Zoology Commons^™

How Does A Global Climate Cycle Affect The Reproductive Output Of A Neotropical Migratory Bird?, Abby K. Bressette, Emma Cummings, Daniel Albrecht-Mallinger, Lesley Bulluck

UROP Posters

El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes regional changes in climate and has been found to have varying effects on the survival, fecundity, and recruitment of migratory songbirds. This study seeks to better understand the effect of ENSO on the fecundity of Virginia-breeding Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea; PROW), a neotropical migratory songbird. PROW breed in the Eastern United States and spend the non-breeding season primarily in Panama and Colombia. Ongoing research in Virginia has found a positive relationship between spring precipitation and predicted number of PROW fledgelings during La Niña, but the opposite during El Niño. To better understand this relationship, we …

Incorporating Sex-Diverse And Gender-Inclusive Perspectives In Higher Education Biology Courses, Breanne N. Harris, A Kelsey Lewis, Sam L. Sharpe, Teri J. Orr, Christopher T. Martine, Chloe C. Josefson

Faculty Journal Articles

Inclusive teaching is teaching in a way that reaches all students in the classroom; this is beneficial for everyone, particularly for those with minoritized identities. Instructors play a critical role in scaffolding how students are exposed to and learn science content in the classroom. In this manuscript, we discuss how biology instructors can make their classrooms more inclusive with regard to sex and gender diversity content. Many topics in biology are based on androcentric, heteronormative, and oppressive framing, even though those lenses are more reflective of our own history and culture than they are of the diversity we see in …

The Morphological Evolution Of The Inner Ear In Lacertoidea (Squamata), Cristian Hernandez

Biology Dissertations - Archive

The popularization of high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT) has produced a revolution in the field of comparative anatomy. This technology allows us to reach a level of morphological detail in our observations that has never been possible previously. Now we can perform digital dissections isolating structures of interest such as individual bones, soft tissue organs, and even generate 3D models of body cavities (endocasts) such as the braincase and inner ear. Encompassed with the progress of the HRCT, 3D geometric morphometrics have emerged as a common tool to address morphological questions in a statistical context that outperforms the traditional 2D geometric morphometrics. …

แหล่งที่อยู่และแบบจำลองการกระจายของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาสกุล Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 ในอุทยานแห่งชาติดอยภูคา จังหวัดน่าน, ธนกฤต สัมพันธ์แพ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

