scholarly journals Summer Movements and Impact of Individual Striped Skunks, Mephitis mephitis, on Duck Nests in Saskatchewan

2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Serge Larivière ◽  
Lyle R. Walton ◽  
François Messier
Keyword(s):  
Mephitis Mephitis ◽  
Direct Function ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Striped Skunk ◽  
Intensive Observations ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Foraging Movements ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Striped Skunks ◽  
Nesting Season

Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are important predators of duck eggs in the Canadian prairies. We estimated the impact of individual Striped Skunks on duck nests by intensive observations of foraging movements and depredation of duck nests in southern Saskatchewan, 1993-1994. Nightly, skunk movements were variable (range 0-20 km per night), and did not differ among seasons for females, or between males and females during the parturition/rearing season. Overall, nightly movement of Striped Skunks averaged 7.4 km for females (SD = 5.9 km, n = 20 females) and 6.7 km for males (SD = 3.2 km, n = 5 males). During 1,873 h of radio-tracking, we observed depredation of 10 duck nests by 8 skunks (7 F, 1 M). Using our observed estimate of one depredation for every 187 h, and averaged nightly activity of 8-10 h per night, we estimated that individual skunks find one duck nest every 19-23 nights. Thus, during the 60-day nesting season for ducks (mid-May to mid-July), individual skunks probably find 2-3 duck nests. These observations reinforce the growing evidence that, at normal duck nest densities (<2.5 nests/ha), depredation of eggs by Striped Skunks is opportunistic, and the impact of Striped Skunks on duck nests is a direct function of Striped Skunk abundance.

scholarly journals Home Range, Movements, and Habitat Utilization of Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada: Disease Management Implications

2011 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Rosatte ◽  
Paula Kelly ◽  
Mike Power
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Mephitis Mephitis ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Striped Skunk ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Striped Skunks

A total of 28 Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were fitted with radio-transmitters and their movements were monitored in Scarborough (Toronto), Ontario, in 1986 and 1987. Mean annual home range size for combined sex and age classes of Striped Skunks was 0.9 km2 (SD = 1.4) (range = 0.1-5.0 km2). Home ranges were smaller during winter (avg = 0.04 km2, SD = 0.05) than during fall (avg = 0.67 km2, SD = 1.09) (P = 0.055) but not different from ranges during spring (avg = 0.25 km2, SD = 0.31) or summer (avg = 0.27 km2, SD = 0.43). Nightly movements ranged between 0.1 km and 3.0 km and were greatest during October. Skunks were located more often in field habitats (56% of observations) than in residential (23%), field/industrial (10%), or industrial (8%) habitats. Ecological data on Striped Skunks were used in the design of rabies control tactics for use in urban areas in Ontario, Canada.

Habitat selection and use of edges by striped skunks in the Canadian prairies

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Larivière ◽  
François Messier
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mephitis Mephitis ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
South Central ◽  
Striped Skunks ◽  
Ground Nesting

During 1993-1994, we radio-tracked 21 female and 5 male striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada, to assess their patterns of habitat selection. Home ranges of both sexes contained more areas managed for nesting waterfowl and less woodland than the overall study area. When foraging within their home ranges, striped skunks used more wetland and woodland and less cropland relative to other habitat types (managed nesting areas, rights-of-way, farmsteads). Patterns of habitat selection by striped skunks were significantly but weakly correlated with abundance of insects and small mammals. Striped skunks selected undisturbed habitats where ground litter can accumulate, possibly because such habitats also harbor a greater abundance of prey. Our results support the restoration of grasslands for nesting waterfowl. Furthermore, the use of large habitat patches by striped skunks decreased away from edges, suggesting that large patches may serve as refuges for ground-nesting birds.

Relationship between cranial damage attributable to Skrjabingylus (Nematoda) and braincase capacity in the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 2004-2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus E. Maldonado ◽  
Gordon L. Kirkland Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Mephitis Mephitis ◽  
Cranial Capacity ◽  
Striped Skunk ◽  
Skull Size ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Striped Skunks

Cleaned and dried crania of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), with and without external lesions attributable to Skrjabingylus spp. (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea), were examined to determine the relationship between braincase capacity in M. mephitis and cranial damage attributable to Skrjabingylus spp. The rate of increase in braincase or cranial capacity as a function of skull size was significantly less in crania evincing Skrjabingylus lesions. In general, braincase capacity tended to be smaller in specimens evincing cranial lesions than in comparable-sized skulls lacking lesions. In a sample of 16 freshly killed M. mephitis, 7 of 8 specimens that harbored adult Skrjabingylus chitwoodorum evinced both external lesions and macroscopic damage to the roof of the braincase, whereas none of 8 specimens free of adult S. chitwoodorum had any external or internal cranial lesions. These results support the hypothesis that downwarping of the cranial roof and corresponding reduction in braincase capacity in M. mephitis are associated with Skrjabingylus infections. Such changes in the cranium could explain, at least in part, behavioral aberrations in M. mephitis infected with Skrjabingylus spp.

