Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Habitat Selection By American Beaverat Multiple Spatial Scales, Guiming Wang, Lance F. Mcclintic, Jimmy D. Taylor

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Semiaquatic mammals require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, particularly interfaces between the two habitats. As ecosystem engineers, American beaver (Castor canadensis) consume and fell a great amount of deciduous trees. We tested the prediction that open water and amounts of food resources, including hardwood forests (i.e., deciduous trees as the dominant form of vegetation), herbaceous and woody wetlands, and shrubs, would influence the second-order habitat selection (i.e., placing home ranges on the landscape) by American beaver, whereas the third-order habitat selection of American beaver would be associated with woody wetland and shrub edges. We investigated hierarchical habitat selection by …

Epidemic Growth Rates And Host Movement Patterns Shape Management Performance For Pathogen Spillover At The Wildlife–Livestock Interface, Kezia R. Manlove, Laura M. Sampson, Benny Borremans, E. Frances Cassirer, Ryan S. Miller, Kim M. Pepin, Thomas E. Besser, Paul C. Cross

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Managing pathogen spillover at the wildlife–livestock interface is a key step towards improving global animal health, food security and wildlife conservation. However, predicting the effectiveness of management actions across host–pathogen systems with different life histories is an on-going challenge since data on intervention effectiveness are expensive to collect and results are system-specific.We developed a simulation model to explore how the efficacies of different management strategies vary according to host movement patterns and epidemic growth rates. The model suggested that fast-growing, fast-moving epidemics like avian influenza were best-managed with actions like biosecurity or containment, which limited and localized overall spillover risk. …

Young Germ Cell Depleted Ovaries In Post-Reproductive Mice And Its Effects On Immune Function, Mckenna Walters

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

It has previously been shown that young, cycling ovarian transplantation in aged female mice increased the general health and life span in regard to their post-reproductive health. It has further been hypothesized that this enhancement of health is directly influenced by the ovarian somatic cells. To address this hypothesis, transplants of young germ cell depleted and germ cell containing ovaries were performed on female mice. The purpose of this study is to continue to discern the reproductive influence on aging health, specifically in the area of immunological well-being. Control group mice were separated by age and treatment mice were subsequently …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Single-Stranded Dna Aptamer-Based Immunological Adjuvant In Broiler Chickens, Adil Sabr Al-Ogaili

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mineral oils and metal salts are commonly used as adjuvants to enhance acquired immunity. Recently, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and recombinant peptides agonist CD40 receptor have shown remarkable promise for induction of rapid and robust immune responses. Limitations of this approach MAb production costs and multiple administrations due to anti-MAb immune responses. Here we demonstrate the development of a unique and sophisticated DNA aptamer-based alternative for CD40-directed delivery of universal antigens as an alternative in chickens, and potentially other vertebrate species. This receptor, expressed by antigen-presenting cells, acts as a costimulatory molecule for activated T helper lymphocytes. After initially selecting for …

Board Invited Review: Prospects For Improving Management Of Animal Disease Introductions Using Disease-Dynamic Models, Ryan S. Miller, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Management and policy decisions are continually made to mitigate disease introductions in animal populations despite often limited surveillance data or knowledge of disease transmission processes. Science-based management is broadly recognized as leading to more effective decisions yet application of models to actively guide disease surveillance and mitigate risks remains limited. Disease-dynamic models are an efficient method of providing information for management decisions because of their ability to integrate and evaluate multiple, complex processes simultaneously while accounting for uncertainty common in animal diseases. Here we review disease introduction pathways and transmission processes crucial for informing disease management and models at the …

The One Health Approach To Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, And Prevention Strategies, A. Alonso Aguirre, Travis Longcore, Michelle Barbieri, Haydee Dabritz, Dolores Hill, Patrice N. Klein, Christopher Lepczyk, Emily L. Lilly, Rima Mcleod, Judith Milcarsky, Caroline E. Murphy, Chunlei Su, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Robert Yolken, Grant C. Sizemore