จิ้งเหลนภูเขาในสกุล Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1829 เป็นจิ้งเหลนที่มีความหลากหลายทางชนิดและมีพฤติกรรมตามธรรมชาติที่มักหลบซ่อนตัว จึงทำให้จิ้งเหลนสกุลนี้หลายชนิดยังขาดข้อมูลแหล่งที่อยู่และข้อมูลทางภูมิศาสตร์ โดยเฉพาะชนิดที่อาศัยอยู่ในพื้นที่ภูเขาสูงในทางภาคเหนือ นอกจากในอุทยานแห่งชาติดอยภูคา จังหวัดน่าน พบจิ้งเหลนภูเขา 3 ชนิด ได้แก่ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาเกล็ดเรียบ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาอินเดีย และจิ้งเหลนภูเขาแกรนดิสัน แต่อย่างไรก็ตามข้อมูลแหล่งที่อยู่และการศึกษาขอบเขตการกระจายของจิ้งเหลนเหล่านี้ยังไม่ชัดเจน ดังนั้นงานวิจัยนี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาแหล่งที่อยู่ของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาในอุทยานแห่งชาติดอยภูคาและประเมินภูมิศาสตร์การกระจายโดยใช้แบบจำลองการกระจายของชนิด (species distribution modeling; SDM) การสำรวจในภาคสนามใช้วิธีสำรวจแบบพบเห็นตัวร่วมกับการกำหนดเส้นสำรวจ ข้อมูลแหล่งที่อยู่และข้อมูลปัจจัยสภาพแวดล้อมนำมาวิเคราะห์ด้วยการทดสอบไคสแควร์และการวิเคราะห์องค์ประกอบหลัก จากนั้นนำข้อมูลพิกัด GPS จากการสำรวจภาคสนาม ข้อมูลตัวอย่างอ้างอิงในพิพิธภัณฑ์ธรรมชาติวิทยา ข้อมูลจาก GBIF และการลาดตระเวนเชิงคุณภาพ มาทำการวิเคราะห์ด้วยแบบจำลองการกระจายของชนิดร่วมกับปัจจัยสภาพอากาศจาก WorldClim ทั้ง 15 ปัจจัย และปัจจัยเชิงพื้นที่ 2 ปัจจัย ได้แก่ ความสูงจากระดับน้ำทะเล และ ความลาดชัน จาก OpenDataSoft ด้วยโปรแกรม MaxEnt ผลการศึกษาแหล่งที่อยู่พบว่า จิ้งเหลนภูเขาเกล็ดเรียบอาศัยอยู่ในป่าเบญจพรรณ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาอินเดียอาศัยอยู่ในป่าสนและป่าดิบเขา และ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาแกรนดิสันอาศัยอยู่ในป่าดิบเขาเท่านั้น ผลการศึกษาแหล่งที่อยู่ย่อยพบว่าก้อนหิน เป็นองค์ประกอบที่พบได้มากที่สุดในพื้นที่อาศัยของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาเกล็ดเรียบ และกองใบไม้เป็นองค์ประกอบที่พบได้มากที่สุดในพื้นที่อาศัยของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาอินเดียและจิ้งเหลนภูเขาแกรนดิสัน การวิเคราะห์องค์ประกอบหลักตัวแปรสิ่งแวดล้อมที่มีอิทธิพลต่อการเลือกใช้แหล่งที่อยู่ย่อยของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาเกล็ดเรียบ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาอินเดีย และ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาแกรนดิสัน คือ อุณหภูมิอากาศ ระดับความสูงจากน้ำทะเลและความชื้นสัมพัทธ์ในอากาศ ตามลำดับ ผลการศึกษาแบบจำลองการกระจายของชนิด พบว่าปัจจัยสำคัญสำหรับการทำนายแหล่งที่อยู่ของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาเกล็ดเรียบและจิ้งเหลนภูเขาอินเดียคือ อุณหภูมิช่วงรายวันเฉลี่ย และ ปัจจัยสำคัญสำหรับการทำนายแหล่งที่อยู่ของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาแกรนดิสันคือปริมาณน้ำฝนตามฤดูกาล และยังพบว่าแนวโน้มการกระจายของจิ้งเหลนภูเขาเกล็ดเรียบอยู่บริเวณพื้นที่ราบเชิงเขา จิ้งเหลนภูเขาอินเดียอยู่บริเวณตามแนวเทือกเขาและ จิ้งเหลนภูเขาแกรนดิสันอยู่บริเวณยอดเขาสูงของอุทยานแห่งชาติดอยภูคาเท่านั้น ผลของการศึกษาที่ได้สามารถนำมาใช้ในการวางแผนการอนุรักษ์และยังแสดงให้เห็นถึงการประยุกต์ใช้แบบจำลองถิ่นอาศัยในการทำนายแผนที่การกระจายทางภูมิศาสตร์ของสัตว์เลื้อยคลาน

A Road Map For Place Based Collaboration For Conflict Reduction, Joseph L. Zecher

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Investigating Birds As Dispersal Vectors Of Litylenchus Crenatae Subsp. Mccannii (Anguinidae), The Nematode Associated With Beech Leaf Disease, Spencer Rock Parkinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Beech leaf disease (BLD) is an emerging forest pathogen primarily affecting American beech (Fagus grandifolia, Ehrh.) in North America and has been attributed to tree mortality of sapling sized trees within five to seven years of infection. Symptoms typically occur in regenerating American beech thickets sprouting from roots of trees killed by beech bark disease. Scientists first observed BLD in Ohio in 2012 and currently has spread to 15 states in the USA and one Canadian province. The nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii (Lcm) is highly associated with BLD symptoms, interveinal chlorosis and defoliation of leaves, and is currently …

