The yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) reaches the southern edge of its geographic range in New Mexico, where it is known from the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We provide a synopsis of the geographic range of M. flaviventris in New Mexico and report 5 recent records from the Jemez Mountains, Los Alamos and Sandoval Counties. Of the 5 records from the Jemez Mountains, 3 were obtained at high-elevation sites (>2690 m) during routine fieldwork and while conducting surveys for the American pika (Ochotona princeps), and 2 were from a residential area at relatively low elevation (2204 m) on a finger-mesa in Los Alamos. We evaluate 3 hypotheses for the provenance of the new records and conclude that M. flaviventris has maintained a relictual occurrence in the Jemez Mountains, but that the recent detections were due to (1) increased mammalogy fieldwork at high elevations, digital camera technology, and social media that allowed mammalogists to become aware of observations, and (2) possibly altered behavior by marmots due to impacts of recent widespread wildfire. Because small, isolated populations of marmots are vulnerable to extinction, research is needed to assess the status and trend of marmots in the Jemez Mountains, as well as in adjacent mountain ranges in New Mexico, with emphasis on identifying conservation threats and prospects for long-term persistence in the state.

Methods to estimate abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) are limited. Regional wildlife managers are concerned that Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island, Washington, USA, exceed carrying capacity. Research on small islands in the Pacific Northwest reports high deer densities; however, these islands are smaller and less complex than Whidbey Island, and have fewer mortality sources. Our objective was to estimate the abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island by using road-based spotlight surveys in a distance sampling framework. We conducted spotlight surveys from 12 January 2015 to 23 January 2015 starting ≤1 h after sunset and continuing to 23:00. The deer population of Whidbey Island is estimated to be 2744.5 individuals (6.2 deer/km²), lower than estimated densities of deer on smaller islands in the region. Density varied across the different sections of Whidbey Island. Road-based spotlight surveys in a distance sampling framework are a useful tool for estimating deer populations in regions where traditional monitoring methods are not practical. This research offers baseline estimates for the deer on Whidbey Island and provides a repeatable procedure to estimate abundance and density.

Herbaceous perennial species may exhibit winter or summer dormancy, or they may be spring ephemerals with dormancy extending from summer through winter. Herbaceous perennials, and spring ephemerals in particular, are most common in strongly seasonal but relatively mesic temperate environments. Warm deserts are typically dominated by shrubs and annuals that are better adapted to withstand or avoid severe summer heat. Astragalus holmgreniorum Barneby (Fabaceae) is a perennial spring ephemeral that has a restricted distribution at the northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert. We explored factors that regulate its phenological development in an observational study at 2 sites over 2 growing seasons. We examined consequences of weather variation in terms of phenological patterns and their effect on survival, growth, and reproductive output. Both seedling emergence and reinitiation of shoot growth occurred in early spring, with timing varying by site and year. Flowering peaked in early April each year regardless of weather variation. Plants ceased aboveground activity as daily maximum temperatures exceeded 30 °C in May. Between-year variation in winter-spring precipitation timing had significant effects on growth, survival, and reproductive output in 2 years with similar above-average total precipitation. Early-season precipitation favored high seedling emergence, whereas midseason precipitation favored increased growth and flowering of adult plants, high fruit set, and high seedling survival, and late-season precipitation favored high seed set. Our study showed that variation in precipitation timing can have major impacts on plant success in a desert environment, even in years with similar above-average total precipitation.