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

One Health is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort that seeks optimal health for people, animals, plants, and the environment. Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an intracellular protozoan infection distributed worldwide, with a heteroxenous life cycle that practically affects all homeotherms and in which felines act as definitive reservoirs. Herein, we review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts in humans, domestic animals, wildlife both terrestrial and aquatic, and ecosystems. The epidemiology, prevention, and control strategies are reviewed, with the objective of facilitating awareness of this disease and promoting transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, and capacity building among universities, …

Transposon Mutagenesis In Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis, John P. Bannantine, Denise K. Zinniel, Raul G. Barletta

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

While transposon mutagenesis has been developed for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), relatively few laboratories have adopted this important genetic tool to examine gene function and essentiality. Here we describe the construction of a Map transposon library using the Himar1 mariner transposon, but concepts can also be applied to the Tn5367 transposon, which has also been used by our group. Delivery of the transposon is by a temperature-sensitive phagemid, ϕMycoMarT7, and plating transductants requires patience and specialized media due to length of incubation required to observe colonies. Several transposon mutants obtained from these libraries have been tested in vaccine and …

Environmental Transmission Of Toxoplasma Gondii: Oocysts In Water, Soil And Food, Karen Shapiro, Lillian Bahia-Oliveira, Brent Dixon, Aurélien Dumètre, Luz A. De Wit, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Isabelle Villena

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that can cause morbidity and mortality in humans, domestic animals, and terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The environmentally robust oocyst stage of T. gondii is fundamentally critical to the parasite's success, both in terms of its worldwide distribution as well as the extensive range of infected intermediate hosts. Despite the limited definitive host species (domestic and wild felids), infections have been reported on every continent, and in terrestrial as well as aquatic environments. The remarkable resistance of the oocyst wall enables dissemination of T. gondii through watersheds and ecosystems, and long-term persistence in diverse …

Improving Risk Assessment Of The Emergence Of Novel Influenza A Viruses By Incorporating Environmental Surveillance, Kim M. Pepin, Matthew W. Hopken, Susan A. Shriner, Erica Spackman, Zaid Abdo, Colin Parrish, Steven Steven, James O. Lloyd-Smith, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reassortment is an evolutionary mechanism by which influenza A viruses (IAV) generate genetic novelty. Reassortment is an important driver of host jumps and is widespread according to retrospective surveillance studies.However, predicting the epidemiological risk of reassortant emergence in novel hosts from surveillance data remains challenging. IAV strains persist and cooccur in the environment, promoting co-infection during environmental transmission. These conditions offer opportunity to understand reassortant emergence in reservoir and spillover hosts. Specifically, environmental RNA could provide rich information for understanding the evolutionary ecology of segmented viruses, and transform our ability to quantify epidemiological risk to spillover hosts. However, significant challenges …

Individual-Level Antibody Dynamics Reveal Potential Drivers Of Influenza A Seasonality In Wild Pig Populations, Kim M. Pepin, Kerri Pedersen, Xiu-Feng Wan, Fred L. Cunningham, Colleen T. Webb, Mark Q. Wilber

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Swine are important in the ecology of influenza A virus (IAV) globally. Understanding the ecological role of wild pigs in IAV ecology has been limited because surveillance in wild pigs is often for antibodies (serosurveillance) rather than IAVs, as in humans and domestic swine. As IAV antibodies can persist long after an infection, serosurveillance data are not necessarily indicative of current infection risk. However, antibody responses to IAV infections cause a predictable antibody response, thus time of infection can be inferred from antibody levels in serological samples, enabling identification of risk factors of infection at estimated times of infection. Recent …

