffraction showed the crystalline feature of the obtained nano-compounds. …

Variation In Parenting Style In A Captive Group Of Western Lowlands Gorillas, Ana E. Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Parenting styles were examined in a group of western lowland gorillas to determine the relationship between parenting style and multiple births with a single individual. Another interest in this study was on varying ways that motherhood can be approached, with partial attention to the relationship between parenting style and social rank. Observational data was collected by means of focal animal sampling and used to analyze contact behaviors in mother-infant relationship. Results indicated that parenting style stayed consistent within the same mother, but different between mothers.

Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus Aeneus) Habitat Use And Differential Response To Playback Of Host Song, Mary Jennifer Gorton

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

During the breeding seasons of 2008 - 2009, 180 fixed-radius point-count surveys and broadcasts of host song were conducted in Santa Ana (SANWR) and Laguna Atascosa (LANWR, 2009 only) National Wildlife Refuges to identify Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) habitat use and test the predictions of the host activity hypothesis. Surveys demonstrated that Bronzed Cowbirds were distributed across all habitat types in both refuges, although there were differences in abundance between the sexes for interior and edge habitats and between habitat types. Bronzed Cowbirds responded differentially to host species playbacks based on suitability and abundance of the host species. The results …

Does The Manipulation Of Tail Position Facilitate Extinction Of Canine Phobic Behavior?, Rebecca A. Zarate

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The phobic behavior of interest is tail tucking which is indicative of submission. In this study the tail was physically manipulated by the use of a custom made harness to hold the tail up in a dominant position to ideally extinguish phobic behavior through reciprocal inhibition. The harness did not hold the tail up the entire duration of the interventions, although it still held the base of the tail up. The intervention did not appear to have an affect on the two of the five subjects. The three more phobic canines did display some behavioral changes, although the changes noticed …

Population Ecology And Reproductive Biology Of The Diamondback Watersnake, Nerodia Rhombifer (Serpentes: Colubridae), In Southernmost Texas, Ruben D. Zamora

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Nerodia rhombifer is a polytypic, semi-aquatic snake with a broad geographical distribution ranging from the American Midwest southward to Chiapas, Mexico. Although relatively abundant throughout much of its range, few ecological studies of the species have been conducted. This study provides basic population ecology information in a subtropical habitat. Population data were obtained in a mark-recapture study at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Hidalgo County, Texas, from August 1995 to December 1998. Specimens taken elsewhere in Hidalgo County provided information on the reproductive biology. This study provides the first absolute density estimates from anywhere within the species’ range. Quantitative information …

Stress Responses To Salinity In A Native Fresh Water Snake (Nerodia Rhombifer), Joana A. Cordoba

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Salinity stress at 0 ppt, 9 ppt, 18 ppt, and 27 ppt was investigated in Nerodia rhombifer, a fresh water snake. The purpose of this study was to establish if exposure to salinity could elicit a hormonal response in the form of corticosterone. Salinity treatment 27 ppt was lethal for 50% of the snakes. Factors such as population and gender differences were not significant, p=0.748 and p=0.135, respectively. Exposure to the different salinities did not significantly affect the overall mass of the animal, p=0.951. A significant increase in circulating corticosterone was noted in salinity treatments 0 ppt and 18 ppt, …

Great Curassow And Crested Guan Near Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Great Curassow (Crax rubra) and Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) were rediscovered in the Ciudad Victoria area of southwestern Tamaulipas, Mexico for the first time since 1909. Birds were found in low elevation canyons containing permanent running water, with riparian forest dominated by Montezuma bald-cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) and steep scrub-covered slopes. These records represent the northernmost known points of the ranges of both species. Additional field work will be needed to determine whether these small populations are isolated from the nearest known populations in the El Cielo/Gómez Farías area of southern Tamaulipas.