In the western United States, significant environmental change is expected through the combined effects of climate change, tree mortality, drought, and invasive species. Wild animals can be used as indicators of threats to populations and even entire communities by looking for histopathological changes in their tissues. This method may identify threats to wild populations quickly and more accurately than waiting to observe population declines; however, baseline data are needed for comparisons. Here, rodents are surveyed at 5 sites in the Great Basin to record histopathological changes. Additionally, one site is next to a copper mine that was in operation for nearly 100 years. This site is compared to the other more pristine sites. Liver, lung, heart, and kidney tissues of 143 rodents from 10 species were processed and examined using standard histological methods. Thirty percent of rodents had histopathological changes. The most common histopathological changes were extramedullary hematopoiesis (11.9%), hyperplastic BALT (6.3%), and pyelitis (4.9%). Two pathogens were found: the nematode Capillaria hepatica (0.7%) and the fungus Emmonsia crescens (2.8%). The most common rodent captured, Peromyscus maniculatus (n = 116), was used to determine whether sex and mass predict histopathological changes. Body mass, not sex, was the best predictor, suggesting that heavier, older individuals should be selectively sampled if the goal is to assess potential threats to rodent populations. Data such as these can be compared to future data to assess populations and communities for effects of environmental change.

The period following breeding but prior to migration is an important, though understudied, component of the avian annual life cycle. We quantified habitat use by endangered Golden-cheeked Warblers (Setophaga chrysoparia) during the postbreeding period in Golden-cheeked Warbler breeding habitat (i.e., oak-juniper [Quercus-Juniperus] woodlands) predominated by Texas oak (Quercus buckleyi) or post oak (Q. stellata), as well as in immediately adjacent oak woodland, oak savanna, and riparian vegetation not usually associated with breeding activity for this species. Most (87%) of the Golden-cheeked Warblers we detected were in oak-juniper woodlands, especially in Texas oak sites, but we also detected warblers in each of the other vegetation types we surveyed. Adults and family groups used breeding and nonbreeding habitat similarly, as did males and females, but juveniles used nonbreeding habitat more than adults did. Neither canopy cover nor territory density during the breeding season influenced postbreeding habitat use by warblers, regardless of vegetation type. We detected warblers 82% less often in post oak breeding habitat than in Texas oak breeding habitat despite similar densities of breeding territories, suggesting that warblers left post oak sites earlier during the postbreeding period. However, we found no evidence that warblers that bred in post oak sites were more likely to move into adjacent nonbreeding habitat than those that bred in Texas oak sites. Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) was the most consistently used woody substrate during the postbreeding period, regardless of warbler sex, warbler age, habitat type, or predominant oak species. Our results emphasize the continued importance of oak-juniper woodlands to Golden-cheeked Warblers during the postbreeding period but suggest that other vegetation types may also have conservation value for this species.

The primary objective of this article is to report the co-occurrence of Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus 1759) and Ephydatia muelleri (Lieberkühn 1855) in an alpine Colorado lake whose altitude of 3580 m represents new elevation maximums for these sponges for Colorado and for the whole of North America. A secondary objective was to characterize the physicochemical conditions of the lake water. For many limnological parameters, heavy metals, and metalloids, new minimums are recorded, particularly for E. muelleri. Ecomorphic variation of atypical gemmuloscleres for E. muelleri and S. lacustris is documented with SEM micrographs. Even though all the encrusted “white colonies” of both species were <23 mm in maximum dimension, each contained mature gemmules. The presence of both species in an ultraoligotrophic lentic site indicates the sponges' ability to colonize and persist in cold, pristine, low-solute habitats.

Maternal care of young is the norm in mammals because of internal gestation and lactation by females. Care by adults other than the mother is rare in most mammals but is common in primates, rodents, and carnivores. We studied parental care in an urban population of the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica), a small canid endemic to the San Joaquin Desert in California. Kit fox family groups typically consist of a mated pair, the young-of-the-year, and occasionally older offspring from previous years known as helpers. The relative contributions of the parents and helpers to the rearing of young are unknown in San Joaquin kit foxes. We determined the relative time investment (den attendance), the tasks performed (e.g., provisioning and guarding), and the chronology of participation and tasks performed by adult group members in pup rearing. We classified group members into 3 categories (mother, father, and helper) and monitored them for 3 periods of the reproductive season (preparturition, nursing, and weaned). There was no difference in den attendance between periods, but there was a significant difference in den attendance by role. Mothers spent significantly more time at the den than either fathers or helpers. There was no significant difference between average provisioning events per hour per individual by role, but provisioning rates were significantly lower during the nursing period compared to the weaned period. Mothers provided the most direct care to young, while the role of fathers was primarily to guard the family and maintain the territory. Assistance provided by helpers supplemented the efforts of the mother and father and consisted primarily of guarding and some social interaction, especially play. Pups in groups with helpers were left unattended significantly less than pups in the group with no helpers, which may result in lower predation levels on pups. Helpers were likely tolerated because of a superabundance of food in the urban environment, but their presence may reduce pup-rearing costs for parents and enhance the successful rearing of the current litter. Future research should compare parental care in urban and nonurban kit foxes and determine whether helpers increase pup survival rates.

