In Kentucky, at the periphery of the species' range, Siren intermedia (Lesser Siren) is a species of greatest conservation need. We monitored Lesser Sirens in a western Kentucky wetland complex from July 2018 to May 2019. Using funnel traps, we captured 60 Lesser Sirens and recaptured 2 individuals. Activity was greatest in July, and lowest October–January. Three Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) telemetry surveys detected 7 PIT-tagged individuals; 1 Lesser Siren moved 36.9 m over 8 months. Capture success increased with warmer minimum water temperature. Body size upon first capture was unrelated to the microenvironment of the trap location. We recommend monitoring programs in western Kentucky concentrate funnel trapping in warm weather and use PIT telemetry to study movements.

Larus delawarensis (Ring-billed Gull) populations have increased >4% annually in the Great Lakes region since 2003. Gull–human interactions and conflicts have similarly increased, particularly concerning human health and safety issues related to gull feces deposited at recreational beaches. During June–August 2013, we conducted a radiotelemetry study of Ring-billed Gulls in a Lake Michigan coastal region to determine patterns of habitat use and movement between recreational beaches and human infrastructure by gulls. Of 14 individuals relocated, we found Ring-billed Gulls selected recreational beaches and landfill sites and avoided agricultural fields. We found 5 of 14 gulls made a minimum of 2 roundtrips between beaches and landfills over the study period. Gulls may serve as transport vectors for bacteria and other pathogens from human-waste sites to areas of probable human contact and concentration, such as public recreational beaches. As such, pathogen distribution and connectivity within a landscape could be established, maintained, and enhanced by gull movements. Managers may need to implement exclusion tools for gulls at both of these sites to maintain human-health standards.

Mya arenaria (Softshell Clam) is an important recreational and commercial bivalve in coastal New England, the mid-Atlantic, and elsewhere. The Softshell Clam is a filter feeder that provides a trophic link between planktonic food items and benthic predators. We quantified annual trends of disseminated neoplasia in Softshell Clams in the Hampton–Seabrook estuary in New Hampshire using logistic regression from 3975 individuals collected from 2002 to 2018. There was a negative trend in the incidence of Softshell Clams with non-detectable amounts of neoplastic cells, there was no significant trend in the incidence of stage 1 neoplasia (1–25% neoplastic cells), positive trends in the incidences of stages 2 and 3 (26–50% and 51–75% neoplastic cells), and no significant trends in incidence of stage 4 (76–100% neoplastic cells). The significant changes in neoplasia development suggest that the incidence of the disease is increasing. The lack of a significant trend in the terminal stage 4 neoplasia may be due to the short duration of this stage prior to death. Probabilities of acquiring stages 2 and 3 neoplasia in 2018 were 0.19 and 0.12, respectively. The mean length of Softshell Clams with stage 4 neoplasia was 66.7 mm (min–max = 53.2–78.1 mm), which indicates that terminal neoplasia occurs primarily in reproductive adults. The presence of advanced stages of the disease in sexually mature individuals can reduce the reproductive potential of that population.

Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Shorthead Redhorse) is a common fish species found throughout Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River basin. It is the only member of Moxostoma known to inhabit this river basin. Yet, when we compared 467 nucleotides of the mtDNA COI gene from Shorthead Redhorse (n = 4) directly upstream of Curwensville Reservoir (Susquehanna River, Curwensville, PA), we found that they appeared more similar to M. erythrurum (Golden Redhorse) from the Mississippi River basin than the native congener. In contrast, putative Shorthead Redhorse (n = 8) from other areas of the Susquehanna River were identified as Shorthead Redhorse using the same molecular marker. These findings provide the first evidence that Golden Redhorse now inhabit portions of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.

Reliable monitoring of abundance of rare species across space and time is critical to determining their status and risk of extinction. For Cicindela patruela patruela (Notrthern Barrens Tiger Beetle), we determined whether mark–recapture estimates of abundance or site occupancy probability were sufficiently precise, unbiased, and efficient to be used for long-term monitoring of population status for this imperiled species in the Shawangunk Mountains, NY. Over 2 years, the estimated population size grew from 81 ± 5.7 to 109 ± 6.4 individuals. Consistent with a space-limited but potentially growing population, seasonal occupancy models (3-season model with year = season) indicated site-colonization probability remained constant, site extinction probability decreased, and detection probability increased among years—the latter indicating the need to account for variation in detection probability when monitoring population trends. Both occupancy and mark–recapture methods were promising for monitoring change in populations of Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle in this region.

Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-banded Armadillo) has recently expanded its range northward into Illinois. With this range expansion comes concern from both wildlife managers and the public regarding potential incoming pathogens and unknown impacts on native wildlife. However, to conduct field studies of armadillos in newly colonized areas, information is needed regarding capture methods and efficiency. We attempted several methods to capture colonizing armadillos in southern Illinois during 2019–2020, including spotlighting on roads, staking out burrows, unbaited single-door cage traps, and unbaited double-door cage traps. Based on the ratios of trap nights per capture and person-hours per capture, double-door cage traps were the most efficient method to capture armadillos, and we suggest other researchers use this method in low-density populations.

Hydrobates leucorhous (Leach's Storm-Petrel) is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but its North American populations are declining. The causes and extent of the decline are uncertain, making continued population monitoring and identification of colonies a priority for the management of this species. Detailed long-term studies of a large colony on Kent Island in the Grand Manan Archipelago, NB, Canada, have been ongoing since the 1930s, yet the presence and abundance of petrels nesting on neighboring islands is poorly documented. We conducted a census of Hay Island, which is connected to Kent Island by a 300-m stretch of intertidal zone, during mid-incubation in July of 2018 to determine burrow densities and occupancy rates and estimate the breeding population size. We estimated the population of breeding pairs to be 2786 (95% CI ± 624), with most active burrows and the highest burrow occupancy rates occurring in open, non-forested areas dominated by Dryopteris spp. (wood ferns). Overall burrow densities and occupancy rates on Hay Island were lower than nearby colonies. Baseline population estimates of Leach's Storm-Petrels in unassessed colonies like Hay Island are important for on-going monitoring, improving regional population estimates, and conservation planning.

Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) (Brook Trout) abundance and distribution have declined in much of their native range in the eastern United States, with most intact habitats concentrated in the northern states. We used stream electrofishing data from the 1950s (1952 to 1960) and the 2000s (2005 to 2016) to quantify changes in the abundance and distribution of Brook Trout in Vermont over the last half century. We also investigated whether Brook Trout's co-occurrence with Salmo trutta (Brown Trout) and Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow Trout) in the 1950s influenced their abundance in the 2000s and, further, whether or not the distribution or abundance of non-native trout has changed appreciably since the 1950s. Overall, Brook Trout abundance was higher in the 2000s than in the 1950s. Increased abundance was driven by increases in young of year (YOY), which was not related to the occurrence of non-native trout. Although present at fewer sites in the 2000s, non-native trout densities remained unchanged. Brook Trout distribution at the HUC-12 watershed scale was essentially identical during both time periods. This study confirms previous modeling efforts, which indicated that Brook Trout have a higher probability of persisting in higher latitude, higher elevation, and less-developed regions.

Nest boxes are commonly used for species that utilize tree cavities, including small owls. Boxes were installed in 2011 to facilitate study of Northern Saw-whet Owls in Pennsylvania. We checked the 11 boxes that remained in 2020 after a hiatus of 8 years and found 3 rodent nests, but no evidence of owl usage. Playbacks revealed owls were present at 8 of 11 boxes checked. Cavity surveys yielded an average of 7.7 large cavities within 50 m of each box; extrapolation of cavity densities to a minimal territory size of 150 ha suggested that suitable cavities are an abundant, non-limiting resource here. Cavity abundance was likely a consequence of beech bark disease complex having recently top-killed most large American Beech trees locally, providing abundant resources for excavating woodpeckers. Assessing cavity abundance should be an essential first step for any management project involving cavity-nesting birds, and nest boxes should be used only in situations where cavities appear to be limited.

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Cliff Swallow) is experiencing significant population declines in parts of its breeding range, particularly in northeastern North America. At 12 active Cliff Swallow colonies in western Massachusetts in 2019–2020, we examined the extent to which installation of artificial nests, providing of mud sources, and control of Passer domesticus (House Sparrow) affected colony size and reproductive success of Cliff Swallows. While there was a trend for colony size to increase at sites with artificial nests, there was not a significant size increase at these sites from 2019–2020. Cliff Swallow nesting success was significantly lower at colony sites where House Sparrows were present, compared to those at which they were absent. The number of nesting Cliff Swallows at 2 sites where mud sources were enhanced increased from 2019 to 2020. Efforts to control House Sparrows by shooting at 1 site were unsuccessful. Our study suggests that without effective control of House Sparrows, Cliff Swallows are likely to keep declining in Massachusetts, regardless of other management techniques used.