Additions To The Breeding Avifauna Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The breeding avifauna of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas has experienced many changes during the 20th century, primarily because of declines in native habitats due to land being converted to agriculture and urban habitats. This paper summarizes changes in breeding avifauna from 2003–2007 in the area. Breeding has been confi rmed for Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), and Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia oraria) for the fi rst time, and for Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (Geothlypis poliocephala) and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) after periods of apparent absence. Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) is a possible breeder, based …

Hooded Oriole Nest Failure Associated With A Novel Nest Site, Kevin Ellison, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Ecological traps occur where species are attracted to use a resource that exposes them to greater than normal risk of mortality or reproductive failure. We observed complete failure of Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) nests in streetlights in a south Texas suburb where use of such nest sites was relatively common. This is of concern as streetlights functioned essentially as traps: orioles built their nests within them but all these nests failed, evidently because the eggs were exposed to lethal temperatures. Moreover, Hooded Oriole nesting success on all other substrates in this area was low (31%, n -- 69). Therefore, sufficient …

Breeding Abundance And Nest-Site Distribution Of The Altamira Oriole At Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, Timothy Brush, Christopher R. Hathcock

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The distribution of the Altamira oriole (Icterus gularis) in the United States is restricted to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of southernmost Texas. Our objective was to assess the current breeding status of this species at and near Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (SANWR), a principal nesting area in the region. During each breeding season from 1997 to 1999, we attempted to find and monitor all Altamira oriole nests in and within 0.5 km of SANWR to determine annual breeding-pair abundance, annual nest-site distribution, and nest distribution among tree species. We estimated that there were 6 or 7, 8 or …

Breeding Distribution And Habitat Use Of Audubon's Oriole In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Steven Gerald Monk

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Audubon's Oriole ( Icterus graduacauda ) was known historically throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas, but its breeding range has now declined to mainly riparian habitat in Starr County. Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, and brood parasitism by Bronzed Cowbirds ( Molothrus aeneus ) are likely causes of this decline. Habitat patches where Audubon's Orioles were present were larger, with a larger vertical range of canopy, greater vegetation volume, greater richness of bird and woody plant species, less local deforestation, and less local habitat fragmentation than where Audubon's Orioles were absent. Bronzed Cowbirds showed no numeric correlation …

Chorionic Morphology Of Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) Eggs Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Maria D. De Leon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

External egg morphology of ten species of Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) mayflies are compared using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a taxonomic key to the eggs is provided. The eggs of five species are described here for the first time. Preserved female adults or subadults were critical-point dried using liquid CO2 . The eggs were removed and placed on metal stubs for sputter coating with gold/palladium. The coated eggs were then observed and photographed by SEM. The morphological features described were the chorionic sculpturing, polar caps, accessory attachment structures, and micropyles. This is the first mayfly egg comparison and …

Comparison Of Native Brushland, Replanted, And Unaided Secondary Succession Plant Communities In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Mitchell Allen Sternberg

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Agriculture and urban development have destroyed 95% of native brushland habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of south Texas. Therefore, habitat restoration is an important issue in the LRGV. Since 1982, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been replanting areas in the LRGV to native brushland species to establish a wildlife corridor along the lower reach of the Rio Grande. Vegetation composition of a mature brushland, a replanted habitat and an unaided secondary succession site (fallow field) were examined at one locale in the LRGV in 1999. The mature brushland edge plot had the highest species richness …

First Nesting Attempt Of Yellow-Faced Grassquit (Tiaris Olivacea) In The United States, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

No abstract provided.

Ocelot Distribution In The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Kevin James Shinn

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Weaver hair-snaring surveys were conducted at 125 sites on 27 Refuge tracts to obtain information about the distribution and population status of the endangered ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The surveys resulted in 33.6% of the pads “hit”, including 8 by ocelot and 29 by bobcat. There was no significant difference in the number of ocelot hits between warm and cool seasons or between the sexes. Preferred habitat consists of dense thornscrub brush. Four species, snake-eyes, granjeno, honey mesquite, and colima comprise 50% or more of the total cover at each …

First Nesting Records Of The Black Phoebe (Sayornis Nigricans) In Southernmost Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

No abstract provided.

Detection Of The Phototoxic Dye Phloxine B In Anastrepha Ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), Apis Mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) And Honey, Aleena M. Tarshis Moreno

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A spectrophotometric method for detection of phloxine B, a phototoxic dye proposed as a replacement for malathion bait sprays, in extracted tissues of Anastrepha ludens, Apis mellifera and in honey was developed. Dye detection was increased with a pH change from 6 to 13.7 in tissues or from 3.7 to 8 in honey with 2% sodium hydroxide. An LC 50 of 29.62 ppm phloxine B in 30% sucrose was obtained by feeding honey bees. A predictive model for dye in insect tissues and honey was developed and shown to be 89–92% effective. This study provides a forensic approach to determine …

Comparison Of Rodent Communities Of Native Brushland, Replanted, And Secondary Succession Sites In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Mitchell Allen Sternberg

