Animal Sciences Commons^™

Painted Redstarts In South Texas, 2013-2014, Timothy Brush

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

No abstract provided.

Humane Education: Perspectives Of Practitioners On Program Evaluation Efforts And Analysis Of Changes In Knowledge, Attitudes, And Empathy In Two Violence Prevention And Intervention Programs, Melanie Wagner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This descriptive and comparative study examined the current landscape of humane education program evaluation and data analysis through a survey of humane educators across the country. Results of the humane education survey show that data collection and evaluation are occurring in humane education programs but these efforts do not capture and measure empathy, the primary goal of most humane education programs. Humane educators reported they felt the profession is progressive and relevant to a broad host of purposes, from building positive relationships with animals to playing a role in the larger social justice scheme. They also suggested that the field …

Oceanography, Geology, Biogeography, And Fisheries Of The Eastern Central Atlantic, Merete Tandstad, Ana Maria Caramelo, Fabio Carocci, Kent Carpenter, Jonnell C. Sanciangco

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

[Introduction] This species identification guide focuses on the marine species occurring in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Gibraltar in the north (36°00'N) to the middle of Namibia in the south (23°00'S) and westward to 30°00'W longitude (FAO Fishing Area 34) and to 20°00'W longitude (FAO Fishing Area 47) (Fig 1). Estuarine species, as well as species that only spend part of their life cycle in marine waters (anadromous and catadromous species) are also included.

The West African coast encompasses some of the most productive areas in the world, supporting important fishery resources and a unique diversity. Fisheries constitute an important …

Testing Systems Of Avian Perch Deterrents On Electric Power Distribution Poles In Sage-Brush Habitat, James F. Dwyer, Kerrin W. Doloughan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In Lincoln County, Washington, USA, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) are managed as reintroduced and augmented populations, respectively. Predation by raptors and corvids is a concern, particularly where utility poles may provide hunting perches near leks (i.e., breeding areas). Perch deterrents may offer a mitigating strategy if deterrents reduce the frequency or duration of perching. To investigate the effects of various perch deterrents, we deployed deterrents on 5 power poles retained for use in this study when 33 poles were removed from occupied grouse habitat. We rotated deterrents among poles every 15 to 28 …

Influence Of Egg Oiling On Colony Presence Of Ring-Billed Gulls, Travis L. Devault, Paige M. Schmidt, Fred E. Pogmore, John Gobeille, Jerrold L. Belant, Thomas W. Seamans

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Egg oiling is a form of management in which bird eggs are coated with mineral or corn oil, preventing gas exchange through the shell and killing embryos. Unlike other nest disturbance techniques, egg oiling reportedly precludes colony abandonment and, thus, can be advantageous when managers wish to limit dispersal within the breeding season to other locations while stabilizing the population or reducing productivity. However, unintended, indirect effects of egg oiling are not well-characterized. We evaluated the influence of egg oiling on ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) within the Lake Champlain basin, Vermont, during the nesting season to determine whether egg oiling …

Integrating Mammalian Hazards With Management At U.S. Civil Airports: A Case Study, Kristin M. Biondi, Jerrold L. Belant, James A. Martin, Travis L. Devault, Guiming Wang

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife incidents with U.S. civil aircraft cost an estimated $1.4 billion from 1990 to 2010, with mammals 5 times more likely to cause damage than other wildlife. We surveyed 2 general aviation (GA) airports and 6 Part-139 certificated (i.e., certified) airports to assess efficacy of management practices for mammalian species hazardous to aircraft. We obtained information on mammalian species present on airport grounds, types and estimated effectiveness of management techniques, and effort spent on wildlife management. We evaluated management techniques relative to aircraft–wildlife collisions (i.e., incident) frequencies taken from Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Wildlife Strike Database and species hazard …