Seasonal Abundance Of The Nudibranch Dondice Jupiteriensis On The Colonial Hydroid Eudendrium Carneum, Erika Molina, Daniela Gutierrez-Andrade, Samantha Schlegel, Julia Piper, Louis J. Ambrosio, Michael L. Middlebrooks

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Benthic colonial hydroids often serve as a host to a large variety of invertebrate taxa. The colonial hydroid Eudendrium carneum Clarke, 1882 is host to a variety of epifauna, including the recently described nudibranch Dondice jupiteriensis García—Méndez & Valdés, 2022. Like many species of heterobranch sea slugs, little is known about the natural history and population biology of D. jupiteriensis. Here we describe a year—long study recording the population density and size structure of D. jupiteriensis on E. carneum colonies in Tampa Bay, FL USA. We found that the D. jupiteriensis population persists year—round but is the densest during …

Divergent Response To Anthropogenic Change Within The Songbird Taxon: Insights From The Range Expansion Of The Northern Cardinal And Mitigation Mechanisms For Migratory Bird-Building Collisions, Jenna Brewer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Anthropogenic activities have impacted ecosystems across the globe. However, wildlife species have exhibited heterogenous responses to these novel changes, with some species experiencing population growth, and others succumbing to population decline. I studied examples of both within the songbird taxon, focusing on drivers of range expansion in the Northern Cardinal and acoustic mitigation mechanisms for migratory bird-building collisions, a source of decline for many songbird species. I found that the Northern Cardinal’s range was primarily a function of climatic stress, which was supported by the modulation of the molt process across latitudes. Specifically, Northern Cardinals exhibited faster feather growth rates …

Density And Abundance Estimation Of West Indian Manatee, Trichechus Manatus, Between The States Of Ceará And Piauí, Northeast Brazil, Using Active Acoustics, Katherine Fiedler Choi Lima, Denis Moledo De Sousa Abessa, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Renata Sousa-Lima, Ana Carolina Oliveira De Meirelles, Cristine Pereira Negrão Silva

Faculty Publications

The West Indian manatee is one of the most threatened species in Brazil. The species has currently a patchy distribution from the state of Alagoas to the state of Amapá. The difficulty of observing manatees, especially in estuarine waters, is a challenge for conservation. Therefore, it is necessary to use new methodologies and technologies to solve manatee detection problems in their natural habitats. The goal of this study was to use an active acoustic method of detection to estimate manatee density and abundance in the estuarine complex of the Timonha and Ubatuba rivers, between the states of Ceará and Piauí, …

What's In A Name? Standardization Of Vernacular Names For Trichechus Manatus, A. A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Anmari Alvarez-Alemán, Jamie Aquino, D. Caicedo-Herrera, Delma Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez, Diane Claridge, M. Fabiola Corona-Figueroa, Adolphe O. Debrot, Benoit De Thoisy, Carlos Espinoza-Marin, J. Galves, Eddy Garcia-Alfonso, Hector M. Guzman, Jalaludin Ahmad Khan, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Fabia De Oliveira Luna, Miriam Marmontel, Leon David Olivera-Gomez, Christine O'Sullivan, James A. Powell, Enrique Pugibet-Bobea, Indranee Roopsind, Carlos J. Silva

Faculty Publications

Trichechus manatus is one of 3 recognized extant species of manatees of the mammalian Order Sirenia. Currently, it is known by various vernacular names, none of which are descriptive of its biology and known distribution. This lack of standardization has led to confusion and miscommunication, hindering conservation efforts for this species. We propose standardizing the vernacular names used to refer to the species and its 2 subspecies based on appropriate geographical characterization in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese, respectively: “American Manatee”, “Manatí de las Américas”, “Lamantin d’Amérique”, “Amerikaanse Lamantijn”, and “Peixe-boi das Américas” for T. manatus; “Florida Manatee”, “Manatí …

