Animal Sciences Commons^™

Autumn Roost Selection By Male Hoary Bats (Lasiurus Cinereus) In Northern California, Danielle (Skye) Salganek

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus, is a solitary bat that roosts in the foliage of trees throughout the western hemisphere. Roosts are subject to the ambient temperature of their surroundings, thus hoary bats undergo long-distance migrations between summer and winter ranges to avoid freezing temperatures. Habitat selection has been studied during the summer for maternal female hoary bats, but not during migration and winter. Autumn migration coincides with the hoary bat mating period and it has been proposed that male and female bats may rendezvous on migration paths. Individuals may select roosts in stopover locations that enhance fitness by providing …

Characterization And Quantification Of Major Flavonol Glycosides In Ramps (Allium Tricoccum), Wijdan M. Dabeek, Nik Kovinich, Callee Walsh, Melissa Ventura Marra

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The ramp (Allium tricoccum) is a traditional plant in the eastern Appalachian Mountains. Ramps have been used in traditional medicine for their health-promoting roles in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Information on the chemical composition of the potentially bioactive components in ramps is limited. Therefore, the aim of this work was to characterize and quantify major flavonols in ramps. Flavonoids were extracted in 50% methanol and 3% acetic acid. Characterization was conducted using UHPLC-PDA-MS and MS/MS, and quantification was performed using UHPLC-PDA detection. The major flavonol glycosides were kaempferol sophoroside glucuronide, quercetin sophoroside glucuronide, kaempferol rutinoside glucuronide, quercetin hexoside glucuronide, …

Effects Of Solids Removal On Water Quality And Channel Catfish Production In A Biofloc Technology Production System, Bartholomew W. Green, Kevin K. Schrader, Matthew Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Total suspended solids control was evaluated in a channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) biofloc technology production system. Settling chamber flow rates were 0.9 (LO) or 2.9 (HI) L/min to reduce total suspended solids to 300 mg/L; solids were not removed from control tanks. Channel catfish yields (7.6–8.7 kg/m3) were not affected significantly, but control fish were skewed toward smaller size classes. Control treatment channel catfish tolerated 1,410 mg/L total suspended solids without adverse effects. LO- and HI-treatment fillet geosmin concentrations were high enough to be designated as off-flavor. Water quality results suggested that nitrification was affected by solids removal.

Modelling And Simulation Of Renewable Technologies For Economic And Environmental Analysis And Optimization Of Dairy Farms, Michael Christopher Breen

Theses

The aim of this thesis was to develop a dairy optimisation platform to optimise investments in dairy farm technology and changes to on-farm management practices and electricity tariffs, in order to maximise profitability and minimise environmental impacts. Increased dairy herd sizes and milk production levels in Ireland as well as changing regulations concerning emissions, renewable penetration and energy efficiency have necessitated a means of financial decision support for farmers. Therefore this body of work focused on the creation of a comprehensive method for optimising dairy farm technology selection, management practices and electricity tariffs. The measures which could be implemented on …

Effectiveness Of Lure In Capturing Northern Bog Lemmings On Trail Cameras, Keely Benson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Fens and bogs are unique wetlands that support a diversity of small mammals and many other rare species. One such species is the Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis). This species is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act, so determining their presence is helpful for management. Northern bog lemmings are difficult to trap and when they are caught, experience high mortality rates. Since they are hard to capture and study, it is difficult to determine presence/absence of this species for management purposes. This study used a non-invasive, trail camera method for detecting northern bog lemmings in Finley …

Prevalence Of Condensed Tannins In The Diet And Its Impact On Protein Intake Of Diademed Sifakas (Propithecus Diadema) At Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar, Emma Grace Thurau

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are compounds found in plant tissues designed to deter herbivores. Tannins, a type of PSM, can bind to proteins and reduce their availability to consumers. The detoxification limitation hypothesis suggests herbivores will prefer foods with lower amounts of PSMs and exhibit decreasing rates of feeding when PSM levels are high in order to stabilize the amount of PSMs ingested. Although this hypothesis has been supported by observations from other mammalian groups, it has not been tested in lemurs with regards to their consumption of tannins.

