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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
USGS2017

Attributes of seasonal home range influence choice of migratory strategy in white-tailed deer

Partial migration is a common life-history strategy among ungulates living in seasonal environments. The decision to migrate or remain on a seasonal range may be influenced strongly by access to high-quality habitat. We evaluated the influence of access to winter habitat of high quality on the probability of a female white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) migrating to a separate summer range and the effects of this decision on survival. We hypothesized that deer with home ranges of low quality in winter would have a high probability of migrating, and that survival of an individual in winter would be influenced by the quality of their home range in winter. We radiocollared 67 female white-tailed deer in 2012 and 2013 in eastern Washington, United States. We estimated home range size in winter using a kernel density estimator; we assumed the size of the home range was inversely proportional to its quality and the proportion of crop land within the home range was proportional to its quality. Odds of migrating from winter ranges increased by 3.1 per unit increase in home range size and decreased by 0.29 per unit increase in the proportion of crop land within a home range. Annual survival rate for migrants was 0.85 ( SD = 0.05) and 0.84 ( SD = 0.09) for residents. Our finding that an individual with a low-quality home range in winter is likely to migrate to a separate summer range accords with the hypothesis that competition for a limited amount of home ranges of high quality should result in residents having home ranges of higher quality than migrants in populations experiencing density dependence. We hypothesize that density-dependent competition for high-quality home ranges in winter may play a leading role in the selection of migration strategy by female white-tailed deer.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2018

Den phenology and reproductive success of polar bears in a changing climate

Synchrony between reproduction and food availability is important in mammals due to the high energetic costs of gestation and lactation. Female polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) must accumulate sufficient energy reserves during spring through autumn to produce and nurse cubs during the winter months in snow dens. Adequate time in a den is important to optimize cub development for withstanding harsh Arctic spring conditions and to synchronize emergence with peak prey availability, which occurs in May and June. During 1985–2013, den phenology was investigated using temperature data collected on satellite collars deployed on adult female polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) and Chukchi Sea (CS). We examined relationships between den phenology, reproductive success (cub production and post-emergence survival), and environmental factors (weather and sea-ice conditions). Females observed with cubs emerged later and remained in dens on average 15.0 ± 7.6 ( SE ) days longer than females seen without cubs. Females occupying land-based dens, where estimated snowfall was greater, had higher reproductive success. Recently, female polar bears have increased land-based denning in the SB. Females in CS emerged later from dens than SB females, consistent with better female body condition and higher cub survival in the CS. During years with a greater area of autumn sea ice, reproductive success was higher at land-based versus sea-ice dens, suggesting continued decline in sea ice could negatively affect recruitment. However, further research is needed to better understand mechanistic relationships. Because females emerging later from dens had higher reproductive success, den duration could be a useful metric in population monitoring.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2018

Skeletal injuries in small mammals: a multispecies assessment of prevalence and location

Wild mammals are known to survive injuries that result in skeletal abnormalities. Quantifying and comparing skeletal injuries among species can provide insight into the factors that cause skeletal injuries and enable survival following an injury. We documented the prevalence and location of structural bone abnormalities in a community of 7 small mammal species inhabiting the White Mountains of New Hampshire. These species differ in locomotion type and levels of intraspecific aggression. Overall, the majority of injuries were to the ribs or caudal vertebrae. Incidence of skeletal injuries was highest in older animals, indicating that injuries accumulate over a lifetime. Compared to species with ambulatory locomotion, those with more specialized (semi-fossorial, saltatorial, and scansorial) locomotion exhibited fewer skeletal abnormalities in the arms and legs, which we hypothesize is a result of a lesser ability to survive limb injuries. Patterns of skeletal injuries in shrews (Soricidae) were consistent with intraspecific aggression, particularly in males, whereas skeletal injuries in rodents (Rodentia) were more likely accidental or resulting from interactions with predators. Our results demonstrate that both the incidence and pattern of skeletal injuries vary by species and suggest that the ability of an individual to survive a specific skeletal injury depends on its severity and location as well as the locomotor mode of the species involved.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2018

