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Biodiversity

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Articles 1 - 30 of 75

Full-Text Articles in Zoology

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 …

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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.

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Dna Metabarcoding Approach To The Determination Of The Diet Spectrum Of The Common  Sunbleak Leucaspius Delineatus (Heckel, 1843), Elena V. Dzyuba, Yurij S. Bukin, Bakhtiar E. Bogdanov, Yulia P. Sapozhnikova, Natalia N. Denikina Jan 2026

Dna Metabarcoding Approach To The Determination Of The Diet Spectrum Of The Common  Sunbleak Leucaspius Delineatus (Heckel, 1843), Elena V. Dzyuba, Yurij S. Bukin, Bakhtiar E. Bogdanov, Yulia P. Sapozhnikova, Natalia N. Denikina

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The common sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus) is an invasive fish found in Siberian  water bodies, the trophic interactions and impact on local ecosystems of which  remain poorly understood. Traditional diet analyses are limited by the mechanical  damage to the prey. For the present study, therefore, we employed DNA  metabarcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene to analyze the digestive  tract contents of the common sunbleak obtained from Irkutsk Reservoir. Our analysis  revealed 53 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with sequences of amphibiotic  insects (58.66%) and fish (34.10%) being the most prevalent. A significant proportion  of the fish DNA, including sequences …

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Diversity And Habitat Use Of Bats In Modified Suburban Landscapes, Brittany Morgera Apr 2025

Diversity And Habitat Use Of Bats In Modified Suburban Landscapes, Brittany Morgera

Biology Presentations

Bats occupy critical ecological niches and perform important ecosystem services like controlling insect populations. However, humans have altered bat habitat substantially, resulting in the reduction of bat populations. The goals of this research are to assess bat diversity and habitat use across different levels of suburban habitat modification. To accomplish this, we deployed passive acoustic recorders at twelve locations with varying human impact in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In accordance with The North American Bat Monitoring Program’s standards, acoustic analysis software was used to identify bat species. Manual identification methods from The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative were used to verify these …

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Diversity Of Cnidaria And Ctenophora From The Coasts Of Türkiye, Meli̇h Ertan Çinar, Şermi̇n Açik, Hali̇m Vedat Aker Oct 2024

Diversity Of Cnidaria And Ctenophora From The Coasts Of Türkiye, Meli̇h Ertan Çinar, Şermi̇n Açik, Hali̇m Vedat Aker

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The compilation of papers on the phyla Cnidaria and Ctenophora inhabiting the coasts of Türkiye (Black Sea, Sea of Marmara,Aegean Sea, and Levantine Sea) together with the new records of cnidarian species presented in this study yielded 296 cnidarian and8 ctenophore species. Among the cnidarian groups, Hydrozoa were represented by 160 species, Scyphozoa by 16 species, Anthozoa by87 species, and Myxozoa by 31 species. The number of species of cnidarians and ctenophores varies greatly between regions due to thedifferent environmental conditions of the seas and the level of scientific effort in each sea. A total of 47 cnidarian and five …

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Diversity Of Platyhelminthes, Xenacoelomorpha, Nematoda, Acanthocephala, Brachiopoda, Kinorhyncha, Nemertea, Chaetognatha, Tardigrada, Gastrotricha, Rotifera, Phoronida, Echinodermata And Chordata (Tunicata, Cephalochordata And Hemichordata) From The Coasts Of Türkiye, Meli̇h Ertan Çinar, Derya Ürkmez, Baki̇ Yokeş Oct 2024

Diversity Of Platyhelminthes, Xenacoelomorpha, Nematoda, Acanthocephala, Brachiopoda, Kinorhyncha, Nemertea, Chaetognatha, Tardigrada, Gastrotricha, Rotifera, Phoronida, Echinodermata And Chordata (Tunicata, Cephalochordata And Hemichordata) From The Coasts Of Türkiye, Meli̇h Ertan Çinar, Derya Ürkmez, Baki̇ Yokeş

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The current biodiversity of 14 phyla, namely Platyhelminthes, Xenacoelomorpha, Nematoda, Acanthocephala, Brachiopoda,Kinorhyncha, Nemertea, Chaetognatha, Tardigrada, Gastrotricha, Rotifera, Phoronida, Echinodermata, and Chordata (invertebratesonly, including the subphyla Tunicata, Cephalochordata, and Hemichordata) from the coasts of Türkiye is revisited. It was found thata total number of 695 species occur along all the coastlines of Türkiye, with the Black Sea being represented by 297 species, the Sea ofMarmara by 305 species, the Aegean Sea by 308 species, and the Levantine Sea by 204 species. The most species-rich phyla in theseregions were Platyhelminthes (249 species), Nematoda (131), Echinodermata (98), and Chordata (85). A total of …