The Appomattox River basin in Virginia is a poorly understood system for freshwater crayfish diversity and distribution. We sampled 36 locations in the upper Appomattox basin for crayfish and noted general habitat characteristics. The following 7 species of crayfish were discovered in the system belonging to 4 genera: Cambarus cf. acuminatus, Cambarus bartonii bartonii (Common Crayfish), Cambarus longulus (Atlantic Slope Crayfish), Lacunicambarus diogenes (Devil Crayfish), Procambarus acutus (White River Crayfish), Creaserinus fodiens (Digger Crayfish), and invasive Procambarus clarkii (Red Swamp Crayfish). Native C.cf. acuminatus dominates the upper Appomattox region, having a wider distribution and higher relative abundance compared to other species in the basin. All other taxa demonstrated relatively limited distributions and low abundance. The least encountered species were the 2 primary burrowing species, Devil Crayfish and Digger Crayfish, which exclusively used shallow seasonal pools during the spring breeding season. We report range extensions for C. cf. acuminatus, Atlantic Slope Crayfish, Common Crayfish, Devil Crayfish, Digger Crayfish, and Red Swamp Crayfish, and recommend additional surveys to improve our understanding of the diversity and distribution of crayfish in the Appomattox River basin. Furthermore, we recommend monitoring of the Briery Creek and Sandy River systems to assess the extent and severity of the Red Swamp Crayfish invasion. Additionally, we urge a systematic study to resolve the taxonomic uncertainty of a potentially new Creaserinus species in the Appomattox River basin.

Tetronarce occidentalis (Western Atlantic Torpedo) is a demersal to semi-pelagic batoid, distributed broadly from Nova Scotia to Venezuela, for which data is limited throughout its range. A single individual was captured in the New York Bight and opportunistically tracked through nearshore waters for 2 years using passive acoustic telemetry. The individual showed rapid extensive movements (>250 km) and exhibited continuous use of coastal New York and New Jersey waters during late spring in 2012 and 2013. Observed movements were consistent with captures from fisheries-independent trawl surveys. These observations illustrate that the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight may offer important seasonal habitat for Atlantic torpedo rays, providing a preliminary assessment of local movement dynamics.

We collected an individual Polycera hummi, a subtropical nudibranch, in association with a green macroalga Ulva sp. from an intertidal oyster reef in Burtons Bay, Wachapreague, VA. The established range of P. hummi is based solely on a handful of records from Mississippi and Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and the Carolinas in the Atlantic Ocean. This finding marks the highest latitude that this species has been found, 350 km north of its previously established range from Mississippi to Beaufort, NC. We observed the individual actively navigate the Ulva thallus which had encrusting bryozoans (unidentified genus) and arborescent bryozoans (Bugula sp.)—likely prey species. We briefly summarize the current knowledge on this rarely encountered nudibranch, provide information on the collection site, including other sea slugs often encountered in this area, note its behavior and interactions with macroalgae and bryozoans, and suggest some fruitful avenues of future work on the evolutionary ecology of rare nudibranch species like P. hummi.

Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) is a regionally migrating bat, widely distributed throughout North America. Through long-term monitoring systems deployed in 2 locations in Newfoundland, Canada, we recorded the movement of an adult female of at least 375 km over a period of 4 nights. Although not the longest travel distance recorded for this species, this observation emphasizes the capabilities of Little Brown Myotis for long-distance flights, the potential connectivity among distant maternity groups, and the value of long-term monitoring programs. To fully understand the movement patterns of Little Brown Myotis, advancements in technology and greater research effort are needed.

Lithasia armigera (Armored Rocksnail) is an imperiled pleurocerid (Gastropoda: Cerithioidea: Pleuroceridae) historically found throughout the Ohio River drainage. Its reproductive behaviors, like most aquatic gastropods, are poorly understood. We began propagating Armored Rocksnail in captivity, and herein report on the egg-laying behaviors of the species. These data can help natural resource and conservation managers prepare propagation and recovery plans to help conserve at-risk species.