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Eads DA, Castle KT, Wild MA, Borchert JN, Livieri TM, Matchett MR, Dobesh P, Hughes JP, Childers E. EVALUATING BAITS WITH LUFENURON AND NITENPYRAM FOR FLEA CONTROL ON PRAIRIE DOGS (CYNOMYS SPP.) TO MITIGATE PLAGUE. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:662-672. [PMID: 37486875 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a widespread threat to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their primary prey, prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Wildlife biologists most commonly manage plague using insecticides to control fleas, the primary vectors of Y. pestis. We tested edible baits containing the insecticides lufenuron and/or nitenpyram in prairie dogs. During a laboratory study, we treated 26 white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus) with lufenuron at 300 mg/kg body mass. All animals remained clinically healthy over the 9 wk monitoring period. Although serum lufenuron concentrations were >130 ppb in two treatment groups at week 1, concentrations declined to ≤60 ppb after 3 wk in non-torpid prairie dogs and after 7 wk in torpid prairie dogs. In a field experiment, we tested baits containing a combination of 75 mg lufenuron and 6 mg nitenpyram, respectively, in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). We uniformly distributed baits at 125 baits/ha on two plots (treated once) and 250 baits/ha on two plots (each treated twice 4.4 wk apart). Following treatments, flea abundance increased on prairie dogs and remained stable in burrows. Our findings indicate that baits containing lufenuron and nitenpyram, at the reported treatment rates, are ineffective tools for flea control on prairie dogs. Future experiments might evaluate efficacy of higher doses of lufenuron and nitenpyram, and repetitive treatments at differing intervals over time to evaluate potentially therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA
| | - Kevin T Castle
- Wildlife Veterinary Consulting LLC, 840 Sundance Drive, Livermore, Colorado 80536, USA
| | - Margaret A Wild
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, P.O. Box 647040, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
| | - Jeff N Borchert
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
| | - Travis M Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, 1574 Timber Shores Drive, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481, USA
| | - Marc R Matchett
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 110, 333 Airport Road Lewistown, Montana 59457, USA
| | - Phillip Dobesh
- U.S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, 710 Main Street, Wall, South Dakota 57790, USA
| | - John P Hughes
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, P.O. Box 190, Carr, Colorado 80549, USA
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, South Dakota 57750, USA
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Eads DA, Livieri TM, Dobesh P, Hughes JP, Fly J, Redmond H, Childers E, Schwarz MS, Biggins DE. Plague mitigation for prairie dog and black-footed ferret conservation: Degree and duration of flea control with 0.005% fipronil grain bait. Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis 2023; 3:100124. [PMID: 37305434 PMCID: PMC10250916 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sylvatic plague, a primarily flea-borne zoonosis, is a significant threat to prairie dogs (Cynomys spp., PDs) and their specialized predators, endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes, BFFs). Host-fed fipronil baits have proven effective in controlling fleas on PDs for the purposes of plague mitigation and BFF conservation. Currently, annual treatments are the norm. We tested the long-term efficacy of fipronil bait treatments with black-tailed PDs (C. ludovicianus, BTPDs) and BFFs in South Dakota, USA. During 2018-2020, we provided BTPDs on 21 sites with grain bait formula, laced with 0.005% fipronil (50 mg/kg); 18 non-treated sites functioned as baselines. In 2020-2022, we live-trapped, anesthetized, and combed BTPDs for fleas. Flea control was significant for at least 639-885 days. Flea abundance on the treated sites was < 0.5 fleas/BTPD for ∼750 days. During 2020-2022, we sampled BFFs for fleas on 4 BTPD colonies treated with fipronil grain bait and 8 non-treated colonies. Flea control was significant with BFFs, but flea abundance began to rebound within ∼240 days post-treatment. When feasible, the combination of insecticide treatments, such as fipronil baits, and BFF vaccination against plague provide a "two-pronged" protection approach for these endangered carnivores. If fipronil bait treatments are less effective with predatory BFFs than PDs, as found herein, the "two-pronged" approach might be used to protect BFFs and biennial fipronil bait treatments might be used to protect PDs. If BFF vaccination is not possible, or few BFFs can be vaccinated, annual fipronil bait treatments might be used as a precaution to protect BFFs. Flea densities might be surveyed to determine when/where more frequent treatments seem useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Eads
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Phillip Dobesh
- U. S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, Wall, SD, USA
| | - John P. Hughes
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, CO, USA
| | - Jason Fly
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Holly Redmond
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Interior, SD, USA
| | - Matthew S. Schwarz
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Dakota Field Office, Pierre, SD, USA
