A first genetic assessment of the newly introduced Isle Royale gray wolves (Canis lupus)

Author(s):  
Samuel D. Hervey ◽  
Linda Y. Rutledge ◽  
Brent R. Patterson ◽  
Mark C. Romanski ◽  
John A. Vucetich ◽  
...  
2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 1512-1518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel J Potvin ◽  
Rolf O Peterson ◽  
John A Vucetich

Adult gray wolves, Canis lupus L., 1758, frequent den and rendezvous sites (homesites) during summer to bring food to pups and to ensure security of the pups. We monitored homesite attendance of several adult wolves from a single pack in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, for 6 years. Pack size, number of pups, and prey density varied during the period of monitoring. Given the effect of prey density on wolf behavior, we predicted that wolf homesite attendance patterns would vary with prey density. We also examined the effects of varying pack size, social status, and number of pups on homesite attendance. Contrary to our expectations, prey density did not appear to be a significant predictor of homesite attendance statistics such as hours per day at the homesite or length of absence from the homesite. Furthermore, when prey density and social status remained the same, homesite attendance (hours/day) of individual wolves monitored for multiple years varied substantially. Our results show homesite attendance to be highly variable and not well predicted by prey density.


2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 975-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce W. Christensen ◽  
Cheryl S. Asa ◽  
Chong Wang ◽  
Lindsey Vansandt ◽  
Karen Bauman ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Jimenez ◽  
Valpa J. Asher ◽  
Carita Bergman ◽  
Edward E. Bangs ◽  
Susannah P. Woodruff

Four cases where large predators caused Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) mortality are recorded. We describe two incidents of Cougars (Puma concolar) killing Wolves in Montana and one incident of a Cougar killing a Wolf in Alberta. We report the first recorded incident of a Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) killing a Wolf in the western United States.


2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 760-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Dellinger ◽  
C.R. Shores ◽  
M. Marsh ◽  
M.R. Heithaus ◽  
W.J. Ripple ◽  
...  

There is growing recognition that humans may mediate the strength and nature of the ecological effects of large predators. We took advantage of ongoing gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) recolonization in Washington, USA, to contrast adult survival rates and sources of mortality for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in areas with and without wolf packs in a managed landscape dominated by multiple human uses. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of wolves to the existing predator guild would augment predator-induced mortality rates for both ungulates. Source of mortality data from adult mule deer and white-tailed deer, respectively, revealed that wolf-related mortality was low compared with that inflicted by other predators or humans. Predator-caused mortality was largely confined to winter. There was little effect of wolf presence on adult deer mortality rates, and there was no difference in mortality between the two deer species relative to wolf-free or wolf-occupied sites. Although this study occurred early in wolf recovery in Washington, our results differ from those demonstrated for gray wolves in protected areas. Thus, we encourage further investigation of effects of direct predation by recolonizing large carnivores on prey in human-dominated landscapes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (9) ◽  
pp. 643-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna M. Schurer ◽  
Michael Pawlik ◽  
Anna Huber ◽  
Brett Elkin ◽  
H. Dean Cluff ◽  
...  

Gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) are mobile opportunistic predators that can be infected by a wide range of parasites, with many acquired via predator–prey relationships. Historically, many of these parasites were identified only to genus or family, but genetic tools now enable identification of parasite fauna to species and beyond. We examined 191 intestines from wolves harvested for other purposes from regions in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Adult helminths were collected from intestinal contents for morphological and molecular identification, and for a subset of wolves, fecal samples were also analyzed to detect helminth eggs and protozoan (oo)cysts. Using both detection methods, we found that 83% of 191 intestines contained one or more parasite species, including cestodes (Taenia spp., Echinococcus spp., and Diphyllobothrium sp.), nematodes (Uncinaria stenocephala Railliet, 1884, Trichuris spp., Physaloptera spp., and Toxascaris leonina (von Linstow, 1902)), a trematode (Alaria sp.), and protozoa (Sarcocystis spp., Giardia sp., and Cryptosporidium spp.). Molecular characterization identified one species of Diphyllobothrium (Diphyllobothrium latum (L., 1758) Cobbold, 1858), three species of Taenia (Taenia krabbei Moniez, 1879, Taenia hydatigena Pallas, 1766, and Taenia multiceps Leske, 1786), and two Giardia duodenalis (Davaine) Deschiens, 1921 assemblages (B and C). These results demonstrate the diverse diet of wolves and illustrate the possibility of parasite spillover among wildlife, domestic animals, and people.


2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-253
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Gable ◽  
Steve K. Windels ◽  
Ian C. Rautio

Few accounts exist of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) killing small sympatric mammalian predators. In January 2017, we observed a River Otter (Lontra canadensis) that had been killed by wolves on the ice in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. This is one of only a few documented instances of wolves killing otters.


2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Barber-Meyer

Whereas dental injuries and abnormalities have been documented in Gray Wolves (Canis lupus), severe maxillary necrosis has not previously been implicated in a Gray Wolf fatality. Here I report maxillary osteomyelitis in a wild Gray Wolf from northeastern Minnesota of such severity that I hypothesize it ultimately led to death by starvation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. David Mech ◽  
Michael E. Nelson

The ages of 77 adult Moose (Alces alces) killed by Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) during the period 1967–2011 in northeastern Minnesota were significantly older than those of a sample of 17,585 Moose killed by hunters in nearby Ontario. Our findings support those of earlier studies of protected Moose populations in national parks that found that Gray Wolves tend to kill disproportionately more older Moose.


Ecoscience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea D. KORTELLO ◽  
Thomas E. HURD ◽  
Dennis L. MURRAY

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