Assessing The Efficiency Of Local Rabies Vaccination Strategies For Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) In An Urban Setting, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Nicole T. Gorman, Katherine M. Mcclure, Larissa Nituch, Tore Buchanan, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoon rabies virus (RRV) has been managed using multiple vaccination strategies, including oral rabies vaccination and trap-vaccinate-release (TVR). Identifying a rabies vaccination strategy for an area is a nontrivial task. Vaccination strategies differ in the amount of effort and monetary costs required to achieve a particular level of vaccine seroprevalence (efficiency). Simulating host movement relative to different vaccination strategies in silico can provide a useful tool for exploring the efficiency of different vaccination strategies. We refined a previously developed individual-based model of raccoon movement to evaluate vaccination strategies for urban Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We combined different oral rabies vaccination baiting …

Limitations Of Invasive Snake Control Tools In The Context Of A New Invasion On An Island With Abundant Prey, Shane R. Siers, Melia G. Nafus, Jereid E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Matthew S. Grassi, Megan Volsteadt, Aaron F. Collins, Patrick D. Barnhart, Logan T. Huse, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Diane L. Vice

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In October 2020, a new population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) was discovered on the 33-ha Cocos Island, 2.5 km off the south coast of Guam, United States. Cocos Island is a unique conservation resource, providing refuge for many lizards and birds, including endangered species, which were extirpated from mainland Guam by invasive predators including brown treesnakes. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of toxic baiting with acetaminophen-treated carrion baits and cage trapping, common tools for the control of brown treesnakes on mainland Guam, as potential eradication tools on Cocos Island. We evaluated multiple bait types and …

Site-Specific Space Use And Resource Selection By Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) In The Southeastern Usa, Betsy Evans, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American populations of Black Vultures Coragyps atratus have increased and expanded their distribution in the southern and eastern USA. In conjunction with these patterns has been a rise in human–vulture conflicts. To improve our understanding of space use patterns and better inform management, we evaluated the movements of Black Vultures (n = 23) in the southeastern USA using a long-term GPS tracking database. Our specific objectives were to: (1) quantify home-range sizes in relation to season and geographical study location and (2) examine within-home-range resource selection to identify landscape and anthropogenic factors influencing roost and diurnal space use. …

Treatment With The Immunocontraceptive Vaccine, Gonacon, Induces Temporary Fertility Control In Free-Ranging Prairie Dog Populations In Colorado, Usa, Aaron B. Shiels, Jackson Runte, Emily W. Ruell, Douglas C. Eckery, Gary W. Witmer, Daniel J. Salkeld

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are rodents enjoyed by some humans; yet, they cause crop and property damage, and carry zoonotic disease. Non-lethal control of prairie dogs is of interest in urban/suburban settings. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient is gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH]) has been shown to be effective at reducing fertility in equine and deer, and is a US EPA-registered vaccine for use in these ungulate species.

Aims

To conduct a replicated field study to test efficacy of GonaCon in black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus), and if found to be efficacious, to help facilitate …

Comparison Of Ketamine-Xylazine, Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine, And Nalbuphine-Medetomidine-Azaperone For Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Immobilization, Shylo R. Johnson, Christine K. Ellis, Chad Wickham, Molly R. Selleck, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are frequently handled using chemical immobilization in North America for management and research. In a controlled environment, we compared three drug combinations: ketamine-xylazine (KX), butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM), and nalbuphinemedetomidine- azaperone (NalMed-A) for raccoon immobilization. In crossover comparisons, raccoons received a mean of the following: 8.66 mg/kg ketamine and 1.74 mg/kg xylazine (0.104 mL/kg KX); 0.464 mg/kg butorphanol, 0.155 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.185 mg/kg medetomidine (0.017 mL/kg BAM); and 0.800 mg/kg nalbuphine, 0.200 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.200 mg/kg medetomidine (0.020 mL/kg NalMed-A). Induction time was shortest with KX (mean6SE, 10.060.7 min) and longest with NalMed-A (13.061.3 min). …

