Animal Sciences Commons^™

Breeding For Improved Feed Conversion Efficiency, Alan Lymbery

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Alan Lymbery reports on a trial that has started at Vasse Research Atation to investigate the impact of genetic improvement on feed conversion efficiency on costs of production.

Teasing Apart The Threads Of Staple Strength, Andrew Peterson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A successful partnership between two local inventors and Agriculture WA's Wool Program has created a new instrument which, just like the growth rings of trees, can show seasonal changes in the fibre diameter of wool. This will have considerable value to the wool industry as Andrew Peterson explains.

First Records For The Blackmask Racer (Coluber Constrictor Latrunculus) In Eastern Arkansas, Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The presence of the blackmask racer (Coluber constrictor latrunculus) in eastern Arkansas was first demonstrated by examination of a series of color slides of live specimens now preserved and deposited in the Arkansas State University Museum of herpetology. Adult color pattern is of paramount importance in the definition of subspecies of C. constrictor, and this is especially true for C. c. latrunculus. This subspecies is characterized by a conspicuous black stripe that extends from the postnasal, through the eye and onto the temporals or anterior dorsal scales. The dorsum is slate gray, and the venter is a pale grayish blue. …

Book Review Of Amer Ei-Ahraf & William V. Willis, Management Of Animal Waste - Environmental Health Problems And Technological Solutions, Penny Dean

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of Amer El-Ahraf & William V. Willis, Management of Animal Waste - Environmental Health Problems and Technological Solutions (Praeger Publishers 1996). About the authors, bibliography, index, introduction, tables. LC 95-654; ISBN 0-275-93529-9 [185 pp. Cloth $65.00. 88 Post Road West, Westport CT 06881.]

Predation By Gambusia Holbrooki (Girard) (Pisces Poeciliidae) On Tadpoles : Feeding Trials And Microhabitat Utilisation In Two Contrasting Wetlands On The Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia, Beate Sommer

Theses : Honours

Predation by non-native Gambusia spp. (somewhat inappropriately referred to as “Mosquitofish”) has been implicated in the decline of some frog populations overseas and in eastern Australia. Originally introduced to control mosquito larvae, Gambusia holbrooki are now widely distributed and abundant in wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain (Western Australia). Anecdotal evidence suggests that some frog populations on the Swan Coastal Plain may be declining. Through a series of laboratory feeding trials and a field survey conducted in a permanent and a seasonal wetland on the Swan Coastal Plain, this study investigated whether predation by G. holbrooki has the potential to …

Neem Seed Extract Spray Applications As Low-Cost Inputs For Management Of The Flower Thrips In The Cowpea Crop, R. C. Saxena, E. L. Kidiavai

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In field trials conducted at the Experiment Station and in a farmer's field at Mbita near the shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya, applications of 2% or 3% neem seed extract (NSE) @ 200 l/ha with a knapsack sprayer at 38, 47 and 51 days after emergence (DE) of the cowpea crop or 5%, 10% or 20% NSE sprayed @ 10 l/ha with an ultra-low-volume applicator at 31, 39 and 49 DE often significantly reduced the number of larvae of the flower thrips, Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom), in cowpea flowers recorded 2 days after each treatment. Also fewer adults occurred in flowers …

Bovine Mastitis Pathogens In New York Andpennsylvania: Prevalence And Effects On Somatic Cell Count And Milk Production, David J. Wilson, R. N. Gonzalez, H. H. Das

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Milk samples were collected from 108,312 dairy cows during 1601 farm visits made between January 1991 and June 1995. The herd visits were made by personnel from the Central Laboratory of the Quality Milk Promotion Services at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) to farms located in central New York and northern Pennsylvania. Dairy Herd Improvement Association records were available for 32,978 cows in 327 herds. Intramammary infections, as defined by positive milk cultures, were present in 48.5% of all cows and in 36.3% of cows in herds enrolled in the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Over 75% of the intramammary infections were …