Rumen Microbial Culture Library And In Vitro Analysis Of Selected Bacterial Species On Colonization Resistance Against Bovine Enteric Pathogens, Maria Antony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The anaerobic habitat of the four chambers in ruminant’s foregut plays a vital role in the fermentation of the food by the active involvement of the residing microbial community. The cultivability and the potential role of rumen bacteria in the field of livestock production, host health and immunity are important to study. The developed anaerobic culturing techniques enable us to culture and screen different rumen bacteria to study the anti-pathogenic effects. Whole genome sequencing and analysis help us to understand the genome level characteristics of the rumen bacterial species individually. Since the majority of the rumen biosphere is still not …

Novel Amphiphilic Cyclobutene And Cyclobutane Cis-C18 Fatty Acid Derivatives Inhibit Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Growth, Denise K. Zinniel, Wantanee Sittiwong, Darrell D. Marshall, Govardhan Rathnaiah, Isin T. Sakallioglu, Robert Powers, Patrick H. Dussault, Raul G. Barletta

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) is the etiologic agent of Johne’s disease in ruminants and has been associated with Crohn’s disease in humans. An effective control of Map by either vaccines or chemoprophylaxis is a paramount need for veterinary and possibly human medicine. Given the importance of fatty acids in the biosynthesis of mycolic acids and the mycobacterial cell wall, we tested novel amphiphilic C₁₀ and C₁₈ cyclobutene and cyclobutane fatty acid derivatives for Map inhibition. Microdilution minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) with 5 or 7 week endpoints were measured in Middlebrook 7H9 base broth media. We compared the …

Investigation Of Congestive Heart Failure In Beef Cattle In A Feedyard At A Moderate Altitude In Western Nebraska, Rodney A. Moxley, David R. Smith, Dale M. Grotelueschen, Tom Edwards, David Steffen

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Right-sided congestive heart failure (brisket disease) commonly occurs in cattle raised at elevations >2,500– 3,500 m. We investigated clinical cases resembling brisket disease at a western Nebraska feedyard at a moderate altitude (1,369 m). Over a 15-mo period (2009–2010), we examined 17 cases (16 steers and 1 heifer), all purebred Angus. All animals had clinical right-sided heart failure: brisket and ventral abdominal edema, and severe chronic passive congestion of the liver. Gross examination confirmed right ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricle plus septum: right ventricle weight ratio mean: 1.33 vs. 2.8–4.0 reference interval). Microscopically, all 17 cases had interstitial fibrosis (mean score: …

Bovine Cellular And Innate Immune Response To Hemostatic Polysaccharides, Brian Kobylkevich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic wounds are longstanding dermal wounds that do not heal in a normal amount of time and can commonly last for over a year. These wounds plague humans and farm animals alike. Wounds are characterized by chronic inflammation and are often painful, difficult to heal, have a high recurrence rate, and are potentially debilitating. Long term wounds that do not fully heal are distressing for both humans and animals, but understandably more resources have been directed towards humans. Some treatment options for humans may be suitable for adaptation into the field of animal care. Chronic lesions such as bovine digital …

Effects Of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction And Prascend® Treatment On Endocrine And Immune Function In Senior Horses, Ashton B. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is one of the most common endocrine diseases affecting senior horses. PPID causes abnormally high concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the plasma and a very distinct, long, shaggy haircoat (hypertrichosis). At present, the recommended treatment for PPID is daily oral administration of pergolide mesylate. Due to the increased ACTH levels associated with PPID, it is commonly thought that these horses are immunosuppressed and at increased risk of opportunistic infections, although current research in this area is sparse. Additionally, it is not well-understood how treatment with Prascend^® (pergolide tablets) affects endocrine measures other than …

Evaluations Of Health In Sympatric Free-Ranging Saguinus Imperator And Leontocebus Weddelli Using Neopterin, Urinalysis, And Blood Chemistry Analyses, Alexandra J. Sacco

All Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of one journal-ready article and one chapter that includes a preliminary interpretation of data for later publication. In summary, this thesis proposes the use of three different methods of evaluating the health status of New World Monkeys: urinary neopterin measurement, blood chemistry analyses, and urinalysis. Chapter II addresses the question of whether or not the neopterin molecule, a biomarker for cell-mediated immune system activation, is conserved across primate taxa. To do so, we collected urine samples across three New World Monkey (NWM) families including captive Leontopithecus rosalia and Pithecia pithecia, and wild populations of Leontocebus …

Pancreas Of Coxsackievirus-Infected Dams And Their Challenged Pups: A Complex Issue, Sona Sarmirova, Maria Borsanyiova, Brigita Benkoova, Michaela Pospisilova, Rajkumar Rajasekaran, Katarina Berakova, Pavol Gomolcak, Jay Reddy, Shubhada Bopegamage

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Enteroviral infections are frequent, often asymptomatic in humans and during gravidity. The present study is an extension of our previous investigations where we had shown pancreatitis in challenged pups of CVB4-E2-infected dams. Present investigation describes the effect of gestational infection with this virus on the pancreas of both dams and their challenged pups. Gravid CD1 outbred mice were orally infected with CVB4-E2 virus at different gestation times. Pups were challenged orally with the same virus after 25 days of birth. Organs were collected at selected intervals postinfection (p.i.), and replicating virus and viral-RNA copies were analyzed. Additional readouts included histopathology …

The Role Of Isothiocyanates As Cancer Chemo‐Preventive, Chemo‐Therapeutic And Anti‐Melanoma Agents, Melina Mitsiogianni, Georgios Koutsidis, Nikos Mavroudis, Dimitrios T. Trafalis, Sotiris Botaitis, Rodrigo Franco, Vasilis Zoumpourlis, Tom Amery, Alex Galanis, Aglaia Pappa, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Many studies have shown evidence in support of the beneficial effects of phytochemicals in preventing chronic diseases, including cancer. Among such phytochemicals, sulphur‐containing compounds (e.g., isothiocyanates (ITCs)) have raised scientific interest by exerting unique chemopreventive properties against cancer pathogenesis. ITCs are the major biologically active compounds capable of mediating the anticancer effect of cruciferous vegetables. Recently, many studies have shown that a higher intake of cruciferous vegetables is associated with reduced risk of developing various forms of cancers primarily due to a plurality of effects, including (i) metabolic activation and detoxification, (ii) inflammation, (iii) angiogenesis, (iv) metastasis and (v) regulation …

Taking The Bait: Species Taking Oral Rabies Vaccine Baits Intended For Raccoons, Betsy S. Haley, Are R. Berentsen, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoon rabies in eastern USA is managed by strategically distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. The attractiveness, palativity, density, and non-target species bait take affect ORV effectiveness. We examined raccoon and non-target species differences in investigating/removing fish-meal polymer and coated sachet baits applied to simulate two aerial bait distribution densities. Bait densities of 150 baits/km2 and 75 baits/km2 were evaluated, respectively, in zones expected to have high and low

Racc oon densities. Three primary non-target species visited baits: coyotes, white-tailed deer, and feral swine. The proportion of bait stations visited by raccoons during 1 week observation periods ranged from 50 …

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Bird Harassment On Fish Ponds, Ciera A. Rhoades, Peter J. Allen, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The effects of aquaculture decline on piscivorous birds in the Mississippi Delta concern catfish farmers, with possible increases in fish loss and disease transmission. Piscivorous birds quickly habituate to most current methods of harassment (loud noises and visual disturbances) leading to increased depredation and disease. Our study was designed to test the efficacy of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to effectively control piscivorous birds at fish farms. We hypothesized that a UAV would be more efficient at reducing the number of fish-eating birds on fish ponds than current forms of harassment. We conducted pre-treatment bird surveys, harassment observations, and post-treatment …

