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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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Articles 841 - 870 of 1529

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigating The Feasibility Of A Passive Tracking Index For Monitoring Wildlife In The Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, Richard M. Engeman, Paul Evangilista Oct 2006

Investigating The Feasibility Of A Passive Tracking Index For Monitoring Wildlife In The Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, Richard M. Engeman, Paul Evangilista

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In many places in Africa, constraints in human, financial and physical resources are common problems that limit the effectiveness of wildlife researchers and managers. In an attempt to identify a useful tool for monitoring African wildlife populations, we tested a passive tracking index (PTI) methodology on a unique wildlife resource area in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia. The methodology had previously proved valuable for monitoring a wide variety of wildlife species, including ungulates and carnivores in North America and Australia. Two ungulates (lesser kudu and dikdik), a carnivore (hyena), a primate (baboon), and a ground foraging bird (guineafowl) were simultaneously …

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Green And Blue Lasers Are Ineffectivefor Dispersing Deer At Night, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Jason M. Gilsdorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Paul B. Fioranelli, John A. Wilson, Scott Barras Sep 2006

Green And Blue Lasers Are Ineffectivefor Dispersing Deer At Night, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Jason M. Gilsdorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Paul B. Fioranelli, John A. Wilson, Scott Barras

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over-abundant populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) create agriculturaland human health and safety issues. The increased economic damage associated with locally overabundant deer populations accentuates the need for efficient techniques to mitigate the losses. Although red lasers can be an efficient tool for reducing damage caused by birds, they are not effective for deer because deer cannot detect wavelengths in the red portion of the spectrum. No research has been conducted to determine if lasers of lower wavelengths could function as frightening devices for deer. We evaluated agreen laser (534nm, 120mW)and 2 models of blue lasers (473nm, 5 mW and …

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Predation On A Northern Curlytail Lizard By A Loggerhead Shrike, Henry T. Smith, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Richard M. Engeman Sep 2006

Predation On A Northern Curlytail Lizard By A Loggerhead Shrike, Henry T. Smith, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Leiocephalus carinatus armouri is a well established, introduced, exotic species in Florida (Meshaka et al. 2004. The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida, Krieger Publishing Co., Malabar, FL. 155 pp.; Smith and Engeman 2004a. Florida Field Nat. 32:107-113; Meshaka et al. 2005. Southeastern Nat. 4:521-526); however, very few vertebrate predators of this species have been documented within its introduced range (Smith and Engeman 2003. Herpetol. Rev. 34:245- 246; Smith and Engeman 2004a. op cit.; Smith and Engeman 2004b. Herpetol. Rev. 35:169-170; Dean et al. 2005. Herpetol. Rev. 36:451). Only two avian species in Florida have so far been recorded, the …

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Fences And Deer-Damage Management: A Review Of Designs And Efficacy, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott Hygnstrom Aug 2006

Fences And Deer-Damage Management: A Review Of Designs And Efficacy, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) may cause more damage than any other species of wildlife. These damages include crop loss, automobile and aviation collisions, disease transmission, environmental degradation, and destruction of ornamental plantings. One practical method of controlling deer damage is the use of exclusionary fences. The relatively high cost of labor and materials required to build effective fences has limited most applications to the protection of orchards, vegetable farms, other high-value resources, and mitigation of human health and safety risks. Improvements in fence technology resulting in less expensive, yet effective fences have expanded the use of fences to manage damage …

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Blackbird Use And Damage Of Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots: The Second Year, Jonathan M. Raetzman, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Aug 2006

Blackbird Use And Damage Of Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots: The Second Year, Jonathan M. Raetzman, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Annual blackbird damage to sunflower is valued at $5 to $10 million. Perhaps more importantly, the National Sunflower Association has identified blackbirds as the key reason for growers to abandon sunflower in areas of prime production. North Dakota and South Dakota together produce approximately 70% of sunflower grown in the United States. This crop adds $906 million to the regional economy. To date, cost effective and environmentally safe methods to reduce bird damage to sunflower remain elusive. In the 1980’s, scientists from the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) showed that “decoy” sunflower plots can greatly reduce bird damage to local …