Social contacts and den sharing among suburban striped skunks during summer, autumn, and winter

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1272-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tad C. Theimer ◽  
Jesse M. Maestas ◽  
David L. Bergman
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Mephitis Mephitis ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Male Territoriality ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Striped Skunks ◽  
Proximity Sensing

Abstract Determining social contacts among solitary carnivores is difficult given their often nocturnal and secretive nature. We used proximity-sensing radiocollars to quantify social contacts and den sharing among striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in suburban Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, in summer, autumn, and winter 2012–2013. During June and July, we followed 6 males and 5 females and, in spite of overlapping home ranges, they had few social contacts (range = 0–7), and all were brief, nocturnal encounters. From October through February, we followed 8 males and 9 females and found that patterns of contacts were similar for males and females except for significantly higher diurnal contacts (co-denning) among females in winter. Females varied in denning behavior; 1 female denned continuously in the same location from early November to late January, while at the other extreme 1 female moved among 10 different dens across the same time period. Several females moved to new communal dens in late January, resulting in new combinations of females co-denning. Males visited multiple female dens throughout winter. Overall, our data were consistent with previous studies in documenting overlapping home ranges of both sexes with few social contacts in summer, male intolerance but lack of male territoriality, and divergent social behavior in winter, with females co-denning while males generally denned alone. Our study differed from others in documenting more social interaction and movement during winter, often through nocturnal visits by males to female dens, and a shift in denning associations among females near the end of January.

scholarly journals Sex Ratio, Body Mass, and Harvest Rates for Five Sympatric Mammalian Carnivores in the Canadian Prairies

2010 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
Serge Larivière ◽  
Vance Lester ◽  
Wanda Gorsuch
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Striped Skunk ◽  
Taxidea Taxus ◽  
American Badger ◽  
Striped Skunks

We assessed sex ratio, body mass, and harvest rates for 5 species of carnivores (Mammalia: Carnivora) collected in southern Saskatchewan, Canada during spring and summer 1999-2001. Overall, 647 adult carnivores were collected; captures consisted mostly of Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis, 50.7% of captures, 2.6±0.6 kg), Raccoon (Procyon lotor; 28.3%, 6.5±1.3 kg), American Badger (Taxidea taxus, 8.2%, 7.7±1.5 kg), Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes, 7.7%, 4.6±0.6 kg), and Coyote (Canis latrans, 5.1%, 11.0±1.5 kg). Sex ratio (M:F) of captures was male-biased for Raccoon (2.5:1), Striped Skunk (1.7:1), but did not differ from 1:1 for American Badger (2.3:1), Coyote (1.7:1), or Red Fox (2.2:1). For both Striped Skunk and Raccoon, the temporal variation in sex ratio of captures suggests that males were more vulnerable to capture early in the spring than females. Harvest rates were highest for Striped Skunks (range 0.8-2.2 animals/km2) followed by Raccoons (0.4-1.3 animals/km2), American Badgers (0.2-0.5 animal/km2), Red Foxes (0.2-0.4 animal/km2), and Coyotes (0.1-0.4 animals/km2).

scholarly journals The Impact of Work Hours on Depressive Symptoms among Koreans Aged 45 and Over

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 853
Author(s):  
Juyeong Kim ◽  
Eun-Cheol Park
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Health Studies ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Impact

Background: Given the documented importance of employment for middle-aged and older adults’ mental health, studies of the association between their number of work hours and depressive symptoms are needed. Objectives: To examine the association between the number of work hours and depressive symptoms in Korean aged 45 and over. Methods: We used data from the first wave to fourth wave of the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using the first wave at baseline, data included 9845 individuals. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We performed a longitudinal analysis to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms by work hours. Results: Both unemployed males and females aged 45–65 years were associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.59, p < 0.001; β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Females working ≥ 69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms compared to those working 41–68 h (β = 0.25, p = 0.013). Among those both middle-aged and older adults, both males and females unemployed were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Those middle-aged female working ≥69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusions: An increase in depressive symptoms was associated with unemployed males and females working ≥69 h compared to those working 41–68 h. Although this association was found among middle-aged individuals, a decrease in depressive symptoms in both sexes was associated with working 1–40 h. Depressive symptoms should decrease by implementing employment policies and social services to encourage employers to support middle-aged and older adults in the workforce considering their sex and age differences.

