Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho
This study was completed to better understand pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations found throughout Idaho. Antelope were studied in three separate and distinct study areas. The Big Desert, Camas Prairie, and Little Lost and Pahsimeroi valleys were all selected as study sites. Idaho...
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ftutahsudc:oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-8529 2023-06-11T04:17:37+02:00 Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho Panting, Brett R. 2018-12-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7410 https://doi.org/10.26076/5e28-ad8d https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/context/etd/article/8529/viewcontent/2018_Panting_Brett.pdf unknown DigitalCommons@USU https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7410 doi:10.26076/5e28-ad8d https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/context/etd/article/8529/viewcontent/2018_Panting_Brett.pdf Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. All Graduate Theses and Dissertations pronghorn neonates survival idaho habitat Animal Sciences Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Life Sciences text 2018 ftutahsudc https://doi.org/10.26076/5e28-ad8d 2023-05-04T17:45:10Z This study was completed to better understand pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations found throughout Idaho. Antelope were studied in three separate and distinct study areas. The Big Desert, Camas Prairie, and Little Lost and Pahsimeroi valleys were all selected as study sites. Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is concerned with current pronghorn populations found throughout Idaho. Pronghorn are a valued big game species found in Idaho. Increasing pronghorn populations in Idaho is a focus of IDFG. We captured and VHF-collared pronghorn fawns found in our three study areas. Fawns were monitored daily with telemetry equipment for survival. Field necropsies were performed to determine cause of death for each fawn. We found that fawns across Idaho had acceptable survival rates compared to previous studies conducted on pronghorn. The highest cause of mortality on fawns was coyotes (Canis latrans). Other predators on pronghorn fawns were bobcats (Lynx rufus), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and black bear (Ursus americanus). We found that fawns radio-collared with a higher BMI (body mass index) were more likely to survive. We examined other relationships that could have an effect on fawn survival. Rabbits (Lepus californicus, Lepus townsendii Sylvilagus nuttallii, Brachylagus idahoensis, Lepus americanu) and ground squirrels (Urocitellus armatus, Urocitellus mollis, Urocitellus elegans, Urocitellus columbianus) were examined to see if there population numbers had an effect on pronghorn fawn survival. We found a relationship between rabbit density and fawn survival, as rabbit density increased pronghorn fawn survival increased. Ground squirrel density was found to have no effect. Coyote density was studied to see if coyote density effected pronghorn survival. No relationship was found between coyote density and pronghorn fawn survival. Habitat quality can impact animal populations. We examined habitat variables that could affect pronghorn fawn survival. NDVI (normalized difference vegetation ... Text Aquila chrysaetos Lynx Utah State University: DigitalCommons@USU |
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Open Polar |
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Utah State University: DigitalCommons@USU |
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ftutahsudc |
language |
unknown |
topic |
pronghorn neonates survival idaho habitat Animal Sciences Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Life Sciences |
spellingShingle |
pronghorn neonates survival idaho habitat Animal Sciences Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Life Sciences Panting, Brett R. Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho |
topic_facet |
pronghorn neonates survival idaho habitat Animal Sciences Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Life Sciences |
description |
This study was completed to better understand pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations found throughout Idaho. Antelope were studied in three separate and distinct study areas. The Big Desert, Camas Prairie, and Little Lost and Pahsimeroi valleys were all selected as study sites. Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is concerned with current pronghorn populations found throughout Idaho. Pronghorn are a valued big game species found in Idaho. Increasing pronghorn populations in Idaho is a focus of IDFG. We captured and VHF-collared pronghorn fawns found in our three study areas. Fawns were monitored daily with telemetry equipment for survival. Field necropsies were performed to determine cause of death for each fawn. We found that fawns across Idaho had acceptable survival rates compared to previous studies conducted on pronghorn. The highest cause of mortality on fawns was coyotes (Canis latrans). Other predators on pronghorn fawns were bobcats (Lynx rufus), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and black bear (Ursus americanus). We found that fawns radio-collared with a higher BMI (body mass index) were more likely to survive. We examined other relationships that could have an effect on fawn survival. Rabbits (Lepus californicus, Lepus townsendii Sylvilagus nuttallii, Brachylagus idahoensis, Lepus americanu) and ground squirrels (Urocitellus armatus, Urocitellus mollis, Urocitellus elegans, Urocitellus columbianus) were examined to see if there population numbers had an effect on pronghorn fawn survival. We found a relationship between rabbit density and fawn survival, as rabbit density increased pronghorn fawn survival increased. Ground squirrel density was found to have no effect. Coyote density was studied to see if coyote density effected pronghorn survival. No relationship was found between coyote density and pronghorn fawn survival. Habitat quality can impact animal populations. We examined habitat variables that could affect pronghorn fawn survival. NDVI (normalized difference vegetation ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Panting, Brett R. |
author_facet |
Panting, Brett R. |
author_sort |
Panting, Brett R. |
title |
Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho |
title_short |
Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho |
title_full |
Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho |
title_fullStr |
Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho |
title_full_unstemmed |
Influence of Environmental Variables on Survival Rates of Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) Neonates Across Idaho |
title_sort |
influence of environmental variables on survival rates of pronghorn ( antilocapra americana ) neonates across idaho |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@USU |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7410 https://doi.org/10.26076/5e28-ad8d https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/context/etd/article/8529/viewcontent/2018_Panting_Brett.pdf |
genre |
Aquila chrysaetos Lynx |
genre_facet |
Aquila chrysaetos Lynx |
op_source |
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7410 doi:10.26076/5e28-ad8d https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/context/etd/article/8529/viewcontent/2018_Panting_Brett.pdf |
op_rights |
Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.26076/5e28-ad8d |
_version_ |
1768376958971805696 |