| | - Dean E. Biggins
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Santymire RM, Ali N, Marinari PE, Livieri TM. Using hair cortisol analysis to understand the biological factors that affect black-footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes) stress physiology. Conserv Physiol 2021; 9:coab033. [PMID: 34007452 PMCID: PMC8114467 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was driven to near extinction due to habitat loss and an introduced disease, sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis). After 35 years of breeding in ex situ facilities, the black-footed ferret has been experiencing infertility with seminal traits declining in males and only about a third of breeding-aged females are whelping. Our goal was to use hair cortisol analysis to determine if the ex situ population was experiencing chronic stress that was affecting reproduction by comparing captive ferrets to wild individuals. Our specific objectives were to (i) compare hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) between age classes (juveniles versus adults), (ii) compare the HCCs of in situ and across different ex situ facilities and (iii) determine the relationship between HCCs and reproductive success. Overall, wild juveniles had higher HCC than wild adults. Our generalized linear mixed model determined that the parameters that best predict HCC for adults were the interactions among sex, in situ versus ex situ facilities and season. During both seasons, wild females had higher HCCs compared to the ex situ females. During the breeding season, male HCCs across breeding facilities varied and males at the breeding facility with the largest ferret habitats had HCCs similar to wild males. At one breeding facility, HCC was higher in males that sired compared to those that did not sire. In conclusion, ex situ ferrets do not have higher HCC than wild individuals when controlling for season and ex situ habitat size, and ex situ males with higher HCC tended to sire. This suggests that HCC may be metabolically driven and/or that low HCC may be an indication of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation and warrants further investigation both for laboratory validation and biological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Santymire
- Conservation and Science Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - N Ali
- Conservation and Science Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - P E Marinari
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - T M Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, PO Box 308, Wellington, CO 80549, USA
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Livieri TM. Saving the Tasmanian Devil: Recovery Through Science-Based Management. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Abstract
AbstractEmerging infectious diseases have recently increased in wildlife and can result in population declines and the loss of genetic diversity in susceptible populations. As populations of impacted species decline, genetic diversity can be lost, with ramifications including reduced effective population size and increased population structuring. For species of conservation concern, which may already have low genetic diversity, the loss of genetic diversity can be especially important. To investigate the impacts of a novel pathogen on genetic diversity in a genetically depauperate endangered species, we assessed the ramifications of a sylvatic plague-induced bottleneck in black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes). Following a plague epizootic, we genotyped 184 ferrets from Conata Basin and Badlands National Park, South Dakota, at seven microsatellite loci. We compared our results to pre-plague studies in the same population. We observed population substructuring into three genetic clusters. These clusters reflect founder effects from ferret reintroduction events followed by genetic drift. Compared to the pre-plague population, we observed losses of allelic diversity in all clusters, as well as significantly reduced heterozygosity in one cluster. These results indicate that disease epizootics may reduce population size and also genetic diversity. Our results suggest the importance of early and sustained management in mitigating disease epizootics in naïve populations for the maintenance of genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payton Phillips
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Bradley J Swanson
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
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Eads DA, Yashin AC, Noble LE, Vasquez MC, Huang MHJ, Livieri TM, Dobesh P, Childers E, Biggins DE. Managing plague on prairie dog colonies: insecticides as ectoparasiticides. J Vector Ecol 2020; 45:82-88. [PMID: 32492281 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Human health practitioners and wildlife biologists use insecticides to manage plague by suppressing fleas (Siphonaptera), but insecticides can also kill other ectoparasites. We investigated effects of deltamethrin and fipronil on ectoparasites from black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus, BTPDs). In late July, 2018, we treated three sites with 0.05% deltamethrin dust and 5 sites with host-fed 0.005% fipronil grain. Three non-treated sites functioned as experimental baselines. We collected ectoparasites before treatments (June-July, 2018) and after treatments (August-October, 2018, June-July, 2019). Both deltamethrin and fipronil suppressed fleas for at least 12 months. Deltamethrin had no detectable effect on mites (Arachnida). Fipronil suppressed mites for at least 12 months. Lice (Phthiraptera) were scarce on non-treated sites throughout the study, complicating interpretation. Concentrating on eight sites where all three ectoparasites where found in June-July, 2018 (before treatments), flea intensity was greatest on BTPDs carrying many lice and mites. These three ectoparasites co-occurred at high numbers, which might facilitate plague transmission in some cases. Lethal effects of insecticides on ectoparasite communities are potentially advantageous in the context of plague management.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Alexis C Yashin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Lauren E Noble
