Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Resolutions Passed By The North American Crane Working Group, Tenth North American Crane Workshop Zacatecas City, Zacatecas, Mexico, North American Crane Working Group

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Florida Crane habitat resolution
Florida has the largest population of non-migratory sandhill cranes in the world and winters a significant portion of the eastern population of greater sandhill cranes. And in Florida, efforts are underway to introduce migratory and non-migratory whooping cranes. In order to successfully establish and sustain these populations, appropriate habitat needs to be available. About 40% of Florida’s best crane habitat has been lost between 1973 and 2003, and the amount has increased since then. Because of this, these valuable populations of cranes are finding it more difficult to locate suitable habitat. We the NACWG by this …

Use Of Palm Trees As A Sleeping Site By Hamadryas Baboons In Ethiopia, Amy Schreier, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Hamadryas baboons sleep on cliffs throughout their range, and this can be attributed to the safety cliffs provide against predators in the absence of tall trees. In this paper, we report the first documented occurrence of hamadryas baboons sleeping in doum palm trees rather than on cliffs. Data derive from a study of hamadryas baboons at the Filoha site in lowland Ethiopia. During all-day follows, data were collected on travel patterns, band activity, and location. Variation in the baboons’ home range was characterized using vegetation transects. We discovered that one band in this population, Band 3, occasionally slept in doum …

Demographic Effects Of Canine Parvovirus On A Free-Ranging Wolf Population Over 30 Years, L. David Mech, Sagar M. Goyal, William J. Paul, Wesley E. Newton

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

We followed the course of canine parvovirus (CPV) antibody prevalence in a subpopulation of wolves (Canis lupus) in northeastern Minnesota from 1973, when antibodies were first detected, through 2004. Annual early pup survival was reduced by 70%, and wolf population change was related to CPV antibody prevalence. In the greater Minnesota population of 3,000 wolves, pup survival was reduced by 40–60%. This reduction limited the Minnesota wolf population rate of increase to about 4% per year compared with increases of 16–58% in other populations. Because it is young wolves that disperse, reduced pup survival may have caused reduced …

Weight Changes In Wild Wolves, Canis Lupus, From Ages 2 To 24 Months, L. David Mech

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

Weights of 118 female and 141 male Minnesota Wolves (Canis lupus) aged 2-24 months increased almost linearly from about 8 kg for females and 10 kg for males at 3 months to 30 kg for females and 32 kg for males at 10-12 months and then tended to increase much more slowly in an overall curvilinear trend. Considerable variation was apparent for both sexes during their first year.

Spatial And Temporal Differences In Giant Kidney Worm, Dictophyma Renale, Prevalence In Minnesota Mink, Mustela Vison, L. David Mech

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

Examination of 110 Mink (Mustela vison) carcasses from 1998 through 2007 indicated that the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale, occurred in Pine and Kanabec Counties of eastern Minnesota with annual prevalences of 0-92%. Worm prevalence increased from 20% in 1999 to 92% in 2001 and decreased to 6% in 2005. During 2000 to 2007, no worms were found in Mink from Anoka and Chisago Counties (n = 54), and in 2000, none in 107 Mink from LeSeur, Freeborn, Redwood, Brown and Watonwan Counties. Changes in kidney worm prevalence were positively related to trapping success, considered an index …

Wolf Body Mass Cline Across Minnesota Related To Taxonomy?, L. David Mech, William J. Paul

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

Recent genetic studies suggest that in northern Minnesota two species of wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758 or western wolf and Canis lycaon Schreber, 1775 (= Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) or eastern wolf) meet and hybridize. However, little morphological information is available about these two types of wolves in Minnesota. We analyzed the mass of 950 female wolves and 1006 males older than 1 year from across northern Minnesota and found that it increased from 26.30 ± 0.56 kg (mean ± SE) for females and 30.60 ± 0.72 kg for males in northeastern Minnesota to 30.01 ± 0.43 …

Seasonal Variation In Diet Of The Cotton Rat (Sigmodon Hispidus) Based On Fecal Analysis, Lynn A. Walker

