Wildlife Test 3 Study Guide

Migration

The movement of animals from one region to another, often in search of better breeding opportunities and food resources.

Corticosterone

A hormone that plays a role in migration by promoting fatty acid mobilization for energy, but excessive levels can lead to decreased protein storage and weakened muscles.

Glucocorticoids

Hormones that have various effects on migration, including mobilization of amino acids from muscle tissues, decreased glucose utilization, reduced protein storage, and increased fatty acid mobilization.

Prolactin

A hormone that increases with photoperiod in the spring and stimulates fattening and migratory behavior in birds.

Migration Modulation Hypothesis

The hypothesis that baseline corticosterone levels are often elevated and the response to capture and handling is reduced in birds getting ready to migrate.

Zugunruhe

The experience of migratory restlessness, which is a precursor to successful migration.

Feather Molt

The process of shedding and regrowing feathers. High levels of corticosterone during molt can decrease feather growth and protein storage, making it energetically costly for birds.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids that cannot be produced by the animal and must be obtained from the diet. They are important for building cell walls, enzymes, hormones, and other components of the body.

Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio

The ratio of calcium to phosphorus in bones, which is typically 2:1 and important for bone health and homeostasis.

Sodium Appetite

The increased craving for sodium in wild herbivores during the spring and summer, as they lose more sodium through sweating.

Selenium

A mineral that is essential for normal muscle function. A deficiency in selenium can lead to muscle myopathy, such as white muscle disease.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, and K that are soluble in fat and important for various physiological processes and growth.

Copper (Cu) Deficiency

A deficiency in copper that can lead to clinical signs in ruminants such as loss of hair pigment, brittle pelage, lack of thriftiness, stilted gait, and broken antlers.

Primary Mineral Deficiency

An actual deficiency of a mineral in the diet.

Secondary Mineral Deficiency

An overabundance of one mineral that causes a deficiency of another mineral.

Calcium Loading

The ability of pheasants to store calcium in their medullary bone and mobilize it later for eggshell synthesis.

Creatinine

A waste product that comes from the digestion of protein and breakdown of muscles. It is used as a measure of kidney function.

Urea Nitrogen

The level of nitrogen in the form of urea in the urine, which can increase in animals with low nutrition and poor health.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The metabolic rate when an animal is at rest. High metabolic rates are generally associated with abundant and easily digestible food supply.

Cecum

An organ in birds used for fermentation of food.

Birds with Developed Ceca

Birds that have a more developed cecum for fermentation of food.

Foregut fermenters

Animals, such as deer and cattle, that have fermentation happening before the stomach in their digestive system.

Hindgut fermenters

Animals, such as rhinos, rabbits, some rodents, koalas, and horses, that have fermentation happening after the stomach, typically in the cecum, in their digestive system.

Monogastric stomach

A single-compartment stomach found in some species.

Ruminants

Animals like deer and cattle that are foregut fermenters and have a complex digestive system consisting of multiple compartments.

Intestinal length and food habits

The length of the intestines in an animal is related to its food habits and determines how efficiently it can extract nutrients from its food.

Coprophagy

The act of eating feces, which is important for some species like rabbits to absorb nutrients that were not fully absorbed during the first pass through the digestive system.

Protein requirements for white-tailed deer

During antler growth, the protein requirement for white-tailed deer is 9.9%. Males generally have higher protein requirements than females. For yearlings, the requirement is 5.8%. Fawn growth is optimal with protein levels between 10-13%, while less than 9% is considered bad and 13-20% is considered the best.

Concentrate selectors

Animals that primarily consume at least 75% shrubs, trees, stems, foliage, fruits, or leaves in their diet, indicating a selective feeding behavior.

Intermediate feeders

Animals that have a mixed diet consisting of both concentrate (selective feeding) and grazers (grass-eating) behavior.