Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Activity Levels Of Arboreal Rodents Peromysus And Ochrotomys Evaluated With Nest Cans In Seasonally Flooded Forests, John W. Walke

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The diversity and density of small mammals in the Dismal Swamp are believed to be small. To test this, four 1.96 ha grids were established and operated in the Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, from September 1981 to November 1982. Number 10 metal cans covered with plastic lids were placed as nest boxes at 0.5 to 1.5 m height on trees. A 2.5 cm hole allowed access by arboreal rodents, to each nest can. The activity level of the two arboreal rodents, Peromyscus leucopus and Ochrotomys nuttalli, was evaluated by observing types of activity ranging from presence of mice to …

Life History Aspects Of Reithrodontomys Humulis In Southeastern Virginia, Michelle Cawthorn Chandler

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Reithrodontomys humulis, the eastern harvest mouse, is a small cricetid rodent which is common in old field communities in the eastern U.S. A live-trapping study was conducted in Suffolk, Virginia from March 1983 through February 1984 in order to learn the details of its life history and the vegetational characteristics which best describe its microhabitat. Specifically, population densities, trap-revealed survival times, home ranges, plant species composition of the study area, and vegetational structure were examined. In order to trap as many Reithrodontomys as possible, special traps which excluded animals weighing over 20 g were constructed. Densities of harvest mice …

The Hellbender, Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis, In Indiana, William H. Kern Jr.

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Very 1 ittle was previously known ubout the Hellbender, Crrp:t:£branchus alleganiensis alleganiensis, in Indiana. The purpose of this study was to determine its current range and status in Indiana and collect life history information. The hell benders were captured by hand from under rocks and 1d th hoopnets baited with cut fish. They were tagged, measured, wei~hed, examined for large external parasites, wounds, and reproductive cond:i - tion. Stoma ch contents were taken with a non-lethal, stomach-flushfog technique. The animals were then released at the site of capture. Al though they were originally found in the Ohio River, \\'hi tewater …

The Effects Of Mowing On The Rodent Community Of A Native Tall Grass Prairie In Eastern Nebraska, Cliff A. Lemen, Mary K. Clausen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Our results indicate that mowing, like burning, greatly reduces the use of an area by Microtus and increases the density of Peromyscus maniculatus until the grass can grow back. Depending on the rate of growth of the grass this process can take more than a year. If the prairie is mowed every year to maximize the production of hay, populations of Microtus cannot be maintained at high densities.

The study site, Nine Mile Prairie, is one of the few natural tallgrass prairies remaining in eastern Nebraska. It covers about 240 acres and is located 5 km north and 9 km …

Microgeographic Variation In The Mexican Vole, Microtus Mexicanus, Meredith J. Hamilton, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Altitudinal variation was assessed in 115 (62 male; 53 female) Mexican voles (Microtus mexicanus) from six localities in Jalisco, Mexico. Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques were employed in the data analyses. A total of 49 skeletal measurements were investigated, and of these, 17 showed significant interlocality variation. Rostral breadth, depth of braincase, rostral height, width of third molar and nasal length were found to be the most variable characters. Component I (a size factor) accounted for 36% of the total phenetic variation; components II and III accounted for 30% and 19%, respectively. Larger individuals were found to occur at lower …

Limitations On Spatial Memory In Mice, Robert H.I. Dale, Martin Bedard

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Rats have an impressive ability to remember locations they have visited. Two experiments used an eight-arm radial maze to determine whether mice showed two important characteristics of this spatial memory: its durability, and its dependence on stimuli outside the maze (extreme stimuli). In Experiment 1, food-deprived mice were allowed to eat from four of the eight arms of the maze then, after delays of 5 sec, 1 min, or 5 min, they were permitted to choose the remaining arms. Choice accuracy declined significantly with the longer delays, but always remained above chance. In Experiment 2, the maze was rotated 180° …

River Otter In Arkansas Iii. Characteristics Of Otter Latrines And Their Distribution Along Beaver-Inhabited Watercourses In Southwest Arkansas, Mark R. Karnes, C. Renn Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Forty-one river otter (Lutra canadensis) fecal deposit (latrine) sites were located during April 1983 through March 1984 along beaver (Castor canadensis) inhabited watercourses in Clark, Nevada, and Ouachita counties, Arkansas. Latrine sizes ranged from 64 cm² to 5.01 m² (x-bar=0.30 m²; S.D. =0.88), and contained 2 to 78 scats per latrine (x-bar=9.2; S.D. = 13.8). The most common sites for latrines included elevated leaf or moss covered banks (51.2%), beaver lodges or bank dens (17.1 %), and beaver scent mounds (12.2%). Other latrine sites included felled logs over open water, bare soil along elevated banks, and exposed sandbars. Otter presence …

