Zoology Commons^™

Dynamics Of Meiobenthic Fauna In A Tropical Sandy Coast (Chennai, Bay Of Bengal) With Reference To The Physicochemical Parameters, Madhavan Kesavaraj, Md Anwar Nawaz, Zahara Tasneem, Mohammed Asjad Shams Tabrez, Kareem Altaff, Mohamed Saquib Naveed

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The term “meiobenthos” refers to a diverse community of organisms inhabiting the interstitial spaces between sand grains retained on sieve sizes ranging between 38 to 500 μm. This study investigates the diversity and density of meiobenthic communities across five locations along the Chennai coast. We examined the dominant meiobenthic groups, with nematodes exhibiting high dominance at Napier station (288.6 ± 91.07 ind.10cm²) and harpacticoids dominating at Marina station (449.88 ± 264.3 ind.10cm²). To establish the relationship between meiobenthic organisms and environmental parameters, we analyzed seven physicochemical factors throughout the study period. The results indicate a negative correlation between ammonia, nitrate, …

Coral Cover Percentage And Health Condition In Tioman Island Marine Protected Area, Pahang, Malaysia, Nur Addawiah Mohamad Rodzi, Mohamed Fahmy Yusof, Zaidi Che Cob

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Continuous evaluation and monitoring of coral percentage cover and health status is critical for enhancing coral reef resilience management. The present study aimed to determine the coverage and coral status at important sites of Tioman Island Marine Park, which include Renggis Island, Tiong Point and Tekek. Surveillance video recording and in situ observation were carried out using the Coral Video Transect (CVT) method, which were analyzed using the Coral Point Count with Excel extension (CPCe) software. The overall health status for the study area was considered as “fair” with 41.61% ± 4.46% of mean live coral coverage. Among the stations …

An Update On The Phylogeny And Biogeographical History Of Rhipicephalus Sanguineus Complex, Olcay Heki̇moğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex is among the most studied hard tick species due to its worldwide distribution and its ability to transmit several pathogens. In this study, new local data and recent global findings were used to reevaluate the evolutionary history and phylogeny of the R. sanguineus complex. Seventy-nine samples of Rhipicephalus sp., which were collected from 32 different localities of Türkiye and one locality from Northern Cyprus, were analyzed using two mitochondrial (mt 16S rDNA, mt 12S rDNA) and one nuclear (ITS2) markers. The findings from phylogenetic trees indicate the presence of a third genetically distinct lineage of R. sanguineus …

The Range Dynamics Of A Cactophilic Drosophila Species Under Climate Change Scenarios, Banu Şebnem Önder, Utku Perktaş

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, we evaluated the historical demography of a cactophilic Drosophila species (Drosophila gouveai) based on previously published mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data ecological niche modelling. We particularly aimed to test the effect of climate change on the historical demography of D. gouveai during the late Quaternary and the future of the species. For this, we also modelled its host cacti species in its distribution range to reach a more robust biogeographic conclusion. Our results indicate that D. gouveai was as sensitive to climate change as its hosts were. This species experienced an almost complete range shift, range contraction after …

Diet And Reproductive Outputs Of Common Barn-Owl (Tyto Alba) During The Common Vole (Microtus Arvalis) Outbreak And Crash, Gyozo F. Horvath, Adrienn Horváth

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this paper, we investigated the relationship between the breeding parameters and food composition of the common barnowl (Tyto alba) comparing the outbreak and subsequent crash periods of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) as the barn owl’s main prey. For the analyses, data of 29 (2014 outbreak: 6, 2016 crash: 8; 2019 outbreak: 7, 2021 crash: 7) breeding pairs of barn owls were selected. First, we examined the differences between the breeding parameters (clutch size, number of hatchlings and fledglings), the main and alternative prey taxa (common vole and Apodemus genus), the two derived indices (trophic level index, Microtinae/Murinae ratio) …

Vigilance Behavior Of Common Crane Grus Grus In Flocks During Spring, Summer, And Autumn, Kristina Kondrakova, Alexander Sharikov

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Vigilance is a key behavioral element aimed to detect potential predators or rivals. In this study, we examined the vigilance levels of common cranes that exhibit flocking behavior during the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. We considered the influence of both social (age, presence of offspring, and flock size) and environmental factors (habitat type, time of day, and study period). Parents allocated more time for vigilance than nonparents and juveniles. The alertness of nonparents was lower in flocks of size 51–150 individuals compared to flocks under 50 and over 150 birds. Juveniles increased their vigilance at the end of the …

Can Wildlife Mortality On A Local Road Tell Something General? An Answer From A Protected Area In South-Western Romania, Diana Cupşa, Severus Daniel Covaciu Marcov, Robert Liviu Mihai Rengle, Amalia Raluca Dumbrava, Sára Ferenti, Adriana Petruş Vancea

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Between June 2020 and May 2021, we studied the fauna road mortality on a recently asphalted local road in a protected area in southwestern Romania (Iron Gates Natural Park–IGNP). Despite our expectation of reduced road mortality because of the very low traffic (3.97 cars/hour), numerous animals belonging to a high number of taxa were killed. Animals were killed throughout the entire year, even amphibians in the winter months, which normally should hibernate in that period. Road mortality differences between periods and sectors were obvious. Plant assemblages near the road influence the composition and intensity of road mortality. Diverse habitats near …