Viral Emergence In Marine Mammals In The North Pacific May Be Linked To Arctic Sea Ice Reduction, Elizabeth Vanwormer, J. A.K. Mazet, A. Hall, V. A. Gill, P. L. Boveng, J. M. London, T. Gelatt, B. S. Fadely, M. E. Lander, J. Sterling, V. N. Burkanov, R. R. Ream, P. M. Brock, L. D. Rea, B. R. Smith, A. Jeffers, M. Henstock, M. J. Rehberg, K. A. Burek-Huntington, S. L. Crosby, J. A, Hammond, T. Goldstein

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Climate change-driven alterations in Arctic environments can influence habitat availability, species distributions and interactions, and the breeding, foraging, and health of marine mammals. Phocine distemper virus (PDV), which has caused extensive mortality in Atlantic seals, was confirmed in sea otters in the North Pacific Ocean in 2004, raising the question of whether reductions in sea ice could increase contact between Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals and lead to viral transmission across the Arctic Ocean. Using data on PDV exposure and infection and animal movement in sympatric seal, sea lion, and sea otter species sampled in the North Pacific Ocean from …

Ehdv-2 Infection Prevalence Varies In Culicoides Sonorensis After Feeding On Infected White-Tailed Deer Over The Course Of Viremia, Sandra Y. Mendiola, Mary K. Mills, Elin Maki, Barbara S. Drolet, William C. Wilson, Roy D. Berghaus, David E. Stallknecht, Jonathan Breitenbach, D. Scott Mcvey, Mark G. Ruder

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses (EHDVs) are arboviral pathogens of white-tailed deer and other wild and domestic ruminants in North America. Transmitted by various species of Culicoides, EHDVs circulate wherever competent vectors and susceptible ruminant host populations co-exist. The impact of variation in the level and duration of EHDV viremia in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Culicoides infection prevalence is not well characterized. Here we examined how infection prevalence in a confirmed North American vector of EHDV-2 (Culicoides sonorensis) varies in response to fluctuations in deer viremia. To accomplish this, five white-tailed deer were experimentally infected with EHDV-2 and colonized C. …

A Bioeconomic Model For The Optimization Of Local Canine Rabies Control, Aaron Anderson, Johann Kotze, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Brody Hatch, Chris Slootmaker, Anne Conan, Darryn Knobel, Louis H. Nel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We present a new modeling tool that can be used to maximize the impact of canine rabies management resources that are available at the local level. The model is accessible through a web-based interface that allows for flexibility in the management strategies that can be investigated. Rabies vaccination, sterilization, chemo-contraception, and euthanasia can be specified and limited to specific demographic groups. Additionally, we allowed for considerable complexity in the specification of management costs. In many areas, the costs of contacting additional dogs increases as management effort increases, and this can have important strategic implications. We illustrated the application of the …

Black Bear Use Of Forest Roads In Western Washington, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Radiolocations (108) of 20 black bears were used to assess use or avoidance of 3 forest road types in western Washington. Distances of bears to each type of road were compared to distances of 108 random points using t-tests. Females and males avoided 2-lane roads, while only males avoided 1-lane roads, the most common road type in the area. Females, but not males, were located closer to overgrown, spur roads than expected. This road type has substantial cover of grasses, forbs, and berry-producing shrubs along with protective tree cover. This situation may provide easy travel for females along with security …

No Detection Of Brodifacoum Residues In The Marine And Terrestrial Food Web Three Years After Rat Eradication At Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific, A. Wegmann, G. Howald, S. Kropidlowski, N. Holmes, A.B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive alien species represent one of the greatest threats to native plants and animals on islands. Rats (Rattus spp.) have invaded most of the world’s oceanic islands, causing lasting or irreversible damage to ecosystems and biodiversity. To counter this threat, techniques to eradicate invasive rats from islands have been developed and applied across the globe. Eradication of alien rats from large or complex island ecosystems has only been successful with the use of bait containing a rodenticide. While effective at eradicating rats from islands, rodenticide can persist in the ecosystem longer than the time required to eradicate the target rat …

