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Weerarathne P, Sanders TL, Kao YF, Cotey SR, Place JD, Fairbanks WS, Miller CA, Reichard MV. HIGH PREVALENCE OF CYTAUXZOON FELIS IN BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS) ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND OCCURRENCE IN WEST TEXAS, USA. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:432-441. [PMID: 37270185 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00152] [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: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Cytauxzoonosis is a fatal tick-borne disease in domestic cats caused by infection with the apicomplexan Cytauxzoon felis. Bobcats are the natural wild-vertebrate reservoirs for C. felis, and infections are typically subclinical and chronic in this species. The present study was done to determine the prevalence and geographic distribution of C. felis infection in wild bobcats from Oklahoma and the occurrence in northwestern Texas. Tongue samples from 360 bobcats were collected from 53 counties in Oklahoma and 13 samples from three counties in Texas. For DNA extracted from each tongue sample, a probe-based droplet digital PCR assay was performed targeting the C. felis mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit III (cox3). Prevalence of C. felis infection was calculated for each county sampled, and data from individual counties were combined according to geographic regions and compared using chi-square tests. Overall prevalence of C. felis in bobcats from Oklahoma was 80.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.6-83.8). The prevalence of infection was >90% for bobcats from central, northeastern, south-central, and southeastern regions of Oklahoma, but <68% for bobcats from northwestern and southwestern regions. Bobcats from central counties in Oklahoma were 25.693 times more likely to be infected with C. felis compared to all other bobcats sampled from the state. Higher prevalence estimates of C. felis in bobcats appeared to be in counties where known tick vectors are most common. Occurrence of C. felis in bobcats from northwestern Texas was 30.8% (95% CI, 12.4%-58.0%) based on 13 samples. Results of this study support the utilization of bobcats as sentinel animals to identify geographic areas with risk of C. felis infection to domestic cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pabasara Weerarathne
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Tiana L Sanders
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Yun-Fan Kao
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Stacy R Cotey
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Tech University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA
| | - Joshua D Place
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Division of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Craig A Miller
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Mason V Reichard
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
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Salsbury CM, Van Vuren DH, Fairbanks WS, Barthelmess EL, Blumstein DT, Koprowski JL, Timm RM. Obituary: Kenneth Barclay Armitage (1925—2022). J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac062] [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
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen M Salsbury
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University , Indianapolis, IN 46208 USA
| | - Dirk H Van Vuren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California , Davis, CA 95616 USA & The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224 USA
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University , Stillwater, OK 74078 USA
| | | | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA & The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory , Crested Butte, CO 81224 USA
| | - John L Koprowski
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY 82072 USA
| | - Robert M Timm
- Natural History Museum and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS 66045 USA
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Reichard MV, Sanders TL, Prentiss NL, Cotey SR, Koch RW, Fairbanks WS, Interisano M, La Rosa G, Pozio E. Detection of Trichinella murrelli and Trichinella pseudospiralis in bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Oklahoma. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2021; 25:100609. [PMID: 34474802 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100609] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Trichinella spp. infect wild carnivores throughout the world. We determined the prevalence and mean infection intensity of Trichinella spp. in bobcats (Lynx rufus) from 41 counties in Oklahoma (USA). Tongues from 306 bobcats were examined using artificial tissue digestion. The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of Trichinella spp. was 5.9% (3.7%-9.2%) in which 18 of the 301 bobcats were infected. Bobcats infected with Trichinella spp. were detected in 10 of the 41 (24.4%; 13.7%-39.5%) counties sampled. Although variable, a statistically significant difference was not detected in the prevalence of Trichinella spp. among counties where bobcats were collected. The mean (standard deviation) and median (range) infection intensity of Trichinella sp. larvae were 30.9 (39.8) and 9.6 (0.6-119.9) larvae per gram of tissue examined. Genotyping results demonstrated that 17 bobcats were infected with T. murrelliand one bobcat was infected with T. pseudospiralis. This is the first report of T. pseudospiralis in bobcats and in Oklahoma. These data suggest the bobcat, as an obligate carnivore, is likely an important host in maintaining T. murrelli sylvatic cycles in Oklahoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason V Reichard
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
| | - Tiana L Sanders
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Natasha L Prentiss
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Stacy R Cotey
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Tech University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Ryan W Koch
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Division of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Maria Interisano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Rosa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Pozio
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Cleary M, Joshi O, Fairbanks WS. Mapping and modeling the components of human tolerance for black bears in eastern Oklahoma. J Environ Manage 2021; 288:112378. [PMID: 33827022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In North America, challenges associated with human-black bear (Ursus americanus) interactions have increased in recent decades. We used the structural equation modeling framework to understand how psychological factors such as perceived benefits, risks, social trust, salient value similarities, and locus of control interacted and described human tolerance of black bears in Oklahoma. Our results suggested that trust in the state wildlife agency's ability to manage black bears significantly affected both risk and benefits perception. The spatial hotspot analysis showed that residents of metropolitan areas had more positive attitudes toward black bears compared to rural residents, and more trust in the state wildlife management agency's ability to manage black bear populations. Trust in the state wildlife agency was low in rural areas, and specifically southeastern Oklahoma. Conversely, risk perception was higher in rural areas near one of the state's two extant black bear populations than in metropolitan areas removed from black bear ranges. We suggest that managers focus efforts on building strong relational foundations for trust between wildlife management personnel and rural residents in addition to demonstrating competence in black bear management techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cleary
- Oklahoma State University, 008c Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Omkar Joshi
- Oklahoma State University, 008c Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA.
