Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Zoology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Theses/Dissertations

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
File Type

Articles 1 - 30 of 914

Full-Text Articles in Zoology

A Comparison Of Ahdrift And Pitfall Traps For Surveying Small Vertebrates, Gabrielle Risko Aug 2026

A Comparison Of Ahdrift And Pitfall Traps For Surveying Small Vertebrates, Gabrielle Risko

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding species occupancy is necessary to inform wildlife management and conservation decisions. To minimize the invasiveness of occupancy studies, some wildlife researchers have deployed game cameras to detect the presence of small vertebrates instead of utilizing stressful traditional live-capture methods. The Adapted Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) is an increasingly popular method for modifying and deploying camera traps to detect small vertebrates; however, no studies have directly compared AHDriFT to traditional pitfall traps operating at the exact same time, even though both are deployed along drift fences to capture small vertebrates. I compared these two methods (pitfall trapping and AHDriFT …

Go to article

Lizards In The Trees: Structural, Functional, And Behavioral Specializations To A High-Risk Environment, Victor D. Munteanu Aug 2026

Lizards In The Trees: Structural, Functional, And Behavioral Specializations To A High-Risk Environment, Victor D. Munteanu

All Dissertations

Animals must contend with unexpected changes in their habitat and environment to thrive. Arboreal habitats can consist of a wide variety of environmental features, and failure to adequately contend with these features can result in high risk of injury or death upon falling. Despite these strong selective pressures, many vertebrate lineages have successfully invaded arboreal habitats. Using lizard taxa as a model system, I investigated how morphology and behavior have evolved within this specific habitat transition. I pursued these investigations through complementary analyses including: 1) evaluating the effect of stance height and tail prehensility on perturbation recovery, 2) assessing behavior …

Go to article

A Geometric Morphometric Analysis Of Acetabular Shape Variation Across Bat Families, Jordan L. Huff Aug 2026

A Geometric Morphometric Analysis Of Acetabular Shape Variation Across Bat Families, Jordan L. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight, and research is concentrated on this adaptation. Their non-flight locomotion has received comparatively little attention. Previous studies show that non-flight locomotor behaviors vary across families. Members of Pteropodidae are efficient climbers but cannot effectively walk, whereas Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae are better at terrestrial locomotion but show reduced arboreal capabilities. The non-flight locomotion of Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae is less understood, although rhinolophids exhibit limited terrestrial locomotion. This study examined whether differences in locomotor behavior are associated with variation in acetabular morphology. A geometric morphometric analysis of acetabular shape was conducted across multiple …

Go to article

Ontogeny And The Effects Of Perinatal Stress In The First Immature Skeleton Of Teleoceras Aepysoma (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae), Joe Gajewski May 2026

Ontogeny And The Effects Of Perinatal Stress In The First Immature Skeleton Of Teleoceras Aepysoma (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae), Joe Gajewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recovery of an immature fossil rhinoceros (Teleoceras aepysoma) skeleton (ETMNH 32999) from the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee offers the first insights into the ontogeny of the species. ETMNH 32999 is interpreted to be a subadult male in an age class equivalent to ~17-20% of potential lifespan. Comparative analyses support the hypothesis that subadults of related taxa are typically ~91% of average adult size in most dimensions. However, certain cranial dimensions are substantially lower than expected in ETMNH 32999, averaging only ~74% of the average conspecific adult. Such departure from typical growth rates is suggested to be attributable …

Go to article

Monitoring Biodiversity Growth In An Oyster Reef Restoration: Understanding How Oyster Reef Life Cycle May Impact Biodiversity., Gabriel A. Roses May 2026

Monitoring Biodiversity Growth In An Oyster Reef Restoration: Understanding How Oyster Reef Life Cycle May Impact Biodiversity., Gabriel A. Roses

Theses and Dissertations

Oyster reefs are vital to marine ecosystem health, improving water quality and providing food and habitat for diverse species. We assessed biodiversity changes for a proposed oyster reef restoration site to help guide management, future assessment, and deepen understanding of how oyster reefs function and their ecosystems dynamics.

