Arboreal Habitat Structure Affects Locomotor Speed and Perch Choice of White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus)

2012 ◽  
Vol 317 (9) ◽  
pp. 540-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara E. Hyams ◽  
Bruce C. Jayne ◽  
Guy N. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Peromyscus Leucopus ◽  
Arboreal Habitat

Vegetation structure influences the burden of immature Ixodes dammini on its main host, Peromyscus leucopus

Parasitology ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Adler ◽  
S. R. Telford ◽  
M. L. Wilson ◽  
A. Spielman
Keyword(s):  
Principal Components ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Peromyscus Leucopus ◽  
Herbaceous Vegetation ◽  
Tick Abundance ◽  
Main Host ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Human Babesiosis ◽  
Habitat Variables

To determine whether the relative abundance of immature Ixodes dammini (the vector of Lyme disease and human babesiosis) is related to habitat structure, we examined tick burdens on their main host, the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), in 4 structurally diverse sites on Great Island, Massachusetts, USA. Vegetation structure at each site was quantified with respect to 25 habitat variables. Principal components analysis was used to reduce this set of habitat variables to seven new and orthogonal variables. Immature tick abundance varied widely among grids. Regression analysis of tick burdens on the habitat principal components showed that larval burdens were related strongly to the density of woody vegetation and negatively to herbaceous vegetation. Nymphal burdens were related negatively to herbaceous vegetation, but the relationship was not as strong as in the case of larvae. An experimental reduction in the abundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the main host of adult ticks, substantially reduced tick burdens and altered their relationships to habitat structure. Nymphal burdens were unrelated to habitat structure following deer removal. Manipulating habitat structure may have utility as a control strategy against this important vector.

Arboreal habitat structure affects route choice by rat snakes

2010 ◽  
Vol 197 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel H. Mansfield ◽  
Bruce C. Jayne
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Route Choice ◽  
Arboreal Habitat

scholarly journals Differences in Depredation by Small Predators Limit the Use of Plasticine and Zebra Finch Eggs in Artificial-Nest Studies

The Condor ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Maier ◽  
Richard M. Degraaf
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Zebra Finch ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Peromyscus Leucopus ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Taeniopygia Guttata ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Neotropical Migrant ◽  
Passerine Species

Abstract Small mammals, such as mice and voles, have been implicated as major egg predators of Neotropical migrant passerines by field studies using soft plasticine eggs or the very small eggs of Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Nevertheless, the effort required to depredate these commonly used egg surrogates may be less than that required to depredate the larger, thicker-shelled eggs of most passerine species. To compare the depredation of these surrogates to that of the eggs of a mid-sized passerine by a ubiquitous small predator, we exposed dissimilar pairs of plasticine, Zebra Finch, and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs to captive white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Plasticine eggs were marked by mice more than either kind of real egg, and Zebra Finch eggs were breached more often than House Sparrow eggs. We conclude that the use of either plasticine or Zebra Finch eggs may lead to overestimation of the ability or proclivity of small mammals to actually depredate the eggs of most passerines.

scholarly journals Simulations with Australian dragon lizards suggest movement-based signal effectiveness is dependent on display structure and environmental conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Bian ◽  
Angela Pinilla ◽  
Tom Chandler ◽  
Richard Peters
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Signal Transmission ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Local Adaptations ◽  
Signal Divergence ◽  
Colour Signals ◽  
Optimal Signal

AbstractHabitat-specific characteristics can affect signal transmission such that different habitats dictate the optimal signal. One way to examine how the environment influences signals is by comparing changes in signal effectiveness in different habitats. Examinations of signal effectiveness between different habitats has helped to explain signal divergence/convergence between populations and species using acoustic and colour signals. Although previous research has provided evidence for local adaptations and signal divergence in many species of lizards, comparative studies in movement-based signals are rare due to technical difficulties in quantifying movements in nature and ethical restrictions in translocating animals between habitats. We demonstrate herein that these issues can be addressed using 3D animations, and compared the relative performance of the displays of four Australian lizard species in the habitats of each species under varying environmental conditions. Our simulations show that habitats differentially affect signal performance, and an interaction between display and habitat structure. Interestingly, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the signal adapted to the noisier environment does not show an advantage in signal effectiveness, but the noisy habitat was detrimental to the performance of all displays. Our study is one of the first studies for movement-based signals that directly compares signal performance in multiple habitats, and our approach has laid the foundation for future investigations in motion ecology that have been intractable to conventional research methods.

Habitat structure and association with ungulates drive habitat selection and grouping behaviour of lesser rhea ( Rhea pennata subsp. pennata )

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-97
Author(s):  
Esperanza C. Iranzo ◽  
Juan Traba ◽  
Cristina Mata ◽  
Pablo Acebes ◽  
Juan E. Malo
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Lesser Rhea
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