Behavior and Ethology Commons^™

Space Use And Movement Of Urban Bobcats, Julie K. Young, Julie M. Golla, John P. Draper, Derek Broman, Terry Blankenship, Richard Heilbrun

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Global urbanization is rapidly changing the landscape for wildlife species that must learn to persist in declining wild spacing, adapt, or risk extinction. Many mesopredators have successfully exploited urban niches, and research on these species in an urban setting offers insights into the traits that facilitate their success. In this study, we examined space use and activity patterns from GPS-collared bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Texas, USA. We found that bobcats select for natural/agricultural features, creeks, and water ways and there is greater home-range overlap in these habitats. They avoid roads and are less likely …

Play Behavior And The Development Of Boldness And Caution In Juvenile Belding’S Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus Beldingi), Madelene Shehan

Master's Theses

The ubiquity of play among juvenile mammals suggests it provides adaptive benefits, potentially through influences on the development of temperament in young animals. Juvenile Belding’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi) must balance competing demands for boldness and caution imposed by the fundamental trade-off between their short active season and their vulnerability to predation. In this study, I evaluated whether play helps to facilitate the development of an appropriate balance between boldness and caution in juvenile U. beldingi.I observed the play behavior of juvenile U. beldingiand conducted flight-initiation distance tests to measure boldness-caution at the beginning and toward …

Response To Conspecific Alarm Cues By Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum) Larvae, Katlyn M. Gardner

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Detection of predators early in a predation sequence may allow prey to increase their probability of survival by taking evasive action. For aquatic species in ephemeral ponds visibility is often limited, so predation risk assessment via chemical cues can be useful. Most mole salamanders of the genus Ambystoma breed in vernal ponds, and larvae suffer high mortality rates due in part to high levels of predation. I tested whether larvae can assess predation risk by detecting chemicals (alarm cues) released from the skin of damaged conspecifics, and, if so, what factors influence the response to this alarm cue. Field-caught spotted …

Territorial Behavior Of The Ozark Zigzag Salamander, Plethodon Angusticlavius, Altered By Mode Of Predator Cue And Sex Of Intruder, Sarah E. Heimbach

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Territorial defense in many species must be balanced with trade-offs in activities such as reproduction and predator avoidance. Adjusting behavior based on current assessments of predation risk and the cost of maintaining or gaining a territory is one way that individuals can balance trade-offs to maximize fitness. I conducted two experiments to determine how Ozark zigzag salamanders, Plethodon angusticlavius, adjust their territorial behavior-based predation risk. First, I tested whether male and female territorial intruders changed their competitive behavior according to whether predation risk is assessed via unimodal (chemical) or multimodal (chemical + physical) cues. Females and males responded differently to …

Recovery Of Domestic Behaviors By A Parasitic Ant (Formica Subintegra) In The Absence Of Its Host (Formica Subsericea), Amber Nichole Hunter

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Dulosis is a type of social parasitism in which a parasitic ant has become dependent on captured workers (hosts) of a closely related species. Dulosis can be either facultative or obligate depending on the degree of dependence on host workers. As parasites become more specialized over evolutionary time, their domestic abilities degenerate until they become unable to survive without the host. However, the ‘lost’ behaviors may display some degree of recovery when host workers are unavailable to do the tasks. The Formica sanguinea group consists of 12 species of parasitic ants, which are all traditionally considered to be facultative parasites. …

Demersal Fish Use Of Printed Oyster Shells As Nesting Habitat In North Inlet Estuary, Sc, Annie Boyd, Juliana Harding

Honors Theses

Temperate estuarine blenny species establish subtidal territories and nesting sites. Four blenny species co-occur in North Inlet, SC including the striped blenny, Chasmodes bosquianus, crested blenny, Hypleurochilus geminatus, feather blenny, Hypsoblennius hentzi, and freckled blenny, Hypsoblennius ionthas. All four fishes use empty oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shells as nesting sites. Current 3D printer technology was used to create standard nest substrates to describe relationships between blenny habitat use and nest site dimensions. Replicate printed shells of 2 gape widths (5, 7 mm) for each of 2 shell cavity volumes (22 mL, 15mL, Oyster A and …