I observed diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema) over a 2-month period (June-August …

Thermal Performance Of Growth At Consumption Maximum (C-Max) And Routine Metabolic Rate (Rmr) In Brook Trout Salvelinus Fontinalis From Four Populations In Central Appalachia, Cory Michael Hartman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Growth of an individual is the end result of many physiological processes stemming from the consumption of food items. These processes can be influenced by many variables including temperature. Current bioenergetics models for Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis suggest growth increases with temperature until an inflection point of 20.2°C. With a warming climate, and water temperatures expected to rise, the ability of a population to adapt to the warming environment is crucial to the survival of the species. For this study we sought to see how spatial variation would influence the specific consumption, conversion efficiency, and specific growth at consumption maximum …

Ground Ingredients: Analysis Of Lead Exposure In The California Condor’S (Gymnogyps Californianus) Ground Foraging Habitat, Evan Michael Mcwreath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a critically endangered species that reached its nadir in 1987 with a population of 27 birds in the wild. Intensive management efforts have been implemented to aid the condors’ recovery, however, anthropogenic factors, like use of lead ammunition, continue to cause fatalities in this vulnerable population. Lead toxicosis, which is responsible for approximately 40% of all condor deaths since 1992, is one of the most significant threats to condors. In birds lead poisoning leads to neurological dysfunction, reproductive impairment, immune suppression, gastrointestinal disturbance, anemia, and ultimately increased vulnerability to predation, starvation, and infection. For …

The Effect Of Bovine Galectin-1, A Conceptus Secretory Protein, On The Endometrial Transcriptome, Lindsay Faye Grose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early embryonic loss in cattle is detrimental to reproduction thus, the profitability of both the beef and dairy industries. Therefore, an important aspect of study is to find techniques that beef or dairy producers could use to decrease early embryonic loss Galectin-1, the protein that was investigated in this research is important in modulating the maternal immune system in rodent and human early pregnancies by promoting fetomaternal immune tolerance. The role of galectin-1 within the reproductive tissues has not been thoroughly investigated in cattle. Galectin-1 is located in the caruncular and intercaruncular regions of the bovine endometrium, specifically the maternal …

Hardly Habitual: Chimpanzees And Gorillas Show Flexibility In Their Motor Responses When Presented With A Causally-Clear Task, Sarah L. Jacobson, Lydia M. Hopper

Publications and Research

In contrast to reports of wild primates, studies of captive primates' flexibility often reveal conservatism: individuals are unable to switch to new and more efficient strategies when task demands change. We propose that such conservatism might be a result of task design and hypothesize that conservatism might be linked to primates' lack of causal understanding in relation to experimental apparatuses. We investigated if chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) would show greater flexibility when presented with a causally-clear task. We presented six chimpanzees and seven gorillas with a clear tube from which …

Sibling Sex, But Not Androgens, Shapes Phenotypes In Perinatal Common Marmosets (Callithrix Jacchus), Brett M. Frye, Lisa G. Rapaport, Talia Melber, Michael W. Sears, Suzette D. Tardif

Publications

When offspring share a womb, interactions among fetuses can impart lasting impressions on phenotypic outcomes. Such intrauterine interactions often are mediated by sex steroids (estrogens and androgens) produced by the developing fetuses. In many mammals, intrauterine interactions between brothers and sisters lead to masculinization of females, which can induce fitness consequences. Many litter-bearing primates, though, seem to escape androgen-mediated litter effects, begging why? Here, we investigated how the sex composition (i.e., same- or mixed-sex) of litters influences perinatal outcomes in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), using a combination of physiological, morphological, and behavioural assays. We hypothesized that …

Key Habitat Features Facilitate The Presence Of Barred Owls In Developed Landscapes, Marion A. Clement, Kyle Barrett, Robert F. Baldwin

Publications

As urbanization continues to transform landscapes, it is imperative to find ways to conserve biodiversity within fragmented habitats. Forest interior dwelling birds are particularly vulnerable to development pressures because they require large tracts of forest to support their life cycles. Although Barred Owls (Strix varia) are frequently described as an obligate mature forest species, they have been found in urbanized landscapes. To determine if certain habitat characteristics, such as mature trees, facilitate the presence of Barred Owls in developed regions, we modeled Barred Owl occupancy probability along a development gradient in the Piedmont region of the southeastern United …

Ecophysiological Determinants Of Sexual Size Dimorphism: Integrating Growth Trajectories, Environmental Conditions, And Metabolic Rates, Marie-Claire Chelini, John P. Delong, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) often results in dramatic differences in body size between females and males. Despite its ecological importance, little is known about the relationship between developmental, physiological, and energetic mechanisms underlying SSD. We take an integrative approach to understand the relationship between developmental trajectories, metabolism, and environmental conditions resulting in extreme female-biased SSD in the crab spider Mecaphesa celer (Thomisidae). We tested for sexual differences in growth trajectories, as well as in the energetics of growth, hypothesizing that female M. celer have lower metabolic rates than males or higher energy assimilation. We also hypothesized that the environment in …

The Effects Of Management Practices On Grassland Birds: An Introduction To North American Grasslands And The Practices Used To Manage Grasslands And Grassland Birds, Jill A. Shaffer, John P. Delong

