Animal Studies Commons^™

Using Object-Choice Tasks To Investigate Sensory Perception In Sunda Pangolins (Manis Javanica), Joshua Dipaola

Theses and Dissertations

Pangolins are one of the most heavily poached, yet least understood mammals in the world. In this study, we used an object-choice task to assess the ecological relevance and use of sensory information in Sunda pangolin foraging behavior. This is the first controlled experiment on pangolin behavior to our knowledge.

The Maze Of Personality: Latency And Electric Organ Discharge In A Mormyrid Fish, Gnathonemus Petersii Gunther 1862 (Mormyridae, Teleostei), Abbey C. Lipe

Theses and Dissertations

Personality is individual differences in behavior, consistent across contexts. Among Gnathonemus petersii we investigated, we hypothesized that fish could be grouped by: (1) slow/fast maze performance, (2) low/high electric frequencies, (3) correlated latency and frequency. Our first two hypothesis were not supported. Our third hypothesis was partially supported.

Size Scaling In The Skull Of North American Felids As Adaptations For Prey Acquisition, Ashley Destin, Judd A. Case

2020 Symposium Posters

The purpose of this comparative study is to explore the correlation between skull morphology and prey acquisition among felids, mustelids (weasels, badgers, wolverines), and canids (wolves, foxes); with a focus on North American felids (house cat, lynx, puma). Previous studies have focused on the evolution of carnivores, which include the species to be examined in this study. Using the measurement methods laid out by Radinsky (1981a; 1984), the size of skull components are compared to overall body size to determine the rate of scaling of skull features with body size with statistical evaluations of skull measurements within and between the …

Something To Celebrate?: Demoting Dairy In Canada's National Food Guide, Maneesha Deckha

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In early 2019, the Canadian Government released the much-anticipated new Canada Food Guide. It is a food guide that de-emphasizes dairy products and promotes plant-based eating. Notably, in the new version, milk and milk products are de-listed as one of the previously four essential food groups. On the surface, it seems that the federal government is promoting veganism and helping to bring about a friendlier future for animals and humans harmed by being producers and consumers of dairy, as the new Guide may seriously contract the currently robust Canadian dairy industry and its powerful lobby. On closer inspection, the messaging …

The Efficacy Of Extended-Release Eprinomectin For The Reduction Of Horn Flies, Face Flies, And Fecal Egg Counts Of Parasitic Nematodes In Replacement Beef Heifers, Sophia F. Landers

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of extended-release eprinomectin against horn flies, face flies, and fecal egg counts of parasitic nematodes in crossbreed replacement beef heifers. Fifty-four heifers were randomly placed into three treatment groups (N=18 heifers/treatment). Group 1 was administered the labeled dosage of extended-release eprinomectin on day 0. Group 2 acted as the negative control. Group 3 received the anthelmintic injection once a quarter of the heifers in the group reached the threshold treatment level for horn flies (N=200 flies/animal; day 41). Nematode infections were measured via fecal egg counts while horn and face …

Usu Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies Facilities Designed Master Plan, Lindsie C. Smith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) is recognized as a therapeutic approach for persons with disabilities. The USU Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department provides EAAT instruction and services; however, they do not have the appropriate facilities to model best-practices in the delivery of these services. This design research entailed the development of a phased masterplan to support the instruction and delivery of equine-assisted activities and therapies in an innovative and accessible environment that supports animal-assisted intervention and natural equine behaviors.

The methodology used to approach the master plan design was derived from Norman K. Booth’s (1990) design process, as described …

Gardner's "Friends Like Henry: Everything Your Family Needs To Know About Finding, Training And Learning From An Autism Companion Dog" (Book Review), Xin "Lucy" Bai

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Development Of Arkansas Net Energy Equation, Katie Hilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The modern broiler is growing at a rapid rate generating tremendous amounts of heat. A sensitive Net Energy (NE) system is needed to measure body heat production (HP) generated primarily by daily maintenance and synthesis and degradation of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein. The first two chapters present evaluation of the classic way to calculate NE versus a new methodology; the Arkansas NE (Ark NE) system, with birds from two genetic lines fed diets with different AA content or different ME content in two different environmental temperatures.

