Pub Date : 2021-03-31DOI: 10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.4
Owen J. Johnson, Keith Geluso
Littered debris along roadways traps and kills small vertebrates. In Nebraska, at least 20 species of small mammals are small enough to enter openings of discarded bottles and cans. We surveyed roadsides for littered bottles and cans containing vertebrate remains in central parts of the state. We observed 459 bottles and 278 aluminum cans along 17.6 km of roadsides in Nebraska. Littered bottles contained 41 vertebrate remains representing nine taxa of small mammals. Glass bottles contained the majority of individuals, plastic bottles had a few individuals, and no vertebrate remains were detected in aluminum cans. Harvest mice (Reithrodontomys spp.) were the most frequently observed taxa trapped in bottles, followed by short-tailed shrews (Blarina spp.). Remains of a juvenile Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) in a glass bottle suggest that more species are at risk when individuals are young. Bottles with openings higher than their base contained more vertebrates (21.1%) than those lying flat (3.8%) or those with openings facing downward (1.2%). Overall, about 5.7% of bottles had vertebrate remains in Nebraska, which is slightly greater than studies in the eastern United States. Densities of littered bottles were much lower along roads in Nebraska than roadways in the eastern United States, resulting in fewer mortalities per km. Human population density appears associated with littered debris, thus numbers of vertebrates killed in these roadside hazards likely is greater in eastern Nebraska and near population centers where most of the state’s population reside. In Nebraska, six species of small mammals are species of conservation need, and thus, at risk from littered debris. Reduction and removal of litter along roadsides not only is aesthetically pleasing, but it can also reduce mortality of small mammals and other animals, such as small insects.
{"title":"Small mammals killed in discarded bottles along roadsides in\u0000central Nebraska","authors":"Owen J. Johnson, Keith Geluso","doi":"10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.4","url":null,"abstract":"Littered debris along roadways traps and kills small vertebrates. In Nebraska, at least 20 species of small mammals are small enough\u0000to enter openings of discarded bottles and cans. We surveyed roadsides for littered bottles and cans containing vertebrate remains\u0000in central parts of the state. We observed 459 bottles and 278 aluminum cans along 17.6 km of roadsides in Nebraska. Littered bottles\u0000contained 41 vertebrate remains representing nine taxa of small mammals. Glass bottles contained the majority of individuals,\u0000plastic bottles had a few individuals, and no vertebrate remains were detected in aluminum cans. Harvest mice (Reithrodontomys\u0000spp.) were the most frequently observed taxa trapped in bottles, followed by short-tailed shrews (Blarina spp.). Remains of a juvenile\u0000Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) in a glass bottle suggest that more species are at risk when individuals are young. Bottles\u0000with openings higher than their base contained more vertebrates (21.1%) than those lying flat (3.8%) or those with openings\u0000facing downward (1.2%). Overall, about 5.7% of bottles had vertebrate remains in Nebraska, which is slightly greater than studies\u0000in the eastern United States. Densities of littered bottles were much lower along roads in Nebraska than roadways in the eastern\u0000United States, resulting in fewer mortalities per km. Human population density appears associated with littered debris, thus numbers\u0000of vertebrates killed in these roadside hazards likely is greater in eastern Nebraska and near population centers where most of\u0000the state’s population reside. In Nebraska, six species of small mammals are species of conservation need, and thus, at risk from littered\u0000debris. Reduction and removal of litter along roadsides not only is aesthetically pleasing, but it can also reduce mortality of\u0000small mammals and other animals, such as small insects.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48879805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-25DOI: 10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.3
C. Schultz, A. Caven
Functioning prairie ecosystems are characterized by periodic and cyclical disturbances (e.g., grazing, drought, fire, etc.). Grazing and fire were historically widespread drivers of habitat structure. Many native species are adapted to fire and rely on the diverse habitats it maintains in a range of successional states. Wildlife mortality is an inevitable result of many prescribed fires and various species of small terrestrial vertebrates with limited dispersal abilities are most commonly affected. Herein, we report on the detected mortality of an individual Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum) after a prescribed burn along a lowland tallgrass prairie - wet meadow ecotone in South Central Nebraska. Little information exists on this topic as our record is only the second published observation of T. lineatum mortality resulting from a prescribed burn to our knowledge. Land managers can limit the negative impacts of prescribed fire on native species of conservation concern by considering their natural histories during the planning process.