In Vitro Influenza Virus-Inhibitory Effects Of A Series Of Germanium- Orsilicon-Centered Polyoxometalates, J. H. Huffman, R. W. Sidwell, Dale L. Barnard, A. Morrison, M. I. Otto, C. L. Hill, R. F. Schinazi

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

A series of germanium- or silicon-centred heteropolytungstates (polyoxometalates) with the Barrel, Keggin or double Keggin structure were evaluated in vitro for their effects against influenza A (IV-A) and B (IV-B) viruses. Their 50% effective concentrations (EC₅₀) against recent isolates of IV-A (H1 N1 ) and IV-B ranged from 0.1 to 7.8 μM; against IV-A (H3N2), the EC₅₀ concentrations were often 10-fold higher. Recent clinical isolates of IV-A were generally more susceptible to these antiviral effects than older, laboratory-adapted strains. These experiments used inhibition of viral CPE in MDCK cells as determined microscopically and by Neutral Red (NR) …

Growth And Survival Of Colorado Squawfish In The Upper Colorado River, D. B. Osmundson, Ronald J. Ryel, T. E. Mourning

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Growth and adult survival rates were estimated for the endangered Colorado squawfish Ptychocheilus lucius inhabiting the upper Colorado River by using data from fish captured during 1990–1995. Mean annual growth rates of fish aged 3–6 years ranged from 32.2 (age 6) to 82.0 (age 3) mm/year. Growth rates for older fish were highest for fish 400–449 mm total length, TL, (42.7 mm/year) and declined to 19.8 mm/year for fish 500–549 mm TL. Fish 550 mm and longer grew an average 9.5 mm/year. Survival rates for fish 550 mm and longer were estimated by comparing measured size distributions with simulated stable …

Department Of Fisheries Annual Report 1996-1997, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Department of Fisheries Annual Reports

In accordance with Section 62 of the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1985, 1 submit for your information the Annual Report of the Fisheries Department for the financial year ending 30 June 1997.

The Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1985 and Section 263 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994.

Description Of The Tadpole Of Atelopus Tricolor, E. O. Lavilla, Rafael O. De Sá, Ignacio De La Riva

Biology Faculty Publications

Tadpoles of Atelopus belong to the gastromyzophorous guild of exotrophic larvae (Altig and Johnston, 1989), and are characterized by the presence of a conspicuous abdominal sucker and an expanded oral disc. The larvae of several Atelopus species have been described previously: A. varius (Starrett, 1967); A. certus, A. ignescens, and A. spumarius (Duellman and Lynch, 1969); A. cruciger (Mebs, 1980); A. flavescens (Lescure, 1981); A. peruensis (Gray and Cannatella, 1985); and A. subornatus (Lynch, 1986). These represent about 15% of the known species in the genus (Frost, 1985; Duellman, 1993). Although Atelopus tricolor was originally described at the beginning of …

The Birds Of Perth's Urban Parks : Factors Influencing Their Distribution And Community Attitudes Towards Them, Jodi S. Mansell

Theses : Honours

Knowledge of the general responses of bird populations to urbanisation and an understanding of their habitat requirements is necessary to ensure the continuation of bird life in urban areas. Most of the literature on urban birds around the world has concentrated on birds in streets and remnant patches. Urban parks provide much potential habitat for birds, although there are few publications addressing this issue. The aims of this project were to determine the terrestrial avifauna of Perth's northern suburban parks, investigate physical factors that might influence the distribution of birds, and determine the attitudes of park users towards birds in …

The Effects Of Habitat Fragmentation And Factors Influencing Nest Box Use On The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) In Southern Illinois, Catherine J. Woodworth

Masters Theses

I studied the effects of habitat :fragmentation on the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) in 30 forest fragments in southern Illinois. The fragments ranged in size from 6 ha to 5264 ha, and had varying degrees of isolation. I placed 10 nest boxes in each habitat fragment and checked them monthly. I captured southern flying squirrels in 24 of the 30 fragments, and found evidence of squirrels (i.e., nests and feeding stations) in 4 additional fragments. Thus, only 2 fragments did not show any evidence of squirrel use suggesting that the southern flying squirrel may not be particularly …

