Zoology Commons^™

Winter Field Report, December 2011 To February 2012, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The most obvious feature of this winter’s avian movements was the number of Snowy Owls, unprecedented in living memory, that invaded the state. A tally maintained by Joel Jorgensen and Lauren Dinan of Nebraska Game and Parks indicated that over 200 snowies were found in the state, and most were documented. Not as popular with the public, but perhaps of greater scientific interest were the mid-winter reports of species normally rare at this time of year. Most notable in this respect were waterfowl, grebes, cranes, and sparrows. A read-through of these species suggests the very mild winter experienced over most …

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’S Report, December 31, 2011

Nebraska Bird Review

One-page spreadsheet constituting the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union treasurer's report at year end (December 31) of 2011. The grand total is $57,901.29.

Subscription And Organization Information [March 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

High Altitude Diving In River Otters: Coping With Combined Hypoxic Stresses, Jamie R. Crait, Henry D. Prange, Noah A. Marshall, Henry J. Harlow, Clark Cotton, Merav Ben-David

Biology Faculty Publications

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are highly active, semi-aquatic mammals indigenous to a range of elevations and represent an appropriate model for assessing the physiological responses to diving at altitude. In this study, we performed blood gas analyses and compared blood chemistry of river otters from a high-elevation (2357 m) population at Yellowstone Lake with a sea-level population along the Pacific coast. Comparisons of oxygen dissociation curves (ODC) revealed no significant difference in hemoglobin-oxygen (Hb-O₂) binding affinity between the two populations - potentially because of demands for tissue oxygenation. Instead, high-elevation otters had greater Hb concentrations (18.7 …

Observations Of Oviposition Behavior Among North American Tiger Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) Species And Notes On Mass Rearing, Mathew L. Brust, C. Barry Knisley, Stephen M. Spomer, Kentaro Miwa

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

Although the larvae of a large number of North American tiger beetle species have been described, little information exists on the oviposition behavior of female tiger beetles at the species level. In this study, we found that the oviposition behavior varied widely among species, with some species utilizing more than one method. We found that, contrary to many references, several tiger beetle species did not oviposit from above the soil surface by inserting the ovipositor into the soil. Instead, several species oviposited by tunneling over 20 mm below the soil surface. In addition, we outline recently used successful protocols for …

Out Of Sight, But Not Out Of Mind: A Look At Nanoparticles In The Marine Environment, Evan Ward, John J. Doyle

Wrack Lines

Nanoparticles exist in many products used by humans, such as sunscreens. medications, cosmetics, paints and electronics. But what is the effect of these tiny particles on the ocean or estuarine environment when the sunscreen washes off? This article looks at that question and at shellfish in particular. Evan Ward and John Doyle are marine scientists at UConn.

Mid-Contract Management Of Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Provides Benefits For Ring-Necked Pheasant Nest And Brood Survival, Ty W. Matthews, J. Scott Taylor, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields may provide good habitat for nesting and brood-rearing ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) during early stages of succession. But, the success of hens in early successional CRP, relative to late successional CRP and other grassland habitats, has yet to be evaluated. The reproductive period is especially critical for populations of pheasants, and CRP’s benefits to hens and chicks may decrease as fields age because of loss of vegetative diversity, decrease in vegetation density, and accumulation of residual litter. During 2005– 2006, we evaluated spatial and temporal variation in nest and brood survival for radio-marked hen pheasants …

Food Habits Of The Hoary Bat In An Agricultural Landscape, Mathew K. Perlik, Brock R. Mcmillan, John D. Krenz

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Information on diets is fundamental to ecological studies. Prey use by the solitary, tree-roosting hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in agricultural landscapes is not known. We examined the stomach contents and fecal material from carcasses of hoary bats collected during a mortality study at wind turbine sites in southwestern Minnesota. We compared diet of hoary bats to availability of prey to determine whether bats were opportunistic or selective. Food of the hoary bats primarily consisted of lepidopterans (moths; 49-50 %) and coleopterans (beetles; 28-40 %). The abundance of insects in the diet of hoary bats was not proportional to the estimated …

A Guide To Missouri's Freshwater Mussels, Stephen E. Mcmurray, J. Scott Faiman, Andy Roberts, Bryan Simmons, M. Christopher Barnhart

Faculty Books

No abstract provided.