{"title":"Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum) Prescribed Fire Mortality","authors":"C. Schultz, A. Caven","doi":"10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.3","url":null,"abstract":"Functioning prairie ecosystems are characterized by periodic and cyclical disturbances (e.g., grazing, drought, fire, etc.). Grazing and fire were historically widespread drivers of habitat structure. Many native species are adapted to fire and rely on the diverse habitats it maintains in a range of successional states. Wildlife mortality is an inevitable result of many prescribed fires and various species of small terrestrial vertebrates with limited dispersal abilities are most commonly affected. Herein, we report on the detected mortality of an individual Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum) after a prescribed burn along a lowland tallgrass prairie - wet meadow ecotone in South Central Nebraska. Little information exists on this topic as our record is only the second published observation of T. lineatum mortality resulting from a prescribed burn to our knowledge. Land managers can limit the negative impacts of prescribed fire on native species of conservation concern by considering their natural histories during the planning process.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45658001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-02-08DOI: 10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.1
Z. P. Roehrs, R. A. Benedict, T. Labedz, H. Genoways
Information on the distribution and current status of 25 species or subspecies of mammals occurring in Nebraska are presented. The species covered include one shrew, an armadillo, eight bats, 10 rodents (including two subspecies of one species), three carnivores, and one artiodactyl. Distributional information reported includes the first state record for one species (Sorex nanus) and new county records for 18 species. In Nebraska, we know that mammals are shifting their geographic ranges with some extending populations into the state, whereas others are expanding their geographic ranges within the state. The current status of six additional mammalian taxa in Nebraska is documented, providing knowledge important to the conservation of these species during this time of shifting environmental conditions. The concern is that some mammals have suffered population declines since the 1940s and may have a contracting geographic range as well in the state. These species would be endangered and could be lost to the mammalian fauna of the state. Extensive data on reproduction in these mammals are presented and the taxonomy of species is updated from the 1964 Mammals of Nebraska by Jones.
{"title":"Observations on the Distribution and Status of Selected Nebraska Mammals","authors":"Z. P. Roehrs, R. A. Benedict, T. Labedz, H. Genoways","doi":"10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.41.1","url":null,"abstract":"Information on the distribution and current status of 25 species or subspecies of mammals occurring in Nebraska are presented. The species covered include one shrew, an armadillo, eight bats, 10 rodents (including two subspecies of one species), three carnivores, and one artiodactyl. Distributional information reported includes the first state record for one species (Sorex nanus) and new county records for 18 species. In Nebraska, we know that mammals are shifting their geographic ranges with some extending populations into the state, whereas others are expanding their geographic ranges within the state. The current status of six additional mammalian taxa in Nebraska is documented, providing knowledge important to the conservation of these species during this time of shifting environmental conditions. The concern is that some mammals have suffered population declines since the 1940s and may have a contracting geographic range as well in the state. These species would be endangered and could be lost to the mammalian fauna of the state. Extensive data on reproduction in these mammals are presented and the taxonomy of species is updated from the 1964 Mammals of Nebraska by Jones.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42300557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-01DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.6
M. Rohde, Keith Geluso, Carter G. Kruse, M. Harner
Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca) is a conspicuous and common shrub in the Great Plains of North America, characterized by tall woody flower stalks, large flowers and seed pods, and dense masses of ground-level evergreen leaves. These plant structures can provide a variety of resources or functions to animals. In general, studies focus on single species associated with Y. glauca. We examined three groups of vertebrates that interacted with Y. glauca and the functions this plant provided for organisms in western Nebraska. We experimentally examined small mammals in areas with and without Y. glauca, and we descriptively noted birds and reptiles that used Y. glauca. We documented six mammalian, 13 avian, and four reptilian species using Y. glauca for cover, perches, basking sites, homes, and/or nests. We documented a greater species richness and relative abundance of rodents in areas with Y. glauca compared to areas without Y. glauca. Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) showed the greatest difference in relative abundance, with about six times as many individuals in areas with Y. glauca (83 individuals) compared to areas without Y. glauca (14 individuals). Upon release, a majority of Deer Mice (94%) ran from trap sites to Y. glauca, as did most other mammalian species. We observed birds mainly perching on flower stalks, as well as a few nesting activities. Soapweed Yuccas provided herpetofauna homes, sites for thermoregulation, perches to watch for predators or prey, and protective cover under leaves. Our findings demonstrated some of the ecological functions for Soapweed Yucca and a variety of vertebrate species using this shrub in grassland ecosystems. Soapweed Yucca is considered a weed in some regions of the Great Plains due to its high abundance in pastures with domestic livestock. On ranches where American Bison (Bos bison) have been reintroduced, individuals consume and actively remove yuccas, especially during winter grazing, and large, multi-headed, aboveground complexes of Y. glauca are less common across such ranches. Our study assisted in understanding the role of this native shrub in managed grassland systems.
{"title":"Use of Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca) by rodents and other vertebrates in western Nebraska","authors":"M. Rohde, Keith Geluso, Carter G. Kruse, M. Harner","doi":"10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.6","url":null,"abstract":"Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca) is a conspicuous and common shrub in the Great Plains of North America, characterized by tall woody flower stalks, large flowers and seed pods, and dense masses of ground-level evergreen leaves. These plant structures can provide a variety of resources or functions to animals. In general, studies focus on single species associated with Y. glauca. We examined three groups of vertebrates that interacted with Y. glauca and the functions this plant provided for organisms in western Nebraska. We experimentally examined small mammals in areas with and without Y. glauca, and we descriptively noted birds and reptiles that used Y. glauca. We documented six mammalian, 13 avian, and four reptilian species using Y. glauca for cover, perches, basking sites, homes, and/or nests. We documented a greater species richness and relative abundance of rodents in areas with Y. glauca compared to areas without Y. glauca. Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) showed the greatest difference in relative abundance, with about six times as many individuals in areas with Y. glauca (83 individuals) compared to areas without Y. glauca (14 individuals). Upon release, a majority of Deer Mice (94%) ran from trap sites to Y. glauca, as did most other mammalian species. We observed birds mainly perching on flower stalks, as well as a few nesting activities. Soapweed Yuccas provided herpetofauna homes, sites for thermoregulation, perches to watch for predators or prey, and protective cover under leaves. Our findings demonstrated some of the ecological functions for Soapweed Yucca and a variety of vertebrate species using this shrub in grassland ecosystems. Soapweed Yucca is considered a weed in some regions of the Great Plains due to its high abundance in pastures with domestic livestock. On ranches where American Bison (Bos bison) have been reintroduced, individuals consume and actively remove yuccas, especially during winter grazing, and large, multi-headed, aboveground complexes of Y. glauca are less common across such ranches. Our study assisted in understanding the role of this native shrub in managed grassland systems.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69433271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-01DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.8
Jenna Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, S. Warren, Bethany L. Ostrom, D. Ferraro
The Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) is a unique and biologically important ecoregion, and several studies have conducted localized herpetofauna species inventories. However, there has been significantly less effort to quantify the habitat associations or activity patterns of these species. Habitat associations and activity patterns vary regionally and provide important information for ecosystem management. We deployed a total of 38 traps of 5 different types (pitfall, funnel, hoop, box, and coverboard) across 11 sites (7 terrestrial, 4 aquatic) for an 8-week period in June and July 2019. Our exploratory analyses used generalized linear models with a quasibinomial distribution to examine associations between herpetofauna abundance (captures per trap night) and habitat characteristics controlling for trap type. Habitat characteristics assessed included distance to nearest woodland, distance to nearest standing water, vegetation species richness, soil texture, and vegetative cover in addition to others. We also evaluated activity patterns weekly across the study period. The two most abundant species demonstrated divergent distributional patterns, Northern Prairie Skinks were only absent from two of the driest terrestrial sites, while the Six-lined Racerunners were locally abundant at just three sites with significant bare ground and sandy soils. We documented a Cope’s Gray Treefrog at a site with little woody cover in which the species had not been previously observed, suggesting it may be increasingly widespread regionally. We also detected relatively widespread juvenile anuran dispersal at multiple terrestrial sites a considerable distance from standing water. Our results provide a preliminary examination of habitat associations and summer activity patterns for herpetofauna in the CPRV that can be used to inform conservation efforts and further studies of this system.
