Infestation By Phorid Flies Disrupts Behavior And Immune Function In Honey Bees Monitored By Radio-Frequency Identification, Gloria Ruiz-Guzmán, Oliverio Delgado-Carrillo, Francisco J. Balvino-Olvera, María De Jesús Aguilar-Aguilar, Violeta Patiño-Conde, Paulo De Souza, Ulises Olivares-Pinto, Mauricio Quesada

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) are important pollinators in natural and agricultural ecosystems and play a key role in global food production. However, colonies are increasingly affected by multiple stressors, including emerging parasites, which can compromise their health and performance. Among these, phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) have been observed in association with weak or collapsing honey bee colonies in various regions in Mexico, yet their effects on honey bee behavior and immune function under field conditions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of a phorid fly infestation on the behavior, survival, and immune defense of A. …

Environmental Enrichment Preferences And Play Behavior In Commercial Turkey Hens, Paul Dang

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Commercial turkey production contributes significantly to the U.S. agricultural industry, yet studies on positive welfare indicators, especially play behavior, are limited. This study evaluated turkey hen interactions with two environmental enrichments (straw bales and pecking stones hung from the ceiling) and the expression of play behavior in turkey barns. Three commercial turkey hen barns were equipped with environmental enrichments and time-lapse video cameras. Play behaviors were recorded during transect walks in two barns using 30-second scans of disturbed and undisturbed patches. Regional use of space around enrichments was quantified through region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of time-lapse images collected from days 16-31 …

Beluga Buddies: The Preferred Social Network Of Belugas In Managed Care, Valery Marinelarena, Diamond Garcia

Posters - 2026

Belugas societies are not fixed  and group composition is everchanging. Group composition can also influence behavior. This study aims to examine the preferred social networks and the role age plays in the behavioral diversity within a group of managed care belugas housed at Sea World San Antonio. Results Supported TYO had a preferred, non-random social network and ATL performing more chinslaps than TYO.

Swimming Behavior Of Longfin Squid Doryteuthis Pealeii Paralarvae: Escape Jets To Pirouettes, Mel Lhuillier

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Upon hatching, squid paralarvae must become proficient at locomotion and prey capture before their yolk reserves are depleted, while also contending with the physical constraints associated with low/intermediate Reynolds number (Re) environments. Although some aspects of behavior and jet dynamics have been examined in squids during early ontogeny, little is known about routine behaviors in paralarvae, whether repeatable patterns are employed, or how these behaviors are achieved dynamically. To better understand swimming behaviors and the propulsive flows that drive them in paralarvae, high-speed video data and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) data were collected simultaneously from longfin squid Doryteuthis pealeii …

Effects Of Perching Behavior In Broilers On Welfare And Production Benefits, Natalie G. Bunn

Honors Theses and Capstones

Broiler chickens are bred for feed efficiency, rapid growth rate, and muscle development. Conventional broiler farms utilize fast-growing breeds that reach market weight rapidly and present welfare concerns. Primarily raised indoors with little enrichment, the genetics and husbandry practices of broilers encourage inactivity and perpetuate health problems such as skeletal deformities, lameness, and pododermatitis. Despite the commonness of these issues, there is little research on the reduction of such health complications through production management. This study investigated methods to promote perching behavior and the effects of riser perch and platform perch utilization in broilers. A mixed flock of slow-growing Gray …

Evidence Of Personality And Movement Syndromes In A Mobile Predator: How Individual Hunting Strategy Shapes Ecosystem Service Potential By Barn Owls (Tyto Furcata) In An Agroecosystem, Lauren M. Jackson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Animal-mediated ecosystem services are delivered through the behavior of individuals, yet most studies evaluate service-providing species at the population level. We tested whether individual variation in plumage, behavior, and movement predicted hunting behavior and vineyard habitat use by adult male American barn owls (Tyto furcata) nesting in winegrape vineyards in Lodi, California, USA. We fitted GPS-accelerometer tags to 42 breeding males, quantified breast-plumage traits, measured neophobia using repeated novel object tests, and derived nightly movement metrics from GPS tracks and hidden Markov model-classified hunting locations. Several behavioral traits were repeatable, but movement traits showed the clearest repeatable individual …

