Diet patterns of island foxes on San Nicolas Island relative to feral cat removal

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian L. Cypher ◽  
Erica C. Kelly ◽  
Francesca J. Ferrara ◽  
Charles A. Drost ◽  
Tory L. Westall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
San Nicolas Island ◽  
Diet Patterns ◽  
Island Fox ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Urocyon Littoralis ◽  
Conservation Concern

Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are a species of conservation concern that occur on six of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. We analysed island fox diet on San Nicolas Island during 2006–12 to assess the influence of the removal of feral cats (Felis catus) on the food use by foxes. Our objective was to determine whether fox diet patterns shifted in response to the cat removal conducted during 2009–10, thus indicating that cats were competing with foxes for food items. We also examined the influence of annual precipitation patterns and fox abundance on fox diet. On the basis of an analysis of 1975 fox scats, use of vertebrate prey – deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), birds, and lizards – increased significantly during and after the complete removal of cats (n = 66) from the island. Deer mouse abundance increased markedly during and after cat removal and use of mice by foxes was significantly related to mouse abundance. The increase in mice and shift in item use by the foxes was consistent with a reduction in exploitative competition associated with the cat removal. However, fox abundance declined markedly coincident with the removal of cats and deer mouse abundance was negatively related to fox numbers. Also, annual precipitation increased markedly during and after cat removal and deer mouse abundance closely tracked precipitation. Thus, our results indicate that other confounding factors, particularly precipitation, may have had a greater influence on fox diet patterns.

scholarly journals An island-wide predator manipulation reveals immediate and long-lasting matching of risk by prey

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1784) ◽  
pp. 20140391 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Orrock ◽  
Robert J. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Island Fox ◽  
Urocyon Littoralis ◽  
Natural Settings ◽  
Rare Opportunity ◽  
Predator Behaviour

Anti-predator behaviour affects prey population dynamics, mediates cascading effects in food webs and influences the likelihood of rapid extinctions. Predator manipulations in natural settings provide a rare opportunity to understand how prey anti-predator behaviour is affected by large-scale changes in predators. Here, we couple a long-term, island-wide manipulation of an important rodent predator, the island fox ( Urocyon littoralis ), with nearly 6 years of measurements on foraging by deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) to provide unequivocal evidence that prey closely match their foraging behaviour to the number of fox predators present on the island. Peromyscus maniculatus foraging among exposed and sheltered microhabitats (a measure of aversion to predation risk) closely tracked fox density, but the nature of this effect depended upon nightly environmental conditions known to affect rodent susceptibility to predators. These effects could not be explained by changes in density of deer mice over time. Our work reveals that prey in natural settings are cognizant of the dynamic nature of their predators over timescales that span many years, and that predator removals spanning many generations of prey do not result in a loss of anti-predator behaviour.

Climatic Variables Differentially Influence Neotropical Plant Species of Conservation Concern

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Pablo Antúnez ◽  
Christian Wehenkel ◽  
Collins Byobona Kukunda ◽  
José Ciro Hernández-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Climatic Variables ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in the North American deer mouse

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan D. Griffin ◽  
Mable Chan ◽  
Nikesh Tailor ◽  
Emelissa J. Mendoza ◽  
Anders Leung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
North American ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Infectious Virus ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
The North ◽  
Wild Deer ◽  
Theoretical Risk

AbstractWidespread circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in humans raises the theoretical risk of reverse zoonosis events with wildlife, reintroductions of SARS-CoV-2 into permissive nondomesticated animals. Here we report that North American deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection following intranasal exposure to a human isolate, resulting in viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract with little or no signs of disease. Further, shed infectious virus is detectable in nasal washes, oropharyngeal and rectal swabs, and viral RNA is detectable in feces and occasionally urine. We further show that deer mice are capable of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to naïve deer mice through direct contact. The extent to which these observations may translate to wild deer mouse populations remains unclear, and the risk of reverse zoonosis and/or the potential for the establishment of Peromyscus rodents as a North American reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown.