{"title":"Habitat associations and activity patterns of herpetofauna in the Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska, with notes on morphometric characteristics","authors":"Jenna Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, S. Warren, Bethany L. Ostrom, D. Ferraro","doi":"10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.8","url":null,"abstract":"The Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) is a unique and biologically important ecoregion, and several studies have conducted localized herpetofauna species inventories. However, there has been significantly less effort to quantify the habitat associations or activity patterns of these species. Habitat associations and activity patterns vary regionally and provide important information for ecosystem management. We deployed a total of 38 traps of 5 different types (pitfall, funnel, hoop, box, and coverboard) across 11 sites (7 terrestrial, 4 aquatic) for an 8-week period in June and July 2019. Our exploratory analyses used generalized linear models with a quasibinomial distribution to examine associations between herpetofauna abundance (captures per trap night) and habitat characteristics controlling for trap type. Habitat characteristics assessed included distance to nearest woodland, distance to nearest standing water, vegetation species richness, soil texture, and vegetative cover in addition to others. We also evaluated activity patterns weekly across the study period. The two most abundant species demonstrated divergent distributional patterns, Northern Prairie Skinks were only absent from two of the driest terrestrial sites, while the Six-lined Racerunners were locally abundant at just three sites with significant bare ground and sandy soils. We documented a Cope’s Gray Treefrog at a site with little woody cover in which the species had not been previously observed, suggesting it may be increasingly widespread regionally. We also detected relatively widespread juvenile anuran dispersal at multiple terrestrial sites a considerable distance from standing water. Our results provide a preliminary examination of habitat associations and summer activity patterns for herpetofauna in the CPRV that can be used to inform conservation efforts and further studies of this system.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69433317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-01DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.7
Anthony E. Bridger, Keith Geluso
Gartersnakes are common inhabitants along prairie rivers in the Great Plains, but little information is known about hibernacula among diverse floodplain habitats. We radio-tracked Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) and Plains Gartersnakes (Thamnophis radix) to hibernacula on islands in a braided river system subject to frequent environmental changes along the Platte River in central Nebraska. We further examined capture rates of gartersnakes in floodplain woodland patches from June to November to examine seasonal use of this habitat. In early and mid-September, movements of snakes with transmitters were in grasslands. From late September to mid-October, the farthest movements were documented, and snakes moved from grasslands into woodland patches. From late October to January, movements were minimal in and around hibernacula in wooded or formerly wooded habitats. Capture rates of gartersnakes in woodland trapping arrays also increased in October and November, further demonstrating woodland use during times when snakes travel to and reside at hibernacula. Although grasslands comprised most of the prairie islands at the study area, observations suggested that the limited woodlands on these islands are important for gartersnakes prior to and during hibernation along the Platte River in central Nebraska. Areas with large trees, such as Plains Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides), appeared to provide overwintering sites. In central Nebraska, riparian woodlands continue to be cleared to enhance habitat for endangered and threatened species such as Whooping Cranes (Grus americana), but some of these islands originally contained trees prior to European settlement. Conservation of at least some woodland habitats appears important for overwintering gartersnakes in central Nebraska.
