scholarly journals White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Subsidize Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) During a Moose (Alces americanus) Decline: A Case of Apparent Competition?

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M Barber-Meyer ◽  
L David Mech
Keyword(s):  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Food Item ◽  
Apparent Competition ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Alces Americanus ◽  
Winter Severity

Moose (Alces americanus) in northeastern Minnesota have declined by 55% since 2006. Although the cause is unresolved, some studies have suggested that Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) contributed to the decline. After the Moose decline, wolves could either decline or switch prey. To determine which occurred in our study area, we compared winter wolf counts and summer diet before and after the Moose decline. While wolf numbers in our study area nearly doubled from 23 in winter 2002 to an average of 41 during winters 2011–2013, calf:cow ratios (the number of calves per cow observed during winter surveys) in the wider Moose range more than halved from 0.93 in 2002 to an average of 0.31 during 2011–2013. Compared to summer 2002, wolves in summers 2011–2013 consumed fewer Moose and more White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). While deer densities were similar during each period, average vulnerability, as reflected by winter severity, was greater during 2011–2013 than 2002, probably explaining the wolf increase. During the wolf increase Moose calves remained a summer food item. These findings suggest that in part of the Moose range, deer subsidized wolf numbers while wolves also preyed on Moose calves. This contributed to a Moose decline and is a possible case of apparent competition and inverse-density-dependent predation.

scholarly journals White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn risk from Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) predation during summer

2016 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 368
Author(s):  
L. David Mech ◽  
Aaron Morris ◽  
Shannon Barber-Meyer
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Risk Of Predation

Little is known about how often various prey animals are at risk of predation by Gray Wolves (Canis lupus). We used a system to monitor the presence during the day of two radio-collared Gray Wolves within 2 km of a radio-collared White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with a fawn or fawns in August 2013 in the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota. We concluded that the fawn or fawns were at risk of predation by at least one wolf at least daily.

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

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel D. Hervey ◽  
Linda Y. Rutledge ◽  
Brent R. Patterson ◽  
Mark C. Romanski ◽  
John A. Vucetich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Isle Royale ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Genetic Assessment

Effect of semen collection method on sperm motility of gray wolves (Canis lupus) and domestic dogs (C. l. familiaris)

2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 975-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce W. Christensen ◽  
Cheryl S. Asa ◽  
Chong Wang ◽  
Lindsey Vansandt ◽  
Karen Bauman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Collection Method ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Semen Collection

scholarly journals Gray Wolves, Canis lupus, Killed by Cougars, Puma concolor, and a Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos, in Montana, Alberta, and Wyoming

2008 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Jimenez ◽  
Valpa J. Asher ◽  
Carita Bergman ◽  
Edward E. Bangs ◽  
Susannah P. Woodruff
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Grey Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Large Predators

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.

Impacts of recolonizing gray wolves (Canis lupus) on survival and mortality in two sympatric ungulates

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 760-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Dellinger ◽  
C.R. Shores ◽  
M. Marsh ◽  
M.R. Heithaus ◽  
W.J. Ripple ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Large Predators

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.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence of spatial memory and home range affinity in White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

2015 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Directional Movement ◽  
Before And After

The role of spatial memory in the movement of animals through landscapes remains elusive. To examine spatial memory and home range affinity of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern Minnesota during 1995–2007, I translocated 17 adult does with known home ranges to unfamiliar sites and radio-tracked them after their release. Twelve does wearing transmitting radio-collars returned to their home ranges. Death and collar expiration precluded determination of whether the remaining five does would have returned to home ranges. Three of five does wearing global positioning system collars traveled throughout hundreds of square kilometres, circling, backtracking, and returning to release sites, while two others exhibited directional movement for tens of kilometres. Four does that survived to parturition stopped traveling and moved at hourly rates similar to those of control does during the first three weeks of the typical fawn-rearing period, but continued traveling later. Their aberrant extensive travel before and after interruption by parturition suggests that they recognized they were in unfamiliar areas, demonstrating both their capacity and propensity to search for and occupy the familiar space of their individual home ranges. Their successful return to home ranges provided experimental evidence of spatial memory and further elucidated its pervasive role in White-tailed Deer spatial ecology.

scholarly journals Wolves, Canis lupus, Carry and Cache the Collars of Radio-collared White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus, they Killed

2011 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Nelson ◽  
L. David Mech
Keyword(s):  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Canis Lupus

Wolves (Canis lupus) in northeastern Minnesota cached six radio-collars (four in winter, two in spring-summer) of 202 radio-collared White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) they killed or consumed from 1975 to 2010. A Wolf bedded on top of one collar cached in snow. We found one collar each at a Wolf den and Wolf rendezvous site, 2.5 km and 0.5 km respectively, from each deer's previous locations.

scholarly journals Wolf, Canis lupus, Visits to White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus, Summer Ranges: Optimal Foraging?

2009 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic J. Demma ◽  
L. David Mech
Keyword(s):  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Optimal Foraging ◽  
Major Part ◽  
Optimal Foraging Theory ◽  
Foraging Theory ◽  
Individual Female ◽  
Gps Collars

We tested whether Wolf (Canis lupus) visits to individual female White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) summer ranges during 2003 and 2004 in northeastern Minnesota were in accord with optimal-foraging theory. Using GPS collars with 10- to 30-minute location attempts on four Wolves and five female deer, plus eleven VHF-collared female deer in the Wolves' territory, provided new insights into the frequency of Wolf visits to summer ranges of female deer. Wolves made a mean 0.055 visits/day to summer ranges of deer three years and older, significantly more than their 0.032 mean visits/day to ranges of two-year-old deer, which generally produce fewer fawns, and most Wolf visits to ranges of older deer were much longer than those to ranges of younger deer. Because fawns comprise the major part of the Wolf's summer diet, this Wolf behavior accords with optimal-foraging theory.

Intestinal parasites of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in northern and western Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (9) ◽  
pp. 643-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna M. Schurer ◽  
Michael Pawlik ◽  
Anna Huber ◽  
Brett Elkin ◽  
H. Dean Cluff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Giardia Duodenalis ◽  
Parasite Fauna ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Taenia Hydatigena ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Parasite Spillover ◽  
Diphyllobothrium Latum

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document