Other Animal Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Urban Factors And Invasive Species On White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus Leucopus) Habitat Use And Foraging Behavior In An Urban Forest Park., William Persons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) select for areas of greater canopy cover at the macro scale, and for areas with more CWD at the micro-scale. White-footed mice potentially avoid habitats with higher invasive species richness. White-footed mice preferentially foraged under the honeysuckle canopy in response to changes in temperature and humidity. This study suggests that the interaction between P. leucopus and ground layer invasive species is complex, and that the effect of moonlight may be diminished in this urban park. Urban ecosystems demonstrate high levels of anthropogenic land-use change, modification of abiotic inputs, and altered disturbance regimes. These changes result …

Predicting Toucan Locations In Panama Using Arcgis, Daniel J. Herrera

Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Toucans are omnivorous birds native to southern Latin America and South America. They are non-migratory, and their range is disputed among experts. In an attempt to develop a better understanding of the range and behavior of toucans, correlations between toucan presence and geographic features of the area were analyzed to create a location probability map.

Carnivore Diet Identification Through Scat And Genetic Analysis In Namibia, Africa, Alicia J. Walsh

Honors Theses and Capstones

Worldwide the cheetah population is declining making them Africa’s most endangered large cat. Namibia, Africa currently has the largest population of cheetahs in the world. During the summer of 2014, I did scat analysis of carnivores on the property of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia in order to better understand the predators that compete with the cheetah and how the ecosystem works as a whole. I worked at CCF for nine weeks to analyze the diets of carnivores in the area through genetic and scat analysis. Analyzing carnivore feces would ultimately identify the diet of various carnivores in …

Sun-Compass Orientation During Natal Dispersal In Hatchling Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea Blandingii), Meredith Anne Schlenner

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Blanding's turtle hatchlings emerge from their natal nests naïve to environmental stimuli and primarily sense visual cues on the horizon as a dispersal target. During a period of hours or days, hatchlings develop a compass mechanism that allows them to maintain a direction of travel, even when the target is not visible. We examined the dispersal directions of Blanding's turtle hatchlings captured during dispersal by translocating them into a circular arena in a field of corn in order to measure their dispersal direction guided by a compass mechanism. To test for use of a sun compass, a magnetic compass, or …

The Role Of Mate Preference And Personality On Reproductive Performance In An Ex-Situ Conservation Breeding Program For The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Meghan S. Martin

Dissertations and Theses

Successful captive-breeding and re-introduction programs must have the ability to breed a surplus of genetically suitable animals for release into the wild. Unfortunately, many individuals in captive breeding programs often do not reproduce even when they are apparently healthy and presented with genetically appropriate mates. Mate choice can affect multiple parameters of reproductive sperformance, including mating success, offspring production, survival, and fecundity. We investigated the role of mate preference and personality on the reproductive performance of male and female giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) as measured by intromission success and litter production. We conducted these studies on giant pandas at the …

Dangerous Mating Systems: Signal Complexity, Signal Content And Neural Capacity In Spiders, Marie E. Herberstein, Anne E. Wignall, Eileen Hebets, Jutta M. Schneider

Eileen Hebets Publications

Spiders are highly efficient predators in possession of exquisite sensory capacities for ambushing prey, combined with machinery for launching rapid and determined attacks. As a consequence, any sexually motivated approach carries a risk of ending up as prey rather than as a mate. Sexual selection has shaped courtship to effectively communicate the presence, identity, motivation and/or quality of potential mates, which help ameliorate these risks. Spiders communicate this information via several sensory channels, including mechanical (e.g. vibrational), visual and/or chemical, with examples of multimodal signaling beginning to emerge in the literature. The diverse environments that spiders inhabit have further shaped …

Coral-Fish Dynamics And Interactions: A Case Study Of Grand Cayman, Eileen Shea Davis

Lawrence University Honors Projects

To better understand the ecological interactions of coral reefs, it is important to understand the mechanisms that control the distribution and abundance of reef-building corals as well as the mechanisms that control the diversity and abundance of the fish community that inhabits these reef habitats. The purpose of this study was to identify specific coral-fish interactions among the reefs of Grand Cayman in order to gain insight into the biological effects of fish on the assemblage of hard corals. Using data collected by the Lawrence University Marine Program (LUMP), a number of exploratory statistical analyses were run in order to …

A Male Spider’S Ornamentation Polymorphism Maintained By Opposing Selection With Two Niches, Bo Deng, Alex Estes, Brett Grieb, Douglas Richard, Brittney Hinds, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The Levene mechanism to maintain genotypic polymorphism by opposing selection on genotypes in multiple niches was proposed 60 years ago, and yet no systems were found to satisfy the mechanisms rather restrictive conditions. Reported here is such an example that a wolf spider population lives in a habitat of mixed rocks and leafy litter for which the females are phenotypically indistinguishable and the males have two distinct phenotypes subject to opposing selection with respect to the substrates. Census data is best-fitted to a population genetics model of the Levene type. A majority of the best fit support polymorphism, with many …