Ethyl-Iophenoxic Acid As A Serum Marker For Oral Baiting Of Tasmanian Devils, Ruth Pye, David Nichols, Sally A. Nofs, Amy T. Gilbert, Andrew S. Flies

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral baits containing vaccines, medicants or toxicants have been delivered to a broad range of wildlife species to protect against or treat disease, or suppress populations. Ethyl-Iophenoxic acid (Et-IPA) is used as a biomarker to determine oral bait consumption by wildlife species to assess and refine baiting strategies. Et-IPA is a persistent biomarker in many eutherian mammal species but not in the two marsupial species, swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), tested to date. Et-IPA has not previously been evaluated in carnivorous marsupials. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), the largest extant …

Use Of Rhodamine B As A Biomarker In A Simulated Oral Vaccine Deployment Against Bovine Tuberculosis In White-Tailed Deer, David Dressel, Kurt Vercauteren, Michael Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Henry Campa Iii

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduction Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern lower Michigan, United States are a self-sustaining reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Farm mitigation practices, baiting bans, and antlerless deer harvests have been ineffective in eliminating bTB in white-tailed deer and risks to cattle. The apparent prevalence has remained relatively constant in deer, prompting interest among wildlife researchers, managers, and veterinarians for an effective means of vaccinating deer against bTB. The commonly used human vaccine for bTB, Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), is the primary candidate with oral delivery being the logical means for vaccinating deer.

Materials and methods We developed …

Landscape-Scale Epidemiological Dynamics Of Sars-Cov-2 In White-Tailed Deer, Joshua Hewitt, Grete Wilson-Henjum, Derek T. Collins, Timothy J. Linder, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jonathan D. Heale, Christopher A. Quintanal, Robert Pleszewski, Dillon S. Mcbride, Andrew S. Bowman, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Susan A. Shriner, Sarah N. Bevins, Dennis J. Kohler, Richard B. Chipman, Allen L. Gosser, David L. Bergman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding pathogen emergence in new host species is fundamental for developing prevention and response plans for human and animal health. We leveraged a large-scale surveillance dataset coordinated by United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and State Natural Resources Agencies to quantify the outbreak dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in North American white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) throughout its range in the United States. Local epidemics in WTD were well approximated by a single-outbreak peak followed by fade out. Outbreaks peaked early in the northeast and mid- Atlantic. Local effective reproduction ratios of SARS-CoV-2 were between …

Identifying Priority Mitigation Areas For Human–Osprey Conflict, Natasha K. Murphy, Melanie R. Boudreau, Brian S. Dorr, Kate Slankard, Scott A. Rush

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raptor nests on human‐built structures represent a significant source of conflict, as they can result in bird mortality, fires, or power outages due to falling nest materials or animals connecting with energized conductors. Power companies typically try to mitigate these conflicts to avoid service disruptions. Performing mitigation measures across all potentially problematic power infrastructure is generally not a practical solution given logistical, time, or budgetary constraints. Therefore, there is a need for quantitative, landscapescale tools to identify conflict risk and prioritize mitigation. We examined the influence of habitat and transmission infrastructure distribution on the potential risk of osprey (Pandion …

Estimating Landscape Spread Of A Low-Prevalence Disease Using Multiple Surveillance Methods, Abigail Feuka, Aakash Pandey, Melinda Cosgrove, Megan Moriarty, Anthony Duffiney, Henry Campa Iii, Kurt C. Vercuteren, Kimberly M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Diseases occurring at low prevalence in free-ranging wildlife can be difficult to study and predict at a landscape scale. This problem is compounded by imperfect pathogen detection.