Movement behavior preceding autumn mortality for white-tailed deer in central New York

A common yet largely untested assumption in the theory of animal movements is that increased rates and a wider range of movements, such as occurs during breeding, make animals more vulnerable to mortality. We examined mortality among 34 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) wearing GPS collars during the autumn breeding season of 2006 and 2007 in a heavily hunted, forest-agricultural landscape of central New York state. We evaluated whether individuals having higher rates of movement incurred higher rates of mortality and whether mortality risk was higher when deer were in less familiar areas. We used a Cox proportional hazards model to analyze how mortality risk changes with movement rates measured over 3 time periods: < 1 day, up to 2 weeks prior to death, and 3–4 weeks prior to death. Overall, deer increased their movement rates as autumn progressed, males more so than females. However, deer that died moved at a slower rate relative to surviving deer up to 2 weeks prior to death (ß = -2.22 ± 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.91 to -0.51) and a slower rate on their day of death compared to deer that survived (ß = -1.77 ± 0.73; 95% CI = -3.19 to -0.33). Site familiarity was not significantly related to mortality risk. Deer were equally likely to die within their 50% core use area as elsewhere within their autumn home range. We hypothesize that increased sociality associated with breeding may make animals more vulnerable to harvest mortality. Our findings contradict general assumptions about the influences of movement behavior on mortality risk, suggesting that patterns may be sensitive to the spatiotemporal context of the movement analysis.

New York↗
USGS2018

Importance of riparian forest corridors for the ocelot in agricultural landscapes

Worldwide, private lands have attracted increased attention from conservationists, not only because most of the globe is privately owned, but also because private lands can be an asset to the protected area conservation strategy. In Brazil, the riverine Areas of Permanent Protection (APPs) is a key instrument of the Forest Code to protect native vegetation on private lands. Although APPs were conceived to function as potential wildlife corridors, this putative role has been rarely assessed. Further, recent debatable changes in the Forest Code have decreased the extent of APPs. Given this lack of information and the declining area being protected along with the growing demand for agricultural and biofuel production, which stimulate additional deforestation, it is timely to assess the role of APPs in wildlife conservation. We did this analyzing how ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) occurrence is influenced by covariates in 3 cerrado landscapes dominated by sugarcane and managed forests of eucalyptus and pine trees. We collected detection/non-detection data by camera trapping during 2 dry seasons (2013 and 2014) at 208 stations (6606 camera-days). We estimated ocelot detection and mean relative abundance using a single-species/single-season occupancy model that accounts for heterogeneous detection probability induced by variation in abundance. Modeling results showed that percentage of native forest was the most important covariate to explain ocelot mean relative abundance. This parameter was also affected positively by APPs, with ocelots being more abundant inside than outside APPs and, unexpectedly, by sugarcane. Given study design, however, the positive effect of this crop likely reflects the contact zone between sugarcane and native forest. Our findings show that landscape composition affects ocelot abundance and highlight the importance of APPs and Legal Reserves in agricultural landscapes. We conclude that, in such landscapes, compliance to the Forest Code by private land owners is key to supporting ocelot occurrence.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2019

Population estimates of Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico: An analytical framework for aerial surveys using multi-pass removal sampling

Effective management of the threatened Antillean manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus ) in Puerto Rico requires reliable estimates of population size. Estimates are needed to assess population responses to management actions, and whether recovery objectives have been met. Aerial surveys have been conducted since 1976, but none adjusted for imperfect detection. We summarize surveys since 1976, report on current distribution, and provide population estimates after accounting for apparent detection probability for surveys between June 2010 and March 2014. Estimates in areas of high concentration (hotspots) averaged 317 ± 101, three times higher than unadjusted counts (104 ± 0.56). Adjusted estimates in three areas outside hotspots also differed markedly from counts (75 ± 9.89 versus 19.5 ± 3.5). Average minimum island-wide estimate was 386 ± 89, similar to the maximum estimate of 360 suggested in 2005, but fewer than the 700 recently suggested by the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center. Manatees were more widespread than previously understood. Improving estimates, locally or island-wide, will require stratifying the island differently and greater knowledge about factors affecting detection probability. Sharing our protocol with partners in nearby islands (e.g., Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola), whose populations share genetic make-up, would contribute to enhanced regional conservation through better population estimates and tracking range expansion.