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A Shocking Device For Protection Of Concentrated Food Sources From Black Bears, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Peggy Callahan Aug 2006

A Shocking Device For Protection Of Concentrated Food Sources From Black Bears, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Peggy Callahan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Conflicts with American black bears (Ursus americanus) are increasing in rural and suburban areas throughout the United States. Human encroachment on bear range has increased availability of garbage, bird feeders, beehives, and other food sources. Preventing bears from attaining food from anthropogenic sources could mitigate these conflicts. We tested a new shocking mechanism that is being marketed to deter black bears from attaining food from clumped anthropogenic food sources. The Nuisance Bear Controller (NBC) has two 6-volt batteries wired to an automobile vibrator coil/condenser that emits 10,000–13,000 volts through a disk that triggers the device. Activation of the NBC only …

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Avian Influenza In Wild Birds: Status As Reservoirs, And Risks To Humans And Agriculture , Larry Clark, Jeffrey Hall Aug 2006

Avian Influenza In Wild Birds: Status As Reservoirs, And Risks To Humans And Agriculture , Larry Clark, Jeffrey Hall

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Influenza A viruses are naturally reservoired in wild bird populations, in which they generally exist as low-pathogenic subtypes. Historically, concern about avian influenza virus (AIV) in wild birds is related to its potential effects on agriculture and human health, and not to health issues of wild bird populations. Several subtypes (primarily H5 and H7) have caused severe outbreaks of disease in domestic bird populations. In some cases, genetic and spatial temporal analyses suggest that these high-pathogenic subtypes may originate in wild bird populations that transmit low-pathogenic forms to domestic birds; after passage in domestic birds, the low-pathogenic subtypes convert to …

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Landscape Use And Movements Of Wolves In Relation To Livestock In A Wildland–Agriculture Matrix, Andreas S. Chavez, Eric M. Gese Aug 2006

Landscape Use And Movements Of Wolves In Relation To Livestock In A Wildland–Agriculture Matrix, Andreas S. Chavez, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wolves (Canis lupus) have expanded their distribution into areas of the midwest United States that have not had wolves for several decades. With recolonization of wolves into agricultural areas, there is increasing concern of wolf–livestock conflicts. To assess the risk wolves may pose to livestock, we initiated a 3-year study investigating the activity patterns, movements, habitat use, visitation to livestock pastures by wolves, and the occurrence of depredation events in an agricultural–wildland matrix in northwestern Minnesota, USA. From June 1997 to November 1999, we captured 23 wolves, including pups, from 3 packs; we radio-collared 16 of these wolves. …

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Limitations Of Receiver/Data Loggers For Monitoring Radiocollared Animals, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Jean Bourassa Aug 2006

Limitations Of Receiver/Data Loggers For Monitoring Radiocollared Animals, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Jean Bourassa

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We evaluated the effectiveness of receiver/data loggers for monitoring the presence/absence of radiocollared animals in discrete areas. Our primary objective was to determine how variation in transmitter signal strength affected the size of area being monitored. This information will help researchers better manage the uncertainty related to determining an animal’s location relative to a discrete boundary. We used an adjustable attenuator to measure signal strength to determine the minimum number of decibels (dB) required to eliminate detection of a radio signal by receiver/data loggers. We quantified how dB varied depending upon orientation of the transmitter on the animal and distance …

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Information Content Of Coyote Barks Howls, Brian R. Mitchell, Maja M. Makagon, Michael M. Jaeger, Reginald H. Barrett Aug 2006

Information Content Of Coyote Barks Howls, Brian R. Mitchell, Maja M. Makagon, Michael M. Jaeger, Reginald H. Barrett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The information content of coyote (Canis latrans) vocalizations is poorly understood, but has important implications for understanding coyote behavior. Coyotes probably use information present in barks or howls to recognize individuals, but the presence of individually-specific information has not bean demonstrated. We found that coyote barks and howls contained individually specific characteristics: discriminant analysis correctly classified barks of five coyotes 69% of the time and howls of six coyotes 83% of the time. We also investigated the stability of vocalization characteristics at multiple distances from the source. Recordings were played back and re-recorded at 10 m, 600m, and …