Using impact assessment study designs for addressing impacts to species of conservation concern

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike E. Marshall ◽  
Ashley M. Long ◽  
Shannon L. Farrell ◽  
Heather A. Mathewson ◽  
Michael L. Morrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Impact Assessment Study ◽  
Assessment Study ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Study Designs

scholarly journals White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient

BMC Zoology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Deeley ◽  
Joshua B. Johnson ◽  
W. Mark Ford ◽  
J. Edward Gates
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
National Capital Region ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
National Capital ◽  
Park Service ◽  
Bat Conservation ◽  
Conservation Concern

Abstract Background White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data. Results The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat). Conclusions Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.

scholarly journals Deep genetic structure at a small spatial scale in the endangered land snail Xerocrassa montserratensis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Català ◽  
Vicenç Bros ◽  
Xavier Castelltort ◽  
Xavier Santos ◽  
Marta Pascual
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Genetic Groups ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Single Locality

AbstractSpecies with small geographic ranges do not tend to have a high genetic structure, but some land snail species seem to be an exception. Xerocrassa montserratensis, an endangered land snail endemic to Catalonia (northeastern Iberian Peninsula), is an excellent model to study the processes affecting the phylogeography of specialized species of conservation concern. This species is restricted to xerophilous stony slopes and occurs within a small and fragmented area of ca. 500 km2. We sequenced the COI barcode region of 152 individuals from eight sites covering the entire range of the species. We found four genetic groups mostly coincident with their geographic distribution: a central ancestral group containing shared haplotypes among five localities and three groups restricted to a single locality each. Two of these derived groups were geographically and genetically isolated, while the third and most differentiated group was not geographically isolated. Geomorphologic and paleoclimatic processes during the Pleistocene can explain the divergence found between populations of this low dispersal species with historical fragmentation and secondary contacts. Nonetheless, recent passive large dispersal through streams was also detected in the central group. Overall, our study uncovered four evolutionary units, partially matching morphologically described subspecies, which should be considered in future conservation actions.

Integrating citizen science and remotely sensed data to help inform time-sensitive policy decisions for species of conservation concern

2019 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
pp. 463-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Long ◽  
Brian L. Pierce ◽  
Amanda D. Anderson ◽  
Kevin L. Skow ◽  
Addie Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Policy Decisions ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern

scholarly journals Using a capture-recapture approach for modelling the detectability and distribution of Houbara Bustard in southern Tunisia

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. CHAMMEM ◽  
S. SELMI ◽  
T. KHORCHANI ◽  
S. NOUIRA
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Species Occurrence ◽  
Imperfect Detection ◽  
Southern Tunisia ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Habitat Factors ◽  
Houbara Bustard ◽  
Capture Recapture ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Free Ranging

SummaryModelling the distribution of species of conservation concern is an important issue in population ecology. Classically, logistic regression analyses are conducted to estimate species’ distributions from detection/non-detection data in a sample of sites and to test for the significance of several environmental variables in predicting the probability of occurrence. These modelling approaches assume that species detection probability is constant and equals one in all sampled sites, which is critical, notably in the case of rare, shy and cryptic species. The capture-recapture-like approach developed by Mackenzie et al. (2002, 2003) provides a reliable tool that accounts for imperfect detection when estimating species occurrence, as well as for assessing the relevance of site features as predictors of species occurrence probability. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of using this approach in the context of Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata in southern Tunisia. Our results show once more the low detectability of this emblematic species and stress the need to take this factor into account when estimating Houbara spatial distribution. The distribution of Houbara in southern Tunisia is more likely to be shaped by human-related than by habitat factors. In particular, Houbara occurrence was positively associated with site remoteness and camel numbers. Houbara seemed to avoid areas with high human presence and shared the most remote and agriculture-free zones with free-ranging camels.

The ecology of the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus in a coastal coniferous forest. II. Reproduction

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. F. S. Sadleir
Keyword(s):  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Breeding Condition ◽  
Breeding Seasons

The duration and intensity of reproduction in deer mice was followed for four seasons by live and dead trapping. Three populations living in different types of forest habitat had synchronous breeding seasons, although there were major differences between years in the time of onset and cessation of breeding and in the proportion of females in breeding condition. No consistent relationships were found between either density changes or the incidence of parasitism and reproductive phenology. In the absence of overt food fluctuations there was a relationship between unseasonable temperature changes and breeding. Sudden increases in temperature may have stimulated the onset of breeding but its cessation before the autumn equinox was always associated with a considerable decrease in temperature if this occurred after April. In 57 pregnancies the corpora lutea count was 4.75 ± 1.12 and embryo count was 4.52 ± 1.16. [Formula: see text].

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document