Effect Of Dietary Tryptophan Supplementation And Heat Stress On Pasture Broiler Welfare And Performance, Jaelen Matthew Cherry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pasture-raised broiler chickens face temperature extremes that can threaten welfare. In the study, we evaluated whether a 0.26 % tryptophan-supplemented diet (T) improved heat stress (HS) resilience in Ross-708 broilers raised on pasture. At D14, birds began the T or remained on the control diet (C) and were moved outdoors. On D20 and 41, half of each group underwent six-hour HS; the remainder stayed under thermoneutral (TN) conditions. Weekly body weight, feed intake on D20 and D41 were recorded, and fear was measured using the Tonic Immobility (TI) test. Neither diet nor HS affected body weight. However, tryptophan supplementation resulted …

Biomarkers That Could Explain Parasite-Induced Behavioral Alterations In The Golden Shiner (Notemigonus Crysoleucas) – Posthodiplostomum System, Laura D. Nicolas

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Trophically transmitted parasites require an intermediate host to be consumed and often manipulate host phenotype (i.e., morphology, physiology, and/or behavior) to increase predation risk by definitive hosts. Posthodiplostomum is a trematode with a complex life cycle involving snails as first hosts, fish as second intermediate hosts, and piscivorous birds as definitive hosts. In fish hosts, Posthodiplostomum infection has been linked to increased predation, suggesting suppression of antipredator behaviors. However, the specific physiological pathways remained unexplored and changes in the host’s neural, endocrine, and immune systems could be involved. Thus, I examined whether Posthodiplostomum infection intensity was associated with brain serotonin …

Ghrelin And Decision-Making: Exploring Its Role In Food Reward, Novelty-Seeking, And Cost Valuation, Serina A. Batson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When low energy levels are detected, Ghrelin, a peptide hormone, is produced in the fundus of the stomach. Referred to as the "hunger hormone", Ghrelin is traditionally associated with increased food intake and blood sugar levels. A key modulator in the gut-brain interaction, Ghrelin's growth hormone secretagogue receptor can be found widely across the cortico-striosomal circuit. Critical for decision-making, Ghrelin-based manipulation of this circuit can directly affect reward and cost valuation. While Ghrelin is uniformly considered to increase the valuation of food-based rewards, little research has explored its impact on non-food-based rewards or its effects on cost valuation. Therefore, to …

Identifying Personality In Reptiles And Assessing Welfare Implications For Their Roles As Ambassador Animals In An Educational Setting, Valery Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined behavioral variability and personality in 13 reptiles used as ambassador animals at the American Museum of Natural History. Observations across seasons and novel object tests revealed individual differences, behavioral components, and correlations. Findings emphasize reptilian complexity, highlighting welfare implications while underscoring the need for further research.

Behavioral And Physiological Responses Of Heifers With No Prior Exposure And Those Adapted To Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue, Tyler A. Purvis

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Data from year one of a three-year experiment was used to determine behavioral and physiological responses of heifers adapted to grazing endophyte-infected fescue (E+TF) compared to heifers naïve to grazing E+TF. In May, yearling beef heifers from KY (n=15) and MT (n=30) were stratified by body weight, hair coat score, and disposition into nine pastures and assigned to one of three treatments: KY grazing E+ (KY-E+), MT grazing E+ (MT-E+), or MT grazing endophyte-free tall fescue (E-TF) (MT-E-). Prior to grazing, two heifers per pasture were selected to be outfitted with a RumiWatch® halter (Itin+Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland) for monitoring …

Predictors Of Facultative Siblicide In Black-Legged Kittiwake (Rissa Tridactyla) Chicks, Maria Pisciotta

Honors Theses

In Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), a seabird species, competition between siblings can arise when more than one chick is present in a nest. The first-hatched chick, known as the “A” chick, frequently establishes dominance over the second-hatched chick, known as the “B” chick. Many different factors can drive the presence and intensity of this competition, including the size discrepancies between chicks, and their physiological state. A likely factor is resource limitation, seen in many instances of sibling competition to be a prominent component because limited food must be allocated between both chicks by parents. In some cases, competition can escalate …

The Intermediate And Remote Effects Of Acute Juvenile Stress Upon Auditory Fear Learning, Recognition Memory, And Anxiety Measures In A Rodent Model Of Ptsd, Laura J. Baron

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Abstract

Early-life stress is a risk factor for increased susceptibility to stress- and trauma-related disorders, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is characterized by exposure to trauma that results in exaggerated and extinction-resistant fear responses that persist for over a month. Understanding how the severity of early-life stressors in animal models impacts adult behavior, cognition, and underlying neurobiology could aid in the development of more effective PTSD treatments.