Utilizing together the Net Energy maintenance (NEm), determined from indirect calorimetry, and Net Energy …

Lesioning Of The Nucleus Of The Hippocampal Commissure Followed By Food Deprivation Stress In Birds Demonstrates Simultaneous Involvement In Both The Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis And The Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis, Michael Thomas Kidd Jr.

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the regulatory system for the neuroendocrine stress response within vertebrates. Within the HPA axis corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is a major regulator and driving hormone. A structure named the nucleus of the hippocampal commissure (NHpC) has been found to contain CRH neurons and also these neurons respond to early food deprivation stress significantly prior to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the major driving nucleus of the classic neuroendocrine HPA axis. The objective of this study was to perform a knock down of the NHpC via electrolytic lesioning, thus eliminating a significant portion of its population of …

Effects Of Lasalocid And Energy Supplementation On Forage Intake, Energy Metabolism, And Performance Of Cattle Grazing Wheat Pasture, Autumn Tayler Pickett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cattle grazing wheat pasture have the potential to gain BW exceptionally well, but excessive nitrogen intake results in increased excretion and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Supplemental concentrates with the addition of an ionophore given to ruminants grazing wheat is a potential practice for producers to increase nitrogen efficiency while decreasing GHG emissions. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to quantify the effects of energy (2.95 kg/d) and lasalocid (200 mg/hd/d) supplementation on nutrient intake, energy metabolism, respiratory gas fluxes, and performance of grazing cattle. Methane emissions were not affected (P = 0.58) by treatment, hence methane intensity (P …

Associations Among Beef Cattle Genotypes, Neospora Caninum Infection, And Reproductive Performance, Ryan James Page

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reproductive performance is crucial for sustained financial success in the beef cattle industry. This dissertation includes a population study that quantified the incidence of Neospora caninum infections in the central region of the United States and tested its relationship with reproductive performance in beef cattle. Trial one of that study concluded that 6.9% of open, replacement heifers (n = 1306) tested seropositive. The second trial in that project found that 9.6% of the breeding age females (n = 500) tested were seropositive for Neospora caninum; and that state in which the cattle lived and age impacted (P < 0.05) infection rate. Breed composition, number of farm dogs on the ranch, and use of total mixed rations were not associated (P > 0.1) with seropositive …

Impact Of Animal Programming On Human Attitudes Of Local Wildlife, Ashton Jerger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Attitudes towards wildlife can have direct implications on peoples’ interest in conserving local habitats and their overall ecological choices. Attitudes are formed by multiple components of an individual’s life history. However, through interactive, educational experiences, there is a potential to change current attitudes. Animal programs are an example of interactive, educational experiences that provide individuals the opportunity to get up-close to animal ambassadors and participate in engaging conversations about them. An animal program assessment was conducted with the 2019 summer camps at the Ohio Wildlife Center to quantify the changes in peoples’ affiliation for local wildlife and their willingness to …

161— The Effects Of Environment On The Development Of Cocaine-Seeking, Gavin Vaughan, Akane Ichiki, Shreyya Malik, Allison R. Bechard

GREAT Day Posters

Cocaine addiction is a major individual and societal issue. This study aimed to investigate the environmental and social factors that influence the development of cocaine addiction. Mice were reared in either standard housing or enriched housing. Cocaine preference was measured using the Conditioned Place Preference paradigm, in which subjects are conditioned to associate an injection of cocaine (20mg/kg. I.P.) with a particular side of a 3 chambered arena. Subjects reared in enriched environments displayed increased preference for cocaine in cue primed tests. All subjects displayed cocaine preference in cocaine primed tests. This may be attributed to the enhanced memory that …

416— The Effects Of Early Life Trauma On Anxiety And Alcohol Use Is Modified By Environment, Katie Kompanijec, Keara Mullin, Gavin Vaughan, Melissa Herman, Allison Bechard