Puerto Rico↗
USGS2019

See how they ran: Morphological and functional aspects of skeletons from ancient Egyptian shrew mummies (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae: Crocidurinae)

Animals served important roles in the religious cults that proliferated during the Late (ca. 747–332 BCE) and Greco-Roman periods (332 BCE–CE 337) of ancient Egypt. One result was the interment of animal mummies in specialized necropolises distributed throughout the country. Excavation of a rock-tomb that was re-used during the Ptolemaic Period (ca. 309–30 BCE) for the interment of animal mummies at the Djehuty Site (TT 11-12) near Luxor, Egypt, was carried out in early 2018 by a Spanish-Egyptian team sponsored by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid. The tomb burned sometime after deposition of the mummies, leaving behind abundant disassociated skeletal remains, primarily of avians, but also including two species of shrews (Soricidae): Crocidura olivieri (Lesson, 1827) and C. religiosa (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826). To investigate possible intraspecific variation in morphology and locomotor function in these two species during the last two millennia, we measured morphological features of individual postcranial bones from the two archaeological samples and calculated indices that have been used to assess locomotor function. We compared the measurements to those from modern C. olivieri , C. religiosa , and C. suaveolens (Pallas, 1811) using principal components analysis, and we compared locomotor indices to those we calculated for the three modern species of Crocidura and to those from nine species of myosoricine shrews. Osteological features of the postcranial skeleton of conspecific Ptolemaic and modern samples of C. olivieri and C. religiosa are generally similar in character and proportion, and, skeletally, these shrews and modern C. suaveolens are consistent with soricids having a primarily ambulatory locomotor mode. One exception is the deltopectoral crest of the humerus, which appears to be longer in modern C. religiosa. Despite general conservation of form and function, Ptolemaic C. olivieri had larger body size than modern Egyptian populations and were more similar in size to modern C. olivieri nyansae , 1900 from Kenya than to modern C. olivieri olivieri from Egypt.

Luxor↗
USGS2019

Comparative functional skeletal morphology among three genera of shrews: Implications for the evolution of locomotor behavior in the Soricinae (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)

The clade comprising the soricid tribes Blarinellini ( Blarinella ) and Blarinini ( Blarina and Cryptotis ) is notable within the Soricidae (Eulipotyphla) for the large proportion of reportedly semifossorial species. To better define locomotor modes among species in these two tribes, we quantified purported locomotor adaptations by calculating 23 functional indices from postcranial measurements obtained from museum specimens of Blarina and Blarinella and published measurements for 16 species of Cryptotis . We then analyzed relative ambulatory–fossorial function of each species using principal component analyses and mean percentile rank (MPR) analysis of the indices. Species within the Blarinellini–Blarinini clade exhibit a graded series of morphologies with four primary functional groupings that we classified as “ambulatory,” “intermediate,” “semifossorial,” and “fossorial.” To obtain a preliminary overview of evolution of locomotor modes in this group, we mapped MPRs on a composite phylogeny and examined the resulting patterns. That analysis revealed that the most recent common ancestor of the Blarinellini–Blarinini clade most likely had an intermediate or semifossorial locomotor morphology. Individual subclades subsequently evolved either more ambulatory or more fossorial morphologies. Hence, evolution of locomotor traits within this clade is complex. Multiple shifts in locomotor mode likely occurred, and no single directional tendency is apparent either among the major modes or in levels of complexity.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2019

Traveling to thermal refuges during stressful temperatures leads to foraging constraints in a central-place forager

