Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

A New Subspecies Of Geomys Bursarius (Mammalia: Geomyidae) From Texas And New Mexico, Robert J. Baker, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

As part of a study of the systematics and ecology of pocket gophers occurring on the high plains of Texas and eastern New Mexico, numerous populations of the plains pocket gopher, Geomys bursarius, were examined karyotypically. Four chromosomal races were described from this area by Baker et al. (1973). Additional studies lead us to believe that two of these races represent an undescribed subspecies of the plains pocket gopher. In addition to karyological evidence, specimens of this subspecies are morphologically distinct from those of all contiguous populations of Geomys bursarius major, the race to which they previously were assigned. …

Mammals Of The Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker, John E. Cornely

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Our survey began in late May 1973 and continued through August 1975. The objectives of our study, which was supported by the National Park Service, were to survey the mammals occurring in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, and to correlate their distribution with major plant associations. This inventory of the natural resources of the park is preliminary to the development of any serious management program. Therefore, we present the following accounts to serve as baseline data for future mammalian work in the park and development of the master plan for the park.

Editors' Note To Biological Investigations In The Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas., Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which is located in TransPecos Texas between Carlsbad, New Mexico, and EI Paso, Texas, is one of the newest national parks being formed by the Congress in 1967. The Guadalupe Mountains and the associated Chihuahuan Desert included in the park represent a unique biological area in which a fragile biological equilibrium exists between the fauna and flora of the Chihuahuan Desert of the lowlands and the Rocky Mountains of the high elevations. The preservation of this area will depend upon sound management decisions. This volume is the result of a symposium held at The Museum …

Annotated Checklist Of Mammals Of The Yucatán Peninsula, México. Iv. Carnivora, Sirenia, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

This is the fourth in a series of papers by Jones, et al., dealing with the systematics and distributional status of mammals on the Yucatán Peninsula of México. The present contribution lists 24 native species belonging to the orders Carnivora (18 species), Sirenia (one), Perissodactyla (one), and Artiodactyla (four). Among the carnivores there are one canid, six procyonids, six mustelids, and five felids, whereas the Artiodactyla is represented by two families (Tayassuidae and Cervidae), each with two species.

The Yucatán Peninsula as treated in this series of papers includes the Mexican states of Campeche and Yucatan, and the Federal Territory …

The Behaviour Of Swine, J. P. Signoret, B. A. Baldwin, D. Fraser, E. S. E. Hafez

Mammalogy Collection

The pig was a forest-dwelling animal from the beginning of its history. In some parts of the world it has been domesticated for at least 7000 years. The European breeds of domestic swine were derived from the local wild pig, Sus scrofa. Herds ranged in pastures and forests and kept indoors only for fattening. The breeds in the Far East were derived from another wild pig, Sus vittatus, a smaller animal with shorter legs and a higher reproductive ability (Mohr 1960; Zeuner 1963). The two types interbred readily. The modem breeds of pig evolved from different crossings between the two …

Preliminary Dove Banding Studies In Clark County, Arkansas, Thurman Booth, Peggy Rae Dorris, William N. Hunter, Benny Mays

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, Henderson State University Biology Department made a preliminary study of mourning doves in Clark County, Arkansas, during June, July and August 1974. Three hundred seventy-one mourning doves were baited, trapped and banded to obtain information concerning age, sex, populations, retraps, deformities, effects on other animals, migrations and other behaviors.

Biological Inventory In Conjunction With The Las Vegas Wash Unit, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act Title Ii (P.L. 93-320), W. Glen Bradley, J. Scott Miller

Publications (WR)

The present report is a biological inventory in conjunction with the Las Vegas Wash Unit, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act, Title II. The boundaries of the project encompass sections of North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, East Las Vegas and areas along Las Vegas Wash extending to its drainage point in Las Vegas Bay in Lake Mead. Therefore, it encompasses a wide array of ecological situations and landscapes ranging from essentially natural to various stages of urban development. This biological inventory presents basic ecological classifications, descriptions of vegetation, lists of vascular plants and vertebrates known to occur in the area. …

Raising Wood Ducks, Richard L. Nelson

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

Numbered among Nature's most colorful creatures, wood ducks willingly accept a helping hand from man in establishing new homes. These birds adapt well to suitable habitat, and you can play an important part in bringing the wood duck to locations where they do not now nest. For groups or individuals who are willing to expend the effort necessary to undertake a wood duck restoration project anti see it to completion, it is an exceptional gift from today's generation to those of decades and centuries to come. Many areas in Nebraska provide suitable wood duck habitat, but do not have a …