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

I compared small mammal communities between mature brushlands, replanted brushlands, and secondary succession sites from November 1998 to December 1999 to evaluate revegetation efforts in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I determined rodent community characteristics of the three habitat types. The mature brushland and replanted habitats had similar species diversities and both were significantly higher than the secondary succession habitat. Species diversity was highest at the replanted edge grid during Winter. The current replanting method provides a more diverse rodent community than does natural succession from fallow fields. Wildlife monitoring should be extended to other taxonomic guilds so …

Factors Affecting Reproductive Success In Hosts Of The Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus Aeneus) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Christopher R. Hathcock

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

During 1997–99, brood parasitism by the Bronzed Cowbird ( Molothrus aeneus), nest predation, and nest sites were examined in selected songbird species in southern Texas. I found a significantly lower parasitism rate in the Long-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre ) and Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) than did Carter (1984) at the same site in the early 1980's. High rates of cowbird visitation to Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) nests suggest that cowbirds frequently attempt to parasitize this species. However, orioles probably puncture-eject cowbird eggs from their nests most of the time. Orioles experienced a significantly lower …

World Birding Center-Edinburg: An Application To The Meadows Foundation, Wendy Smith Sturgis

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The World Birding Center is a unique and innovative partnership among Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the cities of Brownsville, Mission, Weslaco, Harlingen, Edinburg, McAllen, Hidalgo, Roma, Rio Hondo and South Padre Island. The WBC is a first of its kind regional approach to nature conservation and birdwatching.

Edinburg's portion of the budget is 8.75%, and the City will fund salaries for a director and education coordinator and operations specific to the Edinburg center through the City's general fund.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department estimates 175,000 visitors annually. Direct local expenditures (based on an average visit of 6.3 days, …

First Nesting Record Of Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata) In Hidalgo County, Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

No abstract provided.

The Ecology And Life History Of The Mexican Tetra, Astyanax Mexicanus, (Teleostei: Characidae) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Mario Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Mexican tetra has been found to migrate from shallow waters in the spring and summer months into deeper waters during the winter months when temperatures are too cold for their survival. This fish is omnivorous with insect material being the major source of food. Its food types include green algae, nematoceran larvae, hemipterans, coleopterans, hymenopterans, dipterans, ostracods, fish eggs and amphipods. Furthermore, size classes showed that the Mexican tetras reached their largest size at the River site and smaller sizes at the Bridge and Gate sites and apparently breed year round. They are capable of producing from 300 to …

Current Status Of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet And Tropical Parula In Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park And Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Southern Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

There are no published records of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) and Tropical Parula (Parilla pitiayumi) nesting in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas since the late 1940s. In this 1996- 1998 study, both species were confirmed nesting at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet was also confirmed at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park. Most Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet nests were between clumps of ball-moss (Tillandsia recurvata) in cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) trees, and nests were active from 21 March-23 September. Only fe. males build nests or incubate. Two-three young fledged per successful nest, but three nests were abandoned …

Changes In The Breeding Bird Community Of Subtropical Evergreen Forest In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, 1970s-1990s, Timothy Brush, Alberto Cantu

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Breeding-bird censuses conducted in 1994-1996 at the Santa Ana National Wildlife, southern Texas were compared to those done on the same site in 1973-1978. The study site was described as subtropical evergreen forest in the 1970s, but is now thorn-forest with remnant evergreen forest. Canopy cover was incomplete and lower and trees were smaller and more densely packed in 1994-1996 than in 1973-1978. Seven bird species typical of thorn-forest and thorn-scrub, which were not present in 1973-1978, made up 20% of the breeding bird community in 1994-1996. Species tolerant of thorn-forest and thorn-scrub made up 76.0% of the breeding bird …

The Brood-Rearing Habitat, Brood Home Range, And Fecundity Of The Snowy Plover (Charadrius Alexandrinus) In Coastal Southern Texas, Jeffery R. Rupert

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Habitat fragmentation has been shown to have negative effects on avian communities. I looked at the effects of corridor width and vegetation characteristics on nesting densities and breeding success of birds in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. There were definite trends in this study of increasing species richness and nesting densities with increasing corridor widths. Multiple regression revealed little correlation between tree density, diameter at breast height, tree height, canopy cover and ground cover with nesting density or nesting success. However, factors such as parasitism by the Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) and predation were much greater in narrower corridors. This …