Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Abstract Observations of the Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis), a species historically distributed abundantly throughout the southeastern United States, are speculated to have increased in the Midwest. One hypothesis for this expansion in geographic distribution is that local extirpations of other bat species resulted in the expanded realized niche spaces for evening bats. In Indiana, such niche spaces may have been created by declines in populations of the Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis), Indiana Bat (M. sodalis), Little Brown Bat (M. lucifugus), Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and the Tri-colored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). Our goal was to estimate the occupancy of Evening Bat in Indiana post-WNS establishment relative to the occupancy of other bat species before significant population declines caused by WNS. We expected that indices of occupancy of nearly extirpated species pre-WNS establishment would best predict current Evening Bat observations, and this would elucidate the niche space evening bats are now filling. We hypothesized that Evening Bat populations may be expanding their geographic range due to compensatory community dynamics, and that their realized niche space may be expanding in part due to losses of other bat species from WNS. We constructed multi-season Bayesian occupancy models using informative priors and integrative prior knowledge to test our predictions. We found that evening bats are occupying the niche space they were already occupying pre-WNS establishment. Furthermore, our results indicate that evening bats may be filling the niche space left behind by Myotis spp. (M. sodalis and M. lucifigus). These results can help us understand the dynamics of bat communities in a post-WNS establishment landscape and may also help to inform conservation of imperiled Myotis species.

de sistemas CAD (computer-aided design), que permitem o desenho do produto em 3D e sua fabricao por meio da MA.Com a evoluo da Manufatura Aditiva, diversos produtos comearam a ser fabricados, principalmente para resolver problemas de baixa a alta complexidade em diferentes contextos.Durante a pandemia da Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2), houve uma alta demanda por equipamentos de proteo individual (EPI) e outros suprimentos mdicos.Santos et al. (2022) realizaram um

Abstract Small mustelids are difficult to survey due to their low density and cryptic nature. Population status of North American weasels (Mustela erminea, Mustela nivalis, and Neogale frenata) are believed to be in decline, but there are no standardized monitoring protocols to evaluate their status. To support weasel monitoring, we compared the attractiveness of various combinations of baits and lures to weasels in sites located throughout the eastern and central USA. We baited a total of 122 clusters of 4 camera traps, across 14 states, with random combinations of 4 baits and 3 scent lures in the winters of 2022 and 2023. Cameras baited with meat were 3.5 times more likely to detect both short‐ and long‐tailed weasels on average (mean percentage of cameras detecting weasels: 20–30%) than those with scent lures (3–11%). Red meat was twice as effective at attracting short‐tailed weasels (50%) as chicken or cat food (20%; Z = 2.49, p < 0.01). While red meat marginally increased detections of long‐tailed weasels (21%) compared to chicken and cat food (19%), its effectiveness was influenced by whether the bait was stolen (Z = 2.08, p = 0.04). Additionally, long‐tailed weasels were detected in half the time when raw chicken was used (median days to detection: red meat = 39.5 days, raw chicken = 14.5 days). When salmon oil was added to meat bait, it increased the likelihood of detecting short‐tailed weasels and reduced the time to detection for both species. A variety of non‐target species stole meat bait during the survey, making the camera traps less effective. The addition of salmon oil may have allowed for continual attraction of weasels until stolen meat bait could be replenished. In summary, red meat was the best all‐purpose bait for weasels, although raw chicken is similarly effective for long‐tailed weasels, and the addition of salmon oil is helpful. We also recommend a specific bait enclosure design that was the most effective at minimizing theft of bait. We propose our baiting strategy can be used as a survey standard to evaluate the distribution and population status of weasels.

Between March and August 2024, three species of Fundulus topminnows, including two northern studfish, Fundulus catenatus, six blackspotted topminnows, Fundulus olivaceus, and eleven blackstriped topminnows, Fundulus notatus, were collected from various Ouachita River drainage watersheds in Arkansas, USA. They were examined for myxozoans by having their gill, gallbladder, fins, integument, mesenteries, musculature, and other major organs examined. The mesenteries of two (33%) F. olivaceus from Town Creek (Fulton County, Arkansas, USA) were infected with a new myxozoan, Myxobolus storeri sp. n. Molecular data consisted of a 1726 base pair sequence of the partial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene for M. storeri sp. n. Histologically, plasmodia were limited to mesenteric adipose and hepatic parenchyma, causing slight compression of neighboring tissue but producing no associated inflammatory response in the examined histosections. This is the first time a myxozoan has been described from F. olivaceus and is the seventh species recorded from any member of the fish family Fundulidae.