Transfer Of Immunity Against Hymenolepis Diminuta Parasites In Mice, Jerome F. Atta-Fynn

Masters Theses

The potential transfer of resistance against the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, from adult BALB/c mice to their young, was tested by comparing the worm burdens of 24 experimentally infected pups from previously infected females to 14 experimentally infected pups from uninfected females. The mean number of worms recovered, mean weight of recovered worms and frequency of mice pups with eggs of the parasite in their feces were significantly lower in infected pups from infected mothers than in infected pups from uninfected mothers. The lower worm burden observed in the infected pups from infected mothers suggested that the resistance to …

The International Symposium On Galliformes 1997 (September 8-14, 1997 : Melaka, Malaysia), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Conference Proceedings

Conservation and Birds in Malaysia I

Conservation of wildlife strategy and plan with special reference to pheasants, Musa Nordin

The protected area as in-sit conservation sites for pheasants in peninsular Malaysia, Sivanathan Elagupillay

The protected area network of Sarawak, Sauan Ahmad and Melvin Gumal

Management of Protected areas in Sabah with emphasis on pheasant conservation, Augustine Tuuge

Conservation and Birds in Malaysia II

The International Symposium On Galliformes 1997 (September 8-14, 1997 : Melaka, Malaysia), Department Of Wildlife And National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, World Pheasant Association, Birdlife International, Partridge, Quail, And Francolin Specialist Group

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Conference Proceedings

Conservation and Birds in Malaysia I, Chair: Khan Momim Khan

Conservation of wildlife: Strategy and plan with special reference to pheasants, Musa Nordin

The protected area as in-situ conservation sites for pheasants in Peninsular Malaysia, Sivananthan Elagupillay

The protected area network of Sarawak, Sapuan Ahmad and Melvin Gumal

Management of protected areas in Sabah with emphasis on pheasant conservation, Augustine Tuuge

Conservation and Birds in Malaysia II, Chair: Khan Momin Khan

The status and current distribution of the crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata nigrescens) in Peninsular Malaysia, Nawayai Yasak and Ismail Mamat

Breeding ecology of red junglefowl, Arshad M. …

Age And Growth Of Larval And Juvenile Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, From The Middle Atlantic Bight And Estuarine Waters Of Virginia, Stephen W. Nixon, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Sagittal otoliths were used to determine age and growth of 605 larval and juvenile Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, collected in the Middle Atlantic Bight and estuarine waters of Virginia. This study is the first to use age-based analysis for young Atlantic croaker collected in this region. A Laird-Gompertz model (r2=0.95) was used to describe the growth of Atlantic croaker up to 65 mm standard length (SL) and 142 days (t): SL((t)) = 2.657 exp (4.656 [1-exp (-0.0081t)]); where SL((t)) = standard length at day t. Spatial and temporal patterns in the size and age of Atlantic croaker showed a …

Response Of Otolith Microchemistry To Environmental Variations Experienced By Larval And Juvenile Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias Undulatus), Simon R. Thorrold, Cynthia M. Jones, Steven E. Campana

OES Faculty Publications

Minor and trace elements incorporated into otoliths during growth may permanently record environmental conditions experienced by fishes. To determine the validity of this approach, we used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) to assay sectioned otoliths from juvenile Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) collected from each of three sites in the Neuse River, North Carolina, and the Elizabeth River, Virginia. Elemental concentrations at the center of the otoliths did not differ between locations, although both Mg : Ca and Ba : Ca were significantly higher at the edge of otoliths from the Neuse River than from the …

Yield-Per-Recruit Analysis And Management Strategies For Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, In The Middle Atlantic Bight, Luiz R. Barbieri, Mark E. Chittenden, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