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Oklahoma State University, 008c Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot J. Lustig
- Oklahoma State University 008C Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - Sara Bales Lyda
- Oklahoma State University 007 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - David M. Leslie
- Oklahoma State University 007 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Oklahoma State University 501 Life Sciences W Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - W. Sue Fairbanks
- Oklahoma State University 008C Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
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Morrison TA, Merkle JA, Hopcraft JGC, Aikens EO, Beck JL, Boone RB, Courtemanch AB, Dwinnell SP, Fairbanks WS, Griffith B, Middleton AD, Monteith KL, Oates B, Riotte-Lambert L, Sawyer H, Smith KT, Stabach JA, Taylor KL, Kauffman MJ. Drivers of site fidelity in ungulates. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:955-966. [PMID: 33481254 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
While the tendency to return to previously visited locations-termed 'site fidelity'-is common in animals, the cause of this behaviour is not well understood. One hypothesis is that site fidelity is shaped by an animal's environment, such that animals living in landscapes with predictable resources have stronger site fidelity. Site fidelity may also be conditional on the success of animals' recent visits to that location, and it may become stronger with age as the animal accumulates experience in their landscape. Finally, differences between species, such as the way memory shapes site attractiveness, may interact with environmental drivers to modulate the strength of site fidelity. We compared inter-year site fidelity in 669 individuals across eight ungulate species fitted with GPS collars and occupying a range of environmental conditions in North America and Africa. We used a distance-based index of site fidelity and tested hypothesized drivers of site fidelity using linear mixed effects models, while accounting for variation in annual range size. Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus and moose Alces alces exhibited relatively strong site fidelity, while wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and barren-ground caribou Rangifer tarandus granti had relatively weak fidelity. Site fidelity was strongest in predictable landscapes where vegetative greening occurred at regular intervals over time (i.e. high temporal contingency). Species differed in their response to spatial heterogeneity in greenness (i.e. spatial constancy). Site fidelity varied seasonally in some species, but remained constant over time in others. Elk employed a 'win-stay, lose-switch' strategy, in which successful resource tracking in the springtime resulted in strong site fidelity the following spring. Site fidelity did not vary with age in any species tested. Our results provide support for the environmental hypothesis, particularly that regularity in vegetative phenology shapes the strength of site fidelity at the inter-annual scale. Large unexplained differences in site fidelity suggest that other factors, possibly species-specific differences in attraction to known sites, contribute to variation in the expression of this behaviour. Understanding drivers of variation in site fidelity across groups of organisms living in different environments provides important behavioural context for predicting how animals will respond to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jerod A Merkle
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - J Grant C Hopcraft
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ellen O Aikens
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jeffrey L Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Randall B Boone
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Samantha P Dwinnell
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Brad Griffith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.,Department of Zoology and Physiology & Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Brendan Oates
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Louise Riotte-Lambert
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Kurt T Smith
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jared A Stabach
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cleary
- Oklahoma State University 008C Ag Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - Omkar Joshi
- Oklahoma State University 008C Ag Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
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Scimeca RC, Perez E, Fairbanks WS, Ammar S, Su C, Gerhold RW, Reichard MV. Seroprevalence, DNA isolation, and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from black bear (Ursus americanus) sera collected in Eastern Oklahoma. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:1109-1115. [PMID: 32086592 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06535-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Black bears (Ursus americanus) are commonly exposed to Toxoplasma gondii. However, there are no reports of exposure or infection with T. gondii in black bears from Oklahoma. The purpose of our project was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in black bears collected in Oklahoma. Additionally, since only serum was available from these bears, we sought to determine if DNA extraction and PCR amplification for T. gondii was possible on serum samples from bears with positive titers. Seroprevalence was determined using modified agglutination test (MAT). Serum was collected from 44 live-trapped bears in southeastern Oklahoma; 32 (73% ± 58-84%) had antibodies against T. gondii. Seroprevalence in adult bears (85% ± 67-95%) was significantly higher (p = 0.028) than yearlings (33.0% ± 56-80%). Adult bears were 3.4 times more likely to have antibodies to T. gondii than yearlings. From the bears with positive titers, T. gondii DNA was detected in 12 of the 32 seropositive samples by PCR of the B1 gene, with two of the samples showing variation in two nucleotide positions when compared with available sequences. Multilocus PCR-RFLP genotyping of these 12 samples revealed three ToxoDB genotypes, including #2 (type III, haplogroup 3), #4 (type XII, haplogroup 12), and #74 (haplogroup 12). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in black bears from Oklahoma. Our results indicate that exposure and infection with T. gondii in black bears from Oklahoma is common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth C Scimeca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA.