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, live in oldfields, habitats with a variety of mostly herbaceous plants. Based on other studies, the hispid cotton rat eats predominantly grasses, but grasses rarely are the only food. Fecal samples were collected each month during an ongoing capture-mark-release demographic study of the rodent community at a location in southern Chesapeake, Virginia. In the lab, five fecal pellets per animal were stained, placed on a microscope slide, and covered with starch-gel medium and coverslip. Then a clear nail polish was applied to produce a semi-permanent slide. Using a microscope and a set of reference slides, plant …

Behavioral Enhancement Of Onshore Transport By Postlarval Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus), Jason Seth Goldstein

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The onshore transport of meroplanktonic marine larvae or postlarvae is often complex, involving both active (i.e., behavior, swimming) and passive (i.e., oceanographic elements) transport mechanisms. Behaviors that modify passive transport have presumably evolved to situate larvae in settlement habitats where survival is enhanced. Active transport mechanisms have not been described for the puerulus postlarvae of any species of spiny lobster, despite their extraordinary mobility and known preference for specific settlement habitats. In the Florida Keys, for example, Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) pueruli travel from oceanic waters into coastal areas where they settle within bushy, red macroalgae. I …

Determining Winter Flounder Spawning Sites In Two Connecticut Estuaries, Eric T. Schultz, Jose J. Pereira, Peter J. Auster

EEB Articles

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) come inshore during the late winter and early spring to lay their eggs in shallow bays and estuaries along the coast. Unlike most fish eggs, which are buoyant, these eggs are demersal and sink to the seafloor. This makes them vulnerable to burial from various types of natural and human caused disturbances (e.g., storms, mobile fishing gear, maintenance dredging). Our objective was to map spawning areas in two harbors and search for generalities among these sites that would allow us to predict where winter flounder might spawn in other areas. This would allow managers to avoid …

Using Dragonflies As Common, Flexible, And Charismatic Subjects For Teaching The Scientific Process, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Using Dragonflies As Common, Flexible, And Charismatic Subjects For Teaching The Scientific Process, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Male And Female Body Size On Mating Behavior Of Male Fairy Shrimp, Eubranchipus Neglectus, Craig Feigenbaum, Paul V. Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We studied size-related mating patterns in the freshwater fairy shrimp Eubranchipus neglectus in the laboratory. Males were provided with relatively small or large females that they could only sense by vision. We recorded the number of times a male pursued the female (“follows”), the duration of these follows, and the number of times a male attempted to grasp the female. Relatively large males performed more mating behavior than relatively small males. Furthermore, males (regardless of their own size) exhibited more mating behavior towards large than small females. They followed large females more frequently, attempted to grasp large females more often, …

The Effect Of Male And Female Body Size On Mating Behavior Of Male Fairy Shrimp, Eubranchipus Neglectus, Craig Feigenbaum, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We studied size-related mating patterns in the freshwater fairy shrimp Eubranchipus neglectus in the laboratory. Males were provided with relatively small or large females that they could only sense by vision. We recorded the number of times a male pursued the female (“follows”), the duration of these follows, and the number of times a male attempted to grasp the female. Relatively large males performed more mating behavior than relatively small males. Furthermore, males (regardless of their own size) exhibited more mating behavior towards large than small females. They followed large females more frequently, attempted to grasp large females more often, …

The Birth Of A Wild Ass (Equus Hemionus Khur) In India’S Little Rann Of Kutch, Gertrud Neumann-Denzau

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The birth of a wild ass was completely described and photographed in the wild for the first time. It happened in the daytime, in the open desert, and in the vicinity of other wild asses. The mother isolated her foal afterwards for an entire day. After birthing she drove away her male yearling, which did not join her any longer from this moment on.

