Other Animal Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Dislodgement In The Territorial Ecology Of The Owl Limpet, Lottia Gigantea, Ryan T. Kabala, Natalie Swinford, Maria J. Mason, William G. Wright

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Ascertaining the risks and benefits of different behaviors is a central goal of research on territoriality. Although most territorial behavior is ritualized, with concomitant reduced risks for both residents and intruders, this ritualization is generally found to be underpinned by rare, highly consequential, interactions. The agonistic behavior of the intertidal owl limpet, Lottia gigantea, involves defense of a feeding territory, and includes a relatively explosive thrusting response by territory holders against intruding conspecifics. We here ask whether this thrusting behavior is capable of entirely dislodging intruders from their rocky wave-swept substratum, thereby ridding the resident of future challenges by …

Range Extension For Dekay’S Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi) In South-Central Nebraska, Macy K. Cool, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) generally occurs in southeastern parts of the state, where the species was known from 16 counties. Herein, we update the distribution of S. dekayi in the state and briefly comment on habitat and abundance from observations in September and October 2018. We documented 7 new county records that extend its distribution in south-central Nebraska. We observed that S. dekayi does not only reside in mesic wooded habitats in Nebraska but also occupies open environments, including areas with upland grasslands and row-crop agriculture. Dekay’s Brownsnake currently is listed as a species of concern …

Immune-Endocrine Links To Gregariousness In Wild House Mice, Patricia C. Lopes, Esther H. D. Carlitz, Morgan Kindel, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Social interactions are critically important for survival and impact overall-health, but also impose costs on animals, such as exposure to contagious agents. The immune system can play a critical role in modulating social behavior when animals are sick, as has been demonstrated within the context of “sickness behaviors.” Can immune molecules affect or be affected by social interactions even when animals are not sick, therefore serving a role in mediating pathogen exposure? We tested whether markers of immune function in both the blood and the brain are associated with gregariousness, quantified as number of animals interacted with per day. To …

Common Ravens, Luke W. Peebles, Jack O. Spencer Jr.

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Damage Management Methods for Common Ravens

Type of Control -- Available Management Options

Exclusion -- Often ineffective or impractical

Fertility Control -- None available

Frightening Devices -- Effigies • Pyrotechnics and propane cannons • Lasers and flashing lights

Habitat Modification -- Bale and bury garbage • Install dumpsters with secure lids • Remove or bury dead livestock • Remove abandoned houses, sheds, and barns to eliminate nesting structures

Nest Treatment -- Allowed with proper Federal and State permits; Egg oiling or addling and nest destruction

Repellents -- Methiocarb (EPA Reg. No. 56228-33) • Methyl anthranilate (food-grade grape flavoring agent)

Shooting …

Predicting Changes In Bee Assemblages Following State Transitions At North American Dryland Ecotones, Melanie R. Kazenel, Karen W. Wright, Julieta Bettinelli, Terry L. Griswold, Kenneth D. Whitney, Jennifer A. Rudgers

All PIRU Publications

Drylands worldwide are experiencing ecosystem state transitions: the expansion of some ecosystem types at the expense of others. Bees in drylands are particularly abundant and diverse, with potential for large compositional differences and seasonal turnover across ecotones. To better understand how future ecosystem state transitions may influence bees, we compared bee assemblages and their seasonality among sites at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NM, USA) that represent three dryland ecosystem types (and two ecotones) of the southwestern U.S. (Plains grassland, Chihuahuan Desert grassland, and Chihuahuan Desert shrubland). Using passive traps, we caught bees during two-week intervals from March–October, 2002–2014. The …

Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Preface

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Buying Healthy Goats And Keeping Them That Way, Susan Kerr

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Starting a goat herd with healthy animals prevents expense and effort eliminating infectious diseases. Pre-purchase testing and examinations are worth their cost because of the savings realized through fewer animal illnesses, increased production, lower medication costs, and reduced culling. Key management practices such as hoof trimming, vaccinating, body condition scoring, and assessing parasite loads are needed to maintain herd health. Biosecurity practices must become routine to prevent the introduction and/or spread of contagious diseases. Several goat diseases are contagious to humans, so biosecurity measures must address this concern. Excellent record-keeping helps producers monitor health and production trends, document treatments, …

Suitable Breed And Animal Selection For Production Efficiency, Niki Whitley

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract Several goat breeds are available in the U.S. Selection of the breed should consider farm goals, production systems, markets and resources. Animal selection for breeding stock production and marketing needs to focus on breed characteristics, animal conformation, show winnings and animal pedigrees. Establishing at least one consistent market to include in a business/marketing plan that results in farm profitability prior to animal purchase is critical. After determining breed, animal selection will be critical, including choosing sellers, productive males and females with performance records, show animals, and animals with parasite resistance. For many farms, purchasing healthy, productive animals from sellers …

Grazing System And Management For Goat Production, Steve Hart

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract Grazing system management is for supplying inexpensive, adequate nutrition for the goat enterprise. This involves managing forages to facilitate dry matter production and managing grazing so forage quality is adequate and harvest efficiency is high while avoiding consuming internal parasites. Since nutrient costs are greatest for winter, the grazing system should be planned to provide some grazing during winter. The forage system should be managed to provide the greatest proportion of nutrients possible during kidding and lactation. The base forage species can be overseeded with cool-season or leguminous species to improve forage production, quality or the seasonal distribution of …

Year-Round Forage Production For Sustainable Goat Farming, Uma Karki

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Goat farming in the U.S. is based on grazing lands. Forages available for grazing throughout most of the year are essential for supplying required nutrition for goats and minimizing production costs. Most goat farmers do not have pastures productive for an extended period. This situation results in poor performing animals and high production costs. Forage availability can improve by enhancing the productivity, quality, and production duration of pastures. The inclusion of browse species in grazing systems will also improve diet variety, minimize internal parasite problems, and better utilize the soil resources. Grazing opportunity can be extended by developing a …