Go to article

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Host: Fleas And The History Of Pikas In North America, Josh Pletcher May 2026

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Host: Fleas And The History Of Pikas In North America, Josh Pletcher

All NMU Master's Theses

Parasite phylogenetics can offer windows into the cryptic evolutionary history of hosts, often highlighting events that are not recorded by the phylogenetics of the host. Pikas (small lagomorphs) host a diverse parasite community comprising endoparasites (e.g., coccidians, nematodes, and cestodes) and ectoparasites (e.g., fleas and mites). Phylogenetic analysis of pika endoparasites has revealed pikas evolved in Asia and colonized North America in two waves, and that contact between these two pika lineages allowed parasites to be transferred from one lineage to another and to survive the extinction of their original host. To uncover these cryptic histories, understanding the biogeography of …

Go to article

Mammalian Biodiversity Of The Easley Conservation Stewardship Area, Grayson C. Belt May 2026

Mammalian Biodiversity Of The Easley Conservation Stewardship Area, Grayson C. Belt

Honors College Theses

Monitoring wildlife is an important part of conservation and is particularly vital for newly acquired conservation areas to provide a baseline of what is present. In 2025, the 22 ha Murray State University Easley Conservation Stewardship Area (MSU ECSA) was established following a donation to the university by Melissa Easley. I conducted a survey using trail cameras at the ECSA in fall 2025 and winter 2025/26 to record mammalian diversity. The survey consisted of two subprojects: a mesomammal subproject of 18 knee height trail cams and a small mammal subproject using 15 custom small mammal bucket cameras. I uploaded all …

Go to article

Feeding Ecology In Coastal Systems, Randi L. Cannon May 2026

Feeding Ecology In Coastal Systems, Randi L. Cannon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are critical foundation species in estuaries, providing numerous ecological and economic benefits. However, oyster populations have diminished worldwide. Effective oyster restoration and aquaculture require a mechanistic understanding of the physiological and environmental factors that govern oyster feeding, growth, and resilience under changing coastal conditions. We investigated how oyster ploidy and environmental conditions influenced oyster feeding and investigated how changes in abiotic conditions affected behavioral performance of oyster drills (Stramonita spp.), a key oyster predator. To better understand feeding responses and behaviors of both predator and prey we 1) used in-situ filter feeding assays to determine if feeding …

Go to article

Intermediates Or Intermedius? An Examination Of Lotic Sternotherus In Baldwin And Mobile Counties, Al, Peyton A. Wilson Apr 2026

Intermediates Or Intermedius? An Examination Of Lotic Sternotherus In Baldwin And Mobile Counties, Al, Peyton A. Wilson

Theses

The Southeastern United States is a biodiversity hotspot, and turtles are no exception to the rule. This is particularly true for the genus Sternotherus. Alabama is the only state home to all six species of Sternotherus, including the recently described Intermediate Musk Turtle (Sternotherus intermedius). It was thought that the Perdido River was the western boundary of Sternotherus intermedius; however, surveys in recent years produced questionable individuals in several small watersheds feeding into the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, bringing the species true range into question, as well as the question of if this species has hybridized with its congener, …

Go to article

Temporal Avoidance By Gray Foxes Reflects Growing Pressure From Expanding Coyotes In The Neotropics, Madison Odenbach Jan 2026

Temporal Avoidance By Gray Foxes Reflects Growing Pressure From Expanding Coyotes In The Neotropics, Madison Odenbach

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are rapidly expanding their range towards South America, potentially threatening the world’s highest canid diversity residing on that continent. A better understanding of their interactions with native species is needed to anticipate potential competitive impacts. In Costa Rica, native gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) likely occupy a similar niche to the coyote newcomer, yet little data exists on their interactions in tropical ecosystems. We hypothesized the two species separate temporally to minimize the potential for competition in our study area, given preliminary data suggesting high spatial overlap (57.1% of coyote-detected sites overlap with fox-detected …

Go to article

Indirect Effects Of Coral Bleaching On Tursiops Truncatus Diet And Foraging Behavior In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Annabel Fiero Jan 2026

Indirect Effects Of Coral Bleaching On Tursiops Truncatus Diet And Foraging Behavior In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Annabel Fiero

Scripps Senior Theses

Indirect effects, where another species or factor mediates the effects of a given species, are critical to ecosystem structure and resilience. Shifts in fish community structure, as a result of rapidly declining coral reefs in the Caribbean due to warming-induced bleaching, pose a threat to apex predators like Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphins). Branching corals create habitat niches for numerous fish species. These fish rely on coral for food and habitat, and in turn provide food for upper trophic levels. Prior research has highlighted how coral bleaching will disrupt Acroporid reef building corals and fish community structure, but the effects of …

Go to article

Spiders In The World Of Pesticides: A Review, Jackson L. Mendillo Jan 2026

Spiders In The World Of Pesticides: A Review, Jackson L. Mendillo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Pesticides and other agrochemicals have varying effects on spiders depending on their mechanism of action and dosage, ranging from behavioral changes and ataxia, to reproductive changes and physiological stress, to lethal non-target effects. Additionally, peptide Hv1a has promising effects as a more narrow-spectrum pesticide.