Central-place foragers can be constrained by the distance between habitats. When an organism relies on a central place for thermal refuge, the distance to food resources can potentially constrain foraging behavior. We investigated the effect of distance between thermal refuges and forage patches of the cold-intolerant marine mammal, the Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris ), on foraging duration. We tested the alternative hypotheses of time minimization and energy maximization as a response to distance between habitats. We also determined if manatees mitigate foraging constraints with increased visits to closer thermal refuges. We used hidden Markov models to assign discrete behaviors from movement parameters as a function of water temperature and assessed the influence of distance on foraging duration in water temperatures above (> 20°C) and below (≤ 20°C) the lower critical limit of the thermoneutral zone of manatees. We found that with increased distance, manatees decreased foraging duration in cold water temperature and increased foraging duration in warmer temperatures. We also found that manatees returned to closer thermal refuges more often. Our results suggest that the spatial relationship of thermal and forage habitats can impact behavioral decisions regarding foraging. Addressing foraging behavior questions while considering thermoregulatory behavior implicates the importance of understanding changing environments on animal behavior, particularly in the face of current global change.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2005

Unraveling the effects of sex and dispersal: Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens) conservation genetics

The Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens) is federally listed as endangered and is found in only a small number of caves in eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. Previous studies suggested site fidelity of females to maternity caves; however, males are solitary most of the year, and thus specific information on their behavior and roosting patterns is lacking. Population genetic variation often provides the necessary data to make inferences about gene flow or mating behavior within that population. We used 2 types of molecular data: DNA sequences from the mitochondrial D loop and alleles at 5 microsatellite loci. Approximately 5% of the population, 24 males and 39 females (63 individuals), were sampled. No significant differentiation between 5 sites was present in nuclear microsatellite variation, but distribution of variation in maternally inherited markers differed among sites. This suggests limited dispersal of female Ozark big-eared bats and natal philopatry. Areas that experience local extinctions are unlikely to be recolonized by species that show strong site fidelity. These results provide a greater understanding of the population dynamics of Ozark big-eared bats and highlight the importance of cave protection relative to maintaining genetic integrity during recovery activities for this listed species. ?? 2005 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2006

Spatial organization of a reintroduced population of bobcats

The spacing patterns and mating systems of solitary carnivores have important implications for social behavior and for the survival and reproduction of individuals. Over 2 years, we reintroduced 32 (15 males and 17 females) bobcats (Lynx rufus) to a barrier island off the coast of Georgia and studied patterns of bobcat spatial distribution. Population density increased to 3.1 bobcats/10 km2. We found overlap of the home range for all females on the island increased during 1989-1991 such that, on average, each female shared a home-range area with the equivalent of >2 other females, and for core areas overlap was equivalent to sharing a core area with nearly 1 other female. Reproduction and home-range overlap were related inversely and food resources did not seem to be limiting. Our results were consistent with the land tenure concept in that the initial reintroduced bobcats established home ranges that changed little in size and location. However, bobcats resident on the island for ??? 1 year did not successfully exclude newcomers from their home ranges or core areas and no bobcats retained areas of exclusive use from conspecifics of the same sex. We suggest that the propensity of female bobcats to reproduce successfully may be related to their access to exclusive use areas even under conditions of adequate or good food availability. Under the conditions in this study (moderate bobcat density, adequate food availability, and limited dispersal) bobcats exhibited no evidence of an ability to exclude other adult individuals from their home ranges or core areas. ?? 2006 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2006

Temporal-spatial distribution of American bison (Bison bison) in a tallgrass prairie fire mosaic

Fire and bison (Bison bison) are thought to be historically responsible for shaping prairie vegetation in North America. Interactions between temporal-spatial distributions of bison and prescribed burning protocols are important in current restoration of tallgrass prairies. We examined dynamics of bison distribution in a patch-burned tallgrass prairie in the south-central United States relative to bison group size and composition, and burn age and temporal distribution. Bison formed larger mixed groups during summer and smaller sexually segregated groups the rest of the year, and bison selected dormant-season burn patches in the 1st posture growing season most often during spring and summer. Large bison herds selecting recently burned areas resulted in seasonally variable and concentrated grazing pressure that may substantially alter site-specific vegetation. These dynamics must be considered when reintroducing bison and fire into tallgrass prairie because variable outcomes of floral richness and structural complexity are likely depending on temporal-spatial distribution of bison. ?? 2006 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2006