The effect of different fishing mortality (F) and natural mortality (M), and age at first capture (t(c)) on yield-per-recruit of Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, in the lower Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina were evaluated with the Beverton-Holt model. Independent of the level of M (0.20-0.35) or F (0.01-2.0) used in simulations, yield-per-recruit values for Chesapeake Bay were consistently higher at t((c)) = 1 and decreased continuously with increases in t(c) (2-5). Although maximum yield-per-recruit always occurred at the maximum level off (F=2.0), marginal increases in yield beyond F = 0.50-0.75 were negligible. Current F (F(CUR)) is estimated to be …

The Effect On Feeding And Wheel Running Behaviours Of Housing Rats In Pairs, Roison M. O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The effects on feeding of moving animals from individual- to pair-housing were explored in the present three experiments. Wheel access is known to result in a temporary suppression of feeding. The move to pair-housing was compared with the effect of wheel access. In Experiment l, a group of rats was moved from individual to pair-housing (IP group) and compared to a group of individually-housed rats (IND group) and a group of chronically pair-housed rats (PAIR group). The animals in the IP group showed a temporary (three days) suppression in feeding (initially 23%). When half of the IND and PAIR group …

The Foraging Ecology And Habitat Selection Of The Yellow-Plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus Ornatus) At Dryandra Woodland, Western Australia, Kellie Wilson

Theses : Honours

The foraging ecology and habitat selection of the Yellow-plumed Honeyeater was examined using observations and vegetation surveys at Dryandra Woodland, Western Australia. Foraging ecology data was collected over three seasons (autumn, winter and spring) in 1997 at three sites within Dryandra. Habitat selection studies involved 156 sites being surveyed for the presence or absence of the Yellow-plumed Honeyeater. The vegetation characteristics of the site were measured. Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters foraged by gleaning foliage most of the time. Bark and aerial foraging were also common. Birds clearly selected for tree height, preferring to forage on larger (older) trees which may be because …

Some Aspects Of The Ecology Of An Urban Corvid : The Australian Raven (Corvus Coronoides) In Metropolitan Perth, P. J. Stewart

Theses : Honours

The relatively recent and noticeable increase in abundance and distribution of the Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) in the Perth metropolitan area, has led to an increase in the amount of problems associated with the bird resulting in a need to quantify its ecology in an urban context. This research documented the abundance and distribution of the raven, possible reasons for its increase, the basic nesting characteristics, peoples attitudes, basic morphology, food items and problems associated with the bird in Perth and Kings Park. These aims were achieved by using observational field data, culled birds, a newspaper questionnaire and Geographic Information …

Genealogical Studies Of Selected Australian Barramundi (Lates Calcarifer) Using Mtdna : Implications For Stock Transfer To The Kimberley Region Of Western Australia, Robert G. Doupe

Theses : Honours

This study resulted from concerns for the present and proposed movement of barramundi (Lates catcarifer) across presumed population genetic boundaries into the Kimberley region of Western Australia for net-pen aquaculture and a recreational fishery development in dams no longer available to seasonal barramundi dispersal. Direct DNA sequencing of the non-recombining, maternally inherited mitochondrial genome of barramundi thought to represent wild populations from a broad section of a still wider Australian range were used for phylogenetic reconstructions that support hypotheses for historic gene flow between Kimberley and other populations during Recent sea level fluctuations. Nil or low levels of genetic diversity …

A Study Of Biochemical And Haematological Variables With Performance In Showjumping Horses, Darren B. Simmons

Theses : Honours

This honours project examined the biochemical and haematological changes induced by exercise in the showjumping horse to determine whether a relationship exists between these values and performance. To complete this study 7 geldings and 1 stallion who were considered competition fit by their trainers were subjected to 2 forms of exercise. The first phase of this study involved an incremental exercise test performed at the Byford City Council horse training facility. The horses were cantered/galloped around a 1300m all weather training track at velocities of 6, 8, 10, and 12 m/sec for a duration of 2 minutes for each workload. …