{"title":"Importance of woodland patches as hibernacula for gartersnakes in a prairie river floodplain of central Nebraska","authors":"Anthony E. Bridger, Keith Geluso","doi":"10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.41.7","url":null,"abstract":"Gartersnakes are common inhabitants along prairie rivers in the Great Plains, but little information is known about hibernacula among diverse floodplain habitats. We radio-tracked Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) and Plains Gartersnakes (Thamnophis radix) to hibernacula on islands in a braided river system subject to frequent environmental changes along the Platte River in central Nebraska. We further examined capture rates of gartersnakes in floodplain woodland patches from June to November to examine seasonal use of this habitat. In early and mid-September, movements of snakes with transmitters were in grasslands. From late September to mid-October, the farthest movements were documented, and snakes moved from grasslands into woodland patches. From late October to January, movements were minimal in and around hibernacula in wooded or formerly wooded habitats. Capture rates of gartersnakes in woodland trapping arrays also increased in October and November, further demonstrating woodland use during times when snakes travel to and reside at hibernacula. Although grasslands comprised most of the prairie islands at the study area, observations suggested that the limited woodlands on these islands are important for gartersnakes prior to and during hibernation along the Platte River in central Nebraska. Areas with large trees, such as Plains Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides), appeared to provide overwintering sites. In central Nebraska, riparian woodlands continue to be cleared to enhance habitat for endangered and threatened species such as Whooping Cranes (Grus americana), but some of these islands originally contained trees prior to European settlement. Conservation of at least some woodland habitats appears important for overwintering gartersnakes in central Nebraska.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83749644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-07-24DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.3
A. J. Forrester, M. Rohde, M. Harner, Carter G. Kruse, Keith Geluso
Herein, we report the first observation of the terrestrial Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) copulating in water. To understand whether such an event reflected an isolated incident, we compiled observations reported in the literature of copulatory behaviors in water for other North American turtles. Our literature review revealed that other species of box turtles in North America, the Coahuilan Box Turtle (Terrapene coahuila) and Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina major), occasionally also copulate in water. The vast majority of turtles in North America copulate in water, as most are semi-aquatic, including all species with observations in the Emydidae family. We did not find observations for water copulations in tortoises (Testudinidae), the most terrestrial group of turtles in North America. Although Ornate Box Turtles are terrestrially adapted, box turtles are within the family Emydidae, the pond turtles. Copulation in this fluid medium for terrestrial species might aid in the reproductive process with increased buoyancy and stability counteracting the high dome-shaped carapace that likely hinders copulation on land. Such a behavior also might help conceal individuals from predators or conspecific males that might disrupt copulating individuals. If ponded water is available within habitats for these terrestrially adapted box turtles, we predict underwater copulatory behaviors might be more common than recognized and remain undetected due to the inconspicuous nature of locations and rarity of ponded water in such habitats.
{"title":"Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) copulating in water: an incidental observation or ancestral behavior","authors":"A. J. Forrester, M. Rohde, M. Harner, Carter G. Kruse, Keith Geluso","doi":"10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.3","url":null,"abstract":"Herein, we report the first observation of the terrestrial Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) copulating in water. To understand whether such an event reflected an isolated incident, we compiled observations reported in the literature of copulatory behaviors in water for other North American turtles. Our literature review revealed that other species of box turtles in North America, the Coahuilan Box Turtle (Terrapene coahuila) and Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina major), occasionally also copulate in water. The vast majority of turtles in North America copulate in water, as most are semi-aquatic, including all species with observations in the Emydidae family. We did not find observations for water copulations in tortoises (Testudinidae), the most terrestrial group of turtles in North America. Although Ornate Box Turtles are terrestrially adapted, box turtles are within the family Emydidae, the pond turtles. Copulation in this fluid medium for terrestrial species might aid in the reproductive process with increased buoyancy and stability counteracting the high dome-shaped carapace that likely hinders copulation on land. Such a behavior also might help conceal individuals from predators or conspecific males that might disrupt copulating individuals. If ponded water is available within habitats for these terrestrially adapted box turtles, we predict underwater copulatory behaviors might be more common than recognized and remain undetected due to the inconspicuous nature of locations and rarity of ponded water in such habitats.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46975745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-01DOI: 10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.40.6