Foraging patterns and prey selection in an increasing and expanding sea otter population

Focal observations of sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) foraging patterns and prey selection were collected in coastal Washington between 1993 and 1999. Records consisted of 13,847 individual dives from 841 feeding bouts ranging from 1 min to >4 h. Average dive time was 55 s ?? 0.9 SE and average surface time was 45 s ?? 2.3 SE, irrespective of dive success. At least 77% of all dives (n = 10,636) were successful prey captures (dives in low light or of undetermined success were excluded). Prey capture success was significantly lower for subadults (63% ?? 5 SE) than adults (82% ?? 1 SE; P < 0.001). Sea otters occupying the established population range on the outer coast of Washington fed heavily on bivalves (63%) and had a diverse diet consisting of several prey groups (n = 10). In contrast, sea otters occupying new habitat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca had a restricted diet dominated by >60% red urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus), with only 2 other prey species comprising >10% of their diet. Prey size and prey category were dominant predictor variables in generalized linear models of dive duration and postdive surface duration on successful dives. Significant increases in areal extent of surface canopy of giant kelp (Macrocystis integrifolia) and bull kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) were found both in the outer coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (0.4-0.5 km2 per year, P < 0.05) and suggest increasing suitable habitat for a growing population. The growth and expansion of a small and isolated sea otter population provides a unique opportunity to examine the relationship between dietary diversity and population status and explore similarities and differences between trophic paradigms established for sea otter populations at other localities. ?? 2006 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2006

Autumn migration and selection of rock crevices as hibernacula by big brown bats in Colorado

Movements, distribution, and roosting requirements of most species of temperate-zone bats in autumn are poorly understood. We conducted the 1st radiotelemetry study of autumn migrations and prehibernation roost selection of bats in western North America. Big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus, n = 55) in the Poudre River watershed, Colorado, moved from low-elevation summer ranges to high-elevation locations in autumn, where they roosted in rock crevices during the period leading up to winter hibernation. We characterized rock crevices used as roosts in autumn at these higher elevations at microhabitat and landscape scales. We used logistic regression combined with an information theoretic approach to determine which variables were most important in roost selection. At the microhabitat scale, autumn roosts were higher to the ground above and below the exit point and were in deeper crevices that had more constant temperatures than randomly selected crevices. At the landscape scale, aspect of the hillside was important, with autumn roosts typically facing north-northwest. Autumn roosts fell into 2 categories: those used for a few days (transient roosts) and those used for ≥7 days and presumed to be hibernacula. Temperature regimes in the presumed hibernacula appear to provide optimal conditions for use of winter torpor, whereas transient roosts may offer passive rewarming and energy savings for bats still active in early autumn. Elevational segregation of sexes also was documented in our region, with a preponderance of females found at lower elevations and males at higher elevations in summer. Sex ratios at higher elevations became even in autumn. Use of short elevational migrations and selection of hibernation sites in rock crevices may be a common overwintering strategy of insectivorous bats of western North America.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2007

Assessing small mammal abundance with track-tube indices and mark-recapture population estimates

We compared track-tube sampling with mark–recapture livetrapping and evaluated a track-tube index, defined as the number of track tubes with identifiable small mammal tracks during a 4-night period, as a predictor of small mammal abundance estimates in North Dakota grasslands. Meadow voles ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ) were the most commonly recorded species by both methods, but were underrepresented in track-tube sampling, whereas 13-lined ground squirrels ( Spermophilus tridecemlineatus ) and Franklin's ground squirrels ( S. franklinii ) were overrepresented in track-tube sampling. Estimates of average species richness were lower from track tubes than from livetrapping. Regression models revealed that the track-tube index was at best a moderately good predictor of small mammal population estimates because both the form (linear versus curvilinear) and slope of the relationship varied between years. In addition, 95% prediction intervals indicated low precision when predicting population estimates from new track-tube index observations. Track tubes required less time and expense than mark–recapture and eliminated handling of small mammals. Using track tubes along with mark–recapture in a double sampling for regression framework would have potential value when attempting to estimate abundance of small mammals over large areas.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2007

