Zoology Commons^™

Ichthyology Field Notebooks Spreadsheet, Karisa Boyer

Ichthyology Collection

No abstract provided.

Blooming Mountains Of Biodiversity: An Investigation Of Angiosperms On Cerro Mayordomo, Tungurahua, Ecuador, Ella Matsuda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and many of the species in the region are found nowhere else in the world. The cloud forest is particularly diverse because the mountainous terrain isolates populations and changes in elevation create a wide variety of habitats. Cerro Mayordomo is a relatively unexplored mountain in the cloud forest of Tungurahua, Ecuador. It is known to have very high levels of endemism and several new species have been discovered there, but the biodiversity of angiosperms on the mountain has never been quantified. In this study, 5x5 m quadrants were established …

Herpetofauna Of Sumak Allpa: A Baseline Assessment Of An Unstudied Island Herpetofaunal Community, Sara Freimuth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sumak Allpa is an island dedicated to the provision and protection of habitat for the conservation and rehabilitation of primates. As such, the island - a varzea ecosystem located in the Western Amazon of Ecuador, one of the most biodiverse and also most threatened regions in the world – consists of protected primary forest that is home not only to a variety of primates, but also to an even wider variety of other taxa, nearly all of which have gone unstudied on the island. The present investigation assessed two of those taxa, amphibians and reptiles, in order to establish a …

Compositional Changes In Two Small Mammal Communities During Succession In Southeastern Virginia, Robert K. Rose, Robyn M. Nadolny, Jay Kiser, Stephen E. Rice, Heather Green Salamone, Jana Eggleston, Holly D. Gaff

Virginia Journal of Science

Changes in the composition of two small mammal communities were studied during eight and nine years of ecological succession in southern Chesapeake, Virginia. Using monthly live-trapping on grids of similar size and history since their abandonment as agricultural fields, we learned that house mice were early colonists on one grid but not the other.  Two species of herbivorous rodent and the granivorous eastern harvest mouse were numerically dominant on both grids across the study.  Some species disappeared early on one grid but persisted to the end at the other.   The two arboreal small mammals, golden and white-footed mice, were most …

Saving Species, One Individual At A Time: Zoo Veterinarians Between Welfare And Conservation, Irus Braverman

Journal Articles

The role of zoo veterinarians has changed significantly in the last several decades, reflecting and revealing broader transformations in zoo culture, especially among North American accredited zoos. This article draws on several interviews with prominent zoo vets, as well as on regulations that pertain to their work, to highlight their current position at the nexus of animal health and welfare, on the one hand, and of species conservation, on the other hand. The transformation of zoos into conservation institutions in particular has resulted in the vets’ novel focus on the sustainability of populations and their intensified involvement in in situ …

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology To Enhance Conservation Biology Research, Ann Briggs

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This study examined the most effective ways to utilize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for wildlife conservation. More specifically, a UAV platform was created that can perform multiple data collection tasks by utilizing interchangeable modules. The prototype produced in this study has the capability to perform many tasks through the use of interchangeable modules. These tasks include, but are not limited to aerial surveys and collection of biological samples. This innovative technology will provide invaluable assistance to conservation efforts by reducing research and subject injury or death while maximizing efficiency. The modular design of the prototype was developed for retail to …

Checklist Of The Avian Species Observed At The Gordon Natural Area (West Chester University, Pa) 2004-2018. Version Vii. Latest Observations From Ebird: 3/23/2018, Nur Ritter, Josh R. Auld

Gordon Natural Area Bird Survey Documents

No abstract provided.

Whence And Whither: Acoustic Variability And Biogeography Of Tarsiers In North Sulawesi, Olivia Clare Kulander

Dissertations and Theses

The morning duet calls of eastern tarsiers (Tarsius spp.) in North Sulawesi were recorded and analyzed to examine the effects of geography and geologic history on their call structure. Tarsius species exhibit interspecifically variable duet calls shown to correlate with species differentiation and distribution. They are distributed across Sulawesi, a biogeographically complex island in the Indonesian archipelago, where tectonic activity and multiple glaciations during the Pleistocene generated and modified barriers to their dispersal and gene flow.

Recordings were made at ten locations from November of 2012 through June of 2014. Two locations were categorized as mainland, while eight island …

Bats Of Sint Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, Scott C. Pedersen, Peter A. Larsen, Sil A. Westra, Ellen Van Norren, Wesley Overman, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The bat fauna of the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius consists of five documented species—Monophyllus plethodon, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Artibeus jamaicensis, Ardops nichollsi, and Molossus molossus—and one provisional species—Tadarida brasiliensis. The Insular Single-leaf Bat, M. plethodon, is reported in the scientific literature for the first time from Sint Eustatius based on material presented herein. The bat fauna of the island is considered to be unbalanced because only three species, which are the environmental generalists, are abundant, whereas the more specialized species are rare or absent from the fauna. It is our hypothesis …

Reducing The Risk Of Invasive Pathogens To Wildlife Health In The United States, Edward E. Clark Jr., Marshall Meyers, David Eldon Starling, Brent Stewart, Nathan Stone, Gary Tabor, Jeffrey S. White

National Invasive Species Council

Call to Action

In keeping with action items 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 of the 2016–2018 National Invasive Species Council (NISC) Management Plan, the Wildlife Health Task Team of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) was charged with: 1) identifying the major areas of vulnerability to native wildlife from the introduction and spread of invasive pathogens, and 2) making recommendations to address these vulnerabilities, including through potential changes in statute, regulation, policy, or practice of the relevant agencies.

Annual Color Photo Section 2018

Nebraska Bird Review

American White Pelican, Wildlife Safari Park, Cass Co., 17 April 2018. Photo by Sheryl Cooley

Trumpeter Swans, Carter Lake, Douglas Co., 1 Jan. 2016. Photo by Brian Peterson.