Keith Geluso, Carter G. Kruse, M. Harner
Prairies of the Great Plains once were influenced by large-scale disturbances, such as fire and herbivory by large ungulates, that promoted ecosystem functioning. American Bison (Bos bison) created many types of disturbances as they traversed grassland landscapes. Trampling, a common type of bison disturbance, occurred when large herds moved through an area denuding aboveground vegetation, exposing prairie soils, and restarting succession. Bison reintroductions now allow researchers to use contemporary observations to examine influences of these large, hoofed mammals on system functions. Herein, we report on the immediate benefit of trampling along a wetland edge for another vertebrate species. We observed Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) basking in an area recently trampled by bison along a lake margin in the Sandhill Region of Nebraska. Basking generally is a thermoregulatory behavior for many species of pond turtles that optimizes physiological processes for individuals. Painted Turtles seldom leave the water except to nest, although they frequently bask on structures emerging from the water’s surface or along the edge of shorelines, such as logs, Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) houses and platforms, and vegetational mats. A paucity of basking sites at this lake, along with dark, exposed soils near the water, likely facilitated this on-shore basking event on a mostly sunny, but cooler day. Reintroduction of American Bison to grasslands helps reestablish former interactions between biota and allows land managers and researchers to better understand how bison management in fenced ranches affects local fauna.
{"title":"Wetland edge trampled by American Bison (Bos bison) used as basking site for Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)","authors":"Keith Geluso, Carter G. Kruse, M. Harner","doi":"10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.40.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/UNL.DC.TNAS.40.6","url":null,"abstract":"Prairies of the Great Plains once were influenced by large-scale disturbances, such as fire and herbivory by large ungulates, that promoted ecosystem functioning. American Bison (Bos bison) created many types of disturbances as they traversed grassland landscapes. Trampling, a common type of bison disturbance, occurred when large herds moved through an area denuding aboveground vegetation, exposing prairie soils, and restarting succession. Bison reintroductions now allow researchers to use contemporary observations to examine influences of these large, hoofed mammals on system functions. Herein, we report on the immediate benefit of trampling along a wetland edge for another vertebrate species. We observed Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) basking in an area recently trampled by bison along a lake margin in the Sandhill Region of Nebraska. Basking generally is a thermoregulatory behavior for many species of pond turtles that optimizes physiological processes for individuals. Painted Turtles seldom leave the water except to nest, although they frequently bask on structures emerging from the water’s surface or along the edge of shorelines, such as logs, Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) houses and platforms, and vegetational mats. A paucity of basking sites at this lake, along with dark, exposed soils near the water, likely facilitated this on-shore basking event on a mostly sunny, but cooler day. Reintroduction of American Bison to grasslands helps reestablish former interactions between biota and allows land managers and researchers to better understand how bison management in fenced ranches affects local fauna.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69433269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-01DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.2
Andrew J. Caven, Dana M. Varner, J. Drahota
The USFWS conducts an annual one-day aerial survey of the North and Central Platte River Valleys, generally on the fourth Tuesday in March, to estimate the abundance of the midcontinent Sandhill Crane population. However, these abundance indices dem-onstrate unrealistic inter-annual variation as a result of deviations in migration chronology and other factors. Additional research efforts have been undertaken within the region to estimate Sandhill Crane abundance over time and space but these projects generally seek to answer unique questions, employ differing survey methods, and cover overlapping yet distinct survey areas. Despite the wealth of information there remains significant uncertainty regarding the actual abundance of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska dur ing the peak of migration. We conducted a model-based metadata analysis relying on the distinctive strengths of three databases to assess USFWS data, identify annual abundance estimates that may not be robust, and developed parameter-based and factor-based corrections to USFWS indices from 2000 to 2019. Our analyses suggest that at the peak of spring migration there is likely between 1.1 and 1.4 million Sandhill Cranes in the North and Central Platte River Valleys of Nebraska. Our best performing models indicated the most likely peak estimate was 1.27 million Sandhill Cranes with approximately 220,000 in the North Platte River Valley and 1,050,000 in the Central Platte River Valley in both 2018 and 2019. Our assessment suggests that 25% of USFWS aerial estimates are robust, with the rest representing underestimates as both exogenous and endogenous factors such as migration chronology and survey methodology serve to bias indices downward. Given this downward bias, the three-year running average used by the USFWS actually provides a robust estimate for only 5–15% of the years analyzed. By contrast, we found that a five-year rolling maximum provides a robust estimate for 70–75% of the years analyzed.