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Susceptibility Of Greater Sage-Grouse To Experimental Infection With West Nile Virus, Larry Clark, Jeffrey Hall, Robert Mclean, Michael Dunbar, Kaci Klenk, Richard Bowen, Cynthia A. Smeraski Aug 2006

Susceptibility Of Greater Sage-Grouse To Experimental Infection With West Nile Virus, Larry Clark, Jeffrey Hall, Robert Mclean, Michael Dunbar, Kaci Klenk, Richard Bowen, Cynthia A. Smeraski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Populations of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have declined 45– 80% in North America since 1950. Although much of this decline has been attributed to habitat loss, recent field studies have indicated that West Nile virus (WNV) has had a significant negative impact on local populations of grouse. We confirm the susceptibility of greater sage-grouse to WNV infection in laboratory experimental studies. Grouse were challenged by subcutaneous injection of WNV (103.2 plaque-forming units [PFUs]). All grouse died within 6 days of infection. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 50% survival was 4.5 days. Mean peak viremia for nonvaccinated birds was 106.4 PFUs/ml (6100.2 …

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Baylisascaris Procyonis (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea) In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) From Duval County, Texas, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell, Scott E. Henke Aug 2006

Baylisascaris Procyonis (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea) In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) From Duval County, Texas, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell, Scott E. Henke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Baylisascaris procyonis, or the raccoon roundworm, primarily utilizes the raccoon as its definitive host, and has been found in >90 species of North American animal intermediate hosts (mostly birds, lagomorphs, and rodents) (Kazacos 2001). In non-raccoon hosts, including humans, larvae of this parasitic nematode can cause severe neurological disease (cerebrospinal nematodiasis) and often damage visceral and ocular tissues (Kazacos 2001). Formerly, B. procyonis was not thought to occur in Texas (Chandler 1942; Schaffer et al. 1981). However, it was recently discovered in raccoons occurring in moist environments of coastal areas (Kerr et al. 1997) and in eastern portions of …

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A Simulation Model For Determining Cost-Effectiveness Of Fences For Reducing Deer Damage, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott E. Hygnstrom Aug 2006

A Simulation Model For Determining Cost-Effectiveness Of Fences For Reducing Deer Damage, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The installation of fences to protect agricultural products, natural resources, or other areas from deer (Odocoileus spp.) can be expensive and potential benefits of fencing are difficult to quantify. A rational method is needed to help evaluate whether fencing can be cost-effective and which fence designs will be optimal for particular applications. We describe an interactive, dynamic simulation model that conducts economic analyses and predicts economic benefit associated with fences for crops relative to area and perimeter of protected plot, value of crop, percentage of crop damaged by deer annually prior to fencing, efficacy of fence, and costs of fence …

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Using A General Indexing Paradigm To Monitor Rodent Populations, Richard M. Engeman, Desley Whisson Jul 2006

Using A General Indexing Paradigm To Monitor Rodent Populations, Richard M. Engeman, Desley Whisson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Population monitoring is a valuable component to managing invasive rodent populations. Indices can be efficient methods for monitoring rodent populations, as more labor-intensive density estimation procedures often are impractical or invalid to apply. Many monitoring objectives can be couched in an indexing framework. Indexing procedures obtain maximal utility if they exhibit key characteristics, including being practical to apply, being sensitive to population changes or differences in the target species, having an inherent variance formula to estimate precision of index values, and relying on as few assumptions as possible. Here, a general indexing paradigm that promotes the characteristics that make indices …

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Interspecies Comparison Of Pentosidine Accumulation And Its Correlation With Age In Birds, Jesse A. Fallon, Robert L. Cochrane, Brian Dorr, Hillar Klandorf Jul 2006

Interspecies Comparison Of Pentosidine Accumulation And Its Correlation With Age In Birds, Jesse A. Fallon, Robert L. Cochrane, Brian Dorr, Hillar Klandorf

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent studies suggest that a linear correlation exists between the age of individual birds and accumulation of the advanced glycation endproduct pentosidine (Ps). We compared Ps accumulation in skin tissue of Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). Skin samples were taken from the breasts of 52 Ruffed Grouse of known ages ranging from a few days to 10 years. Skin was cleaned of feathers and adipose tissue, acid hydrolyzed, and measured for collagen content via hydroxyproline spectrophotometric assay. Pentosidine concentrations were determined using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Fluorescent detection (excitation: 310 nm, emission: …