Karyotype Of Geomys Pinetis (Mammalia: Geomyidae), With A Discussion Of The Chromosomal Relationships Within The Genus, S. L. Williams, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Summary. Four of the five subspecies of Geomys pinetis were karyotyped. All specimens examined had a diploid number of 42 and a fundamental number of 80. This karyotype was compared with the described karyotypes of other species of Geomys and was considered to be derived from an ancestoral form having a karyotype of about 70 acrocentric elements.

The Relative Attenuation Of Self-Stimulation, Eating And Drinking Produced By Dopamine-Receptor Blockade, E. T. Rolls, B. J. Rolls, P. H. Kelly, S. G. Shaw, R. J. Wood, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Spiroperidol, which blocks dopamine (DA) receptors, attenuated self-stimulation of the nucleus accumbens, septal area, hippocampus, anterior hypothalamus and ventral tegmental area. Dopamine is thus involved in self-stimulation of many sites (in addition to the lateral hypothalamus). The attenuation was not a simple motor impairment of the speed of bar-pressing in that the nucleus accumbens and septal self-stimulation rates were lower than those in treated animals self-stimulating at other sites (Experiment 1). Feeding was partly attenuated, and drinking was much less attenuated by the spiroperidol. Since the rats bar-pressed for brain- stimulation reward, chewed pellets to eat, and licked a tube …

Bats Of Margarita Island, Venezuela, With Zoogeographic Comments, James Dale Smith, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Sixteen species of bats are reported from Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. These include two species of emballonurids, one noctilionid, two mormoopids, nine phyllostomatids, one vespertilionid, and one molossid. Accounts including natural history and taxonomic comments are given for each species. The chiropteran fauna of Margarita Island is compared with the bat faunas of the adjacent Venezuelan mainland and islands off the northern coast of South America, including Trinidad and other Antillean islands. It is concluded that the chiropteran fauna of Margarita Island represents an attenuated mainland fauna.

Annotated Checklist Of Mammals Of The Yucatán Peninsula, México. Ii. Rodentia, J. Knox Jones Jr., Hugh H. Genoways, Timothy E. Lawlor

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Yucatán Peninsula, as encompassed in this series of papers, includes the Mexican states of Campeche and Yucatán, and the Federal Territory of Quintana Roo. This region is a low-lying plain that rises gently in elevation from north to south. It is surrounded on three sides by water and bounded on the south by British Honduras (i.e. Belize), Guatemala, and the Mexican state of Tabasco. The vegetation of the peninsula increases in height from north to south and from the coast inland. Generally, forest to the north is xerophilic, but that of the southern part of the peninsula is tall, …

Oregon's Nutria Problem, Lee W. Kuhn, E. Paul Peloquin

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The nutria or coypu, Myocastor coypus, is a large semi-aquatic rodent that superficially resembles an overgrown muskrat or a stunted beaver. They were introduced into Oregon from about 1930 to the 1950s. At one time Oregon had more than 600 fur farmers raising these animals for fur; now there are none. Some animals escaped and many others were released into the wild when it became apparent that pelt values were nonexistent and production costs greatly exceeded profits. Being prolific and quite mobile the nutria quickly spread through much of western Oregon. By the 1960s damage to agricultural crops was …

Effects Of Mississippi Delta Flooding On Spider Populations, Peggy Rae Dorris

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Mississippi Delta flooded in the spring of 1973. Spider collections made in a Delta area of Mississippi in 1972 are compared with those made in 1973 during the flood and after it subsided. Because many egg cases and immature and mature spiders were destroyed by the flood, the spider population was diminished.

Defensive Behavior Of The Hognose Snake (Heterodon Platyrhinos), Brenda S. Hemken

Masters Theses

Fourteen out of sixteen Heterodon platyrhinos eggs were hatched in late August, 1973. The immature snakes were manually stimulated and the resultant bluffing and death-feigning behaviors were observed. All of the experimental snakes bluffed, but only three out of ten feigned death. The major components of the bluffing behavior are spreading the neck, hissing, and striking. Death-feigning is preceded by contortions and shows variations in the positions of the mouth and tongue. The newly-hatched snakes exhibited both bluffing and death-feigning, indicating that the behaviors are innate.

