Design and analysis of biomimetics based excavator bucket and tooth

Within the scope of this paper, various bucket tooth designs and a biomimetic bucket design were created in order to produce a solution on digging efficiency which is one of the general problems of construction machines. These designs were inspired by giant anteater and American badger front claws. The inspiration aspect was diversified by integrating the paw and claw curves of the giant anteater and by bringing American badger claws into the design in different ways. Furhermore, the designed biomimetic bucket alternatives were compared between each other and the standard bucket equipment used in the market by making a computer aided static analysis. The compared criteria were the equivalent stress and total deformation formed on the bucket itself, the excavation equipment and the excavated soil. According to the analysis results, when the bucket tooth named P2 is mounted to the standard bucket, it has 42% lower Von-Mises stress on than standard bucket tooth. Additionally, it is exposed 4,7% less total deformation than standard tooth. Also, in terms of maximum Von-Mises stress formed on the soil model, P2 causes 17,5% greater stress than the standard bucket tooth.

Winter activity patterns of the North American badger (Taxidea taxus) at its northwestern periphery

The North American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a nonhibernating carnivore that occurs in areas with highly seasonal climates, such as in Canada where the animal reaches its northern limits. There, winter climate is harsh and conventional habitat is limited and patchy, possibly leading to additional energetic constraints. Using radiotelemetry and remote cameras, we documented winter activities of 16 badgers (12 females, 4 males) between 2007 and 2011 in British Columbia, at the northwestern periphery of the species’ range. In comparison to their summer ecology, the animals reduced home range sizes by up to 98% and showed fidelity to particular burrows. Burrow fidelity was variable (mean 27 days; range 0–108) and coincided with reduction in body temperatures, suggesting the onset of torpor. Despite lengthy use of the same burrow, badgers emerged frequently and conducted excursions that appeared to represent foraging behavior. Burrow emergence was not related to ambient temperature or snow depth; rather, it was best explained by the amount of days elapsed since the start of winter. Despite these trends, winter activity also was variable among individual badgers. It may be that limited fat reserves and higher energetic costs in northwestern ranges require winter foraging activities.

Primer registro del tlalcoyote (Taxidea taxus) en la Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda, Guanajuato

ResumenEn el estado de Guanajuato se confirmó la presencia de tlalcoyote (Taxidea taxus) mediante fototrampeo. Estos registros se localizan en la zona de influencia de la Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato (RBSGG) y complementan ellistado de mamíferos reportados en la reserva. Los registros más cercanos de tlalcoyote se localizan a 90 km al noroeste en el estado de San Luis Potosíy a 105 km al suroeste del registro colectado en Silao, Guanajuato por Alfredo Dugès en 1874. Es fundamental incluir al tlalcoyote dentro del plan de manejo de la rbsgg con el fin de implementar acciones para su monitoreo y conservación a largo plazo, así como confirmar si en la región puede existir una población establecida y que no se trate de individuos errantes.Palabras clave: cámaras trampa, matorral xerófilo, mustelidae, Sierra Gorda, tejón norteamericano.AbstractIn Guanajuato state is confirmed the presence of tlalcoyote (Taxidea taxus) by camera trapping. These records are located in the influence area of the Sierra Gorda of Guanajuato Biosphere Reserve (RBSGG) and complement the list of mammals reported for the reserve. The nearest tlalcoyote records are located 90 km at northwest in San Luis Potosí state and 105 km at southwest from the recordcollected in Silao, Guanajuato by Alfredo Dugès in 1874. Is essential to include the tlalcoyote within the management plan of the rbsgg to implement actions of monitoring and conservation and confirm that in the region there may be an established population and it’s are not of errant individuals.Key words: American Badger, camera trap, mustelidae, Sierra Gorda, xerophytic scrub.

The effects of roads on habitat selection and movement patterns of the American badger subspecies Taxidea taxus jacksoni in Ontario, Canada

Road mortality is identified as a threat to American badger (Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777)) populations across Canada. Understanding habitat selection and movement in relation to roads is therefore vital to their conservation. Using telemetry data and road-kill locations of badgers in southwestern Ontario, we examined the relationship between habitat selection, movement patterns, and roads at three spatial scales. At the study-area scale, we assessed the effects of habitat attributes on burrow site selection. Several individuals placed their burrows closer to primary highways than expected, suggesting that badgers are not sensitive to human disturbances at this scale. Using straight-line movement trajectories between burrows, we analyzed individual movement patterns within home ranges. All badgers showed some degree of road avoidance, either crossing fewer roads or roads that posed lower mortality risk. At the road-crossing scale, we compared landscape features surrounding road-kill locations to random locations along the same roadway. There was a positive relationship between road-kill locations and number of water-based linear features and higher density of hedgerow cover. Our results provide evidence that badger movement is influenced by roads at multiple scales, which has important implications for managers interested in developing road-mitigation strategies for this endangered population.