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Michele C Vasquez
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Miranda H J Huang
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | | | - Phillip Dobesh
- U.S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, Wall, SD, 57790, U.S.A
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Interior, SD, 57750, U.S.A
| | - Dean E Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
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Eads DA, Biggins DE, Bowser J, Broerman K, Livieri TM, Childers E, Dobesh P, Griebel RL. Evaluation of Five Pulicides to Suppress Fleas on Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs: Encouraging Long-Term Results with Systemic 0.005% Fipronil. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:400-406. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Eads
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Dean E. Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Jonathan Bowser
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Kristina Broerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | | | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Interior, South Dakota
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Eads DA, Biggins DE, Bowser J, McAllister JC, Griebel RL, Childers E, Livieri TM, Painter C, Krank LS, Bly K. RESISTANCE TO DELTAMETHRIN IN PRAIRIE DOG ( CYNOMYS LUDOVICIANUS) FLEAS IN THE FIELD AND IN THE LABORATORY. J Wildl Dis 2018; 54:745-754. [PMID: 29723100 PMCID: PMC6710209 DOI: 10.7589/2017-10-250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sylvatic plague poses a substantial risk to black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus) and their obligate predator, the black-footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes). The effects of plague on prairie dogs and ferrets are mitigated using a deltamethrin pulicide dust that reduces the spread of plague by killing fleas, the vector for the plague bacterium. In portions of Conata Basin, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, and Badlands National Park, South Dakota, US, 0.05% deltamethrin has been infused into prairie dog burrows on an annual basis since 2005. We aimed to determine if fleas ( Oropsylla hirsuta) in portions of the Conata Basin and Badlands National Park have evolved resistance to deltamethrin. We assessed flea prevalence, obtained by combing prairie dogs for fleas, as an indirect measure of resistance. Dusting was ineffective in two colonies treated with deltamethrin for >8 yr; flea prevalence rebounded within 1 mo of dusting. We used a bioassay that exposed fleas to deltamethrin to directly evaluate resistance. Fleas from colonies with >8 yr of exposure to deltamethrin exhibited survival rates that were 15% to 83% higher than fleas from sites that had never been dusted. All fleas were paralyzed or dead after 55 min. After removal from deltamethrin, 30% of fleas from the dusted colonies recovered, compared with 1% of fleas from the not-dusted sites. Thus, deltamethrin paralyzed fleas from colonies with long-term exposure to deltamethrin, but a substantial number of those fleas was resistant and recovered. Flea collections from live-trapped prairie dogs in Thunder Basin National Grassland, Wyoming, US, suggest that, in some cases, fleas might begin to develop a moderate level of resistance to deltamethrin after 5-6 yr of annual treatments. Restoration of black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs will rely on an adaptive, integrative approach to plague management, for instance involving the use of vaccines and rotating applications of insecticidal products with different active ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Eads
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Campus Delivery 1878, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
- Corresponding author ()
| | - Dean E. Biggins
- US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA
| | - Jonathan Bowser
- US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA
| | - Janet C. McAllister
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
| | - Randall L. Griebel
- US Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, 710 Main Street, Wall, South Dakota 57790, USA
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, South Dakota 57750, USA
| | - Travis M. Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, PO Box 308, Wellington, Colorado 80549, USA
| | - Cristi Painter
- US Forest Service, Thunder Basin National Grassland, 2250 E Richards Street, Douglas, Wyoming 82633, USA
| | - Lindsey Sterling Krank
- The Humane Society of the United States, Prairie Dog Coalition, 2525 Arapahoe #E4-527, Boulder, Colorado 80302, USA
| | - Kristy Bly
- World Wildlife Fund, Northern Great Plains Program, 458 Saddle Ridge Road, Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA
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Eads DA, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Millspaugh JJ. Space use, Resource Selection and Territoriality of Black-Footed Ferrets: Implications for Reserve Design. Wildlife Biology 2014. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Shoemaker KT, Lacy RC, Verant ML, Brook BW, Livieri TM, Miller PS, Fordham DA, Resit Akçakaya H. Effects of prey metapopulation structure on the viability of black-footed ferrets in plague-impacted landscapes: a metamodelling approach. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin T. Shoemaker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook NY 11794 USA
| | | | | | - Barry W. Brook
- Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Adelaide; Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | | | - Philip S. Miller
- IUCN SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group; Apple Valley MN 55124 USA
| | - Damien A. Fordham
- Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Adelaide; Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - H. Resit Akçakaya
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook NY 11794 USA
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Santymire RM, Livieri TM, Branvold-Faber H, Marinari PE. The Black-Footed Ferret: On the Brink of Recovery? Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation 2014; 753:119-34. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0820-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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Eads DA, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Millspaugh JJ. American badgers selectively excavate burrows in areas used by black-footed ferrets: implications for predator avoidance. J Mammal 2013. [DOI: 10.1644/12-mamm-a-298.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Eads DA, Jachowski DS, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Matchett MR, Millspaugh JJ. Resource Selection Models are Useful in Predicting Fine-Scale Distributions of Black-Footed Ferrets in Prairie Dog Colonies. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2012. [DOI: 10.3398/064.072.0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Eads DA, Millspaugh JJ, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Jachowski DS. Postbreeding resource selection by adult black-footed ferrets in the Conata Basin, South Dakota. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-s-139.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Biggins DE, Godbey JL, Horton BM, Livieri TM. Movements and survival of black-footed ferrets associated with an experimental translocation in South Dakota. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-s-152.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Poessel SA, Breck SW, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Crooks KR, Angeloni L. Landscape features influence postrelease predation on endangered black-footed ferrets. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-s-061.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Poessel SA, Biggins DE, Santymire RM, Livieri TM, Crooks KR, Angeloni L. Environmental enrichment affects adrenocortical stress responses in the endangered black-footed ferret. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 172:526-33. [PMID: 21549121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2010] [Revised: 03/21/2011] [Accepted: 04/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Potential stressors of wildlife living in captivity, such as artificial living conditions and frequent human contact, may lead to a higher occurrence of disease and reduced reproductive function. One successful method used by wildlife managers to improve general well-being is the provision of environmental enrichment, which is the practice of providing animals under managed care with environmental stimuli. The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a highly-endangered carnivore species that was rescued from extinction by removal of the last remaining individuals from the wild to begin an ex situ breeding program. Our goal was to examine the effect of environmental enrichment on adrenocortical activity in ferrets by monitoring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Results demonstrated that enrichment lowered FGM in juvenile male ferrets, while increasing it in adult females; enrichment had no effect on FGM in juvenile females and adult males. These results correspond with our findings that juvenile males interacted more with the enrichment items than did adult females. However, we did not detect an impact of FGM on the incidence of disease or on the ability of ferrets to become reproductive during the following breeding season. We conclude that an environmental enrichment program could benefit captive juvenile male ferrets by reducing adrenocortical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A Poessel
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Eads DA, Chipault JG, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Millspaugh JJ. Nighttime Aboveground Movements by Prairie Dogs on Colonies Inhabited by Black-Footed Ferrets. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2010. [DOI: 10.3398/064.070.0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Jachowski DS, Millspaugh JJ, Biggins DE, Livieri TM, Matchett MR. Home-range size and spatial organization of black-footed ferrets Mustela nigripes in South Dakota, USA. Wildlife Biology 2010. [DOI: 10.2981/09-034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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