Papers in Ornithology

Summary

The Great Plains of North America is defined as the land mass that encompasses the entire central portion of the North American continent that, at the time of European settlement, was an unbroken expanse of primarily herbaceous vegetation. The Great Plains extend from central Saskatchewan and Alberta to central Mexico and from Indiana to the Rocky Mountains. The expanses of herbaceous vegetation are often referred to as native prairie or native grasslands. Native grasslands share the characteristics of a general uniformity in vegetation structure, dominance by grasses and forbs, a near absence of trees and shrubs, annual precipitation ranging …

Distribution Extension Of Aspiculuris Americana Parasite Of Peromyscus Difficilis In Hidalgo, Mexico, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott Monks, Jorge Falcón-Ordaz

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

English: As a part of an ongoing project to inventory the helminth parasites of rodents in Mexico, 30 individuals of Aspiculuris americana were collected inhabiting the intestine from three specimens of the rock mouse Peromyscus difficilis, collected from Cerro Xihuingo, Municipality of Tepeapulco, Hidalgo State, Mexico. This species of nematode parasite different species of the genus Peromyscus (P. gossypinus, P. leucopus, P. maniculatus, and P. floridanus) distributed from Yukon Territory in Canada to Florida in the United States of America. This is the first report of Aspiculuris americana in a Mexican endemic rodent, widening …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Diversity Of Terrestrial Mammals Surrounding Waterfall At Billy Barquedier National Park, Kelsey Johnson, Jason Apple

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Billy Barquedier is a National Park located in the Stann Creek district of Belize that contains Neotropical vegetation and wildlife. This study was performed to provide a baseline inventory and appearance frequency patterns of the terrestrial mammals located within Zone 1 of the park near a waterfall and to gain a greater understanding of the biodiversity and activity patterns of terrestrial mammals within the park. The methods included camera traps, small Sherman live traps, large live traps, and tracking methods. A non-random sampling method of placing camera traps and live traps on or near human-made or animal-made trails was used …

Did Predator Control Go To The Dogs? A 40-Year Retrospective, John M. Tomeček

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In 1980, Green and Woodruff published an article entitled, “Is Predator Control Going to the Dogs?” At that time, the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs (hereafter LGDs) was a relatively new wildlife damage management tool in North America. Although this tool passed the test of time in its point of origin, early North American adopters stepped into a brave new world with little to guide them. In the modern world, knowledge of methods and means of wildlife damage management exists in written texts, films, and other guides. For LGDs, however, such materials did not exist 40 years ago. Over the …

Spatial Relationships Between Livestock Guardian Dogs And Mesocarnivores In Central Texas, Nicholas A. Bromen, Justin T. French, John Walker, Nova J. Silvy, John M. Tomeček

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The use of livestock guardian dogs (Canis lupus familiaris; LGDs) to deter predators from preying on domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra spp.) herds continues to increase across the United States. Most research regarding the efficacy of LGDs has been based on queries of rancher satisfaction with LGD performance, yet little is known regarding LGD influence on mesocarnivores, including those species against which they protect livestock. Here, we provide some preliminary observations regarding the effect of LGDs deployed with sheep and goat herds from May 2016 to April 2017 on the detected activity of …

Factors Influencing The Movement Of Livestock Guardian Dogs In The Edwards Plateau Of Texas: Implications For Efficacy, Behavior, And Territoriality, John M. Tomeček, Justin T. French, John W. Walker, Nova J. Silvy, Nicholas A. Bromen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Livestock guardian dog (Canis lupus familiaris; LGD) breeds of domestic dog worldwide provide a degree of control over predation losses. The application of LGDs as a wildlife damage management tool evolved as a cultural practice in the Old World. In the 1970s, this tool emerged in North America. Despite several decades of science and application, gaps still exist in our knowledge regarding applications for LGDs. From February 2016 to November 2017, we deployed global positioning system transmitters on 4 LGDs on a 20-km² ranch in Menard County, Texas, USA operated by Texas A&M AgriLife Research to investigate …

Temporal Trends In Florida Panther Food Habits, Gretchen Caudill, David P. Onorato, Mark W. Cunningham, Danny Caudill, Erin H. Leone, Lisa M. Smith, Deborah Jansen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Once on the brink of extinction, the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) has reoccupied parts of its extirpated range in southern Florida, USA over the past 20 years, which has largely been attributed to genetic restoration efforts initiated in 1995 to combat inbreeding depression and subsequent deleterious traits. Concurrent to the resurgence, an increase in documented livestock depredation events has heightened concern over human– panther conflicts. We examined 312 stomach content, scat, and feces (large intestine contents) samples collected 1989 to 2014 across the endemic range in southern Florida. We compared frequency of occurrence of prey items in …