Avoidance Learning And Memory In Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) Fed Bufo Tadpoles, Randy John Gawlik

Masters Theses

Tadpoles of the American toad (Bufo americanus) have been shown to be distasteful to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) predators who learn, on the short term, to avoid them. How long bass retain this learned avoidance of Bufo larvae is unknown so an experimental design was constructed in an attempt to answer this question.

Largemouth bass were divided into four treatment groups. Two groups were initially fed exclusively larvae of Bufo americanus (one group was fed large tadpoles, the other group fed small larvae). Similarily, the other two groups were initially fed spring peeper (Hyla crucifer …

Observations On Relationships Between Limb Measurements And Mode Of Locomotion In Malaysian Turtles, Duayne Nyckel

Masters Theses

Twelve Genera (spanning three Families) of Malaysian Turtles were studied to determine whether bone lengths could be correlated to mode of locomotion. Ulna, humerus, tibia, femur, coracoid (among others) were measured and results were presented graphically. Five of the genera were observed singly in a large aquarium. Data were recorded on the amount of time each spent in different locomotor modes. Both limb length data and aquarium observations suggest that turtles can be grouped into three main locomotor habits (i.e. terrestrial walking, bottomwalking, and swimming). The terrestrial group includes the genera, Geochelone, Kinixys, and Gopherus. Bottomwalkers include …

Operant Conditioning In The Water Snake (Nerodia Sipedon), Angela R. Deitz

Masters Theses

Six subjects of Nerodia sipedon were tested for runway acquisition. Five of six subjects met criterion for runway learning, demonstrating a significant decrease over the 25 day testing period in mean latency and running times. Four subjects completed 170 trials in a T-maze to test two-choice discrimination and reversal learning. All subjects met criterion for the initial discrimination and one reversal while two subjects completed four reversals and one subject met criterion for six reversals. Results are similar or superior to those previously reported for reptiles and other non-human vertebrates.

Phylogeny And Paleobiogeography Of Short-Tailed Shrews (Genus Blarina), Cheri A. Jones, Jerry R. Choate, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Dental measurements of Pleistocene and Holocene shrews of the genus Blarina were analyzed in a multivariate assessment of phylogeny and paleobiogeography of the genus. Blarina brevicauda, or an indistinguishable precursor, apparently was the ancestral form. Two semispecies, brevicauda and talpoides, are recognizable early in the fossil record; these two phena probably appeared as a result of increasing diversity'in the environment of the late Irvingtonian. Evidently, repeated fluctuations of climate and the subsequent changes in range have not been sufficient to cause the cessation of gene flow necessary to complete speciation.

A second species, B. carolinensis, appeared in …

Results Of The Alcoa Foundation-Suriname Expeditions. Vii. Records Of Mammals From Central And Southern Suriname, Stephen L. Williams, Hugh H. Genoways, Jane A. Groen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The occurrence of three species of mammals previously unknown in Suriname is documented. The new taxa recorded include Vampyrops aurarius, Vampyrops lineatus, and Natalus tumidirostris. Additional information is provided on Centronycteris maximiliana, Sigmomys alstoni, Zygodontomys brevicauda, and Cavia aperea from Suriname.

Homing And Ecology In The Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys Volans In Southeastern Virginia, Sherrie Lynn Sawyer

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether homing occurred in the southern flying squirrel, Glauaomys volans, and if so, the greatest homing distance. Information on the squirrel's ecology, reproductive biology and use of artificial nest boxes was also obtained. The study was conducted from November 1978 through March 1981, using nest boxes placed in a deciduous forest in southeastern Virginia.

For the homing experiments, twenty squirrels were released a total of 29 times along three lines at distances of 250 m to 1.6 km from the homesites. Squirrels were found to home successfully up to 1,000 m.