Pcb Effects On Development Of Behavior In Rats, Robert Witte

Honors Projects

Abstract

PCBs were originally used as industrial chemicals in many devices and applications, including electrical capacitors and transformers, lubricants, and sealants in buildings. PCBs have been investigated and their use has been slowly phased out starting in the U.S. in the 1970s. A worldwide ban was put on the use and manufacturing of PCB in 2001, however they remain in the food chain because of their lipophilic properties and their long half-life. Major sources of PCB include wild-life, fish, and other seafood. Individuals exposed to PCB during development can experience negative effects on neurobiological, cognitive, and behavior functioning in both …

Antelope Mating Strategies Facilitate Invasion Of Grasslands By A Woody Weed, Shivani Jadeja, Soumya Prasad, Suhel Quader, Kavita Isvaran

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Intra and interspecific variation in frugivore behaviour can have important consequences for seed dispersal outcomes. However, most information comes from among-species comparisons, and within-species variation is relatively poorly understood. We examined how large intraspecific differences in the behaviour of a native disperser, blackbuck antelope Antilope cervicapra, influence dispersal of a woody invasive, Prosopis juliflora, in a grassland ecosystem. Blackbuck disperse P. juliflora seeds through their dung. In lekking blackbuck populations, males defend clustered or dispersed mating territories. Territorial male movement is restricted, and within their territories males defecate on dung-piles. In contrast, mixed-sex herds range over large areas …

Effect Of Light Level On Feeding Behavior In A Lemur Species (Eulemur Rubriventer) With A Color Vision Polymorphism., Ainsley Lockhart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Understanding the visual capabilities and correlated behavior of prosimians provides vital information regarding the evolution of color vision. Feeding behavior in particular is often modified based on color vision status in various primate taxa. The present study examined feeding behavior under various light conditions in Eulemur rubriventer, a lemur species with a color vision polymorphism in which only females can have trichromatic vision. Behavioral observations were conducted for a single E. rubrventer group over a 13 day study period in April 2012. Results found no significant difference in rates of frugivory or exploitation of green vs. non-green food between male …

Male Field Crickets Infested By Parasitoid Flies Express Phenotypes That May Benefit The Parasitoids, Oliver M. Beckers, William E. Wagner

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Parasites can cause changes in the phenotypes of their hosts that may benefit the parasite, the host, or both. To understand the evolutionary dynamics of host–parasite interactions it is necessary to first examine the effect of parasitic infestation on the host phenotype and whether the host or parasite benefits from these changes. The fly Ormia ochracea parasitizes the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, and it uses male song to locate hosts for its lethal larvae. Adult flies preferentially orient to male songs with faster and longer chirps. We tested the effect of larval infestation on two types of host traits. …

Distributions Of Sharks Across A Continental Shelf In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, J. Marcus Drymon, Sean P. Powers, John Dindo, Brian Dzwonkowski, Terry A. Henwood

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Declines in shark populations have sparked researchers and fishery managers to investigate more prudent approaches to the conservation of these fish. As managers strive to improve data collection for stock assessment, fisheries-independent surveys have expanded to include data-deficient areas such as coastal regions. To that end, a catch series from a nearshore survey off Alabama was combined with data from a concurrent offshore survey with identical methodology to examine the depth use of sharks across the continental shelf (2–366 m). The combined data set contained 22 species of sharks collected from 1995 to 2008: 21 species in the offshore data …

The Development And Role Of Peripheral Auditory Structures In Otocinclus Affinis, Sri Kiran Kumar Reddy Botta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Loricariidae is a very diverse family of catfishes found primarily in the Amazon River basin. These catfishes have a unique characteristic feature of having fenestrae (holes) in the skull region (compound pterotic bone) adjacent to their bi-lobed swim bladder. Since the swim bladders and the compound pterotic may act as an external ear for hearing in this taxon, I hypothesized that these swim bladders structures have an acoustical functional in the loricariid Otocinclus affinis. In order to understand the development of these structures in O. affinis, I first monitored the ontogeny of the compound pterotic bone by clearing …

Letter From The Dean, Lalit Verma

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

No abstract provided.

