Taxidea taxus (American Badger), historically a prairie species, has expanded its range southeastward in Arkansas likely due to habitat alterations resulting from agricultural modification of the landscape. Its typical foods are an array of small mammals, and seldom have amphibians been documented in its diet. Northeastern Arkansas was prone to flooding prior to the construction of levees, and American Badgers have since colonized the agricultural habitat that developed after flooding stopped. We found that 2 road-killed badgers collected from a newly established population in northeastern Arkansas had consumed many frogs. This is the first account of numerous amphibians documented in the diet of badgers.

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is a recently documented mycotic disease characterized by scabs or crusty scales, subcutaneous nodules, abnormal molting, cloudiness of the eyes (not associated with molting), and localized thickening or crusting of the skin. SFD has been documented in many species in the Eastern and Midwestern United States within the last decade. SFD has proven lethal in many snakes, and the disease is recognized as an emerging threat to wild snake populations. Herein we describe the first documented case of SFD in Louisiana in a f ree-ranging wild snake.

Eleven (55%) of 20 Chicobolus spinigerus (Florida Ivory Millipede) collected from Miami-Dade County, FL, were infected with 1–57 cystacanths of Macracanthorhynchus ingens, a common acanthocephalan of North American Procyon lotor (Raccoon), representing a new host record. The distribution of cystacanths among the millipedes exhibited the highly overdispersed negative binomial distribution that is characteristic of parasite populations.

Declines in populations of Passerina ciris (Painted Buntings) have led to their recent classification as a species of conservation concern. As part of a larger study investigating factors associated with nest success in south-central Louisiana during 2010–2011, we monitored a subsample of nests (n = 14) with video cameras in 2011 to identify nest predators and parasitism events. In addition, we quantified parental activity at the nest to determine if nest attendance and visitation rate during the incubation and nestling stages affected nest success. On average, successful nests were visited less frequently (0.74 ± 0.07 visits/hr) than failed nests (1.04 ± 0.07 visits/hr) during incubation. During the nestling stage, mean nest attendance of successful nests was lower (11.51 ± 1.96 min/hr) compared to failed nests (30.95 ± 3.23 min/hr), and contrary to predictions, mean visitation rate of successful nests (5.46 ± 0.46 visits/hr) was greater than that of failed nests (2.50 ± 0.50 visits/hr). Visitation was positively associated with greater nest concealment, which may have helped mitigate the risk of attracting predators and brood-parasites through increased parental activity.

The population of nesting Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Bald Eagle) in Louisiana reached precariously low numbers in the early 1970s after experiencing marked declines similar to the rest of the continental population. From 1975 to 2008, aerial surveys of all known nests have been conducted within the state to monitor the population. We used data collected over the 34-year nest-monitoring program to quantify the recovery of the nesting population in Louisiana. Active nests increased exponentially from 7 to 387, exhibiting a mean annual rate of increase of 11.1 ± 0.3% per year with no indications of slowing. Accounting for increases in nests over the monitoring period, we found relatively slight changes in reproduction, with productivity and brood size peaking in 2000 and 1999. By 1990, the nesting population in Louisiana had exceeded each goal of the Southeastern States Bald Eagle Recovery Plan, and the species was removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife in 2007. However, the continued stability and growth of the nesting population may depend on the ability of Bald Eagles to cope with increasing levels of human activity, as well as the protection and availability of current and future nesting habitats.

Freshwater mussel composition and abundance in stream ecosystems are influenced by changes in environmental and hydrologic forces related to stream size. Mussel assemblages in headwater areas tend to be depauperate but distinctive, with species richness and abundance increasing rapidly with increasing stream size. We compared the mussel assemblages in 3 subwatersheds of the Neches River Basin of east Texas: the small Attoyac Bayou (4th order), the intermediate-sized Angelina River (5th order), and the large mainstem of the upper Neches River (6th order). We conducted timed searches at 75 sites and found 12,860 mussels comprising 26 species. As in other river systems, the smallest stream segment, the Attoyac Bayou, had several species more adapted for low flow rates and stagnant conditions. The largest stream segment, the upper Neches River, had the highest diversity and abundance of unionids. We found that mussel abundances increased as the streamsegment size increased. In addition, we found a change in the species composition, with larger, more riverine species becoming more common as the size of the stream increased. A number of state-listed threatened species occur in the mainstem of the Neches River, which emphasizes the need to preserve undisturbed stretches of larger streams.