Sagebrush-steppe ecosystems are among the most threatened terrestrial ecosystems in North America, but the plants and animals living on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a federally protected research facility located in the sagebrush steppe of southeastern Idaho, do not suffer from many of the deleterious effects of habitat conversion and fragmentation that characterize more typical western landscapes. This research describes basic patterns of gene flow among a group of relatively undisturbed Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus lutosus) hibernacula on the INL. Six polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci were used to genotype 200 individuals from 10 hibernacula located at spatial distances of 3–45 km from each other. Genetic connectivity, estimated using delta-mu squared ([δµ]²) and traditional F_ST calculations, is correlated with both Euclidean and least-cost path distances derived from a simple GIS-based denning habitat suitability model. Genetic analyses showed high levels of connectivity among rattlesnake hibernacula, but subtle differentiation between 2 distinct genetic clusters. Habitat suitability analyses produced significant correlations between gene-flow rates and the availability of intervening denning habitat. These findings suggest that the availability of high-quality thermoregulatory habitat along movement corridors helps maintain gene flow in a communally denning temperate snake species. Results from this study are interpreted within the context of an 18-year monitoring project on this population of snakes. These results also add a population genetic component to the existing body of natural history data pertaining to Great Basin rattlesnake population dynamics, reproduction, seasonal movements, hibernation, neonate survivorship, road effects, den modeling, and disturbance effects on the INL.

The protection of riparian zones is critical for biodiversity conservation. The exclusion of human activities and invasive nonnative fish species have been used as measures to protect vulnerable native fish populations in Bonita Creek, Graham County, Arizona. The abundance of 5 native fish species, during 2005–2016, and mesohabitat proportions, during 2011–2016, were estimated at 4 sites to assess the effectiveness of these conservation measures. Interannual variation in numbers was high for all the species, with the speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) being the most abundant. The speckled dace significantly increased at one of the sites; the Sonora sucker (Catostomus insignis) significantly decreased at 2 sites; and the longfin dace (Agosia chrysogaster), the desert sucker (Catostomus clarkii), and the Gila chub (Gila intermedia) populations did not display any significant trend. Correlations between fish abundance and mesohabitat proportions were highly variable but mostly nonsignificant. These results suggested that conservation efforts contributed to the stabilization of native fish populations. However, current trends and especially the partial decline of the Sonora sucker emphasized the need for further monitoring and research that would allow managers to better understand fish population dynamics and ecology and ultimately achieve the full recovery and conservation of native fish populations and their habitats.

We determined the movement patterns and survival rates of 85 radio-marked adult female Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) wintering on the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range (NYWR). We assessed seasonal movement and distribution patterns and individual fidelity to those patterns, along with seasonal habitat selection and survival rates. Twenty-three percent of the deer were nonmigratory, remaining on the winter range year-round, and 77% were migratory, moving 10–104 km from winter to summer ranges. No deer switched between migratory and nonmigratory status. All migratory deer that were monitored for ≥2 years exhibited traditional movement patterns and utilized the same winter and summer ranges in all years. Mean winter and summer home range sizes for migratory deer were 1076 ha (SE 129) and 1527 ha (SE 249), respectively, and mean home range size for resident deer was 3100 ha (SE 902). There was a dichotomy in winter habitat use, with one group of deer selecting cultivated and grassland vegetation land cover classes and a second group of deer selecting shrubland and grassland vegetation land cover classes. A dichotomy in summer habitat use was evident between those deer selecting for unburned forest and avoiding all burned land cover classes and those deer selecting for moderate and high burn intensity land cover classes and avoiding unburned forest. We estimated annual mean survival at 0.813 (SE 0.028) and found no differences in survival rates among migratory deer, nonmigratory deer, or deer exhibiting differences in winter or summer habitat selection patterns.