Numbers, Distribution And Social Structure Of Kiang (Equus Kiang Moorcroft 1841) Population In The Southwestern Part Of Tibet, China, Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In September - October 1998 we made an extensive survey in southwest Tibet to study numbers, distribution and social structure of the kiang population in this remote part of its range. Kiangs were sighted between 29º 40’ and 32º 50’ N, and 81º- 86º E. They preferred broad flat valleys with lakes at an altitude from 4,000 up to 5,000 m. Small kiang groups and solitary animals were sighted in Transhimalaya. There were no kiangs in Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River valley, in the sand desert near Ali and in the Clay Mountains near Tsada. Seven old kiang corpses were found along …

Territorial Behaviour Of Kiang (Equus Kiang Moorcroft, 1841) In Ladakh (India), Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The observations of kiang behavior were made in Navokar Valley northeast of Tso Kar Lake (Ladakh, India) between July 30 and November 22, 2001. In the breeding season (end of July until the end of August) adult kiang males kept not overlapping, protected territories (about 10 km²), and marked by single defecation and urination marks. There were adult females with and without offspring on the territories (up to 12 animals, including the male). The distance between male and females on the territories was usually hundred times bigger, then a distance between stallion and his harem in horses. Females …

Possible Use Of Foresight, Understanding, And Planning By Wolves Hunting Muskoxen, L. David Mech

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

On Ellesmere Island in 2006, arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos) were observed making a two-pronged approach to a herd of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and, on another occasion, ambushing muskoxen. Both observations seemed to provide evidence that the wolves were using foresight, understanding, and planning. Although the possible use of insight and purposiveness has been documented in captive wolves, the present report is one of the few to document the possibility that freeranging wolves use these other three mental processes.

En 2006, sur l’île Ellesmere, des loups arctiques (Canis lupus arctos) ont été observés en …

Annual Arctic Wolf Pack Size Related To Arctic Hare Numbers, L. David Mech

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

During the summers of 2000 through 2006, I counted arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) pups and adults in a pack, arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) along a 9 km index route in the area, and muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) in a 250 km² part of the area near Eureka (80° N, 86° W), Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. Adult wolf numbers did not correlate with muskox numbers, but they were positively related (r² = 0.89; p < 0.01) to an arctic hare index. This is the first report relating wolf numbers to non-ungulate prey.

Pendant les étés 2000 à 2006, j’ai compté les jeunes loups arctiques et les adultes (Canis lupus arctos …

Predator Survival Tactics And Use Of Habitat Cover In Rana Catesbeiana., Tara E. Bergin

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

Predator-prey relationships are an important aspect of the natural world, and, because of its relevance to survival and natural selection, is an interesting relationship to study. In amphibian larvae, level of activity and landscape use are often what determines the survival as prey. I studied the anti-predator behavior of the North American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles when presented with dragonfly (Aeshna) larvae, a known predator of tadpoles. Tadpoles were acclimated to four different habitats with varying degrees of habitat cover, and were transferred to a new habitat with a degree of cover equal to one of the acclimation tanks. A …

Differential Habituation Of Male Betta Splendens To Qualitatively Different Stimuli, Lauren Baard

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

Habituation is a learning mechanism that functions to decrease the amount of energy and attention focused on a certain stimuli. Male Siamese Fighting Fish, Betta splendens, are territorial animals that defend their territories using a number of aggressive displays. Male Bettas have previously shown the ability to habituate to the presence of a conspecific male when visually exposed to each other. Due to the costly nature of many of the male Betta’s displays, I hypothesized that male Bettas should differentially habituate to qualitatively different stimuli. I presented each of three groups of male Betta splendens with a different stimulus, each …

Strategies Of Sex And Survival In Hamadryas Baboons: Through A Female Lens, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Leptodactylus Fragilis, Mirriiam Muedeking Heyer, W. Ronald Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Leptodactylus fragilis (Brocchi) White-lipped thin-toed frogs are characteristically defined according to their habitation and age. There is a diagnosis of different species group within Leptodactylus. It is furthermore described from different perspectives and discoveries such as its eggs and karyotype. The distribution of the frog is considered to be prominent occurring form Southernmost Teaxs throughout Mexico and Middle America expanding to Venezuela. The fossil fuel records and literature on Leptodactylus are slighly viewed before studying its nomenclatural history and rarity.

