Exam I: Wildlife Techniques

For which species can you determine sex by physical characteristics?

Chorus Frogs

What are the 3 R’s in the context of the use of animals for research?

Replacement, Reduction, Refinement

What is an example of reduction?

Using a statistical power analysis to determine the minimum number of animals need to detect a difference between groups

What are identified as challenges to the 3R’s in Wildlife Research (reading/lecture)?

• Wildlife research has ecological impacts that are not considered with the 3 R’s

• Replacement is not possible when studying a target species

I have received a federal grant to study koala habitat selection using GPS transmitter. When can I begin conducting research on this grant?

Not until a final IACUC protocol has been approved by the committee and I have been notified I can work

True/False: Wildlife is in the public trust, which means that all members of the public have the right to work with wildlife.

False: Wildlife belongs to everyone but they’re managed by the government on behalf of the public

Which pain category does observing an animal and recording behavioral data fall under?

C

Humane Endpoints Criteria describe when its time to:

• remove an animal from a study

• discontinue a painful procedure

Which of the 3 R’s is most commonly used in wildlife research?

Refinement

Capture myopathy is:

Muscle damage caused by physical exertion or stress that can result in death.

Which item below should not be considered when selecting a capture device?

Cost (not the main consideration)

What is stress and why do we try to minimize it when handling animals?

Stress is defined as a physiological reaction to adverse stimuli that triggers an animals “fight-or-flight” response. We try to minimize stress when handling animals to protect their welfare as well as our safety.

What factors can be negatively influenced by stress?

• body size

• reproduction

• behavior

• physiological health

• population size (in some cases)

For what species would it be susceptible to capture using a pitfall trap?

• Western harvest mouse

• Long-tailed shrew

• Western fence lizard

• Spring peeper

Avoiding setting traps in areas with high sun exposure during the day is an example of:

Refinement

What are appropriate target species for a rocket net?

• Eastern turkeys

• Waterfowl

What is the difference between a Bal-chatri trap and a noose trap?

A Bal-chatri trap has fine filament nooses and attracts the animal using a lure animal, whereas a noose carpet also has fine filament nooses, but is placed in a spot the animals are expected to land.

What is the name of this trap?

Swedish goshawk trap

What is not a benefit of standardization of methods in electrofishing surveys?

It offers flexibility in timing of surveys so can avoid bad weather.

What kind of net is shown?

Sinking gill net because its sticks to the ground instead of floating

True/False: Trap nets are constraint traps

True

How are gill nets selective?

Only fish of a specific size and shape can be captured by a particular mesh size, if not they can escape.

What part is labeled A?

Ear

What part is labeled B?

Dog

What part is labeled C?

Hand

What part is labeled D?

Jaws

Is this a felid, canid, or bear?

Felid

Is this the left or right paw?

Right because it has a leading toe (Felids are asymmetrical)

Plantigrade:

Animals that walk in their entire foot, specially toes, metatarsals, and heel flat to the ground (Humans and bears)

Digitigrade:

Form of locomotion where animals walk or run on their toes rather than their heelsk increases speed and efficiency (dogs and cats)

Unguligrade:

Form of locomotion where animals walk or run. on their toes, which are usually protected by hooves

Is this plantigrade, digitgrade, or unguligrade?

plantigrade

Which gait has a one gathered suspension?

lope

True/False: Is it better to underestimate an animals weight because it reduces the chances of overdosing.

False because we always want to overestimate because most of the drugs we use have a HIGH THERAPEUTIC INDEX, we’re very unlikely to overdose them. If they become underdosed, they could be a threat to themselves and to others.

What is the most common mode of drug administration in wildlife immobilizations?

intramuscular

True/False: Sedatives, tranquilizers, and anesthetics all depress the central nervous system.

True

Which is generally used as a secondary agent to smooth out the onset of the primary agent?

Tranquilizers

What is the difference between monitoring capillary refill time and color or mucus membranes (what do each give information about)?

MMC deals with the respiratory system

• oxygenation

• hemoglobin levels

• perfusion status

CTR deals with the cardiovascular system

• measures the speed of blood returning to the peripheral capillaries

• tells the efficiency of the peripheral circulation

• blood flow to tissues

• indicator of shock

Wildlife telemetry is best defined as:

remote measurement and tracking of animals using transmitted signals

Which telemetry method typically provides the highest spatial accuracy?

GPS telemetry because it gives the exact location of the animal that you’re monitoring

• Not satellite telemetry because its not as a precise measurement as the GPS, it just tells you where the signal comes from, not the animal

What is the most common type of telemetry used in wildlife studies?

Very High Frequency telemetry (VHF Telemetry)

What are the 5 components of a VHF transmitter?

1. Circuit board

2. power supply

3. encapsulation material

4. antenna

5. attached method

True/False: Researchers can estimate population abundance using telemetry

False

True/False: Researchers can estimate population parameters including survival and recruitment using telemetry.

True

What is the best method to select if you are interested in studying migration movements of elk in the Canadian Rockies?

GPS tags with satellite transmission of data

Rank in order of increasing accuracy: Cementum annulli, marking behavior, tooth wear and replacement.

1. Marking behavior

2. Tooth wear and replacement

3. Cementum annulli

Is this a male or female mallard?

Female

True/False: adult female sea eagles are smaller than adult male sea eagles.

False

How old is this deer?

1.5 years (Tricuspid later on third premolar)

What stage is this deer in?

Mature adult (6 teeth or more)

Rank the type of mark with the correct hierarchy: Natural marks, non-invasive marks, invasive marks.

1. Natural marks

2. Non-invasive marks

3. Invasive marks

What is not a quality of an ideal marking technique?

Be easily removed

True/False: It is preferable to fit an animal with a loose neck collar.

False: It can be dangerous to itself and to others if it gets loose

Is this a band or a tag? Invasive or noninvasize

Tag (across the ear) and Invasive (perforates through the animals ear)

Why do we age deer?

• compare conditions relative to age-specific expectations to track progress of management efforts

  • monitor changes in age class composition of harvest

What is Cementum Annulli?

Annual growth rings found in tooth cementum of mammals, help determine age of animal

Dentine (brown) and Enamel (white) in deer teeth:

Helps us determine how old a deer can be. If the tooth has more dentine and less enamel, the deer is older.

What factors can help you determine a deer’s age?

• amount of dentine and enamel

• number of teeth (6 or more is at least 1.5 years)

• how sharp teeth are

• bicuspid or tricuspid on third premolar

  • bicuspid is (2+)

  • tricuspid is (1.5-)

What are the qualities of an ideal mark?

• minimal pain or stress

• no adverse effects on reproduction or survival

• permanently mark

• be recognizable at a distance

• easy to apply

• easy to assemble

• relatively inexpensive

Layout of bird wings:

• Primaries (wear, shape, molt limits, buffy tips)

• Secondaries (pattern/edging, buffy tips)

• Speculum (colors and borders)

• Tertials (shape and patterns)

• Coverts (top part of wings)

• Axillaries (divers)

What is Refinement? Give an example.

Improvements to scientific procedures and housing that minimize pain, suffering, or distress, and enhance animal welfare.

• Using improved anesthesia, analgesics for pain relief, or providing environmental enrichment for social animals

Reduction

Strategies that minimize the number of animals used per study, while still maintaining reliable data.

• Using statistical analysis to calculate the minimum number of animals that are needed for data

What is Replacement? Give example.

Methods that avoid or replace the use of animals.

• Using human cell cultures or computer models to test drug toxicity instead of live mice.

What are the pain categories for an animal according to USDA pain?

• B is no pain

• C is momentary pain

• D is pain relieved by medication

• E is unbearable pain