Size records and demographics of an Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) urban population near the northern limit of the species’ range in eastern Canada

Understanding variation in demographics and life history across species ranges and differing landcover types is valuable for conservation planning. We examined the population demographics of a small urban population of Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) in New Brunswick, Canada, near the northern limit of the species’ range. We captured turtles using hoop traps and by hand during four sampling periods. We estimated that our population included 17 females, nine males, and 29 juveniles in late summer 2015 using Jolly-Seber population size estimates. We captured several very large females at our study site; 5/17 females (29%) were larger than previous size records for the subspecies. Growth rates for juveniles were greater than most populations of Eastern Painted Turtles reported elsewhere. Growth rates at our site were significantly greater for smaller (younger) turtles and for females compared to males. Overwinter survivorship estimates were 100% from late summer 2014 to spring 2015. Active season (2015) survivorship was 100% for females, 89% for males, and 93% for juveniles. We speculate that the large body sizes found at our study site were achieved through high survivorship and larger growth rates compared to other areas reported previously. Our data supports previous findings that body size of Painted Turtles increases with latitude, and additionally, growth may have been enhanced by increased nutrient levels common in human-modified landscapes.La compréhension des variations démographiques et biologiques entre les types d'habitats et géographiquement est précieuse pour la planification de la conservation. Nous avons examiné les données démographiques d'une petite population urbaine de Tortues Peintes de l'Est au Nouveau-Brunswick (Canada) près des limites nord de l'aire de répartition de l'espèce. Nous avons capturé des tortues à l'aide des cerceau piège et à la main, et marqué et mesuré chaque tortue. Les estimations de la taille de la population de Jolly-Seber ont indiqué que notre population comprenait 17 femelles, neuf mâles et 29 juvéniles à la fin de l'été 2015. Nous avons capturé plusieurs très grosses femelles sur notre site d'étude; cinq des 17 femelles (29%) étaient plus grosses que la plus grande Tortue Peinte de l'Est précédemment enregistrée. Les taux de croissance des juvéniles étaient supérieurs à ceux de la plupart des populations de Tortues Peintes de l'Est signalées ailleurs. Les taux de croissance sur notre site étaient significativement plus élevés pour les tortues plus petites (plus jeunes) et aussi pour les femelles par rapport aux mâles. Les estimations globales de survie étaient de 100% de la fin de l'été 2014 au printemps 2015 (hiver). Du printemps 2015 à la fin de l'été 2015, la survie était de 100% pour les femelles, 89% pour les mâles et 93% pour les juvéniles. Nous supposons que les grandes tailles corporelles trouvées sur notre site d'étude ont été obtenues grâce à de bons taux de survie et à des taux de croissance plus élevés par rapport à d'autres zones signalées précédemment. Nos données corroborent les conclusions précédentes selon lesquelles la taille des tortues peintes augmente avec l'augmentation de la latitude et, en outre, la croissance peut avoir été améliorée par l'augmentation des niveaux de nutriments courants dans les paysages modifiés par l'homme

The lichen genus Rinodina (Physciaceae) in New Brunswick, Canada

Fifteen species of the crustose lichen genus Rinodina are confirmed in New Brunswick, Canada. We report four corticolous species, Rinodina pachysperma, Rinodina populicola, Rinodina septentrionalis, and Rinodina tenuis, and the saxicolous Rinodina tephraspis in the province for the first time. A previous report of Rinodina granuligera is based on a specimen that we have re-identified as Rinodina cinereovirens. We note distinguishing characteristics, habitats, substrata, relative abundance, and biogeographic relationships of each species and provide an identification key and distribution maps. The most frequently occupied phorophytes (tree substrata) are Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Some species are closely associated with particular habitats, phorophytes, or both. For example, we found R. pachysperma only in floodplain forests dominated by Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum), and R. tenuis only on Eastern White Cedar in wet cedar-dominated stands. In contrast, we recorded Rinodina freyi on numerous phorophyte species in a relatively wide range of habitats. Other than Eastern White Cedar and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), conifers are rarely colonized by Rinodina species in New Brunswick. Most Rinodina species are probably not currently of conservation concern in the province. However, R. cinereovirens is known from only two collections, one dating from 1902. The other, from 2007, was on Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) in a swamp forest next to an active peat-mining operation. The expected devastation of ash species by the invasive Emerald Ash-borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a further threat to this occurrence and to any lichens for which ash may be an important phorophyte

First records of Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice) in New Brunswick, Canada: range expansion possibly mediated by climate warming

The first occurrences of Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice (Drury, 1773); Odonata: Libellulidae) are reported for New Brunswick, Canada, from seven sites along the Bay of Fundy coast in the southern part of the province. The species joins a suite of several other Odonata species of southern affinity that have been newly documented for New Brunswick over the past 15 years, and its occurrence may represent range expansion resulting from warming climate

An overview of known species killed during Alberta’s Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) strychnine program, 2005–2020

To determine the minimum effect of strychnine baits placed for wolves in winter during a program targetting Gray Wolf(Canis lupus) in west-central Alberta from 2005 to 2020, I present a summary of all recorded species killed (n = 522). Fewerwolves (n = 245) were killed compared with non-target animals (n = 277), which included 10 mammal and four bird species.These data provide context on the environmental and ethical impacts of using poison as a component of wildlife management.Pour déterminer l'effet minimum que les appâts à la strychnine placés pour les loups pendant l'hiver ont sur d'autres mammifères et oiseaux, j'ai examiné et compilé les mortalités documentées de toutes les espèces enregistrées au cours d'un programme de strychnine ciblant les loups gris (Canis lupus) dans le centre-ouest de l'Alberta de 2005 à 2020. . Je présente un résumé des données sur toutes les espèces enregistrées tuées par la strychnine au cours de cette période (n = 522). Les victimes non ciblées (n = 277) comprenaient dix espèces de mammifères et quatre espèces d'oiseaux. Les décès non ciblés par la strychnine étaient plus nombreux que les décès connus de l'espèce cible (loups ; n = 245). Ces données fournissent un contexte sur les effets des appâts à la strychnine placés pour les loups pendant l'hiver sur d'autres animaux dans un paysage partagé, et donc sur les impacts écologiques et éthiques de l'utilisation du poison comme élément de gestion de la faune

Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) harvesting and caching fruits of Thin-leaved Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

On 17 September 2021, we observed three Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) harvesting and caching Thin-leavedSnowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) fruits in a mixed conifer forest in western Montana, USA. Thin-leaved Snowberry hasnot been reported previously in their diet. During 3 min of direct observation, each jay harvested snowberries similarly and cached them on the trunks of nearby pines. In each case (11 caches), the jay flew by the snowberry shrubs twice, plucking a fruit while airborne, landing on the ground between passes, the first fruit carried in the throat, the second in the bill. The jays then landed, most often out of view on tree trunks, but, nevertheless, appeared to cache the fruits each time. One cache observed in the making contained two harvested fruits wedged in a crevice on the trunk and covered with a flake of bark. Thin-leaved Snowberry is considered a low-quality fall-ripening fruit because of the small energy gain for each fruit consumed. Nevertheless, the energy density of snowberries (16.65 kJ/g dry mass) collected at the same location in October exceeded that required by non-migratory Canada Jays for daily maintenance during winter. It is unlikely jays could cache enough fruits each day to sustain them for several winter months. Instead, snowberries could be an important and readily available autumn and winter food for Canada Jays resident in this region when used to supplement other stored foods with greater energy, fat, and protein content