GREAT Day Posters

Early life trauma is a risk factor for later anxiety and alcohol use disorders. However, the role of the post-trauma environment on the development of such disorders is not well understood. In the present study we investigated experience-dependent changes in anxiety and alcohol use after exposure to early trauma. Young mice (day 23) were exposed to a predator odor (synthetic fox pheromone, TMT) and then reared in either standard (SE) or enriched environments (EE). Adolescent anxiety and conditioned fear were reduced in EE-males, but not EE-females. Adult mice were then tested for their preference to drink alcohol. Alcohol intake escalated …

130— Reducing Stereotypic Behavior With A Ketogenic Diet, Anna Beltramini, Andrew Guido, Alicia Bauers, Joe Spano

GREAT Day Posters

Now a popular fad diet, the ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carb diet that for decades has been used for treatment of intractable epilepsy. Recent therapeutic applications of KD in animal models include treatment of dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autism. These disorders are associated with stereotypic behaviors (repetitive, invariant behaviors with no apparent function) that are life-impairing and stigmatizing. However, little is known about their underlying mechanisms and no effective pharmacological treatments are available. Here, we present a novel application of KD to reduce stereotypic behavior in an inbred strain of mice (FVBN/J) that displays a prominent repetitive circling …

159— The Effects Of Trauma On The Response To Cocaine, Gavin Vaughan, Melissa Herman, Katie Kompanijec, Maren Hogan, Annaclaire Modico, Keara Mullin, Allison R. Bechard Ph.D.

GREAT Day Posters

Exposure to adverse events is a risk factor for substance use disorder. We modeled this in an inbred strain of mice by exposing adult males to a predator odor (a synthetic fox pheromone, TMT) and then assessing 1. Cocaine-induced locomotion, and 2. Conditioned place preference (CPP) of cocaine. TMT was an effective stressor as indicated by freezing behavior, an absence of movement that is an instinctive fear response in mice. Interestingly, in a 1-hour baseline locomotor test, TMT-exposed (TMT+) mice were more active than non-exposed (TMT-) mice. In addition, following a cocaine (10 mg/kg) injection (i.p.) TMT+ mice showed a …

Teaching Safe Dog-Greeting Skills With Parents And Children, Ashley Torres

Thesis Projects

Dog-bites pose a significant problem for children’s and dogs' abilities to live an enhanced life. The majority of dog-bite incidents are to children between the ages of 5 and 9 years old and often dogs are euthanized for the crime (Wilson, Dwyer, & Bennett, 2003). There is limited research on a behavior analytic dog-bite prevention intervention that is both effective and generalizable to the natural environment. Yankelevitz et al. (2019) examined a six-step dog-greeting protocol to teach children how to greet unfamiliar dogs appropriately, but following acquisition the dog-greeting skills generalized poorly to the natural environment. The purpose of the …

Examining Phenotypic Structural Traits As Indicators For Reproductive Longevity Success In Sows, Lindsay Kate Peters, Melanie Dawn Trenhaile-Grannemann, Benny Edd Mote

UCARE: Research Products

The objective of this study was to examine structure and body conformation traits of 494 gilts/sows as a prediction of reproductive longevity in sows. This study focused on specific traits including body length, body depth, front and rear pastern angles, knee angle, and hock angle. The primary method of data collection was based on videos. Still images were pulled from the videos when the sow was standing in a natural stance. The images were analyzed and interpreted objectively with Image J which gives the availability to measure distance and angles given known references in the images. The structural data was …

Improving Sustainability Using Cover Crop Grazing To Improve Soil Health And Fertility While Increasing Grain And Livestock Production, Kylie Paige Ewing

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cover crops have become an increasingly popular option for alleviating agronomic and environmental concerns, such as erosion. Dual utilization can increase forage use efficiency and increase immediate economic return but understanding the impact on soil health and grain production may affect viability of this strategy. In a two year study conducted in Bowling Green, Kentucky, soil health was analyzed comparing three treatments: grazed wheat (Triticum aestivum; WGR) to un-grazed wheat (W) and grazed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea; TF). Sixteen cow calf pairs were randomly allocated to grazed wheat or tall fescue for two weeks. Soil samples were analyzed following grazing …