On The Oviposition Of Homonota Aff. Darwinii In The Puna Region Of The Central Andes Of Argentina, Franco Valdez Ovallez, Rodrigo Gómez Alés, Rodrigo Nieva Cocilio, Tomás Martínez, Juan Carlos Acosta, José Villavicencio, Graciela Blanco

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Communal nest egg-laying refers to females laying their eggs with those of their conspecifics under or within artificial or natural structures. Homonota aff. darwinii is a recently discovered species that has not yet been formally described. The objective of this work is to characterise the oviposition of this species in the Puna region in the Central Andes of Argentina. We recorded the type and surface of the rocks where the eggs were laid, the temperature of the substrate, and the temperature of the rock surface facing the substrate. In addition, we recorded the daily temperature variation that a randomly selected …

The Association Between Clai Polymorphism And Hygienic Behavior In Apis Mellifera, İnci̇ Şahi̇n Negi̇ş, Mustafa Ki̇bar, İbrahi̇m Ayteki̇n

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Hygienic behavior represents one of the most prominent disease resistance mechanisms developed by honeybees. This behavior is known to be influenced by the genotype and environmental factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of SNP-8 polymorphism and environmental factors on hygienic behavior in different Apis mellifera breeds. A total of fourteen colonies and 148 bees from seven different bee breeds were used for the Pin-killed Brood Assay (PKB) test and PCR-RFLP analysis, respectively. The PKB assay revealed a wide range of hygienic behavior, spanning from 68% to 100% across the fourteen colonies. The frequencies of the H (High) …

Site-Specific Space Use And Resource Selection By Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) In The Southeastern Usa, Betsy Evans, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery, Bryan M. Kluever

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American populations of Black Vultures Coragyps atratus have increased and expanded their distribution in the southern and eastern USA. In conjunction with these patterns has been a rise in human–vulture conflicts. To improve our understanding of space use patterns and better inform management, we evaluated the movements of Black Vultures (n = 23) in the southeastern USA using a long-term GPS tracking database. Our specific objectives were to: (1) quantify home-range sizes in relation to season and geographical study location and (2) examine within-home-range resource selection to identify landscape and anthropogenic factors influencing roost and diurnal space use. …

Treatment With The Immunocontraceptive Vaccine, Gonacon, Induces Temporary Fertility Control In Free-Ranging Prairie Dog Populations In Colorado, Usa, Aaron B. Shiels, Jackson Runte, Emily W. Ruell, Douglas C. Eckery, Gary W. Witmer, Daniel J. Salkeld

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are rodents enjoyed by some humans; yet, they cause crop and property damage, and carry zoonotic disease. Non-lethal control of prairie dogs is of interest in urban/suburban settings. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient is gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH]) has been shown to be effective at reducing fertility in equine and deer, and is a US EPA-registered vaccine for use in these ungulate species.

Aims

To conduct a replicated field study to test efficacy of GonaCon in black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus), and if found to be efficacious, to help facilitate …

Comparison Of Ketamine-Xylazine, Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine, And Nalbuphine-Medetomidine-Azaperone For Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Immobilization, Shylo R. Johnson, Christine K. Ellis, Chad Wickham, Molly R. Selleck, Amy T. Gilbert

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are frequently handled using chemical immobilization in North America for management and research. In a controlled environment, we compared three drug combinations: ketamine-xylazine (KX), butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM), and nalbuphinemedetomidine- azaperone (NalMed-A) for raccoon immobilization. In crossover comparisons, raccoons received a mean of the following: 8.66 mg/kg ketamine and 1.74 mg/kg xylazine (0.104 mL/kg KX); 0.464 mg/kg butorphanol, 0.155 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.185 mg/kg medetomidine (0.017 mL/kg BAM); and 0.800 mg/kg nalbuphine, 0.200 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.200 mg/kg medetomidine (0.020 mL/kg NalMed-A). Induction time was shortest with KX (mean6SE, 10.060.7 min) and longest with NalMed-A (13.061.3 min). …

Oral Rabies Vaccination Of Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) Across A Development Intensity Gradient In Burlington, Vermont, Usa, 2015–2017, Emily M. Beasley, Kathleen M. Nelson, Dennis Slate, Amy T. Gilbert, Frederick E. Pogmore, Richard B. Chipman, Amy J. Davis

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Management of the raccoon rabies virus variant in North America is conducted primarily using oral rabies vaccination (ORV). When a sufficient proportion of the population is vaccinated (60%), rabies transmission can be eliminated. To date, ORV programs have successfully controlled and eliminated raccoon rabies in rural areas, but there has been less success in urban areas. We studied the proportions of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) in a raccoon (Procyon lotor) population during a 3-year ORV trial in developed areas of Burlington, Vermont, United States. We used a modified N-mixture model to estimate raccoon abundance, RVNA seroprevalence, and …

Recent Beak Evolution In North American Starlings After Invasion, Julia M. Zichello, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Paul Shrewsbury, Agnieszka A. Pierwola, Scott J. Werner