Chrosomus cumberlandensis (Blackside Dace [BSD]) and Etheostoma spilotum (Kentucky Arrow Darter [KAD]) are fish species of conservation concern due to their fragmented distributions, their low population sizes, and threats from anthropogenic stressors in the southeastern United States. We evaluated the relationship between fish abundance and stream conductivity, an index of environmental quality and potential physiological stressor. We modeled occurrence and abundance of KAD in the upper Kentucky River basin (208 samples) and BSD in the upper Cumberland River basin (294 samples) for sites sampled between 2003 and 2013. Segmented regression indicated a conductivity change-point for BSD abundance at 343 μS/cm (95% CI: 123–563 μS/cm) and for KAD abundance at 261 μS/cm (95% CI: 151–370 μS/cm). In both cases, abundances were negligible above estimated conductivity change-points. Post-hoc randomizations accounted for variance in estimated change points due to unequal sample sizes across the conductivity gradients. Boosted regression-tree analysis indicated stronger effects of conductivity than other natural and anthropogenic factors known to influence stream fishes. Boosted regression trees further indicated threshold responses of BSD and KAD occurrence to conductivity gradients in support of segmented regression results. We suggest that the observed conductivity relationship may indicate energetic limitations for insectivorous fishes due to changes in benthic macroinvertebrate community composition.

The Spruce—fir Moss Spider (Microhexura montivaga) is a federally endangered species found only in the high-elevation southern Appalachian spruce—fir forests. Little is known about the basic ecology of the spider. The goal of this project was to determine the temperature and humidity parameters of the microhabitat around known spider locations. iButton temperature and humidity data loggers were placed at sites on Mt. Lyn-Lowry, Browning Knob, Whitetop Mountain, and Mt. Rogers (a range that encompasses all metapopulations). No statistically significant (P > 0.05) differences in humidity between positive and negative presence sites, among metapopulations, or individual sites were found. Temperature data showed varied results. This research provides a number of applications for the conservation and management of the Spruce—fir Moss Spider, such as understanding metapopulation variation, better husbandry techniques, and using collected data to determine conversion factors/models for temperature data between microhabitat measurements and larger-scale measuring methods.

Coastal marshes of Louisiana provide nesting habitat for Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator). Helicopters are typically used to locate Alligator nests in remote interior marshes. We tested the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to detect Alligator nests on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Grand Chenier, LA. Three brief flights with a combined search time of approximately 25 minutes and 9 seconds were conducted in a single afternoon, covering 28.2 ha. While in the field, we observed 6 Alligator nests with the UAV, and later review of video imagery recorded allowed us to detect an additional 6 Alligator nests. The use of UAVs may be a useful tool for detecting Alligator nests.

A study was conducted to determine microbial community structure and baseline information of cultural bacteria taxa within Solenopsis invicta (Red Imported Fire Ant) mounds from 3 locations along the roadside of Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. At each location, samples consisting of mound soils, plant debris of primarily grass stem and leaves (control), and ant body tissues were obtained from replicate mounds during March, July, and November 2004. Bacteria isolate frequencies from soil were significantly greater than from plant or ant body tissues. Using 16S sequence data, 68 taxa from 2324 isolates were obtained from the 3 substrate types. The 7 most common bacteria following in order of greatest isolation frequencies were Bacillus sp. (5) (species complex), Achromobacter xylosoxidans, Bacillus cereus (complex), Lysininibacillus boronitolerans, Serratia liquefaciens, Pseudomonas protegens, and Lysinibacillus sphaericus. Richness, diversity, and evenness values varied between the locations, sampling dates, and the 3 isolation substrates. Total community-coefficient values were 0.74 to 0.84 across sampling dates. Overall these values indicated uniform communities across the different locations, isolation substrates, and across 3 sampling dates. Furthermore, no consistent trends in frequencies were observed by comparing ant tissues, location, and sampling dates to occurrences of bacterial taxa. Isolates and data obtained from this survey will allow for further testing to determine their role as food sources, saprophytes, or pathogens in Red Imported Fire Ant mound ecosystems.

We investigated the life history of Notropis spectrunculus (Mirror Shiner) at 4 locations in the Tennessee River drainage in western North Carolina that we sampled monthly over 7 months. Specimens were collected by seining and examined to identify age, growth, reproductive patterns, and feeding habits. Sexual maturity occurred at approximately 1 year of age. Spawning occurred from April to July with 13–331 mature oocytes (mean = 115.53, SD = 75.36), and male breeding coloration was present in specimens collected in May, June, and July. Gut contents consisted mainly of insect fragments, primarily Coleoptera and Diptera. Fish were found to inhabit water 0.5–0.75 m deep with sandy substrate, directly below flow-disrupting objects.

Reproductive biology and early life-history data are important for understanding the ecology of fishes. In 2008, we conducted captive propagation studies on 3 species of darters of the subgenus Nothonotus: Etheostoma wapiti (Boulder Darter), E. vulneratum (Wounded Darter), and E. maculatum (Spotted Darter). The length of spawning period and associated range of water temperatures for the Wounded Darter exceeded that of the Spotted Darter and Boulder Darter. The mean number of eggs produced per female was lowest for Boulder Darter and highest in the Wounded Darter. The Boulder Darter had the highest percent of eggs hatched, the lowest percent larval to juvenile stage survivorship, and the lowest mean number of juveniles produced per female. Egg diameters at deposition and prior to hatch were smallest for the Spotted Darter. If reproductive biology and early lifehistory information from captive fishes represent that of wild populations, then the data obtained during this study are relevant to development and implementation of conservation and management plans for these closely related darter species.