Rationale, Design, And Baseline Characteristics Of Walkit Arizona: A Factorial Randomized Trial Testing Adaptive Goals And Financial Reinforcement To Increase Walking Across Higher And Lower Walkable Neighborhoods, Marc A. Adams, Jane Hurley, Christine Phillips, Michael Todd, Siddhartha Angadi, Vincent Berardi, Melbourne F. Hovell, Steven Hooker

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Little change over the decades has been seen in adults meeting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines. Numerous individual-level interventions to increase MVPA have been designed, mostly static interventions without consideration for neighborhood context. Recent technologies make adaptive interventions for MVPA feasible. Unlike static interventions, adaptive intervention components (e.g., goal setting) adjust frequently to an individual's performance. Such technologies also allow for more precise delivery of “smaller, sooner incentives” that may result in greater MVPA than “larger, later incentives”. Combined, these factors could enhance MVPA adoption. Additionally, a central tenet of ecological models is that MVPA is sensitive to neighborhood environment …

Contagious Yawning In The Domestic Cat (Felis Catus), Ariel M. Lombardo Aghishian

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates contagious yawning in domestic cats towards their owners, looking at potential links with empathy. Results showed no significant difference in yawning between conditions. The solitary nature of wildcats and their shared ancestor, and the unique social behavior in domesticated cats may explain these findings.

The Role Of Oxytocin On Social Behavior Associated With The Formation Of A Social Pair-Bond In The Socially Monogamous Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania Nigrofasciata), Christopher Garcia

Graduate Theses

The mechanisms for monogamy have evolved several times throughout history across various taxa in accordance with selective pressures. In vertebrates, monogamy is facilitated by the formation and the maintenance of social pair-bonds between mates. Social pair-bonds are a form of selective attachment that require complex neurobiological pathways in order to develop and continue. These neurobiological pathways are often regulated by neuroendocrine mechanisms, such as the release of the two neuroendocrine nonapeptides, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, in specific parts of the brain or body. These neuroendocrine peptides play a big role in social and sexual behaviors. In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) …

A Test Of The Use Of Timber Wolf (Canis Lupus) Urine To Reduce Coyote (Canis Latrans) Depredation Rates On Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nests, Michael Wauson

Graduate Theses

Loggerhead sea turtles are currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with a decreasing population trend. Over the past four years, coyotes (Canis latrans) have depredated 24.18% of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests on the night they were laid on South Island beach at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, near Georgetown, SC. This has resulted in an estimated 4,002 eggs lost each year there. Over that time, a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Turtle Technician Team patrolled the beach at dawn every morning to cage and catalog loggerhead eggs and nests …

Observations And Applications Of Husbandry Methodologies On A Backyard Poultry Farm In Dangriga, Belize, Bailey Carpenter

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explores the husbandry methodologies on a backyard poultry farm in Dangriga, Belize, with the purpose of producing a set of guidelines for backyard poultry growers that have limited resources in similar regions. The majority of data collection occurred through survey questions approved by the IRB, necropsies approved by IACUC, and general observations. There has been a steady increase in poultry production in developing regions due to its positive effects on income and relative nutrition. However, due to a lack of accessible communication and education regarding effective and safe poultry production, these operators typically see poor productivity and/or profitability …

American White Pelicans, Tommy King

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, Figure 1) threaten aquaculture producers by direct predation and the spread of disease. They are also considered competition and a nuisance by some sports fishermen. Pelicans can also damage pond levees and crops, such as rice, by trampling the vegetation and depositing guano. A combination of wildlife damage management techniques is often necessary to reduce pelican damage to these resources. Aquaculture Prior to the winter of 1992, American white pelican depredations at catfish facilities in the Delta regions of Arkansas and Mississippi were limited, and birds were easily dispersed from the area. Since 1992, however, …

A Biotelemetric Study Comparing Diving Behavior And Brumation Sites Of Translocated And Resident Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys Geographica) And Their Response To Replica Model Turtles On Artificial Basking/Nesting Platforms In The Upper Niagara River, Jesse M. Karcher