Home Range And Habitat Use Of West Virginia Canis Latrans (Coyote), Lauren M. Mastro, Dana J. Morin, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Canis latrans (Coyote) has undergone a range expansion in the United States over the last century. As a highly opportunistic species, its home range and habitat use changes with ecological context. Coyotes were first reported in West Virginia in 1950 but were not commonly observed until the 1990s, and there is scant information on Coyotes in the region. We used telemetry data from 8 radiocollared Coyotes in West Virginia to estimate home-range size and third-order habitat selection. Home-range areas (95% utilization distributions; UDs) varied from 5.22 to 27.79 km2 (mean = 12.48 ± 2.61 km2), with highly concentrated use of …

Carrion Availability In Space And Time, Marcos Moleón, Nuria Selva, David M. Bailey, David M. Bailey, Ainara Cortés-Avizanda, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduction

Availability of carrion to scavengers is a central issue in carrion ecology and management, and is crucial for understanding the evolution of scavenging behaviour. Compared to live animals, their carcasses are relatively unpredictable in space and time in natural conditions, with a few exceptions (see below, especially Sect. “Carrion Exchange at the Terrestrial-Aquatic Interface”). Carrion is also an ephemeral food resource due to the action of a plethora of consumers, from microorganisms to large vertebrates, as well as to desiccation (i.e., loss of water content; DeVault et al. 2003; Beasley et al. 2012; Barton et al. 2013; Moleón et …

Ecological Functions Of Vertebrate Scavenging, James C. Beasley, Zachary H. Olson, Nuria Selva, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduction

The role of vertebrate scavenging in food web dynamics has historically been minimalized and portrayed as the activity of a select group of obligate scavengers (e.g., vultures), with a simplistic linkage between carrion and detritivores in food webs. Research in the last few decades, however, has revealed that the role of carrion in food web dynamics is severely underestimated, highly complex, and pervasive among ecosystems across the globe (DeVault et al. 2003; Selva and Fortuna 2007; Wilson and Wolkovich 2011). Such observations have led to a surge in research interest in scavenging ecology that continues to reveal new information …

Locally Fixed Alleles: A Method To Localize Gene Drive To Island Populations, Jaye Sudweeks, Brandon Hollingsworth, Dimitri V. Blondel, Karl J. Campbell, Sumit Dhole, John D. Eisemann, Owain Edwards, John Godwin, Gregg R. Howald, Kevin P. Oh, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Thomas A.A. Prowse, Joshua V. Ross, J. Royden Saah, Aaron B. Shiels, Paul Q. Thomas, David W. Threadgill, Michael R. Vella, Fred Gould, Alun L. Lloyd

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity on islands. While successes have been achieved using traditional removal methods, such as toxicants aimed at rodents, these approaches have limitations and various off-target effects on island ecosystems. Gene drive technologies designed to eliminate a population provide an alternative approach, but the potential for drive-bearing individuals to escape from the target release area and impact populations elsewhere is a major concern. Here we propose the “Locally Fixed Alleles” approach as a novel means for localizing elimination by a drive to an island population that exhibits significant genetic isolation from neighboring populations. Our …

Comparing Live-Capture Methods For Nutria: Single- Versus Multiple-Capture Cage Traps, Trevor R. Sheffels, Mark D. Sytsma, Jacoby Carter, Jimmy D. Taylor

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Herbivory and burrowing by nutria (Myocastor coypus) cause substantial ecological and economic damage. Trapping is a common, effective practice for reducing nutria damage; however, trapping approaches must continually be adapted to keep pace with evolving animal welfare and ethical issues and to more effectively target pest species of interest. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 nonlethal trap types for nutria: single-capture (SCT) and multi-capture (MCT) cage traps. We established 3 MCTs and 3 SCTs at each of 7 sites on a 10,500-ha mixed-use island located 15 km northwest of Portland, Oregon, USA. We pre-baited using carrots, apples, …