Other Animal Sciences Commons^™

Notes On Reproduction, Seasonality, And Roost Sites For Silver-Haired Bats (Lasionycteris Noctivagans) In Western Nebraska, Joseph W. Paysen, Dawson V. Kosmicki, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Silver-haired Bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) are a migratory species found throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Throughout their range, Silver-haired Bats roost in various tree species, generally within decaying features like cavities and exfoliated bark. Herein we report on additional reproductive and seasonal data as well as the first data on trees used as roost sites by Silver-haired Bats in Nebraska. We captured individuals along a small tributary of the North Platte River at Ash Hollow State Historical Park, Garden County, Nebraska, and tracked bats to their roosts. At this location, we documented lactation on 17 …

Minimizing Take Of Threatened Rattlesnakes And Optimizing Project Review In Se Nebraska, Shaun Dunn, Dan Fogell, Colleen Rothe-Groleau

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are protected under Nebraska Statute 37-801-811 and listed as threatened species. These species occur in the right-of-way (ROW) along several roads in Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee, and Richardson Counties which necessitates the need for added Environmental Review (ER) from Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) staff and onsite surveys prior and during maintenance and construction to roadways. This project sought to minimize ER time, staff time, and increase the knowledge of these species in southeast Nebraska by:

1. Identifying precise locations of western massasauga brumation sites;
2. Mapping travel …

Genetic Protocols For Dna Extraction From White-Tailed Deer Cast Antlers To Confirm Individuality, Zach Carter, Brian C. Peterson, Casey W. Schoenebeck, Kimberly A. Carlson

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are the most sought-after deer species in America. The antlers of mammals, such as deer, are one of the fastest regenerative tissues in the world and are grown and naturally cast every year. Research on cast antlers have been used for a variety of purposes including population comparisons and impacts of deer health due to climatic stressors. When investigating cast antlers, it is important to confirm individuality of match sets in addition to antlers of the same individual between years. Therefore, individuality must be confirmed genetically, and protocols must be developed and established to …

Holocene Records Of Nebraska Mammals, Hugh H. Genoways

Zea E-Books Collection

A survey of the archeological and paleontological literature allowed a compilation of Holocene records of mammals in Nebraska. This survey identified Holocene records from 338 sites in 62 of the 93 Nebraska counties. These counties were located throughout state, but there was a concentration of sites in southwestern Nebraska where there were 27 fossil sites in Frontier County and 22 in Harlan County. Fossils sites were underrepresented in the Sand Hills region. Records of fossil mammals covered the entire Holocene period from 13,000 years ago until AD 1850. A minimum of 57 species (with eight additional species potentially present) representing …

Phenology Of Antler Casting And Occurrence Of Late-Breeding In Nebraska White-Tailed Deer, Brian C. Peterson, Patrick D. Farrell, Dave Fehlhafer, Miranda C. Reinson, Dustin H. Ranglack

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Nebraska primarily breed in November (stimulated by photoperiod), but this season extends into December and January for unfertilized females and healthy fawns reaching the appropriate breeding weight by winter. Variation in the typical mating period can be attributed to geographic region, skewed sex ratios, and fawns reaching sexual maturity during their first year of birth. During April of 2019, we observed late season breeding by a male white-tailed deer in the central Platte River valley and documented late antler casting for this same late-copulating male. An additional male was observed in April of …

Spatial Ecology And Resource Selection Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Ewes In A Prairie Badlands Population, Erin Wood

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

The basic spatial ecology and habitat relationships of female bighorn sheep in Nebraska are poorly understood. Establishing seasonal patterns of space use and resource selection for this population at the margin of their historical and current range addresses a key knowledge gap and provides important baseline information for ongoing conservation efforts in Nebraska. We deployed GPS radio-collars on 56 adult ewes in western Nebraska to quantify seasonal space use, movements, and resource selection of ewes. To investigate spatial ecology, we quantified movements of ewes and the factors that influence home range size, seasonal use, and spatial stability across seasons. Home …

Range Extension For Dekay’S Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi) In South-Central Nebraska, Macy K. Cool, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) generally occurs in southeastern parts of the state, where the species was known from 16 counties. Herein, we update the distribution of S. dekayi in the state and briefly comment on habitat and abundance from observations in September and October 2018. We documented 7 new county records that extend its distribution in south-central Nebraska. We observed that S. dekayi does not only reside in mesic wooded habitats in Nebraska but also occupies open environments, including areas with upland grasslands and row-crop agriculture. Dekay’s Brownsnake currently is listed as a species of concern …

Small Mammals In Cornfields And Associated Peripheral Habitats In Central Nebraska, Tyson J. Spanel, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

In the Great Plains, many native grasslands have been converted to agricultural fields during the last two centuries. Peripheral habitats along edges of crop fields generally consist of linear habitats along roads, with many of these habitats used by native fauna. Our study examined capture rates and species composition of small mammals in cornfields, herbaceous roadside ditches, and wooded shelterbelts in central Nebraska. We captured nine species of small mammals. The Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) were captured almost exclusively in roadside ditches, the White-footed Deermouse (Peromyscus leucopus) was …

Maternity Colony Of Northern Long-Eared Myotis (Myotis Septentrionalis) In A Human-Made Structure In Nebraska, Rachel M. Stein, Jeremy A. White