Myotis grisescens (Gray Bat) is a federally endangered species distributed over the mid-South with a summer range that extends across the upper Tennessee River Basin, including southwest Virginia. Given the onset of White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in the Commonwealth in the winter of 2009, we initiated yearly surveys in late summer 2009 to monitor the status of known summer populations. Our objectives were to examine the relative health of these bats using body mass index (BMI), and determine any changes in juvenile recruitment across sites and years. We did not find any marked changes in BMI across years after WNS for Gray Bats. This finding suggests that surviving bats are either not negatively impacted by WNS or have recovered sufficiently by late summer as to not document obvious differences across years. After limiting our analyses of juvenile recruitment to only the individuals that we had definitively aged via backlit photos (2010–2014), we found a non-significant declining trend in juvenile recruitment; a trend that merits continued monitoring in the years to come. As Gray Bats have only recently shown to be susceptible to WNS infection, it is possible that observable population declines are forthcoming.

Gambusia holbrooki (Eastern Mosquitofish) are often characterized as opportunistic surface feeders. We examined seasonal shifts in prey use, feeding specialization, and prey electivity to determine whether a feeding bias existed toward small planktonic prey. We sampled invertebrates (from the water column and from near plant surfaces) and Eastern Mosquitofish over 4 seasons in a wetland (Cobb County, GA). Gut analysis indicated seasonal shifts from large to small prey, particularly toward cladocerans, even when larger prey remained abundant. Small planktonic prey were consumed by all sizes of Eastern Mosquitofish. Electivities for cladocerans tended to be positive, whereas electivities for other prey, and especially copepods, were negative. Prey that would be expected to aggregate at the air—water interface were consumed in much greater proportions than those sampled elsewhere in the environment, suggesting that Eastern Mosquitofish are able to consume cladocerans caught in the surface tension.

Setophaga chrysoparia (Golden-cheeked Warbler; hereafter Warbler) breeds in oak—juniper woodland across central Texas. Our knowledge of Warbler-habitat associations remains limited to a small number of long-term study sites. However, ecological conditions within Warbler habitat may vary by geographic location. We estimated vegetation characteristics at 24 sites occupied by Warblers and at 80 Warbler nests and compared site and nest vegetation across natural regions. We found differences in vegetation volume at sites and nests across regions. We also found differences across regions in canopy height at sites, but no differences in canopy height at nests. Tree species richness and diversity and the proportion of Juniperus ashei (Ashe Juniper) used by Warblers at sites and nests varied across regions. Our study identifies geographic variation in Warbler habitat characteristics across the species' breeding range.

Food plots are commonly planted for Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) in the eastern US, because they are known to benefit this species. We hypothesized that food plots may also provide early-successional habitat for nongame species, such as songbirds, in areas where it is normally lacking. Thus, we evaluated songbird use of food plots planted with Trifolium spp. (perennial clovers) in the northern and southern Appalachian Mountains by comparing avian species richness and abundance within plots, along their edges, and in the adjacent forest. During the breeding season on northern sites, there was no difference in avian richness or abundance among the plots, their edges, or adjacent forest. However, both species richness and abundance were greater along plot edges during breeding season on southern sites. Species richness was also greater along plot edges for a subset of southern sites sampled during winter. Thus, food plots within southern Appalachian hardwood forests enhanced habitat conditions (as indexed by use) for songbirds, including several species that are classified as declining. Population losses of those species may be due to otherwise limited availability of early successional habitat within these systems.

Monitoring mammals is becoming increasingly important as state and federal agencies develop wildlife action plans addressing increased urbanization and climatechange impacts on plant and animal populations. We designed and implemented surveys applicable to forested wetlands to assess detection rates, estimate species richness, compare species distributions, and assess relative cost versus success among techniques. The survey techniques implemented included opportunistic observations, predator calling, spotlighting, scent stations, camera survey, and foothold trapping. Opportunistic observations produced the highest species-richness estimate (14), and were the least expensive ($0) because they were conducted while implementing other survey techniques. Trapping was the most expensive technique with a cost of $61 per animal detected but provided age structure and population estimates through mark—recapture analysis. Camera survey was relatively expensive with a cost of $1865 for the entire study period but recorded the most detections (n = 673), which resulted in a low per detection cost ($3). Opportunistic observations and camera surveys documented 2 species not detected by any other method. Our results indicate that, although camera survey was a cost-effective way to detect mammals, richness and distribution estimates could be improved by incorporating a variety of monitoring techniques specific to forested wetlands.