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Effectiveness Of A Motion-Activated Laser Hazing System For Repelling Captive Canada Geese, Scott J. Werner, Larry Clark Jul 2006

Effectiveness Of A Motion-Activated Laser Hazing System For Repelling Captive Canada Geese, Scott J. Werner, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Effective management techniques are needed to disperse Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and reduce the human–wildlife conflicts associated with high population densities. We evaluated the effectiveness of a motion-activated laser hazing system for repelling captive Canada geese. The system decreased occupancy of 8 pairs of geese on the treated subplot by 83% during habituation trials. When an additional pair of geese were added to the experiment, occupancy of the treated subplot decreased .92% during each of the 20 nights of the extended habituation test. Avoidance (conditioned during the test) remained ,80% of pretreatment levels during the 2 days immediately following the …

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The National Wildlife Research Center Research Update Jul 2006

The National Wildlife Research Center Research Update

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive Species
Aviary Construction at NWRC Sandusky, Ohio, Field Station
Grasses May Help Reduce Wildlife Strike Threats to Aviation
Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Efforts
Thesis on Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots Defended
Dissertation on Coyote Space Use Defended
Chemical Repellents and Barriers
Genetic Markers for Mountain Beaver Studies
Coyote Lure Operative Devices Tracked
NWRC Supports VS Program at Plum Island Animal Disease Center
Wildlife Services Scientists Travel to Asia to Assist with Avian Influenza
Population Studies
Rodent Management
International Meetings and Conferences

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Invasive Predators: A Synthesis Of The Past, Present, And Future, William C. Pitt, Gary W. Witmer Jul 2006

Invasive Predators: A Synthesis Of The Past, Present, And Future, William C. Pitt, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive predators have had devastating effects on species around the world and their effects are increasing. Successful invasive predators typically have a high reproductive rate, short generation times, a generalized diet, and are small or secretive. However, the probability of a successful invasion is also dependent on the qualities of the ecosystem invaded. Ecosystems with a limited assemblage of native species are the most susceptible to invasion provided that habitat and climate are favorable. In addition, the number of invasion opportunities for a species increases the likelihood that the species will successfully establish. The list of routes of entry or …

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Prevalence Of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Rock Pigeons Captured In Fort Collins, Colorado, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark, William F. Andelt, M.D. Salman Jun 2006

Prevalence Of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Rock Pigeons Captured In Fort Collins, Colorado, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark, William F. Andelt, M.D. Salman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The potential role of rock pigeons (Columba livia) in the epidemiology of shiga toxin– producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella enterica is unclear. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of STEC and S. enterica in pigeons at urban and dairy settings as a function of season. Prevalence of STEC and S. enterica was estimated by bacteriologic culture of cloacal swabs collected from pigeons trapped at urban and dairy locations in and around Fort Collins, Colorado from January to November 2003. Presumptive E. coli isolates were tested for the presence of virulence genes SLT-1, SLT-2, eae, hlyA …

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Modelling Wildlife Rabies: Transmission, Economics, And Conservation, Ray T. Sterner, Graham C. Smith Jun 2006

Modelling Wildlife Rabies: Transmission, Economics, And Conservation, Ray T. Sterner, Graham C. Smith

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease of mammals; it exacerbates the uncertainty of conserving populations of some threatened mammals (TM). Modeling affords an inexpensive, a priori way of studying key parameters of wildlife rabies transmission, rabies management economics, and TM conservation. Numerous models of rabies transmission have been published. Linear density dependent models predicted that a threshold density (KT 6 1.0), possibly attained by culling or contraception, would eliminate an epizootic through reduced contacts among host animals. Density independent models predicted less advantage of culling and contraception in rabies control due to limited contacts among territorial host animals. Recent stochastic, …

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A Test Of Targeted And Passive Capture Of Australian Elapids With A Brown Tree Snake Trap, Ian D. Temby, Richard M. Engeman Jun 2006

