Reproductive parameters and behaviour of captive short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus acanthion) at Perth Zoo

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Ferguson ◽  
Belinda Turner
Keyword(s):  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
Temperature Stability ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Intensive Monitoring ◽  
Data Loggers ◽  
History Of ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Camera Surveillance

Despite a long history of captive short-beaked echidnas in zoos worldwide, there have been very few successful attempts to breed them. Perth Zoo has been successful in breeding echidnas on five occasions, with young produced over 3 consecutive years. In this paper we document the results of intensive monitoring undertaken before and during these successful breeding seasons. Video camera surveillance was used to monitor activity and reproductive behaviour of adults during the courtship and mating period and to identify the timing and duration of incubation. Temperature data loggers were used to record and compare proximal body temperature with observed behaviours. Echidnas were found to breed in June and July, with courtship lasting a mean 5.75 ± 1.7 days (range 4–9 days, n = 8). Mean duration of gestation was 21.8 ± 2.4 days (range 19–27 days, n = 7). Females incubated their single egg for a mean 11 ± 0.75 days (range 11–13 days, n = 5) in an artificial burrow with increased temperature stability.

scholarly journals Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Turtles

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Horacio Merchant-Larios ◽  
Verónica Díaz-Hernández ◽  
Diego Cortez
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Sex Determination ◽  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Male Phenotype ◽  
History Of ◽  
Reptilian Species

The discovery in mammals that fetal testes are required in order to develop the male phenotype inspired research efforts to elucidate the mechanisms underlying gonadal sex determination and differentiation in vertebrates. A pioneer work in 1966 that demonstrated the influence of incubation temperature on sexual phenotype in some reptilian species triggered great interest in the environment’s role as a modulator of plasticity in sex determination. Several chelonian species have been used as animal models to test hypotheses concerning the mechanisms involved in temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). This brief review intends to outline the history of scientific efforts that corroborate our current understanding of the state-of-the-art in TSD using chelonian species as a reference.

Animal-Borne Instrumentation Systems and the Animals that Bear Them: Then (1939) and Now (2007)

2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 6-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Kooyman
Keyword(s):  
Loggerhead Turtle ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Weddell Seal ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Major Step ◽  
Mcmurdo Sound ◽  
Weddell Seals ◽  
History Of ◽  
Archival Systems ◽  
Microprocessor Technology

The history of animal-borne instrumentation is reviewed from the first basic depth gauge invented in the late 1800s, to the complex animal-borne imagery and archival systems of the present day. A major breakthrough occurred in 1964 when the first time-depth recorder was deployed on a Weddell Seal in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The next phase in the study of animals at sea was the use of microprocessors as archival recorders in the mid-1980s. These also were first attached to Weddell seals in McMurdo Sound. Microprocessor technology made possible the next major step of attaching a video camera housed in a submersible case (Crittercam) to a loggerhead turtle. Since the 1990s the field of “Biologging” has flourished, with new additions of satellite and GPS tracking, and resulted in three major international symposiums in the past four years (2003-2007).

Experiences With On-Line Explosive De-Slagging at Covanta WTE Facilities

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Vorfeld
Keyword(s):  
Flue Gas ◽  
Boiler House ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Fugitive Dust ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Wear And Tear ◽  
On Line ◽  
Explosive Charges ◽  
Camera Surveillance

An on-line cleaning technique perfected in Europe, which places low-yield explosive charges in close proximity to tube lane pluggage, and uses pre- and post-cleaning video camera surveillance to document results, has been tested at three WTE facilities in the western U.S. operated by Covanta. Testing indicates several tangible benefits relative to the more traditional off-line blasting, water washing (on-line and off-line), and stick blasting (on-line), including: • substantial elimination of cleaning related downtime between maintenance outages; • longer runtimes with less overall fouling and pluggage related ailments; • reduced off-line cleaning time at the beginning of major outages to the benefit of the outage schedule; • exemplary safety of the on-line cleaning process; • less wear and tear on pressure parts and boiler casings; and, • almost no fugitive dust problems in the boiler house that may occur with off-line blasting. The process starts with an initial video survey of fouling conditions. A water-cooled camera with purge air and temperature monitoring is inserted into the flue gas to record the fouling condition of the boiler. Following the survey, a cleaning plan is developed. Shots consist of low-yield detonating cord encased in thin gage aluminum alloy tubing. The charges are positioned in the gas lanes between tubes while being cooled with a water-air mixture and detonated. Following the cleaning effort, a final camera survey is done to verify the cleaning effectiveness, and to follow up with touch-up cleaning if necessary.