Identifying People’S Most Preferred Management Technique For Feral Cats In Hawaii, Cheryl A. Lohr, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Linda J. Cox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral cats (Felis catus) are abundant in many parts of the world and pose a threat to native wildlife. Human–wildlife conflicts regarding how feral cats should be managed have increased recently. In Hawaii, previous research has revealed that most residents would like to see the feral cat abundance reduced, but opinions differ regarding which techniques are acceptable for achieving this. This paper describes an analytical hierarchy process that combines rankings of decision criteria by Hawaii’s residents with expert knowledge of the costs and benefits associated with 7 techniques (live-capture and adoption, live-capture and lethal injection, live-capture and lethal gunshot, trap-neuter-release …

Farmers’ Perceptions Of The Impacts Of Human– Wildlife Conflict On Their Livelihood And Natural Resource Management Efforts In Cheha Woreda Of Guraghe Zone, Ethiopia, Dagne Mojo, Jessica Rothschuh, Mehari Alebachew

Human–Wildlife Interactions

There are several livelihood improvement and natural resource management campaigns being undertaken in Ethiopia. In Cheha Woreda District of Guraghe Zone, a research team from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Research Center, is undertaking a watershed-level intervention to improve sustainable land management practices among resident agrarian families. In 2011, a household survey was conducted to assess farmers’ perceptions of human–wildlife conflicts (HWC) and the effects of these conflicts on land management in Cheha Woreda. One-hundred randomly selected households in the Cheha Woreda were asked to identify any wild or domestic animals that cause damage to their crops. Additionally, …

Wildlife Markets In South China, Alex T. Chow, Szeman Cheung, Peter K. Yip

Human–Wildlife Interactions

China is one of the largest consumers of wild animals for food and traditional Chinese medicine in the world. A large volume of illegal trade has been recorded in the primary cities, such as Hong Kong and Guangzhou, but the wildlife markets in secondary Chinese cities have not been investigated. This study was carried out in 7 cities in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Wildlife trade data were collected using semi-structured interview, observation, and market survey. The study documented the selling of 97 animal species, >7,000 individuals. The most frequently used animal groups by quantity were reptiles (51%), followed by birds …

Determination Of Residue Levels Of Alpha-Chloralose In Duck Tissues, David A. Goldade, Randal S. Stahl, John. J. Johnston

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Alpha-chloralose (AC) is used to capture nuisance waterfowl so that they can be relocated. Concerns for food safety limit its use prior to or during the waterfowl hunting season. To determine its half-life in tissue, we administered AC to adult male (n = 7) and female (n = 5) mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) via oral gavage. A gel capsule containing 100 μCi of radioactive AC (14C-AC) and sufficient nonlabeled AC to produce a dose of approximately 30 mg/kg was given to each duck.The ducks were euthanized at 2, 6, 10, and 18 hours postdosing …

Forecasting The Spread Of Raccoon Rabies Using A Purpose-Specific Group Decisionmaking Process, Aaron M. Anderson, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Richard B. Chipman, Todd Atwood, Tyler Cozzens, Frank Fillo, Robert Hale, Brody Hatch, Joanne Maki, Olin E. Rhodes, Erin E. Rees, Charles E. Rupprecht, Rowland Tinline, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Dennis Slate

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and USDA Wildlife Services (WS) have been involved in an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program for raccoons (Procyon lotor) that has slowed the westward spread of raccoon rabies. The objective of this study was to forecast the spread of the disease if an ORV zone was not maintained. A group decision-making process was designed to address the forecasting problem and was implemented using a group of 15 experts and 4 support personnel at a meeting at the USDA National Wildlife Research Center. Ten expansion regions were constructed that described the spread of …

Evaluation Of Foliar Sprays To Reduce Crop Damage By Canada Geese, Charles D. Dieter, Cody S. Warner, Curiong Ren

Human–Wildlife Interactions

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks annually spends >$500,000 managing crop damage caused by grazing Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Foliar applications of a chemical feeding deterrent could provide an effective alternative to the methods currently being used to reduce damage. In 2011 and 2012, we evaluated Rejex-It Migrate Turfguard®, Bird Shield®, Avian Control®, and Avipel® as grazing deterrents. We used a ground sprayer to apply the treatments every 7 days to plots in soybean fields in Day County, South Dakota. We monitored activity in the plots using time-lapse photography. We began treating the plots after geese …

