Body Mass Estimates from Bone and Tooth Measurements in White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

The distal forelimbs and mandibles of 110 female and 240 male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, were used to examine the relationship between metacarpal dimensions, first lower molar occlusal surface area, and mandibular width versus body mass. The strongest correlation was found between female metacarpal proximal area vs. body mass (R2 = 0.74). The combined-sexes metacarpal proximal area vs. body mass displayed a lower correlation (R2 = 0.54). The female first lower molar surface area vs. body mass produced the highest dental correlation (R2 = 0.56). The study suggests that body mass estimates using postcranial and tooth measurements are more accurate when the sex of the animal is known

Analysis of Enamel Hypoplasia in Opossums (Didelphis virginiana), Baldwin County, Georgia

Characterized by pits, furrows, or swales on the surface of teeth, enamel hypoplasia is a permanent record of disturbances that hinder the development of ameloblasts (cells responsible for enamel deposition). These defects develop in response to physiological stressors that disrupt the typical formation of enamel. In this study, the mandibles of fifty-seven Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) collected from Baldwin County, Georgia, were inspected for enamel hypoplasia. Swales, pits, and/or linear furrows were noted on the lower molars of 60% of the opossums. No difference in the rate of occurrence was observed between males and females. Within the subset of individuals exhibiting enamel hypoplasia, the defects were observed more frequently on the second (68%), first (45%), and third (36%) lower molars, and less frequently on the fourth (3%). Analysis of the order of tooth formation in this species indicates that the first and second lower molars were developing at the time of weaning. This pattern of hypoplasia suggest

Enamel Hypoplasia as an Indicator of Nutritional Stress in Juvenile White-Tailed Deer

Cheek teeth of 343 white-tailed deer mandibles collected from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, central Georgia, were examined for the presence of enamel hypoplasia, a permanent enamel defect associated with episodes of severe physiological stress. Hypoplastic defects were observed in 27% of the individuals, with no significant difference between females (26%) and males (27%). Pit hypoplasia occurred most frequently, with most defects located on the hypoconid of the first lower molar. In white-tailed deer, the first lower molars form as fawns transition into functional ruminants and are weaned at the approximate age of 10 weeks. The presence of enamel hypoplasia at this stage in development suggests that this nutritional transition results in severe physiological stress in a large proportion of fawns each year

Sexual Dimorphism within Canine Dimensions of Didelphis virginiana

Sexual dimorphism in canine size was analyzed from a sample of the Baldwin County, Georgia population of Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum). Where possible 6 measurements were obtained from 59 (47 males, 12 females) individuals collected as roadkill. Although range overlap exists for all measurements, males were found to be significantly larger for upper and lower canine length, width and height. The observed sexual dimorphism agrees with previously published analyses of cranial and post-cranial sexual dimorphism in this species and is likely related to intrasexual aggression between males during mating season

Correlation of Sex, Age, and Body Mass with Hoof Size in White-Tailed Deer from the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge, Georgia

The distal forelimbs and mandibles of 157 white-tailed deer (Odo­coileus virginianus) harvested during the 2001 fall hunting season on the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, were used to explore the osteometric correlation of sex, age, and body mass with hoof size. The width of the right front, medial unguis and the linear distance from the tip of the dew-claw to the tip of the medial unguis were used as measures of hoof size. Linear regressions were calcu­lated for each osteometric parameter for each sex individually and for the sexes combined. Regression R2-values suggest that hoof width may be useful in estimating body mass, but not age. However, due to nearly complete range overlap, male white-tailed deer cannot be distinguished from females on the basis of hoof width or length

Determining the Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Road-Killed Opossums (Didelphis virginiana) from Baldwin County, Georgia, Using Polymerase Chain Reaction