Go to article

Comparison Of Enrichment Interaction Duration Between Male And Female Panthera Leo Leo, Maegen G. Meldrum Jan 2026

Comparison Of Enrichment Interaction Duration Between Male And Female Panthera Leo Leo, Maegen G. Meldrum

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

African lion (Panthera leo leo) populations have declined significantly over the past century within their natural habitats, increasing the importance of effective management strategies for individuals in human care. Environment enrichment is a critical tool for promoting species typical behavior in human care; however, enrichment practices are often generalized and may not account for sex-specific differences. This study examined how sex, enrichment types, behaviors, and time of day influenced enrichment interaction duration in a small pride of African lions (n = 4) housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Two enrichment types were evaluated: cognitive/occupational (CO, a manipulable barrel) …

Go to article

Behavior Of A Komodo Dragon In Relation To Whole-Prey Feeding, Gurkiran Kaur Natt Jan 2026

Behavior Of A Komodo Dragon In Relation To Whole-Prey Feeding, Gurkiran Kaur Natt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In zoological settings, whole-prey feeding is an enrichment strategy widely used to prompt naturalistic behaviors; yet, the specific behavioral shifts this causes in reptiles are not well-documented. This study focused on the activity budgets and spatial use of a six-year-old male Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) housed at the Akron Zoo, analyzing his movements in direct response to whole-prey feeding sessions. Over an eight-week observation period, instantaneous scan sampling was utilized to quantify behaviors before and after two distinct whole-prey feeding sessions. Although active behaviors and "not visible" instances increased marginally post-feeding, paired t-tests confirmed these shifts were not statistically significant …

Go to article

Multiple Burn And Forest Characteristics Affect Gray Fox (Urocyon Cinereoargenteus) Occurrence Following A California Megafire, Amida Zohar Verhey Jan 2026

Multiple Burn And Forest Characteristics Affect Gray Fox (Urocyon Cinereoargenteus) Occurrence Following A California Megafire, Amida Zohar Verhey

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In western North American forests, predator communities are faced with changing fire regimes and increased fire severity and size, particularly with megafires (>10,000 ha). As some wildlife communities may restructure following the loss of apex consumers, understanding post-fire space use of mid-trophic carnivores may inform species composition in these forests. I compared gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) occupancy in and around the 2021 Dixie Fire, the largest single-ignition fire in California state history, to examine which spatially variable burn and forest characteristics affected the space use of a widespread generalist mesopredator. Using 210 camera traps placed in 2023, …

Go to article

Hyena Den Distribution, Human-Hyena Interactions And Mitigation Strategies In The Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, Katherine Elizabeth Davis Matczak Jan 2026

Hyena Den Distribution, Human-Hyena Interactions And Mitigation Strategies In The Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, Katherine Elizabeth Davis Matczak

Honors Theses and Capstones

The Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a prevalent predator across Africa, recognized for their noticeable gait and powerful jaws which enable them to maul and scavenge on prey. Due to human population growth and encroachment onto wildlife territory, the overlap between human settlements and hyena den sites has become a growing concern, particularly regarding livestock predation. Livestock is intrinsic to livelihoods across Africa, with most individuals deriving their livelihoods from pastoralism. This paper provides an evaluation of den proximities to communities, hyena diet preference, human-hyena conflict/attitudes, and mitigation strategies used to protect hyenas, livestock, and the people. Results …

Go to article

Adapting To Uncertainty: Effects Of Environmental Instability On Zebrafish Behaviour, Britney Sekulovski Jan 2026

Adapting To Uncertainty: Effects Of Environmental Instability On Zebrafish Behaviour, Britney Sekulovski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis addresses how animals cope with unpredictability by testing how environmental stability changes the behaviour of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in two complementary experiments. In Experiment 1, fish lived for three months in either a Dynamic environment (water temperature, feeding times, habitat complexity, group size, and membership fluctuated) or a Stable environment (all factors constant). Across seven behavioural assays, measuring individual behavioural differences, collective movement, social memory, and information use, Dynamic condition fish were found to be more sensitive to social cues and more likely to conform to recent social information, independent of the quality of the information …