| | - Erica Perez
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Sawsan Ammar
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.,Clinical Pathology Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sadat City University, Sadat City, Menofia, Egypt
| | - Chunlei Su
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Richard W Gerhold
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Mason V Reichard
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
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Cole EK, Foley AM, Warren JM, Smith BL, Dewey SR, Brimeyer DG, Fairbanks WS, Sawyer H, Cross PC. Changing migratory patterns in the Jackson elk herd. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric K. Cole
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Elk Refuge; PO Box 510 Jackson WY 83001 USA
| | - Aaron M. Foley
- U.S. Geological Survey; Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; 2327 University Way, Suite 2 Bozeman MT 59715 USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Warren
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Red Rock Lakes NWR; 27650B South Valley Rd. Lima MT 59739 USA
| | - Bruce L. Smith
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Elk Refuge; PO Box 510 Jackson WY 83001 USA
| | - Sarah R. Dewey
- National Park Service; Grand Teton National Park; PO Drawer 170 Moose WY 83012 USA
| | | | - W. Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management; Iowa State University; 339 Science Hall II Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc.; 200 South 2nd Street Laramie WY 82001 USA
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey; Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; 2327 University Way, Suite 2 Bozeman MT 59715 USA
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Soso SB, Koziel JA, Johnson A, Lee YJ, Fairbanks WS. Analytical methods for chemical and sensory characterization of scent-markings in large wild mammals: a review. Sensors (Basel) 2014; 14:4428-65. [PMID: 24603639 PMCID: PMC4003951 DOI: 10.3390/s140304428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In conjoining the disciplines of "ethology" and "chemistry" the field of "Ethochemistry" has been instituted. Ethochemistry is an effective tool in conservation efforts of endangered species and the understanding of behavioral patterns across all species. Chemical constituents of scent-markings have an important, yet poorly understood function in territoriality, reproduction, dominance, and impact on evolutionary biology, especially in large mammals. Particular attention has recently been focused on scent-marking analysis of great cats (Kalahari leopards (Panthera pardus), puma (Puma concolor) snow leopard (Panthera uncia), African lions (Panthera leo), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), and tigers (Panthera tigris)) for the purpose of conservation. Sensory analyses of scent-markings could address knowledge gaps in ethochemistry. The objective of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the art of both the chemical and sensory analyses of scent-markings in wild mammals. Specific focus is placed on sampling and sample preparation, chemical analysis, sensory analysis, and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses. Constituents of exocrine and endocrine secretions have been most commonly studied with chromatography-based analytical separations. Odor analysis of scent-markings provides an insight into the animal's sensory perception. A limited number of articles have been published in the area of sensory characterization of scent marks. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses with chromatography-olfactometry hyphenation could potentially aid conservation efforts by linking perceived odor, compounds responsible for odor, and resulting behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Soso
- Environmental Science Interdepartmental Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Jacek A Koziel
- Environmental Science Interdepartmental Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Anna Johnson
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Young Jin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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Middleton AD, Morrison TA, Fortin JK, Robbins CT, Proffitt KM, White PJ, McWhirter DE, Koel TM, Brimeyer DG, Fairbanks WS, Kauffman MJ. Grizzly bear predation links the loss of native trout to the demography of migratory elk in Yellowstone. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130870. [PMID: 23677350 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of aquatic subsidies such as spawning salmonids is known to threaten a number of terrestrial predators, but the effects on alternative prey species are poorly understood. At the heart of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, an invasion of lake trout has driven a dramatic decline of native cutthroat trout that migrate up the shallow tributaries of Yellowstone Lake to spawn each spring. We explore whether this decline has amplified the effect of a generalist consumer, the grizzly bear, on populations of migratory elk that summer inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Recent studies of bear diets and elk populations indicate that the decline in cutthroat trout has contributed to increased predation by grizzly bears on the calves of migratory elk. Additionally, a demographic model that incorporates the increase in predation suggests that the magnitude of this diet shift has been sufficient to reduce elk calf recruitment (4-16%) and population growth (2-11%). The disruption of this aquatic-terrestrial linkage could permanently alter native species interactions in YNP. Although many recent ecological changes in YNP have been attributed to the recovery of large carnivores--particularly wolves--our work highlights a growing role of human impacts on the foraging behaviour of grizzly bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur D Middleton