An Introduction To The Ethology Of Citellus Variegatus, John W. Bell

Masters Theses

The above ground activity of the rock squirrel Citellus variegatus between November 6, 1972 and May 1, 1973, is described. This is a non-colonial species. Recognition was established between siblings by a nose to nose contact. In foraging they utilize almost any edible material available and during this time of year foraging is most intense between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Vocalization was limited to alarm calls, which brought the other squirrels to the top of the rocks to become alert, and squeals. Hibernation varied in length depending in part on the elevation and in some did not occur at …

Ichthyofaunal Survey Of The Current River Within Arkansas, Joe F. Green, John K. Beadles

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Current River is a clear predominantly spring-fed stream draining the southeastern face of the Ozark escarpment. Beginning at Montauk Springs, Dent County, Missouri, it meanders southward for 180 km to the Arkansas-Missouri state line. The study area containing 14 sampling stations was that part of Current River lying within the boundaries of Arkansas to its confluence with Black River. The collected fishes could be referred to as those common to a wide-ranging faunal group, the Ozark, and the lowland faunal group. Those of the Ozark group were restricted in their range by topography and the river's confluence with Little Black …

Nongeographic Variation In The Long-Nosed Bat, Choeroniscus Intermedius, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker, Bernard Wyatt

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Of the 12 measurements analyzed, only length of tail exhibited enough individual variation to warrant its deletion in analysis of geographic or interspecific variation in the genus Choeroniscus. Also, because of the difficulty in consistently taking the measurement, we also suggest elimination of postorbital constriction.

Specimens of Choeroniscus intermedius were found to exhibit significant secondary sexual variation in five of the 12 measurements studied. Therefore, it is clear that males and females should be separated in analyses of variation within members of the genus. Females were found to be the larger in 10 of the 12 measurements--similar to the …

A Simulation Model Of Peromyscus Leucopus In An Area Of The Great Dismal Swamp, James E. Paschal Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A computer simulation model was developed to explain the population dynamics of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) in an area of the Great Dismal Swamp. The model was designed to provide an experimental base for future studies. The model indicates relationships between food availability, home range size, competition with Peromyscus nuttali habitat selection and reproduction.

White-footed mice were trapped in the Old Dismal Town site during each season from April, 1972 through March, 1973. The age-sex structure of the population was determined, and was compared with the simulated structure. Although there were significant discrepancies between the comparisons, the …

Annotated Checklist Of Mammals Of The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. I. Chiroptera, J. Knox Jones Jr., James Dale Smith, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Our field investigations on the Yucatán Peninsula were initiated in the summer of 1962 when two field parties from the Museum of Natural History at the University of Kansas visited the area. One field party consisted of W.E. Duellman and six students enrolled in a summer field course in vertebrate zoology; the other party was composed of the senior author and four students who were conducting a survey of Middle American terrestrial vertebrates and their ectoparasites. Some of the data relative to ectoparasites obtained during this study have appeared in the publications of Emerson (1971), Kohls et al. (1965), Loomis …

Morphological And Ecological Relationships Of Etheostoma Caeruleum And Etheostoma Spectabile In West Central Indiana, Dennis E. Clark

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Etheostoma caeruleum Storer and Jii. spectabile (Agassiz) are closely related members of the family Percidae, subfamily Percinae, tribe Etheostomatinae. This group, consisting mostly of small, brilliantly colored darters, has been partially characterized by Collett ( 1963). Several papers have been published dealing with the biology of these two species. One or both species have been described by Storer (1845), Agassiz (1854), Reeves (1907, but see Trautman, 1930), Trautman (1930, 1957) Knapp (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation), Distler (1968), and others. Trautman (1930, 1957) Gerking (1945), and Hubbs and Lagler (1947) reported that h caeruleum lives in larger and faster streams, whereas JL_ …

Notes On Some Mammals From Jalisco, Mexico, Hugh H. Genoways, J. Knox Jones Jr.