Bonaparte's Gull, Pawnee Lake SRA, Lancaster Co., 20 June 2018. Photo by Esa Jarvi.

Adult male Longtailed Duck in winter plumage, Carter Lake, Douglas Co., 20 Nov 2017. Photo by Phil Swanson.

Reddish Egret, Platte River bridge, Alda, Hall Co., 24 June 2018. Photo by John Carlini.

Adult Blackcrowned Night Heron, northeast of Lakeside, Sheridan Co., 3 July 2017. Photo by Thomas Gannon.

Juvenile Yellowcrowned Night Heron, Holmes Lake, Lancaster Co., 24 …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 86 March 2018 Number 1

Nebraska Bird Review

NOU Annual Treasurer's Report for 2017, by Jan Johnson … 2

Winter Field Report, Dec. 2017 - Feb. 2018, by W. Ross Silcock …3-20 & 29-30

Annual Color Photo Section …21-28

2017 - 2018 Christmas Bird Counts, by Don Paseka …31-46

Revision of Johnsgard’s Birds of Nebraska Published ........ 33

Subscription and Organization Information … 47

Winter Field Report, December 2017 To February 2018, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This was not a spectacular fall by most measures, but, as usual, there was much to chew on. Continuing the trend seen in recent falls, lingering has become the norm; this phenomenon is across the board, involving, for example, Baird’s Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Mourning Dove, American White Pelican, Barn Owl, Lesser Goldfinch, several native sparrow species, Palm and Orange-crowned Warblers, and even rearof- the-order Dickcissel. Apparent range expansion is occurring with Red-shouldered Hawk and Barred Owl, the former northward and the latter westward. A couple of taxonomic notes relate to the subspecies Buteo jamaicensis abieticola of Red-tailed Hawk and subspecies …

2017-2018 Christmas Bird Counts, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

Sixteen counts were held during the 2017-18 Christmas Bird Count season, which is one more than has ever been done in the past. Although the Crawford count was not done this season, the new Lower Platte River count, centered at the junction of Platteview Road and 204th St. south of Gretna, was added. A total 236 observers took part in at least one count, 26 did two counts, four did three counts, five did four counts and four persons did six counts. However, special recognition goes to Gary Roberts, who did eight counts this season. I am not aware of …

Life Line March 2018, Otterbein Biology And Earth Science Department

Life Line - The Biology Department Newsletter

Welcome Andrew Calinger-Yoak - Outdoor Laboratory - Conservation Biology - Safari in South Africa - Chengdu Panda Base - Mussells

Insect (Arthropoda: Insecta) Composition In The Diet Of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene Ornata Ornata) In Two Western Illinois Sand Prairies, With A New State Record For Cyclocephala (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Reese J. Worthington, E. R. Sievers, D. B. Ligon, P. K. Lago

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A study of fecal samples collected over a two-year period from juvenile ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz) revealed diets consisting of six orders of insects representing 19 families. Turtles were reared in captivity from eggs harvested from local, wild populations, and released at two remnant prairies. Identifiable insect fragments were found in 94% of samples in 2013 (n=33) and 96% in 2014 (n=25). Frequency of occurrence of insects in turtle feces is similar to results reported in previous studies of midwestern Terrapene species. A comparison of insect composition presented no significant difference between release sites. There is …

Scorpions Of Sri Lanka (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Ii. Family Hormuridae, František Kovařík, Kithsiri B. Ranawana, V. A. Sanjeewa Jayarathne, Sanjaya Karunarathna, Alexander Ullrich

Euscorpius

Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius, 1775) is reported for the first time from Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan population is fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved females, as well as its habitat.

Two New Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Hispaniola, Greater Antilles, Rolando Teruel, Gabriel De Los Santos

Euscorpius

Two new species of Buthidae scorpions of the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 are herein described from the Greater Antillean island of Hispaniola. One of them belongs to the "crassimanus" species-group and is known from an adult pair collected at Massif de la Hotte, in southwestern Haiti. The other belongs to the "quisqueyanus" species-group and is known from a single adult female from a high peak in the Central Range (= Cordillera Central), in northwestern Dominican Republic. Moreover, two fossil taxa from this island are retained as junior synonyms of Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay, 1988†.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xiv. Hottentotta Somalicus Sp. N. (Buthidae) From Somalia, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Hottentotta somalicus sp. n. from Somalia is described and fully complemented with color photos. Morphologically it is similar to H. polystictus (Pocock, 1896). These two species have very narrow metasomal segments (1.63–1.73 in both sexes versus 1.31–1.61 in both sexes of other Hottentotta species from the Horn of Africa). H. polystictus and H. somalicus sp. n. occur in separate areas (Somaliland versus Somalia) and can be differentiated by color.

Revision Of The Mesobuthus Caucasicus Complex From Central Asia, With Descriptions Of Six New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victor Fet, František Kovařík, Benjamin Gantenbein, Ronald C. Kaiser, Alexander K. Stewart, Matthew R. Graham

Euscorpius

A widespread Mesobuthus caucasicus complex, which includes some of the most common scorpions found from the Caucasus to China, is revised for the first time based on new extensive collections from Central Asia, using both morphological and DNA marker data. Mesobuthus caucasicus (Nordmann, 1840), s.str. is restricted to the Caucasus Mts. Four taxa are elevated to species rank: M. fuscus (Birula, 1897) (Tajikistan), M. intermedius (Birula, 1897) (Tajikistan), M. kaznakovi (Birula, 1904) (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), and M. parthorum (Pocock, 1889) (Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan). Six new species are described: M. brutus sp. n. (Iran), M. elenae sp. n. (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), M. gorelovi …