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
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Sippy R, Sandoval-Green CMJ, Sahin O, Plummer P, Fairbanks WS, Zhang Q, Blanchong JA. Occurrence and molecular analysis of Campylobacter in wildlife on livestock farms. Vet Microbiol 2011; 157:369-75. [PMID: 22266157 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Revised: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife harbor a variety of Campylobacter spp. and may play a significant role in the transmission of Campylobacter to livestock. Although studies have been conducted on wildlife-associated Campylobacter isolates from farms in other countries, there are little data available for livestock farms in the United States. In addition, the critical questions of whether wildlife harbor Campylobacter that is pathogenic to ruminants and/or antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter have yet to be addressed. We captured wild small mammals (n=142) and small birds (n=188) at livestock farms in central Iowa and sampled them for thermophilic Campylobacter during autumn 2009, spring 2010, and autumn 2010. Overall prevalence was 4.79%, with isolates found only in wild birds. Molecular typing revealed four multilocus sequence types (STs), three of which are novel. The remaining ST (ST-806) was found in two house sparrows and is an ST previously associated with ruminant abortion cases. Further analysis of ST-806 wild bird and ruminant abortion isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, resistance gene location, and antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated that the isolates are nearly identical. This is the first account of isolation of Campylobacter types from wild birds that are known to be pathogenic to ruminants. Furthermore, these same two wild bird isolates are resistant to the antibiotic fluoroquinolone. Our results indicate there is an overall low prevalence of Campylobacter in selected wildlife in Iowa, but suggest that wildlife may play a role in the epidemiology of pathogenic Campylobacter for domestic livestock, and may also serve as a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Sippy
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Barbknecht AE, Fairbanks WS, Rogerson JD, Maichak EJ, Scurlock BM, Meadows LL. Elk parturition site selection at local and landscape scales. J Wildl Manage 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea E. Barbknecht
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - W. Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Jared D. Rogerson
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 432 East Mill Street, Pinedale, WY 82941, USA
| | - Eric J. Maichak
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 432 East Mill Street, Pinedale, WY 82941, USA
| | - Brandon M. Scurlock
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 432 East Mill Street, Pinedale, WY 82941, USA
| | - Laura L. Meadows
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82070, USA
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Abstract
Bison (Bos bison) mothers and daughters have a stable association that may persist beyond weaning, whereas no such extended relationship exists between mothers and sons. The practice of forced weaning of bison in Antelope Island State Park, Utah, provided the opportunity to experimentally investigate the nature and consequences of postweaning motherdaughter associations. Forced weaning changes the early social environment of calves and may disrupt social organization by eliminating motherdaughter associations. We compared the motherdaughter associations of forcibly weaned female yearlings, following release back into the population, with those of naturally weaned female yearlings. Yearlings that had been forcibly weaned as calves did not reassociate with their mothers following winter separation. Forcibly weaned yearlings spent no more time with their mothers than with randomly chosen adult females. Naturally weaned yearlings had a significantly stronger association with their mothers, were displaced less often by other herd members, and spent more time in the centre of groups than forcibly weaned yearlings. We were unable to detect benefits to naturally weaned daughters in terms of growth and age at first reproduction. Mothers of naturally weaned yearlings did not differ from mothers of forcibly weaned yearlings in subsequent mass change or reproduction.
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Fairbanks WS. Mating Behavior and Conservation Genetics. Ecology 1995. [DOI: 10.2307/1940738] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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