A Test Of Targeted And Passive Capture Of Australian Elapids With A Brown Tree Snake Trap, Ian D. Temby, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

All reptiles in Australia receive statutory protection. However, Australia is home to many of the world’s most highly toxic venomous snakes, and when these snakes, or similar-looking snakes, come into human proximity, conservation issues are routinely disregarded and the snakes are killed. A secure and effective snake trap could allow dangerously venomous snakes to be removed from the vicinities of humans in safety (for both humans and snake). Towards this end, we conducted a demonstration trial to see if the trap widely used on Guam to capture brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) could be applied in a suburban …

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The Role Of Chromatic And Achromatic Signals For Fruit Detection By Birds, H. Martin Schaefer, Douglas J. Levey, Veronica Shaefer, Michael L. Avery Jun 2006

The Role Of Chromatic And Achromatic Signals For Fruit Detection By Birds, H. Martin Schaefer, Douglas J. Levey, Veronica Shaefer, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fruit color changes during ripening are typically viewed as an adaptation to increase signal efficacy to seed dispersers. Plants can increase signal efficacy by enhancing chromatic (wavelength related) and/or achromatic (intensity related) contrasts between fruit and background. To assess how these contrasts determine the detectability of fruit signals, we conducted 2 experiments with free-flying crows (Corvus ossifragus) under semi-natural conditions in a 2025 m2 aviary. Crows searched first for artificial red and black fruits and detected red fruits from a larger distance. Because artificial red fruits had higher chromatic and lower achromatic contrasts against foliage than artificial black …

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Impact On Predation Of Sea Turtle Nests When Predator Control Was Removed Midway Through The Nesting Season, Richard M. Engeman, R. Erik Martin, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, Carrie K. Crady, Bernice Constantin, Margo Stahl, N. Paige Groninger May 2006

Impact On Predation Of Sea Turtle Nests When Predator Control Was Removed Midway Through The Nesting Season, Richard M. Engeman, R. Erik Martin, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, Carrie K. Crady, Bernice Constantin, Margo Stahl, N. Paige Groninger

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The beach at Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge (HSNWR) is a high-density nesting beach serving three species of threatened and endangered sea turtles. Historically, up to 95% of turtle nests at HSNWR were lost to predation by raccoons and armadillos. Consequently, predator control was identified as the most important conservation tool at HSNWR, and predator control optimized by predator monitoring led to highly successful results whereby predation had been reduced to low levels (7–13.5% of monitored nests) in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, funding shortfalls caused predator control to be curtailed with ~1.5–2 months remaining in the nesting/hatching season. We …

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Evaluation Of Registered Pesticides As Repellents For Reducing Blackbird (Icteridae) Damage To Sunflower, G. M. Linz, H.J. Homan, A.A. Slowik, L.B. Penry May 2006

Evaluation Of Registered Pesticides As Repellents For Reducing Blackbird (Icteridae) Damage To Sunflower, G. M. Linz, H.J. Homan, A.A. Slowik, L.B. Penry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chemical feeding repellents applied to ripening sunflower might help reduce blackbird (Icteridae) damage, which is a chronic agricultural problem from seed formation to harvest. However, costs are high to develop and register new repellents for agricultural use. In 2003 and 2004, we evaluated feeding repellency of 8 pesticides registered by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in sunflower. Caged red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were fed unshelled sunflower seeds treated with the following pesticides: 5 pyrethroid insecticides, an organochlorine, an organophosphorus, and a fungicide. Compared to untreated reference groups, feeding rates were reduced for 4 of the 5 pyrethroid …

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Prevalence Of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Rock Pigeons Captured In Fort Collins, Colorado, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark, William F. Andelt, M.D. Salman Apr 2006

Prevalence Of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Rock Pigeons Captured In Fort Collins, Colorado, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark, William F. Andelt, M.D. Salman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The potential role of rock pigeons (Columba livia) in the epidemiology of shiga toxin– producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella enterica is unclear. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of STEC and S. enterica in pigeons at urban and dairy settings as a function of season. Prevalence of STEC and S. enterica was estimated by bacteriologic culture of cloacal swabs collected from pigeons trapped at urban and dairy locations in and around Fort Collins, Colorado from January to November 2003. Presumptive E. coli isolates were tested for the presence of virulence genes SLT-1, SLT-2, eae, hlyA …