Perspectives On Reproduction And Life History In Baboons, Larissa Swedell, Steven R. Leigh

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Urine-Marking And Ground-Scratching By Free-Ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis Lupus Arctos, In Summer, L. David Mech

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

Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and scratching was greatest when non-pack wolves were present. Observations of urine-marking of food remains supported the conclusion from a captive Wolf study that such marking signals lack of edible food.

Use Of Wading Birds As Indicators Of Potential Whooping Crane Wintering Habitat, Dawn A. Sherry, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

A search for suitable wintering sites on which to establish another migratory population of whooping crane (Grus americana) has been conducted and will continue. In addition to an evaluation of food availability for whooping cranes, wading birds that overlap highly in patterns of habitat utilization with whooping cranes may be useful as indirect indicators of suitable whooping crane habitat. We determined the extent to which several species of wading birds overlap in patterns of habitat utilization with whooping cranes on their current wintering grounds. We conducted aerial surveys of whooping cranes and wading birds at Aransas and Matagorda …

Patterns Of Relationships Among Whooping Crane Fitness, Blue Crab Abundance, And Freshwater Inflows: An Exploratory Assessment Of Available Data Sets, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

This paper evaluates the possible relationships of whooping crane (Grus americana) fitness parameters to blue crab abundance and freshwater inflows based on independently gathered data sets from several agencies between 1978 and 1999. I ordered all possible analysis models into two separate types based primarily on implied relationships. The 1st order exploratory relationship models were those where evaluated parameters were potentially affected by freshwater inflows, such as salinity and blue crab abundance. The 2nd order exploratory relationship models evaluated parameters that could, more directly, have potential affects on whooping crane fitness parameters for which there was data available. Freshwater inflow …

Do Arctic-Nesting Geese Compete With Sandhill Cranes For Waste Corn In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska?, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt, Robert R. Cox Jr.

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Numbers of arctic-nesting geese staging in spring in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) of southcentral Nebraska increased dramatically from the 1970s to the 1990s, raising concerns that geese may be competing with the mid-continental population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) for waste corn. From late February to mid-April 1998-2001, we measured temporal patterns of cropland use, evaluated habitat preferences, and compared numbers of geese using the primary crane-occupied parts of the CPRV area with numbers of sandhill cranes. Numbers of Canada geese (Branta canadensis), lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens)/ Ross’ geese (Chen …

Greater Sandhill Crane: Research And Management In California Since 1978, Ronald W. Schlorff

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida) was added to the California list of threatened species in 1983, and the subspecies has been the subject of research and management actions instituted by the California Department of Fish and Game (hereafter Department). Since 1978, the Department has conducted research and recovery actions including periodic breeding ground and wintering area studies, population monitoring, participated in developing Pacific Flyway crane management plans, acquisition and management of key habitats on breeding and wintering grounds, and developed a draft greater sandhill crane recovery strategy. These tasks were accomplished with the assistance of crane …

Historical Notes On Whooping Cranes At White Lake, Louisiana: The John J. Lynch Interviews, 1947–1948, Gay M. Gomez, Roderick C. Drewien, Mary Lynch Courville

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In May 1939 biologist John J. Lynch of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey conducted an aerial survey that documented the existence of a non-migratory population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) near White Lake in southwest Louisiana. Lynch found 13 cranes, including 2 pre-fledged young, confirming breeding. Lynch’s survey occurred, in part, because fur trappers and alligator hunters working in the White Lake marshes had informed the biologist of the cranes’ presence and habits. Lynch continued his contacts with these knowledgeable marsh users, and in 1947 and 1948 interviewed at least 7 individuals. In 2001, M. L. Courville, …

Whooping Crane Titers To Eastern Equine Encephalitis Vaccinations, Glenn H. Olsen, Erin Kolski, Jeff S. Hatfield, Douglas E. Docherty

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1984 an epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus killed 7 of 39 (18%) whooping cranes in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, USA. Since that time whooping cranes have been vaccinated with a human EEE vaccine. This vaccine was unavailable for several years, necessitating use of an equine vaccine in the cranes. This study compared the antibody titers measured for three years using the human vaccine with those measured for two years using the equine form. Whooping cranes developed similarly elevated titers in one year using the human vaccine and both years using the …