Biology Theses

Anthropogenic shoreline development leading to a lack of access to terrestrial nesting sites is one of the causes for northern map turtle decline in the upper Niagara River. Translocation of adult map turtles and the development of floating basking/nesting platforms were proposed as possible remedies for this population decline. Biotelemetry along with aerial and underwater drones were used to assess habitat preferences between resident and translocated turtles. It was expected that the platforms would be used for basking and nesting and that a platform located in a natural location would be more successful than one in a developed area, due …

Comparative Thermal Ecology Of Coastal And Inland Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus), Hayley Layne Crowell

Master's Theses

Global biodiversity is declining as a direct result of anthropogenic climate change. Ectothermic species have become focal organisms for studying the ecological effects of altered climates due to the clear relationship between environmental temperatures and ectotherms’ basic physiological functions. Historically, examinations of these effects have focused heavily on heliothermic lizards, and most others have tended to focus on single populations or sympatric species within a single community. Addressing the longterm energetic implications of environmental temperature variation will provide valuable insight into the cascading physiological effects that certain populations or species may experience as a result of altered climates.

In this …

Circadian Rhythms Of The Spider Pholcus Phalangeoides In Activity Monitors And Web Boxes, Steven Dirmeyer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Circadian rhythms are endogenous molecular clocks that correspond to the 24-hour day and are regulated by light stimulus, allowing organisms to entrain to the dawn-dusk cycle. These clocks may allow organisms to anticipate daily events, influencing their behavior. In arthropods, including spiders, circadian rhythmicity is tested using activity monitors, which house individuals in tubes. However, this does not reflect the natural habitat of many spiders. We compared the locomotor activity of the cellar spider Pholcus phalangiodes in activity monitors with the locomotor activity in web boxes. After being entrained to a 12:12 light:dark cycle, the spiders were recorded in constant …

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Vocal Responses To Sonar And Spectrally Pink Background Noise, Maria Zapetis

Dissertations

As human populations rise, the level of man-made noise increases globally. Naval sonar and boat traffic are underwater sound sources of particular concern to marine mammal welfare. To better understand the impact of these noise increases on cetaceans, studies can explore animals’ behavioral changes in response to noise. Studies have investigated the ‘dose-response’ relationship between the received sound pressure level of sonar signals and the behavior of cetaceans in the wild, but exposure studies in controlled environments are limited. The studies in this dissertation examined bottlenose dolphin vocal modifications during various experimental noise treatments. Acoustic recordings previously obtained for bottlenose …

Seasonal Changes In Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus) Social Structure And Gargle Vocalizations, James Vanorman

All NMU Master's Theses

Many organisms form social groups for many different reasons. Individuals within a group gain benefits from having a way of effectively communicating with their group, especially in organisms that maintain their social affiliations for long periods of time. In birds, vocalizations are the main means of communicating among individuals. When there are multiple groups of birds in an area, each group could share vocalizations. This sharing can then create local dialects. Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are small songbirds of temperate habitats of North America that group together in larger flocks every winter. Dialects of the gargle vocalization have …

Stabilizing Forces In Acoustic Cultural Evolution: Comparing Humans And Birds, Daniel C. Mann

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Learned acoustic communication systems, like birdsong and spoken human language, can be described from two seemingly contradictory perspectives. On one hand, learned acoustic communication systems can be remarkably consistent. Substantive and descriptive generalizations can be made which hold for a majority of populations within a species. On the other hand, learned acoustic communication systems are often highly variable. The degree of variation is often so great that few, if any, substantive generalizations hold for all populations in a species.