Various early-life stress models, especially in infant rats, have been used to induce stress and assess PTSD like-symptoms. Different stressors impact short- and long-term behavior, with some effects influenced by developmental timing …

Terrestrial Salinization Impacts On Growth And Behavior Of A Common Detritivore Armadillidium Vulgare (Isopoda), Danielle Harmoney Orcutt

Master's Theses

Climate change and human activities are changing the nutritional landscape by increasing the availability of some essential elements and decreasing others. Sodium (Na) is an essential element in heterotrophs, which is required for water regulation, nerve function, and muscle function. Heterotrophs can acquire Na through diet and environment, often experiencing limited availability of Na due to plants concentrating Na 10-100 times less than heterotrophs need. The Sodium Subsidy-Stress (SSS) hypothesis posits that organismal performance follows a hump-shaped curve of a physiological response, where Na acts as a subsidy, increasing organismal performance such as growth until an optimal threshold is reached, …

Assessing Comprehension And Competence In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) On The Concept: Do Something Different, Charlotte M. Mulligan

Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have been conducted using a training paradigm based on the research of Pryor et al. (1969) wherein the participants are trained on the abstract concept: do something different. This paradigm challenges working memory and requires the participants to respond with a behavior, either previously trained or novel, which has not yet been offered within the session. The work of Braslau-Schneck (1994) expanded this concept and demonstrated the ability of dolphins to successfully complete this task in synchronized pairs, though the method of accomplishing this task remained unclear. The present research was conducted as part of a broader …

Unraveling The Behavioral Ecology Of The Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus Atrox) Through The Lenses Of Personality, Predator-Prey Interactions, And Crypsis, Oceane Da Cunha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To thrive in an environment, individuals need to be able to forage efficiently and acquire mates. These resources are limited, and their acquisition depends upon the energy and time an individual chooses to allocate to each activity and the environmental conditions, leading to behavioral trade-offs. Different species, or even different individuals within the same population, respond to these trade-offs by employing contrasting strategies, leading to differential life-history outcomes. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to gain a better understanding of the trade-offs cryptic ambush mesopredators are facing using the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) as a model species. Each …

The Influence Of Feed Additives On Laying Hen Health, Welfare, And Egg Quality, Alexa Johnson

All Dissertations

Natural feed additives like oregano essential oil and synbiotic (prebiotic and probiotic) are options with great potential for increasing the health and welfare of laying hens. The first two studies explored the effects of dietary oregano essential oil (EOO) on performance, gastrointestinal traits (GIT), blood lipids, antioxidant capacity, and egg quality in laying hens from 0 to 40 weeks of age. The third study was conducted to examine dietary EOO on layers on the shelf life and fatty acid profile of eggs. The final study aimed to examine the effects of a dietary synbiotic on agonistic behavior, plasma and brain …

Rock Hyrax: A Study Of Hyrax Energy Budget And Behavior Near Randilen Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania, Alice Thompson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Conducted at the gate of Randilen Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the purpose of this study was to contribute knowledge regarding rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) through studying their energy budget and behavior. Rock hyraxes are small mammals belonging to the order hyracoidea. Despite being abundant across most of the African continent and parts of the Middle East, these herbivorous animals remain understudied in Tanzania. During the wet season of spring 2024, a total of 70 hours was applied to this research over the course of 10 days (April 7th to April 16th) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The …

Assessing Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Behavioral Responses To Discriminative Stimulus During Dolphin Interaction Programs (Dips), Megan Davis, Hannelore Tampipi

Posters - 2024

Dolphin-human interaction programs (DIP) References have become a popular experience offering humans an opportunity to interact or swim with cetaceans, most often bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

● Previous studies on dolphin-human interactions have been centered on therapeutic results for humans (Brensing et al., 2005), guests’ future conservation efforts, and educational efficacy (Miller et al., 2013) rather than welfare or outcomes for dolphins (Smith, 1981).