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Diversity Of Annelida From The Coasts Of Türkiye, Meli̇h Ertan Çinar, Şermi̇n Açik, Güley Kurt, Deni̇z Erdoğan Dereli̇ Oct 2024

Diversity Of Annelida From The Coasts Of Türkiye, Meli̇h Ertan Çinar, Şermi̇n Açik, Güley Kurt, Deni̇z Erdoğan Dereli̇

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The compilation of scientific papers dealing with marine annelids (including Sipuncula) along the coasts of Türkiye (Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea and Levantine Sea) together with the new records of polychaete species (22 species) presented in this study resulted in 827 species belonging to 63 families. Polychaeta were represented by 782 species, Sipuncula by 21 species, Oligochaeta by 18 species, Hirudinea by 5 species and Echiura by 1 species. Syllidae (127 species), Spionidae (57 species) and Serpulidae (56 species) were the most species-rich families and their numbers varied among the seas. Most annelid species were benthic (808 species), …

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Post-Mucilage Status Of The Teleost Fish Assemblages In The Sea Of Marmara, Mustafa Sari, Uğur Karadurmuş May 2024

Post-Mucilage Status Of The Teleost Fish Assemblages In The Sea Of Marmara, Mustafa Sari, Uğur Karadurmuş

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A frightening mucilage event occurred in the Sea of Marmara (SoM) from November 2020 to July 2021, leaving devastating effects on maritime industries, fishing activities and the benthic ecosystem. The mucilage led to intense fish mortalities, particularly affecting species like smelt, anchovy, and picarel, with severe consequences for benthic ecosystems and various marine species. This study aims to analyze the possible long-term effects of the recent mucilage disaster on species diversity and biomass by assessing the current status of teleost fish assemblages in the SoM. The data set is based on bottom trawl surveys carried out at 52 points at …

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Deep Transfer Learning-Based Bird Species Classification Using Mel Spectrogram Images, Mrinal Kanti Baowaly, Bisnu Chandra Sarkar, Md.Abul Ala Walid, Md. Martuza Ahamad, Bikash Chandra Singh, Eduardo Silva Alvarado, Imran Ashraf, Md. Abdus Samad Jan 2024

Deep Transfer Learning-Based Bird Species Classification Using Mel Spectrogram Images, Mrinal Kanti Baowaly, Bisnu Chandra Sarkar, Md.Abul Ala Walid, Md. Martuza Ahamad, Bikash Chandra Singh, Eduardo Silva Alvarado, Imran Ashraf, Md. Abdus Samad

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

The classification of bird species is of significant importance in the field of ornithology, as it plays an important role in assessing and monitoring environmental dynamics, including habitat modifications, migratory behaviors, levels of pollution, and disease occurrences. Traditional methods of bird classification, such as visual identification, were time-intensive and required a high level of expertise. However, audio-based bird species classification is a promising approach that can be used to automate bird species identification. This study aims to establish an audio-based bird species classification system for 264 Eastern African bird species employing modified deep transfer learning. In particular, the pre-trained EfficientNet …

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Hydropower To The People: Implications Of A Comparative Macroinvertebrate Study On Either Side Of The Central Hidroeléctrica Topo In Tungurahua, Ecuador, Grace Mazur Apr 2023

Hydropower To The People: Implications Of A Comparative Macroinvertebrate Study On Either Side Of The Central Hidroeléctrica Topo In Tungurahua, Ecuador, Grace Mazur

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study uses macroinvertebrates as bioindicators to assess the water quality upstream and downstream of a hydroelectric project in Ecuador’s eastern cloud forest. Ecuador has increasingly turned to hydropower to supply its energy needs as pressure mounts to turn away from fossil fuels. This transition has been realized on the Río Topo, located in the province of Tungurahua. This study aims to determine how the Central Hidroeléctrica Topo (CHT), a diversion hydroelectric project (HEP) constructed on the Río Topo in the 2010s, has affected the water quality of the river. Samples were taken of benthic (bottom-dwelling) macroinvertebrates in the Río …

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Cutaneous Microbiome Of Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Infected With Sarcoptic Mange (Sarcoptes Scabiei), Jacqueline C. Robidoux Jan 2023