Profile of a short-acting κ-antagonist, LY2795050, on self-grooming behaviors, forced swim test and locomotor activity: sex comparison in mice

2021 ◽  
pp. 026988112199688
Author(s):  
Eduardo R Butelman ◽  
Caroline Baynard ◽  
Bryan D McElroy ◽  
Thomas E Prisinzano ◽  
Mary Jeanne Kreek
Keyword(s):  
Locomotor Activity ◽  
Forced Swim Test ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Short Acting ◽  
Swim Test ◽  
Central Nervous System Dysfunction ◽  
Forced Swim ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Κ Receptor

Background: Novel short-acting κ(kappa)-opioid receptor selective antagonists are translational tools to examine the impact of the κ-receptor/dynorphin system in assays related to central nervous system dysfunction (e.g., substance use disorders, anhedonia and depression). The effects of such compounds have been compared in males and females under very limited conditions. Aims: The goal of this study was to examine potential sex differences in the effects of a κ-agonist and a short-acting κ-antagonist in an ethologically relevant test of anhedonia, the “splash test” of self-grooming, and also in the forced swim test and in locomotor activity. Methods: We examined the dose-dependence of grooming deficits caused by the κ-agonist U50,488 (0.1–3.2 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)) in gonadally intact adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. We then compared the effects of the short-acting κ-antagonist LY2795050 ((3-chloro-4-(4-(((2S)-2-pyridin-3-ylpyrrolidin-1-yl)methyl) phenoxy)benzamide)); 0.032–0.1 mg/kg i.p.) in blocking grooming deficits caused by U50,488 (3.2 mg/kg). The effects of LY2795050 were also studied in the forced swim test (FST). The effects of LY2795050 in blocking the locomotor depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg) were also studied. Results: U50,488 produced dose-dependent grooming deficits in male and female mice, and LY2795050 prevented these effects. In contrast, LY2795050 decreased immobility in the FST in males at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg, but not in females, up to a dose of 0.32 mg/kg. Also, LY2795050 (0.32 mg/kg) prevented and also reversed the locomotor-depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg), in males and females. Conclusions: This study further implicates the κ-receptor system in ethologically relevant aspects of anhedonia, and confirms sexual dimorphism in some behavioral effects of novel κ-antagonists.

scholarly journals 129 Effects of a multi-strain Bacillus subtilis-based direct-fed microbial on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and colonic pH in diets fed to weanling pigs

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 101-102
Author(s):  
Jaron R Lewton ◽  
Adrienne Woodward ◽  
Ronny Moser ◽  
Kyan M Thelen ◽  
Adam J Moeser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Growth Performance ◽  
Distal Colon ◽  
Nutrient Digestibility ◽  
Nursery Pigs ◽  
Fiber Digestion ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Dietary Treatments ◽  
The Impact

Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a multi-strain Bacillus subtilis-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) on apparent digestibility and colonic pH of nursery pigs. Eighty pigs, of equal number of barrows and gilts (initial BW: 6.99 ± 1.67 kg), were weaned at 21 ± 1 d and randomly allotted to sixteen pens, with five pigs per pen. Two dietary treatments were implemented, a basal control (CON) and a control plus DFM (DFM). Both diets were corn, soybean meal, and distillers dried grains based, formulated to meet all or exceed all nutritional requirements, and manufactured on site. Diets were fed for 42 days. Performance measures were recorded weekly. On d 21 and 42 of the experiment, one pig per pen was randomly selected and euthanized, with equal number of males and females represented. Digestibility of specific nutrients was evaluated within the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, ascending and distal colon. There were no overall differences in growth performance. Overall means ± SD were 0.51 ± 0.05 kg/d, 0.79 ± 0.05 kg/d and 0.66 ± 0.05 for ADG, ADFI, and G:F, respectively. Digestibility of tryptophan within the jejunum tended (P = 0.06) to increase with addition of DFM, as did cysteine (P = 0.12) and methionine (P = 0.10). The analysis also suggested that the impact of the DFM on the digestibility of amino acids may be early in the nursery phase. The pH of contents in ascending colon, a possible indicator of varied fiber digestion, did not differ. Likewise, no differences were observed between treatment in apparent total tract nitrogen and energy digestibility (analysis of distal colon contents). The addition of a multi-strain Bacillus subtilis-based DFM appears to impact digestibility of select amino acids depending upon location in the gastrointestinal tract.

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