Go to article

The Disruption Of Gastrointestinal Hormonal Control Of Digestion In Nile Tilapia By Omeprazole, Rema Abutaha Jan 2026

The Disruption Of Gastrointestinal Hormonal Control Of Digestion In Nile Tilapia By Omeprazole, Rema Abutaha

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Stomach acidity is a critical feature of the digestive system, facilitating the breakdown of protein through the activation of the protease pepsin. Gastric acid is secreted by H+/K+ ATPase, the gastric proton pump. A previous study on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) showed that inhibiting the production of stomach acid using the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole (omz), reduced growth that correlated with an acceleration of the rate of gastric emptying. This contrasts with omz exposure studies in mammals in which there is a delay in gastric emptying and no impact on growth. To understand the mechanism …

Go to article

Taxonomy Of Endophytic Fungi Associated With Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Md. Arafat Rashid Dec 2025

Taxonomy Of Endophytic Fungi Associated With Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Md. Arafat Rashid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study presents the first comprehensive taxonomic and ecological investigation of endophytic fungi (EF) associated with the submerged aquatic macrophyte Vallisneria neotropicalis in the southern United States. Over a 12 month period, from April 2023 to March 2024, leaf samples were collected from two distinct sites in Mobile Bay, Alabama a disturbed, brackish Causeway location and a cleaner, less impacted site at Meaher State Park. Using culture dependent methods, a total of 257 fungal endophytes were isolated from 1,200 leaf segments. All isolates belonged to the phylum Ascomycota, distributed across 3 classes, 6 orders, 10 families, and 19 taxa. The …

Go to article

Exploring The Role Of Ecological Traits In Shaping Spatial Patterns Of Genetic Diversity, Rilquer Mascarenhas Da Silva Sep 2025

Exploring The Role Of Ecological Traits In Shaping Spatial Patterns Of Genetic Diversity, Rilquer Mascarenhas Da Silva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The field of comparative phylogeography aims at uncovering common underlying causes for shared patterns of diversity and diversification at the population level. However, it is now widely accepted that intraspecific genetic diversity patterns can differ considerably across co-occurring taxa due to ecological processes acting at the population level (and influencing individual movement and abundance). To model the processes underlying lineage diversification and demographic shifts in response to environmental changes, phylogeographers and population geneticists are now faced with the challenge of incorporating measurements of species ecological traits into their molecular studies. This dissertation aimed at investigating how different types of ecological …

Go to article

Gut Passage Time In Small Mammals: Influences Of Small Mammal Traits, Digesta Phase, And Particle Morphology, Noah G. Hale Aug 2025

Gut Passage Time In Small Mammals: Influences Of Small Mammal Traits, Digesta Phase, And Particle Morphology, Noah G. Hale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dispersal is crucial in maintaining healthy ecosystems, but little is known about mechanisms influencing fungal spore dispersal by animals. We aimed to develop a more mechanistic understanding of the influence of fungal spore traits and small mammal traits on gut retention time. We fed three species of small mammals (shrew, mouse, vole), which differ in gut morphologies, digestive strategies, and activity a combination of markers including: liquid digesta phase (CrEDTA), small particle (fungal spores with diverse morphologies), and large particles (glitter and beads, representing plant cells and seeds, respectively). We found that hindgut fermenters selectively retained the liquid markers, spores …

Go to article

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan Aug 2025

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …

Go to article

Coyote (Canis Latrans) And Non-Target Wildlife Responses To Livestock Guardian Dogs At Sheep Grazing Sites On The California Central Coast, Tricia T. Nguyen Aug 2025

Coyote (Canis Latrans) And Non-Target Wildlife Responses To Livestock Guardian Dogs At Sheep Grazing Sites On The California Central Coast, Tricia T. Nguyen

Master's Theses

Livestock depredation is one of the oldest and most widespread forms of human-wildlife conflict. The coyote (Canis latrans), a midsized canid, represents a significant proportion of domestic sheep depredations in the United States, costing livestock producers an estimated 24.6 million dollars annually. Management strategies for coyote-sheep depredation vary widely in their effectiveness and in their level of public support. Identifying appropriate strategies for farms, ranches, and other sheep grazing sites remains a pressing need due to the potentially negative consequences for surrounding ecosystems and socioeconomic outcomes for sheep producers. The livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a nonlethal control …