Cutaneous Microbiome Of Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Infected With Sarcoptic Mange (Sarcoptes Scabiei), Jacqueline C. Robidoux

Honors Theses and Capstones

Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic skin disease that affects countless mammals worldwide, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). The symptoms, such as hair loss, crusting, and the number of mites, vary between individual foxes. Sarcoptic mange damages the skin barrier, which in turn disrupts the biodiversity of bacteria in the microbiome. It is unknown what the biodiversity of bacteria is at each stage of the disease. This experiment will compare the microbiomes of different samples with and without mange; in hopes to reveal a connection between the different severities of sarcoptic mange and the biodiversity of bacteria and fungi …

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Postmucilage Biodiversity Of Shallow Water Fish Assemblages: A Case Study In The Marmara Sea, Turkey, İsmai̇l Burak Daban, Yusuf Şen, Adnan Ayaz, Uğur Altinağaç, Alkan Özteki̇n, Uğur Özeki̇nci̇, Ali̇ İşmen, Fi̇kret Çakir, Ahsen Yüksek, Teki̇n Demi̇rkiran, Oğuzhan Ayaz, Gençtan Erman Uğur, Bumi̇nhan Burkay Selçuk Jan 2023

Postmucilage Biodiversity Of Shallow Water Fish Assemblages: A Case Study In The Marmara Sea, Turkey, İsmai̇l Burak Daban, Yusuf Şen, Adnan Ayaz, Uğur Altinağaç, Alkan Özteki̇n, Uğur Özeki̇nci̇, Ali̇ İşmen, Fi̇kret Çakir, Ahsen Yüksek, Teki̇n Demi̇rkiran, Oğuzhan Ayaz, Gençtan Erman Uğur, Bumi̇nhan Burkay Selçuk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A dense mucilage event occurred between November 2020 and August 2021 in the Marmara Sea, Turkey. In this study, the aim was to understand the effect of mucilage on coastal fish biodiversity. For this purpose, juvenile and small-sized adult fish species were sampled with an experimental beach seine at 12 equally-spaced stations around the Marmara Sea between November 2021 and April 2022. In total, 34 species belonging to 19 families were sampled. Approximately 70% of the total fish abundance were Atherina boyeri Risso, 1810, Chelon auratus (Risso, 1810) and Chelon saliens (Risso, 1810). Highest abundance was detected from S5 …

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Can Financialization Save Nature? The Case Of Endangered Species, Diane-Laure Arjalies, Delphine Gibassier May 2022

Can Financialization Save Nature? The Case Of Endangered Species, Diane-Laure Arjalies, Delphine Gibassier

Business Publications

The current biodiversity loss is dramatic. Over the past 50 years, more than 68% of the mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish on earth have disappeared, putting the planet's survival and its inhabitants – including human beings – at risk (WWF, 2020). Financialization, or the transformation of nature into financial assets, is increasingly proposed as a solution to the biodiversity crisis. Proponents of financialization believe that assigning a monetary value to nature will incentivize human beings to protect habitats and their species. This article offers a four-mechanism model of nature’s financialization, explaining why it is virtually impossible to financialize nature. …

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Shape Variation In Head Scales Of Species Of The Genus Ophiomorus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 In Iran, A Geometric Morphometrics Approach, Hossein Nabizadeh, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar Pouyani, Mehdi Rajabizadeh, Roman Nazarov, Omid Mozaffari Jan 2022

Shape Variation In Head Scales Of Species Of The Genus Ophiomorus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 In Iran, A Geometric Morphometrics Approach, Hossein Nabizadeh, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar Pouyani, Mehdi Rajabizadeh, Roman Nazarov, Omid Mozaffari

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Twelve species of the genus Ophiomorus DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1839 have been identified and introduced so far and seven species of this genus have been found in Iran which include four endemic species and three nonendemic species. Although geometric morphometry is a powerful tool to analyze morphological changes, the discovery and identification of these species have long relied on traditional morphometric analysis. In this study, geometric morphometric analyses were used to determine the geometric morphometrics of different species of the genus Ophiomorus in Iran. The Multi Focus technique was used to obtain the best image of the dorsal surface of …

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Vertebrate Scavenger Diversity And Ecosystem Services Along An Elevational Gradient In Central Nepal, Aishwarya Bhattacharjee Sep 2021