Scarred For Life: The Other Side Of The Fence Debate, Paul F. Jones

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Tree Squirrel Populations With Immunocontraception: A Fox Squirrel Example, Sara K. Krause, Douglas A. Kelt, Dirk H. Van Vuren, James P. Gionfriddo

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Tree squirrels (Sciurus spp.) are highly successful immigrants to urban and suburban areas in North America and Europe, causing both economic and ecological damage. Control of such invasive populations is challenging but of increasing importance to local managers. We studied an invasive population of fox squirrels (S. niger) and applied an immunocontraceptive vaccine in an experimental study of demographic control. Here we integrate our data into a simple stage-structured population model to simulate population reduction under 2 treatment levels (60 and 80% of females, respectively) for vaccines lasting from 1 to 5 years. Contraception can be an effective …

Effects Of Removal On A Lightly Exploited Coyote Population In Eastern Nevada, Patrick J. Jackson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Coyote (Canis latrans) removal is a common, yet controversial, management practice to increase game populations throughout the West. I studied the effect of removal on coyote populations in eastern Nevada from 2004 to 2008 and reviewed 27 available publications to determine the level of human exploitation on my study populations. Removals were performed by USDA Wildlife Services (WS) to benefit game populations and involved the use of trapping, neck snaring, and ground and aerial shooting. To determine if the removal had an effect on the coyote populations, I measured 3 parameters: the presence or absence of skewed sex …

Soil Quality Manipulation To Reduce Bird Presence At Airports, Theresa K. Johnston, Bruce Branham, Jeffrey Brawn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Aviation safety is an important concern in wildlife management as bird strikes risk human lives and result in costly damage. Habitat management can decrease bird abundances locally at airports. We tested soil manipulation as a technique to reduce local bird presence by establishing experimental plots with either intact topsoil or “stripped” subsoil with the aim of decreasing foraging substrate for birds. We estimated invertebrate abundance, and observed bird presence from 2006 to 2008. More birds visited topsoil plots (151.5 birds/ ha/hour) than subsoil plots (72.7 birds/ha/hour). Topsoil plots supported a greater biomass of invertebrates than subsoil plots ( = 0.39 …

Efficacy Of Ropel® As A Coyote Repellent, Elizabeth A. Miller, Julie K. Young, Scott Stelting, Bruce A. Kimball

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We examined the repellency of a commercially available animal repellent to determine the efficacy of its application to objects that are attractive to coyotes (Canis latrans). Specifically, we aimed to both prevent chewing behavior by coyotes on a nylon-like strapping material, which is used to construct barrier-arresting systems on military airstrips, and determine the ability of the solution to prevent the animals from repeating the undesired behavior. We mixed Ropel® Animal and Rodent Repellent with a liquid latex sticker to form a 2% latex and 98% Ropel solution. We used a 2% latex and 98% water solution as …

Comment On Dieter Et Al. (2014), Leonard R. Askham, Michael E. R. Godfrey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

In Defense Of Field Experiments: Response To Askham And Godfrey (2014), Charles D. Dieter, Cody S. Warner, Curiong Ren

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Wildlife In Airport Environments: Preventing Animal–Aircraft Collisions Through Science-Based Management, Joe N. Caudell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Two Traps And Sets For Trapping The Plains Pocket Gopher, Stephen M. Vantassel, Andrew J. Tyre, Scott E. Hygnstrom

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We investigated the efficiency of DK-1 and Macabee® pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) traps placed in lateral tunnels in both open and closed tunnel sets in rangeland and nonirrigated alfalfa fields in Nebraska. We observed no statistical difference between the traps in capture efficiency when used in open, versus closed, tunnel sets. Trapping of pocket gophers was more effective in rangeland (probability of capture in a single tunnel system using 3 traps; 63%) than nonirrigated alfalfa fields (26%). We did not determine whether this variance was due to behavioral differences between Geomys bursarius and Geomys lutescens. We found …