Unintended Facilitation Between Marine Consumers Generates Enhanced Mortality For Their Shared Prey, F. Joel Fodrie, Matthew D. Kenworthy, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

We manipulated predator densities and prey vulnerability to explore how interactions between two predators affect overall mortality of their shared prey. Our threemember study system included eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and two of its major consumers: southern oyster drills (Stramonita haemastoma) and stone crabs (Menippe adina). Field experiments demonstrated that drills and crabs foraging together generated higher than expected oyster mortality based on each species operating independently, even though crabs also killed some drills. In subsequent laboratory trials, we experimentally mimicked the handling of oysters by foraging crabs and confirmed that crabs facilitated drills by breeching oyster valves, thereby granting …

The Natural History And Distribution Of The Mountain Earthsnake (Virginia Valeriae Pulchra) In West Virginia, Daniel Ware

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Mountain Earthsnake, Virginia valeriae pulchra, has received little attention in the literature to date. It is imperiled in West Virginia with only 6 to 20 populations known throughout the Allegheny Mountain and Ridge and Valley Physiographic provinces. Eighty snakes were collected during the 2006 and 2007 summers. Typical habitat is open fields with short grass, flat to moderate slopes that have scattered fine sandstone rocks near a source of water and forest edge. Fine sandstone rocks were the primary cover objects used. Snakes were sexually dimorphic with males having longer tails expressed as a percent of total body lengths …

The Birth Of A Wild Ass (Equus Hemionus Khur) In India’S Little Rann Of Kutch, Gertrud Neumann-Denzau

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The birth of a wild ass was completely described and photographed in the wild for the first time. It happened in the daytime, in the open desert, and in the vicinity of other wild asses. The mother isolated her foal afterwards for an entire day. After birthing she drove away her male yearling, which did not join her any longer from this moment on.

Numbers, Distribution And Social Structure Of Kiang (Equus Kiang Moorcroft 1841) Population In The Southwestern Part Of Tibet, China, Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In September - October 1998 we made an extensive survey in southwest Tibet to study numbers, distribution and social structure of the kiang population in this remote part of its range. Kiangs were sighted between 29º 40’ and 32º 50’ N, and 81º- 86º E. They preferred broad flat valleys with lakes at an altitude from 4,000 up to 5,000 m. Small kiang groups and solitary animals were sighted in Transhimalaya. There were no kiangs in Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River valley, in the sand desert near Ali and in the Clay Mountains near Tsada. Seven old kiang corpses were found along …

Territorial Behaviour Of Kiang (Equus Kiang Moorcroft, 1841) In Ladakh (India), Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The observations of kiang behavior were made in Navokar Valley northeast of Tso Kar Lake (Ladakh, India) between July 30 and November 22, 2001. In the breeding season (end of July until the end of August) adult kiang males kept not overlapping, protected territories (about 10 km²), and marked by single defecation and urination marks. There were adult females with and without offspring on the territories (up to 12 animals, including the male). The distance between male and females on the territories was usually hundred times bigger, then a distance between stallion and his harem in horses. Females …

Home Range And Behavior Of The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus), Jennifer P. Adams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Seventeen timber rattlesnakes were surgically implanted with radio transmitters and subsequently radio-tracked to determine the home range and behavior, as well as cause-specific mortality, of timber rattlesnakes on production forests in Randolph County, West Virginia. Mean home range sizes were 94.3 ha, males; 31.2 ha, nongravid females; 8.5 ha, gravid females; and 44.7 ha, among sex classes. Among sex classes, the mean daily movement rate was 20.2 mper day; the mean maximum known distances from den sites was 1110.2 m; the mean distance from den sites was 514.2 m; and the mean total distance moved was 2852.9 m. Mean active …

Zur Nahrungsökologie Des Uhus Bubo Bubo In Der Mongolei = Feeding Ecology Of The Eagle Owl Bubo Bubo In Mongolia, Thomas Hoffmann, Michael Stubbe, D. Heidecke, R. Piechocki, R. Samjaa, J. Erfurt, D. Sumjaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This paper presents further results on the food ecology of the eagle owl in western Mongolia for the years 1984 to 1992. Additional to the already known sites we investigated two new resting places. At least 27 mammal and 17 bird species were recorded. The results confirm previous studies. Small to medium sized mammals (Cricetidae, Dipodidae, Arvicolidae) dominate the prey of the eagle owl whereas birds and invertebrates are less important.

Die Parasitierung Der Luzerne-Blattschneiderbiene, Megachile Rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Durch Physocephala Pusilla (Diptera: Conopidae) In Der Mongolei = Parasitization Of The Alfalfa Leaf-Cutter Bee, Megachile Rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), By Physocephala Pusilla (Diptera: Conopidae) In Mongolia, Karsten Seidelmann

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Physocephala pusilla Meigen (Diptera: Conopidae) was found to be a dangerous endoparasitoid of the alfalfa leafcutter bee Megachile rotundata F. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Mongolia. The conopid fly parasitizes adults and causes their early death. In 1989 and 1990, 16% and 15% respectively of the M. rotundata females were found dead in front of the bee shelter. However, the number of bees (females and males) dying in the field is unknown. These bees cause a contamination of the alfalfa fields due to an increase of the conopid population. Therefore, Ph. pusilla becomes a serious problem for the management of M. rotundata …