Parásitos Gastrointestinales De Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, Sarah Martínez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este trabajo intentó encontrar helmintos comunes, especialmente compartidos, en cuatro carnívoros patagónicos del sur con distribuciones geográficas superpuestas y dos carnívoros patagónicos del norte, y esbozar el análisis fecal y los métodos de identificación morfológica para futuros investigadores. El estudiante encontró solo un parásito helminto compartido entre cualquier otra especie y la nutria nativa del sur del río, a pesar de una superposición en el hábitat con el visón americano invasivo, pero esto puede deberse a un bajo recuento de estudios regionales previos de helmintos en cualquiera de las especies. Se encontraron múltiples parásitos en las cuatro especies hospederas de …

Social Aggression And Stress-Related Phenotype Formation In The Stress Alternatives Model, Tayler L. Modlin

Honors Thesis

Stress is a universal reaction. Short-term stress can be viewed as positive, as it can promote survival and encourage positive behaviors; whereas chronic stress that is unpredictable can lead to health defects and emotional pathologies. The Stress Alternatives Model (SAM) was created with the purpose of testing decision-making during socially stressful situations. Over the course of a four-day experiment, test mice are exposed to periods of social stress caused by bites inflicted onto them by a larger aggressive mouse. As a response to these attacks, test mice exhibit an array of behaviors and ultimately develop one of two adaptive phenotypes: …

4-H Youth Leaders: Acquisition Of Leadership Skills Based On Perceived Influence, Cathy Bartlett Gray Ma

All Student Scholarship

This study focuses on youth perceptions of influence on others and leadership skills they may seek to acquire, particularly within the Maine 4-H program. Understanding the relationship between the youth perception of leadership influence and the skills they seek to acquire will enable 4-H club leaders and adult mentors to better facilitate acquisition of leadership skills. This study gains understanding from the perspective of current teen leaders in the Maine 4-H program through the use of personal interviews with active teen leaders. Findings indicate that Maine 4-H Teen Leaders do not necessarily recognize the influence they have with their peers …

Predictors Of Testosterone In Male African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Kaitlyn Campbell

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Male African elephant (Loxodonta africana) populations in zoos suffer from a range of reproductive complications. In particular, insufficient testosterone production can have a detrimental effect on spermatogenesis and fertility. Few studies have explored the potential social, environmental, physiological and physical factors that influence bull testosterone levels in a zoo environment. The present study will collect endocrine and metabolic information from weekly fecal and blood serum samples taken over the course of the six-month study period. Social and environmental data will be collected in a survey provided to the institutions. Results will highlight the key factors contributing to fluctuations in testosterone …

Juvenile Hormone Mediation In An Insect With Parental Care Behavior, Jessica M. Rodino

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Juvenile hormone (JH) is a well-known catalyst for hormonal processes in insects. However, the role of JH in insects that exhibit parental behavior is unknown. We investigated the influence of JH on parental behavior in the burying beetle (Nicrophorus orbicollis). In the first experiment, we manipulated the JH production of females via the administration of varying doses of fluvastatin sodium immediately following oviposition. We found that with increasing fluvastatin dosage, the total mass of offspring and number of offspring decreased while at the same time less of the food source was consumed. These results suggest a link between …

Reported Behavioural Differences Between Geldings And Mares Challenge Sex-Driven Stereotypes In Ridden Equine Behaviour, Anna Aune, Kate Fenner, Bethany Wilson, Elissa Cameron, Andrew Mclean, Paul Mcgreevy

Anthropomorphism and Anthropocentrism Collection

Horse trainers and riders may have preconceived ideas of horse temperament based solely on the sex of the horse. A study (n = 1233) of horse enthusiasts (75% of whom had more than 8 years of riding experience) revealed that riders prefer geldings over mares and stallions. While these data may reflect different sex preferences in horses used for sport, they may also reduce the chances of some horses reaching their performance potential. Further, an unfounded sex prejudice is likely to contribute to unconscious bias when perceiving unwanted behaviours, simplistically attributing them to demographic characteristics rather than more complex legacies …