Organochlorines, perfluoroalkyl substances, mercury, and egg incubation temperature in an Arctic seabird: Insights from data loggers

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2881-2894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Blévin ◽  
Scott A. Shaffer ◽  
Paco Bustamante ◽  
Frédéric Angelier ◽  
Baptiste Picard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
Perfluoroalkyl Substances ◽  
Egg Incubation ◽  
Data Loggers

Nesting biology and life history of the dung beetle Onthophagus lecontei (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Arellano ◽  
C. Castillo-Guevara ◽  
C. Huerta ◽  
A. Germán-García ◽  
C. Lara
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Pupal Stage ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Nesting Behavior ◽  
Nesting Biology ◽  
Preimaginal Development ◽  
History Of ◽  
Capra Aegagrus

Obtaining knowledge about a species’ life history and reproductive behaviour is fundamental for understanding its biology, ecology, and potential role in ecosystem services. Here, we focused on the dung beetle species Onthophagus lecontei. Adults were collected in the field and then confined to terrariums, where they were supplied with semi-fresh domestic goat dung (Capra aegagrus Erxleben, 1777). After being paired (26 pairs), the nesting behavior of beetles was observed under laboratory conditions and the preimaginal development of individuals obtained from mating (from the deposition of the egg until the emergence of the adult) was described. Their nesting behavior was found to be characteristic of what is known as pattern I, which comprises building of brood masses, oviposition of a single egg in each brood mass, development of three larval instars, construction of a pupation chamber, pupal stage and adult emergence. Both sexes were involved in the handling of dung, tunnel construction, and mass nest elaboration. Pairs built from one to seven brood masses. The pre-nesting period (feeding) lasted 16 days; the egg stage two days, the larval period 22 days; the pupal period 11 days and the imagoes four days, after which the adults emerged. Our results are discussed and compared with other species in the genus. However, our knowledge of this dung beetle is still limited, and further studies are required in all areas of its biology.

scholarly journals Kamb Ice Stream flow history and surge potential

2013 ◽  
Vol 54 (63) ◽  
pp. 287-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermann Engelhardt ◽  
Barclay Kamb
Keyword(s):  
Video Camera ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fast Ice ◽  
Fast Motion ◽  
Kamb Ice Stream

AbstractA basal zone, tens of meters thick, of debris-laden ice was observed in Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica, using a video camera lowered into boreholes made by hot-water drilling. The debris content varies, sometimes abruptly, forming a sequence of layers that reflect the complex history of fast ice flow and bed interaction. In most parts, the concentration of debris is low, a few percent by weight, with particles, often mud clots, dispersed in a matrix of clear ice. The nature of the debris distribution can be interpreted in terms of specific time intervals in the history of fast motion of Kamb Ice Stream including processes leading up to the termination of its streaming behavior and possible reactivation.

Environmental regulation of sex determination in reptiles

1988 ◽  
Vol 322 (1208) ◽  
pp. 19-39 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Sex Determination ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
Sex Differentiation ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
Alligator Mississippiensis ◽  
Phylogenetic Implications ◽  
History Of ◽  
Determining Factor