The …

Cameron B. Kepler's Review Of Janet Kear And A. J. Berger's The Hawaiian Goose: An Experiment In Conservation, Cameron B. Kepler

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Small Rodents In Four Dismal Swamp Plant Communities, F. Elizabeth Breidling, Frank P. Day Jr., Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Diversity and density of small rodents in the Dismal Swamp are believed to be low. Reasons for this may be excessive predation, heavy interspecific pressure from large rodents, lack of suitable habitat, low food availability or flooding.

Rodent populations were evaluated using live-traps and pitfall traps in four different Dismal Swamp plant communities. Habitat was compared on the basis of phytomass studies previously reported. Flood levels were recorded during live-trapping sessions. Mast from trees was collected in modified mast collectors, and fed to Peromyscus leucopus in the laboratory.

Only two small rodent species were captured: Ochrotomys nuttalli and Peromyscus leucopus …

Dynamic Effects Of Food Magnitude On Interim-Terminal Interaction, Alliston K. Reid, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

We tested the assumption of a facilitatory relation between periodic food presentation and schedule-induced drinking by examination of (a) elicited drinking, (b) drinking in anticipation of food delivery, and (c) possible indirect effects of food delivery on drinking. We exposed rats to a fixed-time 60-second schedule in which interfood intervals ended in either one or four food pellets with equal probability. In Phases 1 and 3, a stimulus signaled the magnitude of upcoming food presentation. In Phase 2, the stimulus was eliminated. Changes in drinking and "head-in-feeder" distributions within interfood intervals demonstrated that head-in-feeder was controlled directly by food presentation, …

Status Of The Bat Myotis Keenii In The Arkansas Ozarks, Michael J. Harvey, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Observaciones Sobre La Biología De Phyllomedusa Iheringi Boulenger, 1885, (Anura, Hylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, Annelise Gerhau

Biology Faculty Publications

RESUMEN:

Se presentan las características que permiten diferenciar las larvas de Phyllomedusa iheringi de las de otros anuros que habitan en nuestro territorio, junto con algunas observaciones sobre la biología de esta especie poco conocida en el Uruguay.

SUMMARY:

The characteristics that differentiate the larvae of Phyllomedusa iheringi from other anurans that live in Uruguay are presented here. Some observations on the biology of this species are also recorded.

Preliminary Report On The Zygoptera (Damselflies) Of Arkansas, George L. Harp

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Of The Hiatt Prairie Region, Franklin County, Arkansas, Julie A. Huggins, George L. Harp

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

First Report Of Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat Maternity Colonies In Arkansas, David A. Saugey, Darrell R. Heath, Clark Efaw, Gary A. Heidt, Teresa E. Beggs

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Abundance And Seasonal Occurrence Of Psorophora Columbiae In A Northeast Arkansas Ricefield Community, Larry A. Olson, Julia A. Huggins

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Increased population levels of the dark ricefield mosquito, Psorophora columbiae (Dyar and Knab), have been shown to be associated with rice cultivation in Arkansas and several other states. Four standard New Jersey light traps were operated daily between May 30 and October 2 of 1981 and 1982 to determine the relative abundance and seasonal occurrence of this species in NE Arkansas. The effect of trap distance from nearby rice on the number of adult P. columbiae collected was assessed by comparing weekly totals from 2 traps located within 0.9 km of rice fields with totals from 2 traps situated beyond …

Arkansas Range Extensions Of The Seminole Bat (Lasiurus Seminolus) And Eastern Big-Eared Bat (Plecotus Rafinesquii) And Additional County Records For The Hoary Bat (Lasiurus Cinereus), Silver-Haired Bat (Lasionycteris Noctivagans) And Evening Bat..., Darrell R. Heath, Gary A. Heidt, David A. Saugey, V. Rick Mcdaniel

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Gastrointestinal Helminths Of The Cougar, Felis Concolor L., In Northeastern Oregon, Robert L. Rausch, C. Maser, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Helminths of nine species were identified from 39 cougars obtained in northeastern Oregon (Walbowa, Baker, and Union counties), viz., Taenia omissa Lühe, 1910 (100%); T. ovis krabbei Moniez, 1879 (61%); T. hydatigena Pallas, 1776 (10%); Mesocestoides lineatus (Goeze, 1782) (5%); Toxascaris leonina (von Linstow, 1902) (69%); Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788) (15%); Physaloptera praeputialis von Linstow, 1889 (13%); Pterygodermatites affinis (Jagerskiold, 1904) (ca. 2%); and Trichinella sp. (larvae) (ca. 2%). In addition, undeveloped cestodes of the genus Taenia in 26 animals had lost rostellar hooks and could not be identified. Host-records, prevalence, and biological characteristics of some of the helminths are …