Comparison Of Productivity Of Different Breeds Of Meat Goats Under Low-To-Moderate-Input Systems In The United States, Richard Browning Jr., Maria L. Leite-Browning

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Boer and Kiko goats were imported in the 1990s to enhance the productivity of the US base population of Spanish meat goats. Successful breed introductions require adaptation to the destination environment. Well-planned, low-input management is a good route to meat goat enterprise profitability using proper goat genetics. Reproduction drives profit more than growth and carcass traits. Results of breed evaluation studies on doe reproductive and health traits, the Boer goat influence tended to be negative compared with Kiko and Spanish goat influences. Reduced doe herd reproductive output suggests reduced enterprise profitability. Differences in growth or carcass traits among sire …

Marketing Toward The Future, Niki Whitley, Susan Schoenian

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

United States goat producers face many challenges with regards to marketing. Although the demand for goat products is increasing, the market is fractured. There is a general lack of infrastructure and many producers do not sell their animals or products for fair or profitable prices. Production costs are too high, and there is a need to improve production efficiency. Imports pose a challenge to US goat producers, as domestic production cannot compete with the availability and lower cost of imports. Government regulations hinder market development because non-commercial slaughter is an important aspect of goat marketing, and regulations keep many …

Common And Reportable Infectious Diseases Of Small Ruminants, Pamela A. Hunter

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract Keeping a herd healthy is the goal of every livestock producer. Deviation from a normal state of health leads to disease. It can have more than one cause, vary in severity, and differ from one animal to another. Of the three major categories that diseases are commonly grouped in, infectious diseases make up the largest. These are caused by “agents” and are capable of being transmitted from one animal to another, or from animals to man. While each disease can have its own clinical signs, failure to diagnose and prevent its spread can lead to catastrophic consequences to a …

Nutritional Requirements Of Different Classes Of Meat Goats, Nar Gurung

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Feeds provide nutrients to animals. Feeds can be grains, crop by-products or forages. Forages can form the basis of feeds for goats in the southeastern US because year-round forage production is possible. Since goats are classified as browsers, the forage program should consist of browse and pasture. Managing browse species as feed resources is challenging, and there is limited information relative to managing browse species. Hay is the main forage feed for goats in the region and average quality hay can meet nutrient requirements for maintenance. However, nutrient requirements for late-pregnancy, lactation, and growing goats cannot be met with …

Social Referencing In The Domestic Horse, Anne Schrimpf, Marie-Sophie Single, Christian Nawroth

Recognition Collection

Dogs and cats use human emotional information directed to an unfamiliar situation to guide their behavior, known as social referencing. It is not clear whether other domestic species show similar socio-cognitive abilities in interacting with humans. We investigated whether horses (n = 46) use human emotional information to adjust their behavior to a novel object and whether the behavior of horses differed depending on breed type. Horses were randomly assigned to one of two groups: an experimenter positioned in the middle of a test arena directed gaze and voice towards the novel object with either (a) a positive or (b) …

Musical Dogs: A Review Of The Influence Of Auditory Enrichment On Canine Health And Behavior, Abigail Lindig, Paul Mcgreevy, Angela Crean

Stress Collection

Music therapy yields many positive health outcomes in humans, but the effects of music on the health and welfare of nonhuman animals vary greatly with the type of music played, the ethology of the species, and the personality and learning history of individual animals. One context in which music therapy may be used to enhance animal welfare is to alleviate stress in domestic environments. Here, we review studies of the effects of music exposure on dogs as a case study for the implementation of music therapy in veterinary medicine. Nine reports of experimental testing for the therapeutic effects of music …

What Makes Bats Special So That They Are Reservoirs For So Many Different Pathogens?, Deion Anderson, Eleanor Gorkovchenko, Nicole Hamada, Carolina Martinez, Lupe Martinez

2020 Symposium Posters

Bats, order Chiroptera, comprise more than 20 percent of all living mammal species with more than 1100 species. Bats are organisms that have high body temperatures and metabolic rates. Therefore, viral adaptation to febrile conditions in the bat host might explain the high reservoir competence that distinguishes these organisms from other mammalian hosts. The purpose of this study is to present a comparative meta-review of the available evidence in order to investigate and identify the reasons or characteristics as to what makes bats special reservoirs for so many different pathogens. Our investigation will not focus on a particular bat species, …

An Investigation On The Cover Preference Of The Mountain Madtom (Noturus Eleutherus), Mariah Slaughter

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Madtom catfish, members of the genus Noturus, are common in the waters of the Southeastern US. A previous study observed that madtoms in the Green River, Kentucky, preferred to shelter within old mussel shells compared to under or next to rocks. A laboratory study on the Carolina Madtom (Noturus furiosus), found that they did not utilize mussel shells and preferred rocks as cover. I conducted a similar laboratory study to determine which cover options the Mountain Madtoms (Noturus eleutherus) prefer. Cover preference was determined by offering the madtoms shelter options (rocks or mussel shells) in …

Morphological Correlates Of Auditory Sensitivity In The Inner Ear Of Two Species Of Invasive Carp, Tyler Patty

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Silver (Hypopthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp, are invasive species that have negative impacts upon ecosystems. H. molitrix is known to jump completely out of the water in response to broadband sounds, however, this is not observed in H. nobilis. Preliminary experiments reveal that sounds can be used to modify the behavior of carps. Thus, understanding the hearing abilities of these species is important in order to design appropriate acoustical deterrents. Fish heads were preserved in 4% paraformaldehyde and the inner ears dissected and photographed under a light microscope in order to describe the …