2. We used data from multiple surveillance methods to determine factors influencing spread of a low-prevalence disease, bovine tuberculosis (bTB), among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a bTB endemic area over a 10-year period. We fit dynamic occupancy models to predict spatial spread of bTB through a county in Michigan, USA, within the bTB endemic area, while accounting for imperfect detection and a suite of ecological processes potentially driving bTB …

Probabilistic Genetic Identification Of Wild Boar Hybridization To Support Control Of Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa), Timothy J. Smyser, Peter Pfaffelhuber, Rachael M. Giglio, Matthew G. Desaix, Amy J. Davis, Courtney F. Bowden, Michael A. Tabak, Arianna Manunza, Valentin Adrian Bâlteanu, Marcel Amills, Laura Iacolina, Pamela Walker, Carl Lessard, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The rapid expansion of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) throughout the United States has been fueled by unlawful introductions, with invasive populations causing extensive crop losses, damaging native ecosystems, and serving as a reservoir for disease. Multiple states have passed laws prohibiting the possession or transport of wild pigs. However, genetic and phenotypic similarities between domestic pigs and invasive wild pigs—which overwhelmingly represent domestic pig and wild boar hybrids—pose a challenge for the enforcement of such regulations. We sought to exploit wild boar ancestry as a common attribute among the vast majority of invasive wild pigs as a means …

Using Prescribed Fire And Biosolids Applications As Grassland Management Tools: Do Wildlife Respond?, Brian E. Washburn, Michael J. Begier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prescribed burning is a management tool commonly used in forested ecosystems in the southeastern United States, but the influence of this method on grassland vegetation and wildlife in this geographic region is unknown. During 2009–2015, we conducted a study to determine if the application of prescribed burning and/or long-term biosolid applications alter plant communities and/or wildlife use of grassland areas at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. We monitored vegetation growth, measured plant community composition, and documented wildlife activity in four study plots for 3 years after the implementation of annual winter prescribed burns. Prescribed burning reduced …

Efficacy Of An Inflatable Deterrent For Reducing New World Vulture Human‑Wildlife Conflict, Bryan M. Kluever, Betsy A. Evans, Noah M. Osterhoudt, Eric A. Tillman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Increasing urbanization coupled with spatial expansion and numerical increase of New World vulture populations has engendered a rise in human-vulture conflict, creating a need for effective tools to mitigate vulture-related damage. Visual frightening devices that mimic the presence of human or other predators can be employed in human-vulture conflict scenarios to increase perceived risk by the pest species, thereby eliciting an antipredator behavioral response, such as fleeing. One visual frightening device, inflatable scarecrows, recently proved effective at reducing passerine attendance at feral swine feeders, but their effectiveness when directed at other species and conflict scenarios has varied. Our primary objective …

Effects Of Pregnancy Prevention On Brucella Abortus Shedding In American Bison (Bison Bison), Pauline Nol, Rebecca Frey, Morgan Wehtje, Jack C. Rhyan, Patrick Ryan Clarke, Matthew Mccollum, Christine Quance, Douglas C. Eckery, Suelee Robbe-Austerman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Products of parturition are the predominant source of Brucella abortus for transmission in bison (Bison bison). Our objective was to assess whether preventing pregnancy in Brucella-seropositive bison reduced B. abortus shedding. Brucella-seropositive and -seronegative bison from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA were used in a replicated experiment. Each of two replicates (rep1, rep2) included a group of seropositive females treated with a single dose of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-based immunocontraceptive (Treatment rep1, n = 15; Treatment rep2, n = 20) and an untreated group (Control rep1, n = 14; Control rep2, …

