Preservation of indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota is deemed to be critical for successful captive breeding of endangered wild animals, yet its biology is poorly understood. Here, we investigated cecal bacterial communities in wild Japanese rock ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica) and compared them with those in Svalbard rock ptarmigans (L. m. hyperborea) in captivity. Ultra-deep sequencing ...

Members of the order Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are among the most long-lived and endangered avian species. Comprehensive data on lifespan and breeding are critical to setting conservation priorities, parameterizing population viability models, and managing captive and wild populations. To meet these needs, we analyzed 83, 212 life history records of captive birds from the Internati...

Due to the risks that nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) pose to breeding Kirtland’s Warblers (Dendroica kirtlandii) and other songbirds, refinement of existing cowbird trapping techniques and development of new techniques are needed to improve the efficiency of cowbird removal. We conducted experiments during 1999-2002 to determine if the use of male and female decoys af...

www.sciencemag.org (this information is current as of October 8, 2007 ): The following resources related to this article are available online at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5847/100 version of this article at: including high-resolution figures, can be found in the online Updated information and services, http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5847/100/DC1 can be found...

Long-term maintenance of captive populations followed by release of captive animals into the wild is one of many approaches to endangered species conservation. To assess captivity’s effects on behavior, a simulated predator was presented and response behaviors measured in oldfield mice, Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus. The animals tested were from four populations collected from Ocala National...

The Seychelles Giant Tortoise Conservation Project captive breeding programme for the Seychelles tortoises Dipsochelys arnoldi and D. hololissa is described. Successful hatching occurred in 2002 and the reasons for this success discussed. Important factors are enclosure design, social structure and the use of artificial incubation. Methods for sexing hatchlings are discussed. There may be great...

In the majority of socially monogamous bird species, females solicit or accept copulations from males other than their partner. Females may gain direct benefits from extrapair males, such as greater access to resources, or indirect genetic benefits that will influence the future success of their offspring. However, one group of birds appears to be the exception to this general rule; in the wild...