Within my dissertation, I explore the interplay of variation and uniformity in three vocal learning species: budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), …

Cognitive Models Of Defense Behaviors In Hosts Of Brood Parasites, Thomas J. Manna

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Social parasites exploit the behavioral repertoire of their hosts for their own benefit, thereby reducing host reproductive success. Whether and how hosts respond to prevent, reduce, or eliminate the costs of parasitism requires the characterization of host cognitive algorithms in response to parasites. In this dissertation, I review the suite of the defense behaviors and decision rules of hosts targeted by avian and insect brood parasites, and present new experimental data on the detection of parasitism through the visual system of focal host species. In Chapter 1, I review extensive data already accumulated to isolate the cognitive mechanisms used by …

Play Behavior And The Development Of Boldness And Caution In Juvenile Ground Squirrels, Madelene Shehan

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

We evaluated the relationship between play behavior and the development of boldness in juvenile Belding’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi). We observed the play behavior of juvenile U. beldingi, and conducted boldness tests at the beginning and toward the end of the developmental period during which play primarily occurs. Behavioral tests consisted of a researcher acting as an intruder, walking toward a juvenile, and noting the distance between the squirrel and intruder at which the juvenile first became aware of the intruder, and the distance at which the squirrel fled. The age of mothers was a significant predictor …

Age Status Effects On Female Silk Production And Male Courtship Response In Dolomedes Scriptus, Joseph Osborne

Student Scholar Showcase

Female Dolomedes scriptus, the striped fishing spider, serve as model organisms exhibiting pheromone production as a means of chemical signaling. Previous work has shown that male fishing spiders are responsive to female silk, and preferentially court in the presence of silk from mature virgins. In our research, we hypothesized that mature females produced larger quantities of silk than penultimate females in an attempt to elicit greater male mating response. Female spiders of both age statuses were kept for two days in a gridded tank. Sub-sampling of silk lines that crossed a random portion of the grid produced results signifying …

Density And Mass Effect On The Development Of Phormia Regina, Brandon H. Strauss

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Forensic entomology is the application of the study of arthropods to the criminal justice system. This is primarily done through the development of a post mortem interval (PMI) based the insect evidence present. A practitioner must be able to determine the age of the insect through temperature data. One factor influencing the temperature dependent development is gregarious behavior. Current literature describes a faster development rate due to an increase in feeding efficiency and temperatures produced by this aggregate. However, there is very little literature defining a minimum number needed to induce this effect and little to none on it for …

Breeding Record Of The Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes Monachus (Timminek, 1823) At Emi Abumo Woro, Kogi State, Nigeria, K. L. Adang, D. Tanko, K. L. Saliu, Umarfarooq Abdulwahab

Watershed Sciences Student Research

The hooded vulture Necrosyrtes monachus is a critically endangered species and recently published evidence suggests that its population is experiencing an extremely rapid decline, owing to indiscriminate poisoning, trade for traditional medicine, hunting, persecution, electrocution, habitat loss and degradation. As a result of these threats, the species is gradually disappearing from its range and thus, the sighting of vultures or their nests is becoming very rare. This paper thus, presents a report on the sighting of the Hooded Vulture and its nest at Emi Abumo Woro Village, Kogi State, Nigeria. This is an evident and equally an indication that Emi …

Emerging Themes From The Esa Symposium Entitled “Pollinator Nutrition: Lessons From Bees At Individual To Landscape Levels”, Vanessa Corby-Harris, Julia H. Bowsher, Morgan Carr-Markell, Mark J. Carroll, Mary Centrella, Steven C. Cook, Margaret Couvillon, Gloria Degrandi-Hoffman, Adam Dolezal, Julia C. Jones, Christina L. Mogren, Clint R. V. Otto, Pierre Lau, Juliana Rangel, Roger Schürch, Ashley St. Clair

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Pollinator populations are declining (Biesmeijer et al., 2006; Brodschneider et al., 2018; Cameron et al., 2011; Goulson, Lye, & Darvill, 2008; Kulhanek et al., 2017; National Research Council, 2007; Oldroyd, 2007), and both anecdotal and experimental evidence suggest that limited access to high quality forage might play a role (Carvell, Meek, Pywell, Goulson, & Nowakowski, 2007; Deepa et al., 2017; Goulson, Nicholls, Botias, & Rotheray, 2015; Potts et al., 2003, 2010; Vanbergen & The Insect Pollinators Initiative, 2013; Vaudo, Tooker, Grozinger, & Patch, 2015; Woodard, 2017). Multiple researchers are earnestly addressing this topic in a diverse array of insect-pollinator systems. …