Vertebrate Scavenger Diversity And Ecosystem Services Along An Elevational Gradient In Central Nepal, Aishwarya Bhattacharjee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A growing number of studies recognize the ecological significance of vertebrate scavengers, and several species belonging to this diverse, functional guild are of high conservation importance around the globe. Studies on taxonomic and functional components of biodiversity often use elevation gradients to comprehensively examine patterns and drivers across multiple spatial scales. Yet, there are relatively few elevational studies on large vertebrates or multi-taxa guilds, and the related variation of their ecosystem services. In particular, scavenger research has largely focused on local-scale studies or regional/global comparisons of local-scale investigations. Moreover, these studies primarily consider taxonomic community characteristics and the patterns of …

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Abundance And Distribution Of The Forest Cockroaches In Different Algerian Ecosystems, Zakaria Hedjouli, Wafa Habbachi, Fatiha Masna, Saliha Benhissen, Sarra Habbachi, Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Abdelkrim Tahraoui Aug 2021

Abundance And Distribution Of The Forest Cockroaches In Different Algerian Ecosystems, Zakaria Hedjouli, Wafa Habbachi, Fatiha Masna, Saliha Benhissen, Sarra Habbachi, Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Abdelkrim Tahraoui

Journal of Bioresource Management

Forests have many insect species that are unique to biodiversity and play a crucial role in the functioning of ecosystems. Forest cockroaches are the best example of forest litter insects, which also help decompose fallen leaves. The composition of the Blattoptera fauna can vary from one region to another, depending on the habitat and numerous biotic and abiotic factors In order to study the diversity, abundance, and distribution of forest cockroaches in different Algeria ecosystems, we have selected four sites from three Wilayas: Senalba (Djelfa), Ain achir (Annaba), Seraidi (Annaba), and Lehnaya (El-taref). These sites are classified into two distinct …

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Hidden Diversity Of Madagascan Freshwater Crabs (Brachyura: Potamoidea) Revealed By Morphological And Molecular Studies, Ellen Leever Jul 2021

Hidden Diversity Of Madagascan Freshwater Crabs (Brachyura: Potamoidea) Revealed By Morphological And Molecular Studies, Ellen Leever

All NMU Master's Theses

This study focuses on the freshwater crab fauna of the island of Madagascar. Relatively little is known about the species diversity of the island’s freshwater crabs and their phylogenetic relationships. Chapter 1 is based on a newly published molecular phylogeny that used the highest taxonomic sampling to date, including almost all of the island’s known freshwater crab genera and species. The phylogeny revealed a significant number of unidentified specimens that belong to several new lineages that potentially represent as many as 4 new genera and 10 new species. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the taxonomic revision of the genus …

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Vertebrates At The University Of Southern Mississippi: A Wildlife Survey Of The Bear Point Bayou And Surrounding Gulf Park Campus, Hannah Mcduffie May 2021

Vertebrates At The University Of Southern Mississippi: A Wildlife Survey Of The Bear Point Bayou And Surrounding Gulf Park Campus, Hannah Mcduffie

Honors Theses

This project originated through interest in pursuing a field-based research project involving vertebrates. After conducting literature reviews, it was found that the Bear Point Bayou running through the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park Campus has never been thoroughly surveyed for species richness (Mohrman et al. 2016). Four sites on the Gulf Park Campus were chosen and vertebrate species were documented and identified through observations, camera trapping, and vocalization recordings. These data, along with species previously recorded on campus, were combined, and compared to data from the Gulf Coast Phenology Trail of which the Gulf Park Campus was recently added …

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Conspecific Aggression Of Invasive Crayfish, P. Clarkii, In Response To Chemical Cues, Elyse Vetter, Elise Dearment, Audrey Fontes, Gary Bucciarelli, Lee Kats Apr 2021

Conspecific Aggression Of Invasive Crayfish, P. Clarkii, In Response To Chemical Cues, Elyse Vetter, Elise Dearment, Audrey Fontes, Gary Bucciarelli, Lee Kats

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, have caused vast damage to the stream ecosystem of the Santa Monica Mountains, following their invasive introduction. Through their extensive eating habits, high levels of aggression, and responsiveness to environmental stimuli, P. clarkii have a tremendous impact on the success of native species in the Santa Monica Mountains. With exposure to chemical cues, crayfish are able to perceive threats and react accordingly. To determine the extent of such chemoreception, pairs of P. clarkii were tested in the laboratory for conspecific aggression in the presence of native newt, native frog, and conspecific alarm cues. The …

