A Behavioral Analysis of the Pre-release Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) Currently at Devils@Cradle: An assessment of the impacts of captivity on the wild behaviors of Tasmanian devils that are important for their reintroduction, survival, and inclusion in wild populations

The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisi, is in danger of extinction in the wild due to the emergence of Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD). In an attempt to save the species the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STTDP) has initiated the creation of an ‘Insurance Population’. These insurance animals are a part of the captive breeding population (CBP) designed to conserve the genetic diversity of the species to preserve their ecological function for their future reintroduction into the wild. CBPs are located at various bio-secure zoos, wildlife parks, free-range enclosures (FREs), Tasmanian islands and peninsulas and sanctuaries like Devils@Cradle - Tasmanian devil Sanctuary. The goal of this study was to compare the behaviors of the juvenile devils recently moved to Devils@Cradle from Bridport FRE to the behaviors of wild devils to see if they were retaining wild characteristics in a more intensively managed captive situation. Using footage of devils from the wild and from Enclosure 13 a comparison was made to determine whether these devils destined to be released back into the wild were preserving their natural instincts vital to their survival and inclusion in wild populations. After analyzing almost 900 videos using an ethogram and a Chi square analysis this study has concluded that the pre-release devils in enclosure 13 do not appear to be behaving differently than their wild counterparts. The only behavior of concern found was a trend in the increase of daytime activity. However, this is believed to be associated with a recent shift to earlier feeding times and could be easily corrected. This serves as a promising sign for the preservation of this species through the use of captive breeding and managed populations until DFTD has been removed from the devil population and it is once again possible for their recovery in the wild

A comparison of the fundamental nutritional niche and realized habitat niche of sympatric mule and white-tailed deer in eastern Washington

Mule (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are similar species, distributed across North America in both areas of sympatry and allopatry. Potential differences in their fundamental and realized niches that might be responsible for their distribution patterns remain largely unknown. Therefore, to directly compare the fundamental nutritional niche of mule and white-tailed deer we conducted in vivo digestion and intake tolerance trials using 7 tractable mule and 6 white-tailed deer, raised under similar conditions in captivity, across 6 diets ranging in fiber, protein, and plant secondary metabolite (PSM) content. We found that compared to white-tailed deer, mule deer had higher fiber, energy, and dry matter digestibility, produced glucuronic acid (a byproduct of PSM detoxification) at a slower rate when consuming the monoterpene [alpha]-pinene, and required 50% less digestible protein intake and 20% less digestible energy intake to maintain body mass and nitrogen balance. These differences might provide an advantage to mule deer when sharing landscapes with white-tailed deer containing forages of lower nutritional quality (i.e., higher fiber and PSM content). To compare their realized habitat niches, we determined presence and absence of both species at 312 cameras traps during the summers of 2018-2019 across a range of elevations, habitats, and overstory thinning treatments in the Colville National Forest (CNF) in northeastern Washington. We compared their habitat use with single species occupancy models and found that topography was the strongest indicator of differing habitat use; mule deer were more likely to occupy steep slopes and higher elevations and white-tailed deer the opposite. Using conditional, two species occupancy modeling, we found that mule and white-tailed deer occurred independently of one another (i.e., no dominance) in the CNF in summer. The absence of spatial and temporal segregation between the two species was supported by ~ 90% overlap in daily activity patterns and similar elapsed time between subsequent intra- or interspecies detections at camera sites with both species detected. Our research suggests that mule and white-tailed deer likely minimize potential competitive interactions in part by evolving different abilities to cope with low quality forage and by segregating topographically, thus are largely syntopic

Role of proton-antiproton regeneration in the late stages of heavy-ion collisions

We investigate the long-standing question of the effect of proton-antiproton annihilation on the(anti-)proton yield, while respecting detailed balance for the 5-body back-reaction for the first time ina full microscopic description of the late stages of heavy-ion collisions. This is achieved by employinga stochastic collision criterion in a hadronic transport approach (SMASH), which allows to treatarbitrary multi-particle reactions. It is used to account for the regeneration of (anti-)protons via5π → p ̄p. Our results show that a back-reaction happens for a fraction of 15-20% of all annihilations.Within a viscous hybrid approach Au+Au/Pb+Pb collisions from √sN N = 17.3 GeV−5.02 TeV areinvestigated and the quoted fraction is independent of the beam energy or centrality of the collision.Taking the back-reaction into account results in regeneration of half of the (anti-)proton yield thatis lost due to annihilations at midrapidity. We also find that, concerning the multiplicities, treatingthe back-reaction as a chain of 2-body reactions is equivalent to a single 5-to-2 reactio

Role of proton-antiproton regeneration in the late stages of heavy-ion collisions

We investigate the long-standing question of the effect of proton-antiproton annihilation on the (anti-)proton yield, while respecting detailed balance for the five-body back-reaction for the first time in a full microscopic description of the late stages of heavy-ion collisions. This is achieved by employing a stochastic collision criterion in a hadronic transport approach (SMASH), which is used to account for the regeneration of (anti-)protons via 5π→p¯p. We investigate Au+Au and Pb+Pb collisions from √sNN=17.3GeV−5.02 TeV in a viscous hybrid approach. Our results show that back-reactions happen for a fraction of 15%–20% of all annihilations, independent of the beam energy or centrality of the system. The inclusion of the back-reaction results in the regeneration of half of the (anti-)proton yield lost to annihilations at midrapidity. We also find that, concerning the multiplicities, treating the back-reaction as a chain of two-body reactions is equivalent to a single 5-to-2 reaction

Mule Deer Do More with Less: Comparing Their Nutritional Requirements and Tolerances with White-Tailed Deer

Congeneric species often share ecological niche space resulting in competitive interactions that either limit co-occurrence or lead to niche partitioning. Differences in fundamental nutritional niches mediated through character displacement or isolation during evolution are potential mechanisms that could explain overlapping distribution patterns of congenerics. We directly compared nutritional requirements and tolerances that influence the fundamental niche of mule (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), which occur in allopatry and sympatry in similar realized ecological niches across their ranges in North America. Digestible energy and protein requirements and tolerances for plant fiber and plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) of both deer species were quantified using in vivo digestion and intake tolerance trials with six diets ranging in content of fiber, protein, and PSMs using tractable deer raised under identical conditions in captivity. We found that compared with white-tailed deer, mule deer required 54% less digestible protein and 21% less digestible energy intake per day to maintain body mass and nitrogen balance. In addition, they had higher fiber, energy, and dry matter digestibility and produced glucuronic acid (a byproduct of PSM detoxification) at a slower rate when consuming the monoterpene α-pinene. The mule deers’ enhanced physiological abilities to cope with low-quality, chemically defended forages relative to white-tailed deer might minimize potential competitive interactions in shared landscapes and provide a modest advantage to mule deer in habitats dominated by low-quality forages