Faire Comme Les Castors : Un Idéal D’Organisation Du Travail En Nouvelle-France Dans Les Écrits De Nicolas Denys, Éric Debacq

The Goose

Nicolas Denys (1603?-1688), commerçant français, publie en 1672 deux livres, la Description geographique et historique des costes de l’Amerique septentrionale et l’Histoire naturelle des peuples, des animaux, des arbres & plantes de l’Amerique septentrionale & de ses divers climats. Dans ces livres, il témoigne de ses tentatives de colonisation en Acadie pendant près de quarante ans et énumère les possibilités économiques de ce territoire, notamment liées à la pêche à la morue. Denys, dans cette œuvre, fait aussi l’éloge du castor, qu’il compare à l’homme. Ceci est à double tranchant : l’animal, dont on célèbre l’intelligence, devient alors …

Sequential Analysis Of Livestock Herding Dog And Sheep Interactions, Jonathan Early, Jessica Alders, Elizabeth R. Arnott, Claire M. Wade, Paul Mcgreevy

Interactive Behavior Collection

Livestock herding dogs are crucial contributors to Australian agriculture. However, there is a dearth of empirical studies of the behavioural interactions between dog and livestock during herding. A statistical approach that may reveal cause and effect in such interactions is lag sequential analysis. Using 48 video recordings of livestock herding dogs and sheep in a yard trial competition, event-based (time between behaviours is irrelevant) and time-based (time between behaviours is defined) lag sequential analyses identified several significant behavioural interactions (adjusted residuals greater than 2.58; the maximum likelihood-ratio chi-squared statistic for all eight contingency tables identified all sequences as highly significant …

African Naked Mole-Rat Colony Behavior Based On Whole Colony Radio Frequency Identification (Colony Tt-2, April 2015), Dan Mccloskey, Michael E. Kress

Publications and Research

This file contains Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) data for routine activity of members of the TT-2 colony during a 26 day period in April 2015. The data are organized into a state matrix where the last known location for each of the 49 animals in the colony is listed in each row. A new row means that the raw data file updated the location of one animal. The leftmost column gives the date and time of the event, the headers for the other 49 columns give the RFID code for each of the animals in the colony. Animals demonstrated to …

Juvenile Rank Acquisition Is Associated With Fitness Independent Of Adult Rank, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka, Kay E. Holekamp

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Social rank is a significant determinant of fitness in a variety of species. The importance of social rank suggests that the process by which juveniles come to establish their position in the social hierarchy is a critical component of development. Here, we use the highly predictable process of rank acquisition in spotted hyenas to study the consequences of variation in rank acquisition in early life. In spotted hyenas, rank is ‘inherited’ through a learning process called ‘maternal rank inheritance.’ This pattern is very consistent: approximately 80% of juveniles acquire the exact rank expected under the rules of maternal rank inheritance. …

Sea Wrack Delivery And Accumulation On Islands: Factors That Mediate Marine Nutrient Permeability, Sara B. Wickham, Nancy Shackelford, Chris T. Darimont, Wiebe Nijland, Luba Y. Reshitnyk, John D. Reynolds, Brian M. Starzomski

Biogeography and Ecological Opportunity Collection

Sea wrack provides an important vector of marine-derived nutrients to many terrestrial environments. However, little is known about the processes that facilitate wrack transport, deposition, and accumulation on islands. Three broad factors can affect the stock of wrack along shorelines: the amount of potential donor habitat nearby, climatic events that dislodge seaweeds and transfer them ashore, and physical characteristics of shorelines that retain wrack at a site. To determine when, where, and how wrack accumulates on island shorelines, we surveyed 455 sites across 101 islands in coastal British Columbia, Canada. At each site, we recorded wrack biomass, species composition, and …