{"title":"Sandhill Crane abundance in Nebraska during spring migration: making\u0000sense of multiple data points","authors":"Andrew J. Caven, Dana M. Varner, J. Drahota","doi":"10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.2","url":null,"abstract":"The USFWS conducts an annual one-day aerial survey of the North and Central Platte River Valleys, generally on the fourth Tuesday in March, to estimate the abundance of the midcontinent Sandhill Crane population. However, these abundance indices dem-onstrate unrealistic inter-annual variation as a result of deviations in migration chronology and other factors. Additional research efforts have been undertaken within the region to estimate Sandhill Crane abundance over time and space but these projects generally seek to answer unique questions, employ differing survey methods, and cover overlapping yet distinct survey areas. Despite the wealth of information there remains significant uncertainty regarding the actual abundance of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska dur ing the peak of migration. We conducted a model-based metadata analysis relying on the distinctive strengths of three databases to assess USFWS data, identify annual abundance estimates that may not be robust, and developed parameter-based and factor-based corrections to USFWS indices from 2000 to 2019. Our analyses suggest that at the peak of spring migration there is likely between 1.1 and 1.4 million Sandhill Cranes in the North and Central Platte River Valleys of Nebraska. Our best performing models indicated the most likely peak estimate was 1.27 million Sandhill Cranes with approximately 220,000 in the North Platte River Valley and 1,050,000 in the Central Platte River Valley in both 2018 and 2019. Our assessment suggests that 25% of USFWS aerial estimates are robust, with the rest representing underestimates as both exogenous and endogenous factors such as migration chronology and survey methodology serve to bias indices downward. Given this downward bias, the three-year running average used by the USFWS actually provides a robust estimate for only 5–15% of the years analyzed. By contrast, we found that a five-year rolling maximum provides a robust estimate for 70–75% of the years analyzed.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69433546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-01DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.1
M. Cool, Keith Geluso
In Nebraska, Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) generally occurs in southeastern parts of the state, where the species was known from 16 counties. Herein, we update the distribution of S. dekayi in the state and briefly comment on habitat and abundance from observations in September and October 2018. We documented 7 new county records that extend its distribution in southcentral Nebraska. We observed that S. dekayi does not only reside in mesic wooded habitats in Nebraska but also occupies open environments, including areas with upland grasslands and row-crop agriculture. Dekay’s Brownsnake currently is listed as a species of concern in Nebraska. Our limited data do not support that S. dekayi needs protection in Nebraska, as the species occurs over a much larger area of the state than previously known and was the most common species observed along roadways in autumn 2018.
{"title":"Range extension for DeKay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) in south-central Nebraska","authors":"M. Cool, Keith Geluso","doi":"10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tnas.40.1","url":null,"abstract":"In Nebraska, Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) generally occurs in southeastern parts of the state, where the species was known from 16 counties. Herein, we update the distribution of S. dekayi in the state and briefly comment on habitat and abundance from observations in September and October 2018. We documented 7 new county records that extend its distribution in southcentral Nebraska. We observed that S. dekayi does not only reside in mesic wooded habitats in Nebraska but also occupies open environments, including areas with upland grasslands and row-crop agriculture. Dekay’s Brownsnake currently is listed as a species of concern in Nebraska. Our limited data do not support that S. dekayi needs protection in Nebraska, as the species occurs over a much larger area of the state than previously known and was the most common species observed along roadways in autumn 2018.","PeriodicalId":91981,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and affiliated societies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69433462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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