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The Northern Long-eared Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) occurs across eastern North America, and its range extends west into the Great Plains of the United States. Summer roosts of M. septentrionalis in the Great Plains are not well documented. Herein we describe a maternity colony of M. septentrionalis using small, elevated structures (i.e., cabins) in southeastern Nebraska. Cabins were in a small parcel of upland deciduous forest about 1.6 km from the Missouri River. The maternity colony was observed roosting in a space between the outer and inner walls of three different cabins from 21 June to 8 October 2014. …

Hymenolepis Robertrauschi N. Sp. From Grasshopper Mice Onychomys Spp. In New Mexico And Nebraska, U.S.A., Scott Lyell Gardner, Brent A. Luedders, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

From 1989 through 1998, a total of 358 grasshopper mice were collected and examined for helminth and protistan parasites from several habitat types on the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in New Mexico, U.S.A. Of these, 205 individuals were identified as Onychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied 1841) and 153 individuals were classified as O. arenicola Mearns 1896. Many individuals of Onychomys were infected with a new species of Hymenolepididae (Hymenolepis robertrauschi), which is herein described, illustrated, and compared with all species of Nearctic Hymenolepis s. str. Hymenolepis robertrauschi was found in 26% of the individuals of O. arenicola …

Historical Biogeography Of Nebraska Pronghorns (Antilocapra Americana), Justin D. Hoffman, Hugh H. Genoways, Rachel R. Jones

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Archeological and paleontological records indicate that the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) have a history of at least 20,000 years of occurrence within the current boundaries of Nebraska. Pronghorns occurred throughout the state for much of its history. With the evidence at hand we concluded that the eastern boundary of the geographic distribution of the pronghorn south of the Niobrara River in Nebraska at the beginning of the 19th century was along the western perimeter of the eastern deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie. This excluded most of the easternmost tier of counties in the state. This geographic arrangement persisted throughout …

Applications And Potentials For Biogenic Methane Recovery Operations In Nebraska Agriculture, Industry, And Economic Development, David Micheal Dingman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT: This thesis report illustrates the applications and potentials of biogenic methane recovery in Nebraska’s agricultural and industrial sectors and as a means for increasing sustainable economic development in the state’s rural communities. As the nation moves toward a new green economy, biogenic methane recovery as a waste management strategy and renewable energy resource presents significant opportunities for Nebraska to be a national and world leader in agricultural and industrial innovation, advanced research and development of renewable energy technology, and generation of new product markets. Nebraska’s agricultural economy provides a distinct advantage to the state for supporting methane recovery operations …

Ranch Management Practices In The Sandhills Of Nebraska: Managing Production, Sean A. Coady, Richard T. Clark

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This report represents the second in a two-part series that summarize a comprehensive survey of Nebraska Sandhills range cattle operations. The focus of this report is on management of the production aspects of the ranch business and provides details on pasture and meadow management, hay production, crops, breeding programs, nutritional programs, and maintaining the health of the herd.

Forty Years Of Dairy Cattle Breeding At The North Platte Experiment Station, Mogens Plum, Myron G.A. Rumery

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

In 1913 the Nebraska Legislature appropriated $17,500 to establish a Dairy Department at the North Platte Experiment Station. The department's herd was to be used in demonstrating management and breeding practices and as a source of breeding stock. Since the North Platte herd was started, research in the field of animal breeding has developed new concepts in many phases of dairy cattle breeding and selection. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the progress made under a system of dairy cattle breeding and selection carried out according to the principles that dominated 40 years ago. The results of …

The Relations Of Vegetative Composition And Cattle Grazing On Nebraska Range Land, T. E. Brinegar, F. D. Keim

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The objectives of the studies reported in this paper were: (1) to obtain an analysis of the vegetation in tall and short grass range lands, (2) to observe the activities of cattle on the range, and (3) to determine the effects of grazing upon vegetation.

Vegetative Composition And Grazing Capacity Of A Typical Area Of Nebraska Sandhill Range Land, A. L. Frolik, W. O. Shepherd

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The sandhill area of Nebraska occupies approximately 20,000 square miles of the central portion of the state. Being unadapted to cultivation, the land is for the most part still covered with native vegetation. It is utilized primarily for the production of livestock, chiefly cattle. During the period 1931 to 1938 the sandhills carried annually an average of 1,041,000 cattle, which amounted to 31 per cent of the total number in the state. The management practices used in the Nebraska sandhills have gained national recognition as a good example of range conservation in the United States. The purpose of this study …

Hog Houses For Nebraska, O. W. Sjogren, I. D. Wood

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The material contained in this bulletin is a culmination of several years' study and investigation of the different types of hog houses used in Nebraska. It is realized that the plans given will not suit all conditions that may arise, but an effort has been made to bring out the essential factors so that the plans may serve as a guide in planning a house suited to particular conditions.

Hog Houses For Nebraska, O. W. Sjogren, I. D. Wood

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The material contained in this bulletin is a culmination of several years' study and investigation of the different types of hog houses used in Nebraska. It is realized that the plans given will not suit all conditions that may arise, but an effort has been made to bring out the essential factors so that the plans may serve as a guide in planning a house suited to particular conditions.