Karyotypic Relationships Within The Short-Tailed Shrews, Genus Blarina, Sarah B. George, Hugh H. Genoways, Jerry R. Choate, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Short-tailed shrews of the genus Blarina exhibit considerable geographic variation in both diploid number and fundamental number. Four chromosomal groups are recognized within the genus: Blarina brevicauda, FN = 48; 2N = 50, 49, or 48; B. carolinensis, FN = 45 or 44; 2N = 46, 39, 38, or 37; B. c. peninsulae, FN = 52; 2N = 52, 51, or 50; B. hylophaga, FN = 62, 61, or 60; 2N = 52. B. c. peninsulae also may be a distinct species, but exact determination must await location and analysis of a zone of contact with …

Parallel-Arm Maze Performance Of Sighted And Blind Rats: Spatial Memory And Maze Structure, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Sighted and peripherally blinded groups of rats learned to obtain a small reward from each arm of an eight-arm parallel maze, and a sighted group was similarly trained on a radial maze. The parallel-sighted and parallel-blind groups were equally slow, and much slower than the radial-sighted group, to attain criterion performance. The three groups shared several response characteristics: selectively avoiding the most recently entered arms, frequently choosing adjacent arms, and an absence of 'spatial generalization' among the arms. The findings support a simple model proposing how subjects identify and choose among the maze-arms.

Morphometric And Geographic Relationships Of Short-Tailed Shrews (Genus Blarina) In Kansas, Iowa, And Missouri, Nancy D. Moncrief, Jerry R. Choate, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Shrews of the genus Blarina from Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri were studied morphometrically and karyologically. The ranges of two species, B. brevicauda and B. hylophaga, overlap in a broad zone across southern Iowa and northern Missouri. Morphometric analyses revealed an unexpectedly large amount of cranial variation in B. brevicauda, and confirmed the presence of that species in the Kansas River Valley of northeastern Kansas. Considerable mensural overlap was found in geographic areas in which B. hylophaga and B. brevicauda are sympatric, evincing the need for further karyotypic and morphometric studies in those areas. No formal taxonomic changes are …

Food Habits And Ecology Of Beavers In Southeastern Virginia, John Lennox Echternach Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The food habits and ecology of three beaver colonies in James County, Virginia were studied. Vegetation surrounding the colonies was characterized as southern mixed hardwood forest or lowland swamp forest. Stream flow values ranged from 0.013 to 0.369 m³/sec. Water depth ranged from 0.5 60 4.0 m. Caloric value of 13 heavily used woody species ranged from 3305 to 6204 cal/g. Considerable seasonal variation was noted in most species with the lowest caloric values noted in summer. No relationship was found between caloric value and frequency of use. Fresh cutting was monitored on a weekly basis and a …

The Suriname Small Mammal Survey: A Case Study Of The Cooperation Between Research And National Conservation Needs, Hugh H. Genoways, Henry A. Reichart, Stephen L. Williams

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

A cooperative program between the Foundation for Nature Preservation in Suriname and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to survey the small mammals of Suriname is reviewed. The program has proven to be mutually beneficial and it is presented as a model for development of similar programs in the future. The technical assistance requested by the Foundation for Nature Preservation in Suriname concerned the distribution and natural history of small mammals, especially those occurring in the Nature Parks and Reserves. The Government of Suriname has established an excellent system of Reserves and Parks throughout the country. They are trying to …

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Of Three Acid Bogs On Crowley's Ridge In Northeast Arkansas, Jerry L. Farris, George L. Harp

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Qualities and quantities of parameters composing the bog systems in Northeast Arkansas are not entirely reflective of those defining bogs of the northern United States. While pH is restricting to the organisms of each bog studied (4.8-6.9), the major limiting factor is the amount of available water. Three acidophilic bogs with shallow water depths (2-30 cm) yielded a total of 75 aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa. The bog with greatest surface area supported 67 taxa and a mean numerical standing crop of 14 organisms/2 hr sampling period. The bog with the smallest surface area had 13 taxa and a mean standing crop …