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The Effects Of Symbiote Ostracods On Invasive Crayfish Behavior, Audrey Fontes, Elyse Vetter, Gary Bucciarelli, Lee Kats Apr 2021

The Effects Of Symbiote Ostracods On Invasive Crayfish Behavior, Audrey Fontes, Elyse Vetter, Gary Bucciarelli, Lee Kats

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Invasive crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, are known to negatively impact the biodiversity of Santa Monica Mountain streams. Small symbiotes, ostracods, live on Procambarus clarkii in some local streams. However, their effect on the behaviour of invasive crayfish is unknown. We used an aqueous chlorobutanol solution to remove ostracods from crayfish. We paired control crayfish with those that had ostracods removed and scored aggressive interactions. Crayfish without ostracods were found to be significantly more aggressive towards crayfish with ostracods. When we compared feeding behavior, we found that crayfish without ostracods consumed food more quickly than control crayfish. We again subjected crayfish …

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First Description Of Deep Benthic Habitats And Communities Of Oceanic Islands And Seamounts Of The Nazca Desventuradas Marine Park, Chile, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Ariadna Mecho, Erin E. Easton, María De Los Ángeles Gallardo, Matthias Gorny, Javier Sellanes Mar 2021

First Description Of Deep Benthic Habitats And Communities Of Oceanic Islands And Seamounts Of The Nazca Desventuradas Marine Park, Chile, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Ariadna Mecho, Erin E. Easton, María De Los Ángeles Gallardo, Matthias Gorny, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Seamounts and oceanic islands of the Chilean Exclusive Economic Zone at the intersection of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges lie within one of the least explored areas in the world. The sparse information available, mainly for seamounts outside Chilean jurisdiction and shallow-water fauna of the Desventuradas Islands, suggests that the area is a hotspot of endemism. This apparent uniqueness of the fauna motivated the creation of the large Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park (NDMP, ~ 300,000 km2) around the small islands San Felix and San Ambrosio in 2015. We report for the first time a detailed description of benthic microhabitats …

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Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) Diversity Of The Highest Elevation In West Africa: The Nimba Mountain Range, Jacob Bowen Jan 2021

Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) Diversity Of The Highest Elevation In West Africa: The Nimba Mountain Range, Jacob Bowen

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Nimba Mountain Range in Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Liberia is within the Upper Guinean Forests, a critical biodiversity hotspot highly threatened by various human activities. The region is home to many endemic species including the viviparous Nimba toad, Nimba otter-shrew, and the discrete Bossou chimpanzee population. Dung beetles can act as a focal taxon from which extrapolation to the diversity of other taxa and ecosystem health can be made. Elevational trends in dung beetle diversity were investigated on the Nimba Mountain Range and in the nearby Bossou Chimpanzee reserve in Guinea. Dung beetle species diversity surveys aimed to document …

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First Contribution On Distribution, Abundance, And Species Richness Of Blowfly Species (Diptera) Of Isparta Province With Five New Records For The Turkish Fauna, Ozan Demi̇rözer, Gamze Pekbey, Rüstem Hayat, Azi̇me Herdoğan, Jelena Acanski, Marija Milicic, Asi̇ye Uzun Jan 2020

First Contribution On Distribution, Abundance, And Species Richness Of Blowfly Species (Diptera) Of Isparta Province With Five New Records For The Turkish Fauna, Ozan Demi̇rözer, Gamze Pekbey, Rüstem Hayat, Azi̇me Herdoğan, Jelena Acanski, Marija Milicic, Asi̇ye Uzun

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Despite the increasing importance of species richness of blowfly fauna and their environmental, medical, and agricultural importance in the world they are poorly studied in Turkey. This study was carried out in 2014 and 2015 to determine the distribution, abundance, and species richness of blowfly species in Isparta Province of Turkey. A total of 15 species (10 from Calliphoridae, 4 from Polleniidae, and 1 from Rhiniidae) were identified from 13 different localities. The adult specimens were obtained from areas of organic and decayed organic matters, waste and dumpsite, surrounding waste water deposits, and flowering plants. While all the species were …

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Invasive Rat Establishment And Changes In Small Mammal Populations On Caribbean Islands Following Two Hurricanes, Aaron B. Shiels, Claudia D. Lombard, Laura Shiels, Zandy Hillis-Starr Jan 2020