Effects Of The Immunocontraceptive Gonacon On Pregnancy In Brucella-Seropositive American Bison (Bison Bison), Rebecca K. Frey, Morgan E. Wehtje, Pauline Nol, Patrick R. Clarke, Jack C. Rhyan, Matthew P. Mccollum, Lowell A. Miller, Douglas C. Eckery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if the number of pregnancies in naturally infected Brucella abortus-positive bison (Bison bison) cows would be reduced over a period of 5 yr after one treatment with 3000 mg gonadotropin-releasing hormone immunocontraceptive (GonaCon) compared to a similar group of naturally infected B. abortus-positive bison cows not treated with GonaCon. In each of the 5 yr, GonaCon-treated cows produced fewer offspring in relation to number of cows than the nontreated cows. Fisher’s Exact test comparing offspring produced during the first reproductive season showed a significant difference between the …

Efficacy Of X-Ray Phytosanitary Irradiation On The Infectivity And Reproduction Of Angiostrongylus Cantonensis In Experimentally Infected Rats, Susan I. Jarvi, Lisa M. Kaluna, Steven C. Hess, Lindsey Hamilton, Carmen Antaky, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel L. Leinbach, Yaeko Tagami, Argon Steel, Kathleen Howe, Steven Jacquier, Forrest Cookman, Jocelyn Diaz, John Jacob, Peter Follett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a globally distributed nematode and the leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. As a global hotspot for this disease, Hawaii’s agricultural exports may be contributing to the spread of A. cantonensis. Phytosanitary irradiation doses of 150 or 400 Gy provide quarantine security against multiple insect pests. We evaluated the in vitro and in vivo effects of phytosanitary irradiation on infectious, third-stage A. cantonensis juveniles. In vitro experiments directly exposed juveniles to irradiation doses ranging from 200 to 1,000 Gy. Results showed low mortality and no dose response across all treatments 27 days post-irradiation. …

Antipredator Blood-Squirting Defense In Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma): Chemical Isolation Of Plasma Component(S), Pogonomyrmex Ant Dietary Origin, And Evolution, Wade C. Sherbrooke, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American horned lizards of the genus Phrynosoma are largely myrmecophagous and squirt systemic blood from circumocular sinuses during encounters with certain mammalian predators. The predators react with distinct revulsion. Using bioassay-guided fractionation of blood plasma, we endeavored to identify the source and characteristics of the active chemical compound(s) responsible for this negative oral response. Our results of coyote bioassays and a series of novel mouse bioassay experiments were largely concordant. The active compound(s) was likely plasma-borne with a molecular weight (mw) of between 800 and 1,600. To identify the source of the active compound(s), we noted bioassay responses …

Internal And External Factors Affect Pair Mate Proximity In Captive Coyotes, Canis Latrans, Alexandra Turano, Stacey P. Brummer, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Julie Young, Sara M. Freeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Toxoplasma Gondii Survey In Waterfowl And Gulls From Eight Usa States, Sawsan Ammar, Tania J. Dawant, Janetta Kelly, Graham Hickling, Justin Brown, Kyle R. Van Why, Rebecca Poulson, Chunlei Su, Richard W. Gerhold Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sera from 391 waterbirds from eight USA states were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test. Fifteen different waterbird species (26.6%; n = 104) were seropositive. Of the adults, 25.4% (n = 52) showed a significantly higher T. gondii seroprevalence compared with juveniles (13.4%; n = 17); however, sex was not a significant factor.

Increased Bat Activity At Urban Water Sources: Implications For Cross-Species Transmission Of Bat Rabies To Mesocarnivores, Lias A. Hastings, Carol L. Chambers, David L. Bergman, Tad C. Theimer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined the potential for urban water sources, specifically golf course ponds, to act as centers for rabies transmission from bats to mesocarnivores in the arid southwestern United States where surface water is often limited. Because residential housing can act as den and roost sites for both mesocarnivores and bats, we also examined the effect of housing density around water sources on activity. Using ultrasonic acoustic recorders to assess bat activity and camera traps to estimate mesocarnivore activity, we compared 14 pairs of wet and dry locations over two years by surveying twice during the summer, once prior to summer …