Notes On The Diet Of The Malay Civet (Viverra Tangalunga) And Other Civets In Logged And Unlogged Lowland Dipterocarp Rain Forests In Sabah, Borneo, Christina P. Colon, John B. Sugau

Publications and Research

Civet diets were examined in a logged and unlogged Bornean rain forest. Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga) consumed invertebrates, fruit, rodents, insectivores, birds, snakes and lizards, and appear to show preference for centipedes and scorpions. Other civet species consumed fruit, such as figs, Connarus sp. and Annona sp., particularly in the unlogged forest, but also consumed invertebrates and vertebrates. Reduced fruit consumption observed in the logged forest may be due to lower availability and may be offset by increased consumption of invertebrates. The increased overlap in diet between Malay civets and other civets in disturbed areas may lead to …

Ua94/6/11 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Darwin Newton, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Notebooks, notes and papers written by Darwin Newton during his time as a student at WKU.

Parasites Of Civets (Mammalia, Viverridae) In Sabah, Borneo: A Coprological Survey, Christina P. Colon, Sharon Patton

Publications and Research

Parasite data were collected from unlogged and selectively logged lowland rain forests in Borneo. Scat from a female Viverra tangalunga (Malay civet) in the unlogged forest contained eggs of Capillaria spp., Trichuris sp., Mamomoganomus sp., and nematode larvae. Scat attributed to V. tangalunga contained reproductive products (eggs/oocysts/cysts/larvae) of Capillaria sp., Toxocara sp., Ancylostoma sp. (probably A. ceylanicum), Isospora spp., strongylate-type eggs (probably Ancylostoma spp.), Paragoni­ mus sp. and other Trematoda eggs, Monocystis sp. cysts, Gnathostoma sp. (probably G. spinigerum), the lungworm Viverrostrongylus brauni, pinworm-type eggs, Eimeria spp., Sarcocystis-type sporocyst, dermanysid mites and mesostigmatid mites. Parasites from gut samples from two …

New Vertebrate Records And Natural History Notes From Arkansas, M. B. Connior, R. Tumlison, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 34, No. 2, Winter 2012, Scott Lyell Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

American Society of Parasitologists Newsletter, v. 34, no. 2, winter 2012

A High Density Snp Array For The Domestic Horse And Extant Perissodactyla: Utility For Association Mapping, Genetic Diversity, And Phylogeny Studies, Molly E. Mccue, Danika L. Bannasch, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Jessica Gurr, Ernie Bailey, Matthew M. Binns, Ottmar Distl, Gérard Guérin, Telhisa Hasegawa, Emmeline W. Hill, Tosso Leeb, Gabriella Lindgren, M. Cecilia T. Penedo, Knut H. Røed, Oliver A. Ryder, June E. Swinburne, Teruaki Tozaki, Stephanie J. Valberg, Mark Vaudin, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Claire M. Wade, James R. Mickelson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

An equine SNP genotyping array was developed and evaluated on a panel of samples representing 14 domestic horse breeds and 18 evolutionarily related species. More than 54,000 polymorphic SNPs provided an average inter-SNP spacing of ~43 kb. The mean minor allele frequency across domestic horse breeds was 0.23, and the number of polymorphic SNPs within breeds ranged from 43,287 to 52,085. Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) in most breeds declined rapidly over the first 50–100 kb and reached background levels within 1–2 Mb. The extent of LD and the level of inbreeding were highest in the Thoroughbred and lowest in the …