Nest-Defense Behavior Of Mississippi Kites In Urban And Exurban Areas, Ben R. Skipper, Clint W. Boal

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Mississippi kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) have become an abundant raptor in many urban and exurban areas throughout the Southern Great Plains of the United States. Unfortunately, human–wildlife conflicts have resulted from this juxtaposition of suitable breeding areas for kites and areas that humans frequent, with some kites responding aggressively to humans near nests. To date, there are no data describing the prevalence of aggressive nest defense in the species, making informed management of human and kite conflicts difficult. We assessed and compared the prevalence of aggressive nest-defense by Mississippi kites in an urban area and an exurban area by …

Cover, Editorial Staff, Journal Information

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This includes the cover, editorial staff, and journal information.

Table Of Contents

Human–Wildlife Interactions

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Assessing Individual And Population-Level Effects Of Anticoagulant Rodenticides On Wildlife, Niamh Quinn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Anticoagulant rodenticides have been detected in many species of wildlife worldwide. However, the origins, exposure pathways, and effects of this exposure are not well understood. To accurately characterize the risks to wildlife from rodenticide use, better information is needed regarding the proportion of populations being exposed, what proportion of individuals in populations are affected, and in what ways. The relationship between anticoagulant rodenticide concentrations found in wildlife and the rate of mortality or illness have been the subjects of much research. Residue levels observed in liver and whole-body analyses vary and overlap extensively among apparently healthy asymptomatic individuals and sublethal …

A California Without Rodenticides: Challenges For Commensal Rodent Management In The Future, Niamh Quinn, Sylvia Kenmuir, Laura Krueger

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rodenticides are an essential tool in the integrated pest management of infestations of commensal rodents (Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus, and Mus musculus). With the introduction of Assembly Bill 1788, the California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2019, California is potentially facing a future with new restrictions on the use of anticoagulant rodenticides to manage commensal rodents in urban areas. Assembly Bill 1788 has been proposed specifically to protect predators from anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning and seeks to restrict the application of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) for use in many urban and non-urban areas of California, USA. Exclusion and cultural …

A Review Of Rat Lungworm Infection And Recent Data On Its Definitive Hosts In Hawaii, Chris N. Niebuhr, Susan I. Jarvi, Shane R. Siers

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a zoonotic nematode that causes rat lungworm disease (angiostrongyliasis), a potentially debilitating form of meningitis, in humans worldwide. The definitive hosts for rat lungworm are primarily members of the genus Rattus, with gastropods as intermediate hosts. This parasite has emerged as an important public health concern in the United States, especially in Hawaii, where the number of human cases has increased in the last decade. Here we discuss the current knowledge of the rat lungworm, including information on the life cycle and host species, as well as updates on known infection levels. Three …

Effectiveness Of Snap And A24-Automated Traps And Broadcast Anticoagulant Bait In Suppressing Commensal Rodents In Hawaii, Aaron B. Shiels, Tyler Bogardus, Jobriath Rohrer, Kapua Kawelo

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Commensal rodents (invasive rats, Rattus spp.; house mice, Mus musculus) are well established globally. They threaten human health by disease transfer and impact economies by causing agricultural damage. On island landscapes, they are frequent predators of native species and affect biodiversity. To provide managers with better information regarding methods to suppress commensal rodent populations in remote island forests, in 2016 we evaluated the effectiveness of continuous rat trapping using snap-traps, Goodnature^®A24 self-resetting rat traps, and a 1-time (2-application) hand-broadcast of anticoagulant rodenticide bait pellets (Diphacinone-50) applied at 13.8 kg/ha per application in a 5-ha forest on Oahu, …

The Changing Role Of Rodenticides And Their Alternatives In The Management Of Commensal Rodents, Gary W. Witmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rodents cause substantial damage and losses of foodstuffs around the world. They also transmit many diseases to humans and livestock. While various methods are used to reduce damage caused by rodents, rodenticides remain an important tool in the toolbox. However, like all tools, rodenticides have advantages and disadvantages. Several considerations are shaping the future of rodenticide use, including manufacturing and registration costs, concern about toxicity levels and nontarget animal hazards, potential hazards to children, reduced effectiveness of some formulations, and humaneness to the targeted rodents. Many of these disadvantages apply to anticoagulant rodenticides, and their use is being more restricted …

Berryman Institute Professional And Program Awards, Terry Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Berryman Institute (BI) is a national organization based in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University. We are dedicated to improving human–wildlife relationships and resolving human–wildlife conflicts through teaching, research, and extension.