Because lizards are ectotherms, their life-history traits are greatly influenced by variations in thermal regimes. The Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) is an endangered lizard that dominates the lizard community in the San Joaquin Desert. Because of the protected status of the species, census protocols are in place to ensure that censuses are conducted during optimal times for lizard activity, but the protocols have not been evaluated by a detailed study. Also, because of changing thermal regimes as a result of climate change, there is concern for lizard species worldwide. I studied the activity and thermal biology of G. sila in 2003 and 2004 on the Lokern area of the San Joaquin Desert using data from radio-collared lizards. I also gathered thermal data from cloacal temperatures of G. sila in 1991 from the Elkhorn Plain in another part of the desert. From these data, I found that survey protocols do not set optimal times or temperatures to most effectively census this species, and that despite projected rising temperatures, G. sila may not become imperiled by a moderate change in thermal regime.

Previous research has shown that stems of Artemisia tridentata species exhibit extensive lobe formation. Twenty-two stem samples of Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis (ARTRW) and 24 samples of A. t. ssp. tridentata (ARTRT) were investigated to quantify lobe formation characteristics. For samples of both subspecies, lobe formation values were constant for 8.3-cm-diameter stems. For the above samples, ARTRW had 14 xylem rings, while ARTRT had only 5 rings. Three stem samples (33 to 50 cm long) of ARTRW were cut into a series of 8-mm segments. For the 3 stems, the smallest ends had 8 xylem rings (10 mm² area), while the largest ends had 38 xylem rings (700-mm² area). Lobes were present in all samples with more than 10 xylem rings. Each stem segment was subdivided into 10 sectors. A difference of more than 10 rings was observed in 13% of all sectors from segment to segment, suggesting that eccentric growth and lobe formation was localized along stems. This is the first publication to quantify lobe formation characteristics in successive stem segments of A. tridentata.

We describe the first reported case of diphallia in a bat, Corynorhinus townsendii, captured during fall swarming at a hibernaculum in northern Utah, USA. Upon examination, we determined that one phallus was functional, as evidenced by production of urine, while the secondary phallus appeared to be overgrown with skin. A review of the medical literature relevant to diphallia suggests that this is a case of pseudodiphallia with a bifid shaft. We hypothesize that this morphological deformity likely has a low impact on the survival of this individual but may act as a physical barrier to copulation. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of diphallia in bats.

Juniper mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum, Viscaceae) and hairy mistletoe (P. capitellatum) commonly parasitize junipers (Juniperus spp.) in Arizona. Although hybridization between species of Phoradendron is rare, this note reports the occurrence of a putative hybrid between these mistletoes in northern Arizona. The principal characteristics of the hybrid plant are the length, width, and pubescence of leaves, which are intermediate between the parent species. The putative hybrid is a female plant, and although it flowered and formed 17 fruits in 2017, seeds from the mature fruits did not germinate, suggesting that the hybrid is probably sterile.

During April 2018, we collected 23 age-0 (33–55 mm total length) Rio Grande Blue Sucker (Cycleptus sp. cf. elongatus) from 3 locations in the Rio Grande near the confluence with the Rio Conchos where the species is rarely reported. Age-0 Rio Grande Blue Suckers occurred in habitats ranging from 6 to 81 cm deep, with current velocities ranging from 0 to 1.03 m/s over silt, sand, gravel, cobble, and bedrock substrates. There was limited evidence for greater detection in slower-velocity habitats with bedrock, silt, and sand substrates, but the habitats we sampled were not unique from habitats sampled in a previous year-round study reporting only a single individual. We conclude that our sampling occurred shortly after successful recruitment, and that age-0 Rio Grande Blue Suckers use a wide variety of habitats.