Capture Locations of Coyotes, Canis latrans, Bobcats, Lynx rufus, and Raccoons, Procyon lotor, Relative to Home Range Boundaries

Previous research showed that Coyotes (Canis latrans) and other canids might be more vulnerable to capture near the boundary or outside of their home ranges, making the capture of specific individuals within their territories difficult. Information concerning capture vulnerability relative to home range boundaries for other carnivores is lacking. During a four-year study of carnivore ecology in Kansas, we compared capture locations of Coyotes, Bobcats (Lynx rufus), and Raccoons (Procyon lotor) to their home range boundaries to determine if they were more likely to be captured inside, or near the periphery of, their home ranges. Resident Coyotes were captured disproportionately more often (P < 0.01) near the periphery of their home ranges, whereas Bobcats, Raccoons, and transient Coyotes were captured equally (P > 0.05) in both areas of their home ranges. Differences in capture vulnerability within and between species might be related to differences in social organization and behavior

White Color Phase of the Swift Fox, Vulpes velox

While live-trapping Swift Foxes (Vulpes velox) in northwestern Texas, we captured and radio-collared a Swift Fox that exhibited a white pelage and light blue eyes. Although white color phases and light blue eyes have been reported for other canid species, this is the first documentation for Swift Foxes

Space and Habitat Use by Male and Female Raccoons, Procyon lotor, in Kansas

We monitored 12 radio-tagged adult Raccoons (Procyon lotor) from an unexploited population in northeastern Kansas to determine intersexual differences in space and habitat use. Home ranges (mean ± SE) of males were relatively large (266 ± 14 ha) and mutually exclusive, whereas home ranges of females were relatively small (122 ± 52 ha) and overlapped extensively. Sizes of home ranges were smaller (P < 0.05) in winter than summer for both sexes, although females reduced their home ranges more than males. Females used more grassland habitats than males during summer (P < 0.05), whereas males used more grassland habitats than females during winter (P < 0.05). Seasonal differences in habitat selection was detected for females (P < 0.05), but not males. Intersexual differences in space and habitat use were likely related to different behavioral strategies employed by male and female Raccoons

Comparison of Standard and Modified Soft Catch Traps for Capturing Coyotes, Bobcats, and Raccoons

Capture rates and injury rates of coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and raccoons (Procyon lotor) captured in standard No. 3 Soft Catch® traps were compared to those captured in the same trap type modified with the Taos Lightening Spring™ (TLS) double torsion spring. All traps were equipped with Paws-I-Trip™ pan tension devices and were successful in excluding most small non target species. We captured 15 coyotes and 17 bobcats from October 1995 to March 1997. In addition, 23 raccoons, a large non target species, were captured. Capture rates for coyotes were higher (P \u3c 0.10) in TLS modified traps (92%) than standard traps (27%), whereas capture rates were similar (P \u3e 0.10) for raccoons (85% and 67%, respectively) and identical for bobcats (100%). Injury rates were minimal (\u3c 9%) for coyotes and bobcats in both types of traps. In contrast, injury rates for raccoons were higher (P \u3c 0.10) in TLS modified traps (73%) than standard traps (33%)

Variation in honey bee gut microbial diversity affected by ontogenetic stage, age and geographic location