Salinity Preference Of Alaskan Threespine Stickleback: Test For Divergence In Halotaxis Between Ancestral And Landlocked Populations, David Fryxell, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Glacial retreat during the Pleistocene caused landlocking of anadromous Alaskan threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, furnishing a natural ‘experiment’ in osmoregulatory divergence. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of individual acclimation and population divergence on salinity preference. Full-sibling families of marine, anadromous, and freshwater-landlocked populations of stickleback were reared in common environments until 3 weeks post-hatch, then were split and acclimated to low or high salinity. At 6 to 8 weeks of age the six experimental groups were tested for salinity preference in a tank that offers fish a choice of compartments with different salinities arranged …

Herpetological Diversity Of Mongolia And Its Conservation Issues, Khorloo Munkhbayar, M, Munkhbaatar

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

From the viewpoint of evolution, the classes of amphibians and reptiles could be considered as relicts, and because they are poikilothermic animals, it’s very difficult for these species to live under the dry and cold climatic conditions in Mongolia. Even species diversity is poor, Mongolian herpetological composition is unique, highly adopted to the country’s harsh climate and originated a long time ago.

In Mongolia, six species of amphibians belong to four genera, four families and two orders and the recorded 21 species of reptiles belong to 13 genera in six families of two suborders.

Diversity And Distribution Of Mongolian Fish: Recent State, Trends And Studies, Yuri Dgebuadze, Bud Mendsaikhan, Ayurin Dulmaa

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

The studies in recent years (2000-2011) have allowed to make more precise the list and ranges of Mongolian fish. This is connected with new findings as well as the continuing process of invasion of alien species. Climate change and increase of human impact transformed ranges and local distribution of fish during last 30 years. Bias on ratio of ecological guilds, number of pathological findings are increasing, and declining of local diversity, rate of growth and fecundity of many species of fish are observed. In the course of long-term observation was confirmed periodically drying of waters of the Central Asian Lake …

Ectoparasites Of Bats In Mongolia, Part 2 (Ischnopsyllidae, Nycteribiidae, Cimicidae And Acari), Ingo Scheffler, Dietrich Dolch, Jargalsaikhan Ariunbold, Annegret Stubbe, Andreas Abraham, Klaus Thiele

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

This study analyses ectoparasites found on Mongolian bats between 2008 and 2011. We examined 12 different bat species, with a total of 23 ectoparasite species present. Apart from reporting distributions, we also discuss specific host-parasite relationships. Owing to recent taxonomic changes splitting the Myotis mystacinus-group into several new taxa, their corresponding ectoparasite fauna could also be addressed in detail. Introducing ectoparasitic insects at length elsewhere (Scheffler et al. 2010), this paper focuses on the analysis of parasitic Acari. Additional findings for Spinturnicidae (wing mites) and Macronyssidae broadened the spectrum of known parasites. Altogether, the knowledge of bat ectoparasites from Mongolia …

Siphonaptera Of Mongolia And Tuva: Results Of The Mongolian- German Biological Expeditions Since 1962 – Years 1999-2003, Daniel Kiefer, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Scott Lyell Gardner, D. Tserenorov, R. Samiya, D. Otgonbaatar, D. Sumiya, Matthias S. Kiefer

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

This report provides an overview of flea species and the corresponding hosts in Mongolia and Tuva during 1999-2003. The taxonomical development of this vector group of great medical importance covers more than a century of flea research in Mongolia, resulting in the current number of 162 species known from this area.

