Daniel T. Blumstein,a,b Matthew B. Petelle,a and Tina W. Weyc aDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1606, USA, bThe Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, PO Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA, and cDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 956...

The Gartcosh Industrial Site, North Lanarkshire is home to the largest known population of great crested newts (Triturus cristatus,) in Scotland. Economic development of the site required the translocation of the great crested newt and four other amphibian species from existing ponds to a purpose built reserve around the periphery. Monitoring the effectiveness of translocation as a mitigation m...

The newborn cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis is a precocial rodent. However, the newborn spends its first 9 weeks in the burrow. Heat production (oxygen consumption--VO2) and body temperature (Tb) were measured at various ambient temperatures (Ta) in newborn (4-8-week-old) porcupines, with a body mass between 1340-1993 g during summer, from the colony kept at the Mammal Research Institut...

Crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum L. (Gaertn.)] is an important cool-season forage grass widely used for early spring grazing. However, the genomic resources for this non-model plant are still lacking. Our goal was to generate the first set of next generation sequencing data using the genotyping-by-sequencing technique. A total of 272 crested wheatgrass plants representing seven breeding ...

ASSTRACT.--Recently, we acquired DNA of two rare species of heron, the Neotropical Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) and the African White-crested Bittern (Tigriornis leucolophus). To estimate their phylogenetic relationships to other herons, we compared these species with representatives of the major heron clades using DNA-DNA hybridization. Even though the Zigzag Heron resembles a tiger-heron...

We documented the antibody prevalence to three arboviruses, St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), and West Nile virus (WNV), in Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway; n = 80) in Florida from 2007 to 2008. Antibody prevalence to WNV was higher (9%) than for the other viruses. Most seropositive birds were adults (< or =3 yr of age), with 55% of adults testi...

As alarm calls indicate the presence of predators, the correct interpretation of alarm calls, including those of other species, is essential for predator avoidance. Conversely, communication calls of other species might indicate the perceived absence of a predator and hence allow a reduction in vigilance. This "eavesdropping" was demonstrated in birds and mammals, including lemur species. Inter...

Condensation of water vapor in the exhaled air stream as it passes over previously cooled membranes of the nasopharynx is thought to be a mechanism that reduces respiratory water loss in mammals and birds. Such a mechanism could be important in the overall water economy of these vertebrates, especially those species occupying desert habitats. However, this hypothesis was originally based on mea...