Invasive Rat Establishment And Changes In Small Mammal Populations On Caribbean Islands Following Two Hurricanes, Aaron B. Shiels, Claudia D. Lombard, Laura Shiels, Zandy Hillis-Starr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive mammals, particularly black rats (Rattus rattus), house mice (Mus musculus), and mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) are established on many tropical islands and threaten natural resources such as native birds, sea turtles, lizards, invertebrates, and plants. St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands, Caribbean) has a diversity of natural resources being protected from invasive mammals by U.S. conservation agencies. Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge and Buck Island Reef National Monument receive among the highest density of nesting sea turtles in the region, including annual nesting populations of 50e250 leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), 25e80 hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), and 100e250 green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Buck Island …

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Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding Dec 2019

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …

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Impact Of The Human Footprint On Anthropogenic Mortality Of North American Reptiles, Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant Nov 2019

Impact Of The Human Footprint On Anthropogenic Mortality Of North American Reptiles, Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human activities frequently result in reptile mortality, but how direct anthropogenic mortality compares to natural morality has not been thoroughly investigated. There has also been a limited examination of how anthropogenic reptile mortality changes as a function of the human footprint. We conducted a synthesis of causespecific North American reptile mortality studies based on telemetry, documenting 550 mortalities of known cause among 2461 monitored individuals in 57 studies. Overall 78% of mortality was the result of direct natural causes, whereas 22% was directly caused by humans. The single largest source of mortality was predation, accounting for 62% of mortality overall. …

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Wildlife Survey Of National Parks To Assess Reptilian Biodiversity, Ajk, Jibran Haider, Inayatullah Malik, Sabiha Shamim Oct 2019

Wildlife Survey Of National Parks To Assess Reptilian Biodiversity, Ajk, Jibran Haider, Inayatullah Malik, Sabiha Shamim

Journal of Bioresource Management

The class Reptilia belongs to phylum Chordata. This group forms a large community of the land vertebrates. However, they remain relatively under-examined. Roll et al. (2017) studied the global distribution of more than 10,000 reptiles. Nearly194 reptilian species have been reported from Pakistan (WWF, n.d.). Five protected parks were studied from February 2008 to May 2010. Dhirkot Nature Reserve (DNR), Banjosa Nature Reserve (BNR), Tolipir National Park (TNP), Pir Chanasi National Park (PCNP) and Pir Lasura National Park (PLNP) were considered. Fifteen species of reptiles were observed in TNP. Ten species of reptiles were recorded from PCNP. Ten species of …

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The Neotropical Variegated Squirrel, Sciurus Variegatoides (Rodentia: Sciuridae) In Nicaragua, With The Description Of A New Subspecies, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm Oct 2019

The Neotropical Variegated Squirrel, Sciurus Variegatoides (Rodentia: Sciuridae) In Nicaragua, With The Description Of A New Subspecies, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical variegated squirrel, Sciurus variegatoides, is represented in Nicaragua by five known subspecies—adolphei, belti, boothiae, dorsalis, and underwoodi. Analyses of morphometrics, color, and color patterns of 394 specimens from throughout the country and all available literature support the retention of these subspecies, but also reveal the presence of a sixth population of these squirrels, which is worthy of description and recognition as a new subspecies. This new subspecies is confined to Isla de Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua. Variegated squirrels on Ometepe are on average the smallest variegated squirrels in the country …

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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 Oct 2019

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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, Hawaii, USA. …

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Hiding In The Lianas Of The Tree Of Life: Molecular Phylogenetics And Species Delimitation Reveal Considerable Cryptic Diversity Of New World Vine Snakes, Robert C. Jadin, Christopher Blair, Michael J. Jowers, Anthony Carmona, John C. Murphy May 2019

Hiding In The Lianas Of The Tree Of Life: Molecular Phylogenetics And Species Delimitation Reveal Considerable Cryptic Diversity Of New World Vine Snakes, Robert C. Jadin, Christopher Blair, Michael J. Jowers, Anthony Carmona, John C. Murphy

Publications and Research

The Brown Vine Snake, Oxybelis aeneus, is considered a single species despite the fact its distribution covers an estimated 10% of the Earth’s land surface, inhabiting a variety of ecosystems throughout North, Central, and South America and is distributed across numerous biogeographic barriers. Here we assemble a multilocus molecular dataset (i.e. cyt b, ND4, cmos, PRLR) derived from Middle American populations to examine for the first time the evolutionary history of Oxybelis and test for evidence of cryptic lineages using Bayesian and maximum likelihood criteria. Our divergence time estimates suggest that Oxybelis diverged from its sister genus, Leptophis …

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