● Under human care, trainers request behaviors from dolphins typically via a hand signal as a discriminative stimulus (SD).

● Resulting behavioral responses to these SDs during interaction programs may suggest willingness to participate (WTP), and …

The Effect Of Housing Environment (Deep Litter With Or Without Access To Different Plant Species Outdoor) On Welfare And Behavior Across Two Strains Of Laying Hens, Brian Tainika, Ahmet Şekeroğlu, Ahmet Akyol, Samet Hasan Abaci, Fatih Mehmet Gür

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The impact of housing environment and strain on welfare and behavior of laying hens was the focus of this study. Lohmann LSL Classic (W) and Lohmann Sandy (S) were assessed under deep litter without outdoor access (DL), deep litter with access to outdoor pens covered with either Mentha piperita (MP), Petroselinum crispum (PC) or Medicago sativa (MS). Duration of tonic immobility, feather condition, footpad dermatitis, and temperatures (comb, breast region, footpad surface, and rectal) were determined at 31, 42, and 52 weeks of age. Hen`s behaviors were observed at 32, 42, and 52 weeks of age. Blood parameters were assessed …

Chronic Wasting Disease Effects On A Breeding Season Behavior In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Miranda Hsiang-Ning Jacobson Huang, Stephen Demarais, Bronson K. Strickland, Allan Houston, Alejandro Banda, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife disease outbreaks can lead to population declines, which are usually attributed to increased direct or indirect mortality. Alternatively, behavior associated with sickness can lead to social isolation, potentially decreasing fitness of affected individuals. A useful case study to examine this dynamic is chronic wasting disease (CWD), a neurological disease of cervids, known to affect behavior and movement. In this study, we monitored scraping, a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) breeding season behavior, in an area of high CWD prevalence to determine if this reproductive behavior is affected by CWD. At 107 scrape sites, we detected 3,063 scrape interactions and …

An Effective Method For Long-Term Control Of American Bullfrogs Syntopic With Special-Status Native Amphibians In California, Usa, Jeff A. Alvarez, Jeffery T. Wilcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are invasive in western North America and are well established in California, USA, where they are widespread. This invasive species has been implicated in the decrease of native amphibian populations and is believed to have contributed to the decline of threatened and endangered amphibians regionally. We utilized air rifles, tin alloy pellets, and 2 shooters to systematically control L. catesbeianus in both lentic and lotic habitat types within 2 counties in California. We visited sites monthly (April through November) for approximately 8 and 14 years to lethally target and remove L. catesbeianus …

Behavioral Activity Budget Of Grower Beetal Kids Offered Total Mixed Ration Under Stall-Fed System, Priya Dhattarwal, Mandeep Singla, Sandeep Kaswan, Ravinder Singh Grewal, Neeraj Kashyap, Dalpat Singh Malik

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study investigates the behavioral activities of grower Beetal kids fed in a conventional method-control group manner orgiven total mixed ration (TMR) (i.e. hay-based - T1 and green fodder-based - T2). Twenty-four weaned Beetal kids were enrolled andrandomly distributed into 3 groups based on their body weight, sex, and age. Behavioral observations were recorded 30 min after givingexperimental ration to the kids using the scan sampling method for 1 h, which inferred time spent eating normally, eating with forelegson the cage, and eating with forelegs on the feeders; standing idle and urination were significantly higher in the control group than …

Characterization Of Antimicrobial Properties Of Excrement And Functional Microbiome Of Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus), Bridgette Gray

Theses

Black vultures, Coragyps atratus, are obligate scavenging birds that consume and dispose of decaying carcasses and carrion. They fulfill a key ecological niche in the environments in which they live. It has been observed that these vultures sometimes excrete bodily waste onto their legs. This adaptive behavior could help aid them in controlling bacteria and other microbes they encounter while stepping into a carcass to eat. This study directly examined the antimicrobial properties of the excrement of black vultures across various bacterial species utilizing a zone of inhibition test and a nematode species utilizing a survival assay. The black vulture …

Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze

Honors Theses

Lunar and diel cycles of fishes can help to interpret their behaviors during their reproductive season. Temperate estuaries are used by many benthic fishes for shelter and reproduction. This study examined the behavior and presence of striped blennies (Chasmodes bosquianus) during diel and lunar cycles. PVC pipe shelters were placed to mimic oyster shell nests, a natural habitat for blennies, and cameras were placed to monitor these shelters in April, May, and June 2022, during the striped blenny reproductive period. Video footage was reviewed and analyzed for the presence and behavior of both male and female blennies. Male presence …

Plant Sentience: A Hypothesis Based On Shaky Premises, Carel Ten Cate

Animal Sentience

Plants may produce fascinating behavioural phenomena for which the label ‘cognitive process’ may be applicable, at least by some definitions. Segundo-Ortin & Calvo (2023) base their hypothesis that plants might be sentient on the premise of demonstrated presence of cognitive complexity. However, the way phenomena are ascribed, and how the term ‘cognitive’ is used by Segundo-Ortin & Calvo, deviates from the common practice in studies of animal cognition, implying greater complexity than seems justified. It thus provides a questionable basis for attributing sentience to plants.

Social Network Analysis Of White-Tailed Deer Scraping Behavior: Implications For Disease Transmission, Michael E. Egan, Kim M. Pepin, Justin Fischer, Scott R. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Host contact structure affects pathogen transmission in host populations, but many measures of host contact do not distinguish contacts that are relevant to pathogen transmission from those that are not. Scrapes are sites for chemical communication by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the breeding season and potential sites of transmission of prions, the causative agent of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Scrape-related behaviors vary in their probability of transmitting prions to or from the environment, suggesting that behavior be combined with contact structure to better reflect potential heterogeneity in prion transmission at scrapes. We recorded visits and behaviors by …

Artificial Light At Night Disrupts Male Dominance Relationships And Reproductive Success In A Model Fish Species, Lauren E. Closs, Muhammad Rahmad Rayan, Amin Sayyari, Ian Mayer, Finn-Arne Weltzien, Dianne M. Baker, Romain Fontaine

Biological Sciences Research

Environmental light is perceived and anticipated by organisms to synchronize their biological cycles. Therefore, artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts both diurnal and seasonal biological rhythms. Reproduction is a complex physiological process involving integration of environmental signals by the brain, and release of endocrine signals by the pituitary that regulate gametogenesis and spawning. In addition, males from many species form a dominance hierarchy that, through a combination of aggressive and protective behavior, influences their reproductive success. In this study, we investigated the effect of ALAN and continuous daylight on the behavior and fitness of male fish within a dominance hierarchy …

Of Dogs And Bonds, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In four of Charles Darwin’s classic works (Darwin, 1859, 1868, 1871, 1872), the domestic dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris)¹ featured prominently, offering key examples to illustrate his ideas about evolution, domestication, comparative behavior and cognition, and emotional expression. Darwin held a clear fondness for dogs, and when replying to letters detailing the “sagacity” of dogs, he remarked “I can believe almost anything about them” (Darwin, 2014). Despite the early interest in their behavior and cognition by a number of leading scientists, dogs were rarely subject to serious investigation as a study species for 150 years. …

Whooping Crane Nesting Behavior, Parental Care, And Ecology At Wood Buffalo National Park, Andrew J. Caven, Michael J. Forsberg

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We studied Whooping crane (Grus americana) nesting behavior and movement patterns at Wood Buffalo National Park using an instantaneous scan sampling approach. We also photo-documented important behavioral and ecological observations. Data were collected from 2 to 9 June 2023 from before 3:00 to after 22:00 hours. We completed 88 hours of observation and documented nest swapping about every 3.2 hours. The female incubated/brooded 3.3-10.9% more than the male, and the probability of incubation/brooding declined by 49% after the second chick began pipping and by 99% after both chicks had hatched. The eldest chick was successfully provisioned 16 hours and 33 …