Summer Feeding Habits of Barn Owls (\u3ci\u3eTyto alba\u3c/i\u3e) from White County, Illinois

Prey remains are described from a 4-month accumulation of pellets from a nesting pair of barn owls. Of 233 individual prey items, 163 (73.1%) were microtines, primarily prairie voles and pine voles. The minimum estimated daily mean biomass consumed by each owl was 49.8 g per day

A Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat (\u3ci\u3eTadarida brasiliensis\u3c/i\u3e) in Southern Illinois

The second record of a Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat from Illinois is reported. A young female was collected 18 October 1984 from Carbondale, Jackson County

Feeding Habits of Short-eared Owls Overwintering in Southern Illinois

Pellets from short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) were collected during March 1990 and January-March 1992 from a former strip-mine area in southern Illinois (USA) and analyzed for prey remains. Microtines comprised 85.8% of 141 skull remains in 1990, and 85.0% of 147 skull remains in 1992. Results were similar to previous studies in Illinois and elsewhere

Comparing Two Methods to Determine Nest Location of Golden Mice (\u3ci\u3eOchrotomys nuttalli\u3c/i\u3e)

Fluorescent powder tracking was compared with radiotelemetry to locate nests used by golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli), a semi-arboreal species. Fluorescent powder was not a successful method for determining nest location or movement patterns for golden mice. Many golden mice immediately climbed trees, whereas white-footed mice remained on the ground. Weather conditions can negatively affect the success of powder tracking. Although radiotelemetry successfully determined the locations of occupied nests, precise estimates of movements within a microhabitat could not be made

Feeding Habits of the Eastern Woodrat (\u3ci\u3eNeotoma floridana\u3c/i\u3e) in Southern Illinois

The eastern woodrat, a state-endangered species, is a generalist herbivore that depends on cached food during part of the year. We identified seasonal variation in the diet of woodrats at Pine Hills, Union County, Illinois, based on analysis of fecal pellets, and determined if they consumed forage in proportion to its availability in the habitat. Woodrats did not consume forage in proportion to availability for any season during 1995. Mast, primarily hickory nuts, comprised 61-67% of the diet each season, despite no mast available in the habitat during spring, and relatively little during summer. Few herbaceous species were eaten during any season; only Virginia creeper was identified in fecal samples throughout the year. Virginia creeper, spicebush, and sedge accounted for 79.4% of the identified herbaceous material consumed throughout the year, despite relatively low availability in the habitat. Resource caching decisions of woodrats depend on nutrient content and perishability. Woodrats appeared to ration cached resources so as not to be left with poor foods at the end of the cache-dependent period

Distribution, Habitat Use, and Morphotypes of Feral Hogs (\u3ci\u3eSus scrofa\u3c/i\u3e) in Illinois

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) recently have been introduced to Illinois. They are important to resource managers because of their potentially negative ecological and economic impacts. We assessed the distribution, habitat use, and body morphology of feral hogs in Illinois. We confirmed the occurrence of feral hogs in Fulton, Hardin, Johnson, Lawrence, Massac, Pope, Randolph, and Union counties. Forest and croplands probably are the most important habitats for feral hogs in Illinois. We found free-ranging hogs in Illinois included four previously described morphotypes with distinguishable physical/cranial characteristics: domestic hogs, feral hogs, hybrids, and Eurasian wild hogs. However, 32.6% of individuals were outside of these previously described morphotypes. External morphology and pelage usually were consistent with cranial analysis in determining morphotypes. Whole and dressed body weight regression indicated that dressed weight was about 85% of whole weight. We suggest that the goal of resource managers in Illinois should be to contain or eradicate existing feral hog populations. This should be addressed while populations are small and relatively isolated. If current practices continue, feral hogs have the potential to eventually increase in density and distribution throughout much of Illinois

A Non-lethal Method for Identification of the Cotton Mouse, \u3ci\u3ePeromyscus gossypinus\u3c/i\u3e (LeConte,1853)

The cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) is on the northern periphery of its range in southwestern Kentucky, southeastern Missouri, and southern Illinois. Little information is available on the life history of cotton mice in Illinois, in part because of difficulty in differentiating them from white-footed mice (P. leucopus). Current identification is often based on lethal sampling, including collection of internal tissues for allozyme electrophoresis or measurement of skull characters. Here we describe a reliable, non-lethal method for distinguishing between cotton mice and white-footed mice using a diagnostic allozyme locus, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI-1) from toe-clips. This technique will enhance conservation efforts by making identification of P. gossypinus and P. leucopus easier in areas of sympatry

Helminths of \u3ci\u3ePeromyscus leucopus\u3c/i\u3e, \u3ci\u3eP. maniculatus\u3c/i\u3e, and \u3ci\u3eBlarina carolinensis\u3c/i\u3e from Southern Illinois

Helminths were recovered from 12 (12%) of 100 deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and 26 (24%) of 109 white-footed mice (P. leucopus) collected in 16 counties of southern Illinois. Helminths from deer mice included Choanotaenia peromysci (7.0%), Hymenolepis bennetti (2.0%), Postharmostomum helicis (1.0%), Physaloptera sp. (1.0%), Rictularia coloradensis (1.0%) and Moniliformis clarki (1.0%). Hymenolepis bennetti (1.8%), Physaloptera sp. (4.6%), and Rictularia coloradensis (20.0%) occurred in white-footed mice. C. peromysci and R. coloradensis revealed a high degree of host-specificity and along with Physaloptera showed some degree of habitat dependence. Infection rates were highest during the summer. Thirteen (65%) of 20 southern short-tailed shrews (Blarina carolinensis) were infected with Cryptocotylepis anthocephalus (40.0%), Brachylaima thompsoni (20.0%), Panopistus pricei (15.0%), Capillaria sp. (15.0%), Porrocaecum ensicaudatum (10.0%) and Porracaecum sp. (10.0%)

Helminths of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Raccoons in Southern Illinois with Management Implications of \u3ci\u3eBaylisascaris procyonis\u3c/i\u3e Occurrence

The gastrointestinal tracts of 60 raccoons (Procyon lotor) were examined for helminths. Six species were found: four species of nematodes (Arthrocephalus lotoris, Physaloptera rara, Gnathostoma procyonis, and Baylisascaris procyonis); one species of cestode (Mesocestoides variabilis); and one species of acanthocephalan (Macracanthorhynchus ingens). Baylisascaris procyonis has been implicated in the decline of woodrat populations throughout the northeast United States. As such, this parasite also may have been a factor in the extirpation of the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) throughout most of southern Illinois. The frequency occurrence of Baylisascaris procyonis in our sample was unexpectedly low, 3 of 60 raccoons (5.0%), and suggests that reintroduction of eastern woodrats to formerly occupied sites in southern Illinois may not be adversely affected by this parasite