Terrestrial Behavior Of Ateles Spp., Christina J. Campbell, Filippo Aureli, Colin A. Chapman, Gabriel Ramos-Fernández, Kim Matthews, Sabrina E. Russo, Scott Suarez, Laura Vick

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Spider monkeys (Ateles spp.) are well known for their highly arboreal lifestyle, spending much of their time in the highest levels of the canopy and rarely venturing to the ground. To investigate terrestriality by Ateles and to illuminate the conditions under which spider monkeys venture to the ground, we analyzed ad libitum data from 5 study sites, covering 2 species and 5 subspecies. Three of the sites are in Central/North America: Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama (Ateles geoffroyi panamensis), Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica (A. g. frontatus), and Punta Laguna, Mexico (A. g. yucatanensis). The 2 remaining sites are …

Natural History Of The Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma Opacum (Gravenhorst), In West Virginia, With Special Notes On Reproduction And Larval Development, Jason J. Watkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study observed a population of Ambystoma opacum in Kanawha State Forest, Kanawha County, five miles south of Charleston, West Virginia. Data were collected from September 1995 to November 1997. Reproductive biology and salamander development were examined. Predation of A. opacum and potential predators were also noted. Like other species in the genus Ambystoma, adult A. opacum are mostly fossorial and rarely seen above ground outside of the breeding season. During the breeding season, adults make their way to the breeding pools. Males ventured to the breeding pool first in early September and ranged in size from 49 to 75mm …

A Study On The Life History And Seasonal Foraging Habits Of The Salamander Desmognathus Quadramaculatus Holbrook, In Wv, Glenn R. Mills

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A study was conducted on Desmognathus quadramaculatus in the northern periphery of its range with some aspects of its life history, surface density, and seasonal foraging habits. The results in this study are compared to studies done on D. quadramaculatus in the southern portion of its range. Female D. quadramaculatus have been found tending egg clutches from June to September in the southern portion of its range and data collected in this study shows that egg deposition also occurs during this period in the northern population. Female size (SVL) at which D. quadramaculatus reach sexual maturity ranged from 57.6- 77.5 …

Conflict And Cooperation: Sociobiological Principles And The Behaviour Of Pigs, David Fraser, D. L. Kramer, E. A. Pajor, D. M. Weary

Sociobiology Collection

The pig provides many examples of how principles of behavioural ecology and sociobiology can lead to insights into farm animal behaviour. According to parent-offspring conflict theory, parents should tend to give a level of parental investment somewhat below that solicited by the young. When closely confined during lactation, sows can do little to limit the amount of contact with the piglets, and the young stimulate a prolonged, high level of lactation. Certain alternative housing systems allow the sow to limit the stimulation she receives, and the resulting reduction in lactation can actually be advantageous to both parties. Communal care of …

The Distribution, Ecology And Natural History Of Shrews (Insectivora: Soricidae) In Southern West Virginia, Jeffrey Jerome Hajenga

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A survey of the soricid (shrew) fauna of southern West Virginia was conducted between May 16, 1994 and May 27, 1995. Twenty-five sites were established in Mercer and Summers counties within seven habitat types. Pitfall traps were used and through a limitation of fluid depth within the trap the selectivity for soricids was increased to over 83% of the total capture. Overall, a total of 653 shrews comprising seven species (Sorex cinereus, S. /ongirostris, S. fumeus, S. dispar, S. hoyi, 8/arina brevicauda, and Cryptotis parva) was captured. Two of the species taken (S. hoyi and S. dispar) are new county …

A Report On Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs In Nebraska, Their Biology, Behavior, Ecology, Management, And Responses To A Visual Barrier Fence, Nancy S. Foster

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I examined the effects of a visual barrier fence, which had a see-through visibility of 600/0, on the foraging, vigilance, and aggressive behaviors of adult female black-tailed prairie dogs from June through August 1990 in central Nebraska. I also examined changes in their home ranges and use of an area in response to this fence. Prairie dogs prefer an open view of their surroundings. Therefore, I expected animals near a visual barrier to spend more time in vigilance and aggression, and less time foraging. Adult female prairie dogs exposed to the visual barrier devoted more time to foraging and less …

Research Objectives In Vertebrate Pest Control, A J. Oliver

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

The European rabbit, introduced into Australia in 856 by an early settler for hunting, caused massive losses to agricultural production in Western Australia in 1940s and 1950s.

In those years most of the country's recources and efforts allocated to vertebrate pest problems were aimed at controlling this animal.

Research and control measures by Commonwealth and State agencies, including the introduction of myxomatosis, were largely responsible for reducing the rabbit problem to the comparatively minor one it is now.

Today, the Agricultural Protection Board is involved in the control of a much wider range of mammals and birds which cause losses …