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

European starlings are one of the most abundant and problematic avian invaders in the world. From their native range across Eurasia and North Africa, they have been introduced to every continent except Antarctica. In 160 years, starlings have expanded into different environments throughout the world, making them a powerful model for understanding rapid evolutionary change and adaptive plasticity. Here, we investigate their spatiotemporal morphological variation in North America and the native range. Our dataset includes 1,217 specimens; a combination of historical museum skins and modern birds. Beak length in the native range has remained unchanged during the past 206 years, …

Assessing The Efficiency Of Local Rabies Vaccination Strategies For Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) In An Urban Setting, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Nicole T. Gorman, Katherine M. Mcclure, Larissa Nituch, Tore Buchanan, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoon rabies virus (RRV) has been managed using multiple vaccination strategies, including oral rabies vaccination and trap-vaccinate-release (TVR). Identifying a rabies vaccination strategy for an area is a nontrivial task. Vaccination strategies differ in the amount of effort and monetary costs required to achieve a particular level of vaccine seroprevalence (efficiency). Simulating host movement relative to different vaccination strategies in silico can provide a useful tool for exploring the efficiency of different vaccination strategies. We refined a previously developed individual-based model of raccoon movement to evaluate vaccination strategies for urban Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We combined different oral rabies vaccination baiting …

How Does A Global Climate Cycle Affect The Reproductive Output Of A Neotropical Migratory Bird?, Abby K. Bressette, Emma Cummings, Daniel Albrecht-Mallinger, Lesley Bulluck

Undergraduate Research Posters

El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes regional changes in climate and has been found to have varying effects on the survival, fecundity, and recruitment of migratory songbirds. This study seeks to better understand the effect of ENSO on the fecundity of Virginia-breeding Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea; PROW), a neotropical migratory songbird. PROW breed in the Eastern United States and spend the non-breeding season primarily in Panama and Colombia. Ongoing research in Virginia has found a positive relationship between spring precipitation and predicted number of PROW fledgelings during La Niña, but the opposite during El Niño. To better understand this relationship, we …

Seasonal Abundance Of The Nudibranch Dondice Jupiteriensis On The Colonial Hydroid Eudendrium Carneum, Erika Molina, Daniela Gutierrez-Andrade, Samantha Schlegel, Julia Piper, Louis J. Ambrosio, Michael L. Middlebrooks

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Benthic colonial hydroids often serve as a host to a large variety of invertebrate taxa. The colonial hydroid Eudendrium carneum Clarke, 1882 is host to a variety of epifauna, including the recently described nudibranch Dondice jupiteriensis García—Méndez & Valdés, 2022. Like many species of heterobranch sea slugs, little is known about the natural history and population biology of D. jupiteriensis. Here we describe a year—long study recording the population density and size structure of D. jupiteriensis on E. carneum colonies in Tampa Bay, FL USA. We found that the D. jupiteriensis population persists year—round but is the densest during …

Descriptive Study Of Adult Male Acheta Domesticus Phonotaxis, Dana Husana

Master's Theses

The phonotactic behavior of male Acheta domesticus has not been described at length. The present study evaluates the phonotactic responses of male A. domesticus in relation to age. Male crickets of different ages (young and old) were exposed to calls with attractive and non-attractive syllable periods for this species. Both age groups exhibited phonotaxis but did not show a preference towards the attractive call over the non-attractive ones. No significant relationship was found between age and phonotactic response. Additionally, no significant differences were observed between age and preferred syllable period. Acoustic responses were also observed in some of the older …

Limitations Of Invasive Snake Control Tools In The Context Of A New Invasion On An Island With Abundant Prey, Shane R. Siers, Melia G. Nafus, Jereid E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Matthew S. Grassi, Megan Volsteadt, Aaron F. Collins, Patrick D. Barnhart, Logan T. Huse, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Diane L. Vice

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In October 2020, a new population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) was discovered on the 33-ha Cocos Island, 2.5 km off the south coast of Guam, United States. Cocos Island is a unique conservation resource, providing refuge for many lizards and birds, including endangered species, which were extirpated from mainland Guam by invasive predators including brown treesnakes. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of toxic baiting with acetaminophen-treated carrion baits and cage trapping, common tools for the control of brown treesnakes on mainland Guam, as potential eradication tools on Cocos Island. We evaluated multiple bait types and …

Comparing Ionoregulation And Modes Of Nitrogen Excretion Across The Life Cycle Of Parasitic And Non-Parasitic Lamprey Species, Shannon Davidson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Ionoregulation and nitrogenous waste (N-waste) metabolism in fishes has been extensively documented in teleosts and elasmobranchs, but less so in lampreys (Petromizontiformes). All lamprey species undergo metamorphosis which drastically changes their physiology and modes of feeding. However, differences in ionoregulatory mechanisms due to anadromous versus non anadromous life history strategies emerge following metamorphosis in different lamprey species. Furthermore, some species, such as anadromous juvenile sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), are parasitic and migrate to seawater (SW) to ingest blood protein from host fishes, while juveniles of freshwater (FW), non-parasitic species, such as the American brook lamprey …