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The varied topography and climate of the Mexican state of Jalisco have resulted in a diverse mammalian fauna, no comprehensive account of which has been published. Significant collections of mammals from Jalisco were obtained for the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas, between 1949 and 1969 by field parties and individual field representatives, most notably J. R. Alcorn, R. W. Dickerman, and especially P. L. Clifton. Some of the specimens thus obtained have been recorded in systematic accounts of individual taxa or in reports on selected taxonomic groups (see for example, Choate, 1970; Genoways, 1972; Genoways and Jones, …

Status Of The Mountain Lion In Arkansas, John A. Sealander, Philip S. Gipson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Two authenticated kill records of the mountain lion, Felis concolor, in Arkansas are reported as well as numerous reliable sight records spanning an approximately 30-year period. Distribution of sightings in the state is discussed in relation to an expanding deer population. The cougar probably never was exterminated in Arkansas but it still may be considered endangered.

Two Species Of Bats New To The Fauna Of Trinidad, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker, R. S. Loregnard

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Goodwin and Greenhall (1961) in their monograph of the bats of Trinidad and Tobago recorded 58 species of chiropterans from the island of Trinidad. In two subsequent publications (Goodwin and Greenhall, 1962, 1964) these authors recorded Mesophylla macconnelli, Prornops nasutus, and Phylloderma stenops from Trinidad bringing the number of species known from the island to 61. In August 1967, one of us (R. J. Baker) and Larry Deaven netted bats on Trinidad in connection with ongoing studies of chiropteran karyology, and obtained two species not previously recorded.

Bats Of Jalisco, México, Larry C. Watkins, J. Knox Jones Jr., Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The fauna and flora of the Mexican state of Jalisco have received the much deserved attention of a number of biologists in recent years. Nevertheless, few comprehensive accounts of the biota of this interesting and physiographically diverse area have been published. In the period from 1949 to 1969, field representatives of the Museum of Natural History at the University of Kansas collected vertebrates in Jalisco. Among the specimens obtained from the state, the mammalian fauna of which never has been treated as a unit previously, were approximately 3000 bats, which form the primary basis for this report. In addition to …

Stenoderma Rufum, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Order Chiroptera, Family Phyllostomatidae, Subfamily Stenoderminae. The genus Stenoderma contains a single species, Stenoderma rufum, as treated below.

Mammals From Southwestern North Dakota, Hugh H. Genoways, J. Knox Jones Jr.

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The distribution of the mammals in the southwestern part of North Dakota and their ecological and taxonomic relationships have not been well documented. In addition to Vernon Bailey's (1927) survey of mammals of the state, based primarily upon field work conducted between 1912 and 1916, the only other principal studies dealing with the mammalian fauna of southwestern North Dakota were a preliminary report of the mammals of the state by Bailey et al. (1914) and the publication by J.A. Allen (1875) on mammals taken by the expedition that surveyed a route for the North Pacific Railway. Our studies, which were …

The Phyllostomatid Bat, Vampyressa Brocki, In Colombia, Robert J. Baker, Hugh H. Genoways, Alberto Cadena

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Between June 28 and July 1, 1969, while conducting studies on the karyotypes of phyllostomatid bats, the authors collected three specimens of Vampyressa brocki in mature tropical rainforest at Leticia, Amazonas. Colombia. Measurements and representative karyotypes are presented.

Variation And Ecology In A Local Population Of The Vesper Mouse (Nyctomys Sumichrasti), Hugh H. Genoways, J. Knox Jones Jr.

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Vesper mice of the genus Nyctomys are relatively rare, arboreal rodents restricted to Middle America (eastern Panama to southern Mexico). Little is known concerning the biology of these secretive animals. Studies of variation of the one species, Nyctomys sumichrasti, have been limited to descriptions of new taxa (for example, see Goldman, 1916, 1937, and Laurie, 1953) and ecological observations have been confined to faunal accounts of political units (Goodwin, 1934; Hall and Dalquest, 1963) or were made coincidental to studies of other species (Lawlor, 1969; Fleming, 1970). Birkenholz and Wirtz (1965) recorded observations on the behavior, reproduction, and early …

Anatomical And Behavioral Aspects Of Killing And Feeding By The Least Weasel, Mustela Nivalis L., Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is a remarkably well adapted predator of mice and other small animals. Each kill is rather stereotyped, in that the weasel grabs the prey by the nape of the neck and bites through the base of the skull and/or throat, using its lithe body to "wrap up" and hold the prey. The least weasel will kill mice successively until it is too exhausted physically to kill more. Mice are always eaten from the head posteriorly until completely consumed.