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Evaluation Of Electrobraide Fencing As A White-Tailed Deer Barrier, Thomas W. Seamans, Kurt C. Vercauteren Apr 2006

Evaluation Of Electrobraide Fencing As A White-Tailed Deer Barrier, Thomas W. Seamans, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations continue to increase, resulting in direct threats to public safety and increased agricultural losses. A variety of fencing methods are used to reduce deer presence at airports and agricultural areas. Electric fences may offer a less expensive alternative to expensive woven-wire fences. We tested an electric fence product, ElectroBraideTM (Yarmouth, N.S., Canada), on free-ranging deer in northern Ohio. We conducted both 1- and 2-choice tests, measuring deer intrusions and corn consumption at 10 sites encompassed with charged, non-charged or no fence. Mean daily deer intrusions decreased in each test when the fence …

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Microsatellite Variation Of Double-Crested Cormorant Populations In Eastern North America, M. Clay Green, Juliann L. Waits, Michael L. Avery, Mark E. Tobin, Paul L. Leberg Apr 2006

Microsatellite Variation Of Double-Crested Cormorant Populations In Eastern North America, M. Clay Green, Juliann L. Waits, Michael L. Avery, Mark E. Tobin, Paul L. Leberg

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) exhibit highly adaptive and opportunistic foraging behavior. This flexibility in foraging and increases in population size have led to conflicts with aquaculture and recreational and commercial fishing (Duffy 1995). Although double-crested cormorants roosting in the lower Mississippi Valley appear to have minimal negative impact on sport fisheries, they may have a significant impact on commercial aquaculture production in this region (Glahn and Brugger 1995, Glahn et al. 1998). In 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the Final Environmental Impact Statement on double-crested cormorant management allowing more flexibility in control of these birds …

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Some Significant Wildlife Strikes To Civil Aircraft In The United States, January 2005 –March 2006, Sandra E. Wright, Richard A. Dolbeer Apr 2006

Some Significant Wildlife Strikes To Civil Aircraft In The United States, January 2005 –March 2006, Sandra E. Wright, Richard A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through an interagency agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration, compiles a database of all reported wildlife strikes to U.S. civil aircraft and to foreign carriers experiencing strikes in the USA. We have compiled over 66,000 strike reports from 1,565 airports, 1990-December 2005 (over 7,100 strikes in 2005), but estimate that this represents only about 20% of the strikes that have occurred. The following examples from the database since January 2005 are presented to show the serious impacts that strikes by birds or other wildlife can have on aircraft. These examples, from throughout the USA, demonstrate …

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West Nile Virus In North American Birds, Robert G. Mclean Apr 2006

West Nile Virus In North American Birds, Robert G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Following the introduction of West Nile virus (WNV) into the United States, in New York City in 1999, from its historical range in the eastern hemisphere, this mosquito-borne virus caused an intense outbreak in local bird populations and a small epidemic in the associated human population. West Nile virus became established in this focal area, and in 2000 it spread north and south from there during the summer transmission season. The virus continued to expand during the next six years, ultimately affecting all the continental states and most of North America. The strain of WNV introduced was uncharacteristically virulent as …

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Multiple Breeding Strategies In The Swift Fox, Vulpes Velox, Ann M. Kitchen, Eric M. Gese, Lisette P. Waits, Seija M. Karki, Edward R. Schauster Mar 2006

Multiple Breeding Strategies In The Swift Fox, Vulpes Velox, Ann M. Kitchen, Eric M. Gese, Lisette P. Waits, Seija M. Karki, Edward R. Schauster

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Little is known of the mating system of the swift fox or how it compares to other socially monogamous mammals. In a 4-year study of 188 swift foxes, we used microsatellite analysis at 11 loci along with spatial observations to investigate swift fox mating strategies. The mating strategies used by swift foxes were highly diverse. Previous field observations have indicated that the swift fox is socially monogamous. However, we found that extrapair mating was a common breeding strategy; 52% of offspring were sired by a male that was not the mate of their mother. There was also variation in the …

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