Space Use And Habitat Selection By Bobcats In Southeastern Kentucky, Andrea Joy Shipley

Online Theses and Dissertations

Population estimation and trend analyses are critically important for sustainable harvest and management of many species. The bobcat (Lynx rufus) plays important ecological and economic roles in Kentucky as a furbearer and mesopredator. I conducted a study of the bobcat in southeastern Kentucky as a twenty year follow-up to research conducted in the same study area. I radio-collared five (4F, 1M) bobcats and assessed space and habitat use patterns. Mean annual minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range size for all bobcats was 14.7 km2 (n = 5, SE = 3.9 km2), and 22.2 km2 (n = 5, SE = 7.5 …

Morphology Of Rathke's Glands In The Snapping Turtle, Chelydra Serpentina, With Comments On The Presence Of Multilaminar Lamellar Bodies In Turtles, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I examined the histology and ultrastructure of Rathke’s glands in hatchling, juvenile, and adult snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina). This species possesses four pairs of Rathke’s glands (i.e., one axillary and three inframarginals) that are embedded beneath marginal bones and are named primarily according to the anatomical location of their orifices. These integumentary glands are similar anatomically and ultrastructurally to one another. Each gland is comprised of a single, highly vascularized, secretory lobule, which is surrounded by a thick tunic of asymmetrically arranged, striated muscle. Two types of large secretory vacuoles characterize most of the holocrine cells produced by a relatively …

Nocturnal Communal Winter Bird Roosts In Northwestern Arkansas, D. A. James

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

New Host And Geographic Distribution Record For The Leech, Myzobdella Reducta (Annelida: Hirudinida: Rhynchobdellida: Piscicolidae), From Arkansas, C. T. Mcallister, W. E. Moser, D. J. Richardson, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Demographics Of Mole Salamanders (Ambystoma Talpoideum) In A Northeastern Arkansas Pond, J. W. Stanley, J. R. Engelbert, M. K. Patrick, J. A. Sawyer, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

New Records Of Semiaquatic Species Marionina (Clitellata, Enchytraeidae) From Japan, With A Description Of Marionina Biwaensis Sp. Nov., Takaaki Torii

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Marionina biwaensis sp. nov. is described from Lake Biwa. This new species differs from all other Marionina species: lacking lateral chaetae completely and ventral chaetae in II, segment number 38-43, origin of dorsal blood vessel XV or XVI, spermathecal ampullae with irregular protuberances and chaetal distribution 1 per postclitellar bundles. In addition, the descriptions of M. coatesae, M. nevisensis, and M. riparia are augmented and recorded here for the first time in Japan.

Nematode Parasites Of Lyciasalamandra Atifi And L. Fazilae (Caudata: Salamandridae) From Turkey, Hi̇kmet Sami̇ Yildirimhan, Mustafa Yavuz, Mehmet Öz, Charles Robert Bursey

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Fifteen Lyciasalamandra atifi and 14 L. fazilae from Antalya Province, Turkey, were examined for helminths. Three species of nematodes, Rhabdias bermani, Aplectana acuminata, and Cosmocerca longicauda, were found in L. atifi and 2 species, Aplectana linstowi and Cosmocerca longicauda, were found in L. fazilae. L. atifi represents a new host record for each of the 3 species of nematodes reported; L. fazilae represents a new host record for each of the 2 species of nematodes reported.

The Effect Of Vegetation And Water Depth On Nest Patterns Of The Eurasian Coot (Fulica Atra), Ali̇ Uzun

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Nest characteristics of the Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) and the effect of vegetation and water depth on nest size were investigated. The study was conducted in 2008 on Poyrazlar Lake (Sakarya) in northwest Turkey. Depth and distance from the edge has no effect on internal nest diameter; however, nest height and external diameter are correlated with water depth.

On The Occurrence Of Ascorhynchus Castelli (Dohrn, 1881) (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) In The Aegean Sea, Cengi̇z Koçak

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Sampling studies in the Turkish Aegean Sea revealed the occurrence of a sea spider species, Ascorhynchus castelli (Dohrn, 1881). The presence of this species is reported for the first time from the Aegean Sea and the second time from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This record further extends the known distribution of the species from the Turkish Mediterranean Sea to the Aegean Sea in the eastern Mediterranean. This is also the first record of the species from shallow waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (10 m).