Go to article

Microbial Guardians Of The Savannah: Unraveling The Gut Microbiome For African Carnivore Conservation, Laura E. Peirson Aug 2025

Microbial Guardians Of The Savannah: Unraveling The Gut Microbiome For African Carnivore Conservation, Laura E. Peirson

All NMU Master's Theses

Non-invasive fecal sampling is essential for wildlife gut microbiome (GMB) research, yet field conditions often limit preservation options. I compared gut bacterial communities in paired fecal samples preserved in stabilization tubes and air-dried in paper bags collected from anesthetized African lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Additional opportunistic samples from carnivore kill sites were also analyzed. No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity were detected between preserved and dried samples, although bacterial beta diversity differed between preserved and opportunistic samples (PERMANOVA). Core bacterial communities remained consistent across sample …

Go to article

Temporal Partitioning And Coexistence Among Four Sympatric Felid Species In The Northern Jaguar Reserve, Kylie Marie Rezendes Aug 2025

Temporal Partitioning And Coexistence Among Four Sympatric Felid Species In The Northern Jaguar Reserve, Kylie Marie Rezendes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Coexistence among sympatric carnivores is shaped by behavioral strategies that mediate competition and mortality risk in heterogeneous landscapes. Understanding how sympatric carnivores, such as felids, use space and time in relation to one another requires models that account for both spatial and temporal overlap across landscapes. Models incorporating time-to-event probabilities provide a powerful framework for detecting behavioral dynamics across shared landscapes. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal responses of two apex predators â?? the jaguar (Panthera onca) and mountain lion (Puma concolor) - and two mesopredators - bobcat (Lynx rufus) and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - across five years of camera trap …

Go to article

Spatial And Thermal Aspects Of The Ecology Of Three Sympatric Rattlesnakes In The Montane Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Joshua James Mead Aug 2025

Spatial And Thermal Aspects Of The Ecology Of Three Sympatric Rattlesnakes In The Montane Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Joshua James Mead

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To understand how animals coexist on the landscape, the individual aspects of a species life history must first be understood. Animals need to find locations that provide the resources they need to survive. Movement, microhabitats, and temperature can alter such areas where animals occur. Understanding animal movements provide important information on space use and microhabitats on the landscape. Ectothermic animals must acquiesce to ambient temperatures or use behavioral modifications to alter their body temperature. The ability to maintain suitable body temperature is essential for physiological function, reproduction, and ability to avoid predation. Research on the variation in a species ecology …

Go to article

Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of The Lang's Reed Frog Species Complex (Anura: Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius Langi), Dominic Troiani Aug 2025

Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of The Lang's Reed Frog Species Complex (Anura: Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius Langi), Dominic Troiani

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The genus Hyperolius (Rapp, 1842) is the most speciose amphibian genus in sub-Saharan Africa. The genus has a complex taxonomic history because of its extensive intraspecific and interspecific morphological variation, large geographic distribution of many taxa, gaps in sampling, and the discovery of significant cryptic diversity within many species. The goal of this study is to understand the relationships and taxonomy of Hyperolius langi via an integrative taxonomic approach that combines molecular, morphological, and bioacoustics data to clarify the systematics of the geographically widespread species Hyperolius langi. Two mitochondrial (16S and cyt b) and one nuclear (RAG1) gene were used …

Go to article

Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective, Christian L. Beall May 2025

Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective, Christian L. Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish …

Go to article

Biomarkers That Could Explain Parasite-Induced Behavioral Alterations In The Golden Shiner (Notemigonus Crysoleucas) – Posthodiplostomum System, Laura D. Nicolas May 2025

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 …

Go to article

Demography Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) Along A Fishing Pressure Gradient, Luke T. Micek May 2025

Demography Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) Along A Fishing Pressure Gradient, Luke T. Micek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Passive fishing gear is a threat to the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). The spatio-temporal persistence of this threat and its impacts on M. temminckii populations has not been quantified. I quantified the density of passive fishing gear and the demographic parameters of M. temminckii along a fishing pressure gradient in East Texas streams. Most gear was abandoned and illegally deployed, with densities varying seasonally. Detectability of passive fishing gear declined with increasing gear age, water depth, and volume, but increased with increasing precipitation. Macrochelys temminckii catch per unit effort, abundance, and survival was lower at sites with …

Go to article

Next Last