Social honey bees, Apis mellifera, host a set of distinct microbiota, which is similar across the continents and various honey bee species. Some of these bacteria, such as lactobacilli, have been linked to immunity and defence against pathogens. Pathogen defence is crucial, particularly in larval stages, as many pathogens affect the brood. However, information on larval microbiota is conflicting. Seven developmental stages and drones were sampled from 3 colonies at each of the 4 geographic locations of A. mellifera carnica, and the samples were maintained separately for analysis. We analysed the variation and abundance of important bacterial groups and taxa in the collected bees. Major bacterial groups were evaluated over the entire life of honey bee individuals, where digestive tracts of same aged bees were sampled in the course of time. The results showed that the microbial tract of 6-day-old 5th instar larvae were nearly equally rich in total microbial counts per total digestive tract weight as foraging bees, showing a high percentage of various lactobacilli (Firmicutes) and Gilliamella apicola (Gammaproteobacteria 1). However, during pupation, microbial counts were significantly reduced but recovered quickly by 6 days post-emergence. Between emergence and day 6, imago reached the highest counts of Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria, which then gradually declined with bee age. Redundancy analysis conducted using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis identified bacterial species that were characteristic of each developmental stage. The results suggest that 3-day 4th instar larvae contain low microbial counts that increase 2-fold by day 6 and then decrease during pupation. Microbial succession of the imago begins soon after emergence. We found that bacterial counts do not show only yearly cycles within a colony, but vary on the individual level. Sampling and pooling adult bees or 6th day larvae may lead to high errors and variability, as both of these stages may be undergoing dynamic succession

Do black‐backed jackals exhibit spatial partitioning with African wild dogs and lions?

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)We thank Global Vision International, J. Power, W. Collinson and K. Potgieter-Forssman for help with tracking the radio-collared animals. This project was an initiative of the Carnivore Conservation Programme of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa, and the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Oxford University, U.K. Funding for J.F.K. was provided by a Research Fellowship from the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, and a Marie Curie Fellowship from the European Commission, Brussels, Belgium. Sponsorship was provided by Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and De Beers Consolidated Mines.Peer Reviewe

Adult male emigration and a female-based social organization in swift foxes, \u3ci\u3eVulpes velox\u3c/i\u3e

Members of the family Canidae are distinguished from other carnivore families by pair bonding and male care of the young. Because of the importance of food provisioning and territorial defiance by males, social structure among canids is shared or even dominated by males. However, small, insectivorous species of canids show little male parental care, although whether social structure differs from other canids is unknown. We combined data from three independent research projects on a small canid, the swift fox, to help elucidate the social organization of this species. Based on data on movements of 35 adult mated pairs and the fate of litters, we found that adult females maintained territories and family structure, whereas adult males tended to emigrate. This is the first evidence of a female-based social organization among any canid species. This type of social organization probably resulted from the decreased importance of territorial defense and food provisioning by males, as their diet is primarily insectivorous during summer when young are weaned. Our results, along with others, indicate that variations in social structure among canid species are strongly influenced by the importance of food provisioning and territorial defense by males

Diet selection in the Coyote Canis latrans

The Coyote (Canis latrans) is one of the most studied species in North America with at least 445 papers on its diet alone. While this research has yielded excellent reviews of what coyotes eat, it has been inadequate to draw deeper conclusions because no synthesis to date has considered prey availability. We accounted for prey availability by investigating the prey selection of coyotes across its distribution using the traditional Jacobs’ index method, as well as the new iterative preference averaging (IPA) method on scats and biomass. We found that coyotes selected for Dall’s Sheep (Ovis dalli), White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus), and California Vole (Microtus californicus), which yielded a predator-to-preferred prey mass ratio of 1:2. We also found that coyotes avoided preying on other small mammals, including carnivorans and arboreal species. There was strong concordance between the traditional and IPA method on scats, but this pattern was weakened when biomass was considered. General linear models revealed that coyotes preferred to prey upon larger species that were riskier to hunt, reflecting their ability to hunt in groups, and were least likely to hunt solitary species. Coyotes increasingly selected Mule Deer (O. hemionus) and Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) at higher latitudes, whereas Black-tailed Jackrabbit (L. californicus) were increasingly selected toward the tropics. Mule Deer were increasingly selected at higher coyote densities, while Black-tailed Jackrabbit were increasingly avoided at higher coyote densities. Coyote predation could constrain the realized niche of prey species at the distributional limits of the predator through their increased efficiency of predation reflected in increased prey selection values. These results are integral to improved understandings of Coyote ecology and can inform predictive analyses allowing for spatial variation, which ultimately will lead to better understandings about the ecological role of the coyote across different ecosystems