Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
Characteristics Of A River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Maternal Den In The Central Platte River Valley, Ne, Jenna M. Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Joshua D. Wiese
Characteristics Of A River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Maternal Den In The Central Platte River Valley, Ne, Jenna M. Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Joshua D. Wiese
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
River otters (Lontra canadensis) encompass a broad geographic range including coastal, riverine, and lacustrine systems. However, knowledge of reproductive behavior and structural den characteristics remain relatively few in the literature, particularly in the Great Plains. Distinctions between the terms “den”, “den site”, “natal den”, and “maternal den” are often ambiguous, obscuring our understanding of river otter’s young-rearing behavior. We used observations and descriptions regarding a single maternal den site and a broad reading of the mustelid literature to propose a more standardized maternal den definition for river otters and specify hypotheses for future research. From 25 April to …
Snowy Plover Activity In The Central Platte River Valley In May 2019, Bethany L. Ostrom, Andrew J. Caven, Jenna M. Malzahn, Alyx Vogel
Snowy Plover Activity In The Central Platte River Valley In May 2019, Bethany L. Ostrom, Andrew J. Caven, Jenna M. Malzahn, Alyx Vogel
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
During five of eight site visits between 14 and 27 May 2019 we detected up to four Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) near Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, and recorded their behavior using an instantaneous scan sampling approach. We recorded loafing (47%), foraging (43%), mating (4%), flying (4%), and external threat (1%) related behavior. Most notably, we documented a copulation event on 23 May. During the 10-day span from 14 to 23 May when Snowy Plovers were detected, river stage and discharge were near median levels, but from 23 to 27 …