Effects Of Land Use On Greenhouse Gas Flux In Playa Wetlands And Associated Watersheds In The High Plains, Usa, Dale W. Daniel, Loren M. Smith, Scott T. Mcmurry, Brian A. Tangen, Charles F. Dahl, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Ted Lagrange

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

In the High Plains, U.S., native prairie conversion to cropland agriculture has resulted in a loss of service delivery capabilities from most depressional wet-lands as a result of sedimentation. Restoring historic hydrological conditions to affected wetlands may rejuvenate some services, however, there may be tradeoffs due to emissions of CH4 and N2O. We evaluated the influence of two predominant conservation programs (Wetlands Reserve Program, WRP and Conservation Reserve Program, CRP) on gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O) from 42 playas and uplands in the High Plains of Nebraska. Because playa restoration through the WRP is most prevalent in the Rainwater Basin …

Climatic Variables Are Strong Predictors Of Allonursing And Communal Nesting In Primates, Alexandra Louppova

Theses and Dissertations

Allomaternal care (AMC) is widespread throughout the primate order, previous studies have focused on benefits and costs to individuals. However, our understanding of environmental impacts on AMC behaviors in primates is still limited. Our study examines how ecology and environmental factors can predict certain AMC behaviors more than others.

Dolphins In Space: Quantifying The Relative Positions Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Megan S. Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are socially sophisticated mammals with high fission-fusion dynamics and complex communication. The relative positioning of individual dolphins as they swim within their social group may aid in the expression of social roles. This study sought to quantify relative positioning in a small social group of female bottlenose dolphins at the National Aquarium in Baltimore that included two mother-daughter pairs, maternal and paternal half-sisters, a half-aunt and niece, and one unrelated female. We devised a method for scoring relative positioning in three dimensions. We found that the two mothers and their juvenile and adult daughters …

Modeling Effects Of Crop Production, Energy Development And Conservation-Grassland Loss On Avian Habitat, Jiill A. Shaffer, Cali L. Roth, David M. Mushet

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Birds are essential components of most ecosystems and provide many services valued by society. However, many populations have undergone striking declines as their habitats have been lost or degraded by human activities. Terrestrial grasslands are vital habitat for birds in the North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), but grassland conversion and fragmentation from agriculture and energy-production activities have destroyed or degraded millions of hectares. Conservation grasslands can provide alternate habitat. In the United States, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the largest program maintaining conservation grasslands on agricultural lands, but conservation grasslands in the PPR have declined by over 1 …

Whooping Crane Use Of Riverine Stopover Sites, David M. Baasch, Patrick D. Farrell, Shay Howlin, Aaron T. Pearse, Jason M. Farnsworth, Chadwin B. Smith

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Migratory birds like endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) require suitable nocturnal roost sites during twice annual migrations. Whooping cranes primarily roost in shallow surface water wetlands, ponds, and rivers. All these features have been greatly impacted by human activities, which present threats to the continued recovery of the species. A portion of one such river, the central Platte River, has been identified as critical habitat for the survival of the endangered whooping crane. Management intervention is now underway to rehabilitate habitat form and function on the central Platte River to increase use and thereby contribute to the survival of whooping …

Bull Trout (Salvelinus Confluentus) Can Detect Conspecific Pheromones In A Two Choice Y-Maze, Hannah M. Coles, Allan T. Scholz, Raymond Ostlie, Paul Spruell, Mark Paluch, Jason Connor

2019 Symposium

Two stocks of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) were tested in a two choice Y-maze to determine if they could detect pheromones from the same natal population (population specific pheromones PSP) or from a different (conspecific) population of Bull Trout (CSP). Fish from the Pack River (PR), Idaho and the Metolius River (MR), Oregon were transferred to a fish hatchery where Y-maze studies were conducted. The Y-maze was constructed to supply well water at 12°C (blank) to both arms with the temperature and discharge of each arm matched to within 0.1°C and 0.01 l/s. One arm was randomly selected …