Twenty-nine road-killed opossums (Didelphis virginiana) collected from Baldwin County, central Georgia, were tested for the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Utilizing a cell culture containing T. cruzi epimastigotes, a positive control was established by injecting parasites into opossum heart tissue. DNA was extracted from both the control and sample heart tissues using a proteinase K protocol. PCR analysis of the isolated DNA with T. cruzi-specific primers indicated the presence of parasite DNA in at least 10.3% of the opossums in the Baldwin County sample. This study demonstrates that PCR of extracted DNA from road-killed specimens is an effective method for detecting the presence of T. cruzi in opossums

Description of a Pathologic White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Mandible from Central Georgia

A pathologic mandible was observed in a male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested in central Georgia during the 2015 fall hunting season. The deer was approximately four and a half years of age and displayed no outward indication of injury or evidence of irregular tooth attrition at the time of death. Upon soft tissue removal, the mandible displayed signs of premortem trauma. The pathology was consistent with secondary bone deposition associated with bone breakage. The nature of the fracture suggests that it may have been caused by antler impact during male-to-male sparring. A physical examination of 621 white-tailed deer mandibles from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in central Georgia failed to provide additional examples of similar pathology

What Roadkills Did We Miss in a Driving Survey? A Comparison of Driving and Walking Surveys in Baldwin County, Georgia

Accurate estimates of vertebrate road mortalities are necessary prior to the consideration of mitigation measures by resource managers. Due to ease of implementation, driving surveys are more common than walking surveys. From February 2018 to February 2019, two survey methods, driving and walking, were used to monitor a 1.16 km section of Highway 212 in Baldwin County, Georgia. Roadkills were identified and monitored for persistence from sunrise to noon two days a week. Twenty-nine roadkills were recorded over the survey period: 48.3% mammals (14/29), 27.6% herpetofauna (8/29), and 24.1% birds (7/29). Forty-eight percent (14/29) of roadkills were missed by the vehicle survey: 75.0% of herpetofauna, 43.9% of birds, and 35.7% of mammals. Of the roadkills missed, 72.7% (8/14) were located in the roadway compared to the verge. Carcasses smaller than eastern gray squirrel size were more likely missed in the driving survey than those equal to or larger than squirrels (c2=4.36; p=0.04). This study demonstrates that driving surveys miss a significant portion of roadkills and conducting walking surveys separately or in combination with driving surveys is necessary for an accurate estimate of vertebrate road mortality

Size Estimates of the Extinct Marine Snake Pterosphenus schucherti from Eocene-aged Sediments of Central Georgia

Fossil snakes are most often identified from isolated vertebrae, complicating estimations of total body lengths of extinct taxa. Here we estimate the range of total body length of the late Eocene North American palaeophiid marine snake Pterosphenus schucherti based on 29 recently collected fossil vertebrae from Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA. Previous research suggests that the palaeophiids are most closely related to modern boids. Total body length estimates here are based on family-specific regressions of centrum length versus known total body length in extant members of Boidae, Pythonidae, and Colubridae. The high correlation coefficients for the family specific regressions supports previous studies that used centrum length to estimate total body length in extinct snakes. Here, size estimates for Pterosphenus schucherti ranged from 2.5 to 4.8 m using boids, 3.4 to 13.0 m using pythonids, and 2.8 to 5.3 m using colubrids. This study demonstrates how the lumping of multiple extant clades greatly increases the range of variability for length estimations. For the TL estimates of fossil snakes, it appears that regressions generated from the lowest taxonomic level of the most closely related extant species should be used

Amphiuma (Caudata: Amphiumidae) from the Pleistocene Clark Quarry Local Fauna of Coastal Georgia

Fossil vertebrae of an amphiumid salamander (Amphiuma sp.) are reported from a late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean NALMA) site of coastal Georgia. A suite of vertebral characters that identify the fossils to Amphiuma is given, as well as illustrations of important vertebral characters that distinguish the genus from sirenid salamanders. The presence of Amphiuma in the paleofauna indicates an aquatic habitat was present during the time of deposition