The various patterns of environmental sex determination in squamates, chelonians and crocodilians are described. High temperatures produce males in lizards and crocodiles but females in chelonians. Original experiments on the effects of incubation at 30 °C (100% females) or 33 °C (100% males) on development in Alligator mississippiensis are described. These include an investigation of the effect of exposing embryos briefly to a different incubation temperature on the sex ratio at hatching, and a study of the effects of 30 °C and 33 °C on growth and development of alligator embryos and gonads. A 7-day pulse of one temperature on the background of another was insufficient to alter the sex ratio dramatically. Incubation at 33 °C increased the rate of growth and development of alligator embryos. In particular, differentiation of the gonad at 33 °C was enhanced compared with 30 °C. A hypothesis is developed to explain the mechanism of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in crocodilians. The processes of primary sex differentiation are considered to involve exposure to a dose of some male-determining factor during a specific quantum of developmental time during early incubation. The gene that encodes for the male- determining factor is considered to have an optimum temperature (33 °C). Any change in the temperature affects the expression o f this gene and affects the dose or quantum embryos are exposed to. In these cases there is production of females by default. The phylogenetic implications of TSD for crocodilians, and reptiles in particular, are related to the life history of the animal from conception to sexual maturity. Those animals that develop under optimal conditions grow fastest and largest and become male. A general association between the size of an animal and its sex is proposed for several types of vertebrate.

scholarly journals The Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Act 2011: An Unprecedented Licence to Search

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Harriet Bush
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Video Surveillance ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
The State ◽  
Search And Seizure ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
Bill Of Rights ◽  
Ratio Decidendi ◽  
The Right ◽  
Camera Surveillance

This article examines the Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Act 2011 which was passed as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in the case Hamed v R. This Act provided that a search was not unlawful simply because video surveillance was used. The article explores the previous court decisions on the lawfulness of police use of covert video surveillance in order to ascertain whether the premise upon which the Act was based, that video surveillance was lawful before Hamed v R, was correct. It then looks at the ratio decidendi of Hamed v R and the potential wider implications of this judgment. Finally, it assesses the state of the law under the Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Act and whether this Act limited the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure which is contained in s 21 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

scholarly journals Using Common Spatial Patterns to Select Relevant Pixels for Video Activity Recognition

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 8075
Author(s):  
Itsaso Rodríguez-Moreno ◽  
José María Martínez-Otzeta ◽  
Basilio Sierra ◽  
Itziar Irigoien ◽  
Igor Rodriguez-Rodriguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activity Recognition ◽  
Autonomous Navigation ◽  
Brain Computer Interface ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
Important Research ◽  
New Approach ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Camera Surveillance

Video activity recognition, despite being an emerging task, has been the subject of important research due to the importance of its everyday applications. Video camera surveillance could benefit greatly from advances in this field. In the area of robotics, the tasks of autonomous navigation or social interaction could also take advantage of the knowledge extracted from live video recording. In this paper, a new approach for video action recognition is presented. The new technique consists of introducing a method, which is usually used in Brain Computer Interface (BCI) for electroencephalography (EEG) systems, and adapting it to this problem. After describing the technique, achieved results are shown and a comparison with another method is carried out to analyze the performance of our new approach.

scholarly journals Flight feather moult drives minimum daily heart rate in wild geese

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 20180650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Portugal ◽  
Craig. R. White ◽  
Jonathan A. Green ◽  
Patrick J. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Heart Rate Data ◽  
Flight Feather ◽  
Individual Bird ◽  
Data Loggers ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
History Of ◽  
Barnacle Geese ◽  
Wing Moult

Waterfowl undergo an annual simultaneous flight-feather moult that renders them flightless for the duration of the regrowth of the flight feathers. In the wild, this period of flightlessness could restrict the capacity of moulting birds to forage and escape predation. Selection might therefore favour a short moult, but feather growth is constrained and presumably energetically demanding. We therefore tested the hypothesis that for birds that undergo a simultaneous flight-feather moult, this would be the period in the annual cycle with the highest minimum daily heart rates, reflecting these increased energetic demands. Implantable heart rate data loggers were used to record year-round heart rate in six wild barnacle geese ( Branta leucopsis ), a species that undergoes a simultaneous flight-feather moult. The mean minimum daily heart rate was calculated for each individual bird over an 11-month period, and the annual cycle was divided into seasons based on the life-history of the birds. Mean minimum daily heart rate varied significantly between seasons and was significantly elevated during wing moult, to 200 ± 32 beats min −1 , compared to all other seasons of the annual cycle, including both the spring and autumn migrations. The increase in minimum daily heart rate during moult is likely due to feather synthesis, thermoregulation and the reallocation of minerals and protein.

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