A proposed ethogram of large-carnivore predatory behavior, exemplified by the wolf

Although predatory behavior is traditionally described by a basic ethogram composed of 3 phases (search, pursue, and capture), behavioral studies of large terrestrial carnivores generally use the concept of a "hunt" to classify and measure foraging. This approach is problematic because there is no consensus on what behaviors constitute a hunt. We therefore examined how the basic ethogram could be used as a common framework for classifying large-carnivore behavior. We used >2,150 h of observed wolf (Canis lupus) behavior in Yellowstone National Park, including 517 and 134 encounters with elk (Cervus elaphus) and American bison (Bison bison), respectively, to demonstrate the functional importance of several frequently described, but rarely quantified, patterns of large-carnivore behavior not explicitly described by the basic ethogram (approaching, watching, and attacking groups). To account for these additionally important behaviors we propose a modified form of the basic ethogram (search, approach, watch, attack-group, attack-individual, and capture). We tested the applicability of this ethogram by comparing it to 31 previous classifications and descriptions involving 7 other species and 5 other wolf populations. Close correspondence among studies suggests that this ethogram may provide a generally useful scheme for classifying large-carnivore predatory behavior that is behaviorally less ambiguous than the concept of a hunt. ?? 2007 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2007

Defining space use and movements of Canada lynx with global positioning system telemetry

Space use and movements of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are difficult to study with very-high-frequency radiocollars. We deployed global positioning system (GPS) collars on 11 lynx in Minnesota to study their seasonal space-use patterns. We estimated home ranges with minimum-convex-polygon and fixed-kernel methods and estimated core areas with area/probability curves. Fixed-kernel home ranges of males (range = 29-522 km2) were significantly larger than those of females (range = 5-95 km2) annually and during the denning season. Some male lynx increased movements during March, the month most influenced by breeding activity. Lynx core areas were predicted by the 60% fixed-kernel isopleth in most seasons. The mean core-area size of males (range = 6-190 km2) was significantly larger than that of females (range = 1-19 km2) annually and during denning. Most female lynx were reproductive animals with reduced movements, whereas males often ranged widely between Minnesota and Ontario. Sensitivity analyses examining the effect of location frequency on home-range size suggest that the home-range sizes of breeding females are less sensitive to sample size than those of males. Longer periods between locations decreased home-range and core-area overlap relative to the home range estimated from daily locations. GPS collars improve our understanding of space use and movements by lynx by increasing the spatial extent and temporal frequency of monitoring and allowing home ranges to be estimated over short periods that are relevant to life-history characteristics. ?? 2007 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2007

Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha values in elk neonates

Serological indicators of general condition would be helpful for monitoring or assessing ungulate wildlife. Toward that end, we report the 1st reference values for 2 cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-??), in neonatal elk (Cervus elaphus). We obtained blood samples from 140 calves ??? 6 days old in Yellowstone National Park during summer 2003-2005. TL-6 values ranged from 0 to 1.21 pg/ml with a median of 0.03 pg/ml. TNF-?? values ranged from 0 to 225.43 pg/ml with a median of 1.85 pg/ml. IL-6 and TNF-?? concentrations were not significant predictors of elk calf survival through 21 days. Development of ungulate-based IL-6 and TNF-?? assays that provide greater sensitivity than cross-reacting human-based assays could be helpful in monitoring ungulate condition and health status comparisons among herds. Such information could provide indirect assessments of range quality or environmental influences among herds.

Journal of Mammalogy↗