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chronic wasting disease drives population decline of white-tailed deer.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is an invariably fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. despite a 100% fatality rate, areas of high prevalence, and increasingly expanding geographic endemic areas, little is known about the population-level effects of cwd in deer. to investigate these effects, we tested the null hypothesis that high prevalence cwd did not negatively impact white-tailed deer population sustainability. the specific objectives of ...201627575545
infectious disease and grouping patterns in mule deer.infectious disease dynamics are determined, to a great extent, by the social structure of the host. we evaluated sociality, or the tendency to form groups, in rocky mountain mule deer (odocoileus hemionus hemionus) from a chronic wasting disease (cwd) endemic area in saskatchewan, canada, to better understand factors that may affect disease transmission. using group size data collected on 365 radio-collared mule deer (2008-2013), we built a generalized linear mixed model (glmm) to evaluate wheth ...201627007808
exclusion of introduced deer increases size and seed production success in an island-endemic plant species.the presence of extra-local invaders, such as the southern california mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) on santa catalina island, may contribute to more selective and insidious effects within the unique ecosystems that have evolved in their absence. studies at the species level may detect effects not noticed in broader, community level vegetation monitoring or help tease apart differences in the level of effect among the various ecological components of an invaded system. in this initial study, we ...201626843937
challenges in identifying and determining the impacts of infection with pestiviruses on the herd health of free ranging cervid populations.although most commonly associated with the infection of domestic livestock, the replication of pestiviruses, in particular the two species of bovine viral diarrhea virus (bvdv), occurs in a wide range of free ranging cervids including white-tailed deer, mule deer, fallow deer, elk, red deer, roe deer, eland and mousedeer. while virus isolation and serologic analyses indicate that pestiviruses are circulating in these populations, little is known regarding their impact. the lack of regular survei ...201627379051
dermatomycosis in a mule deer in alberta. 20164810221
movement reveals scale dependence in habitat selection of a large ungulate.ecological processes operate across temporal and spatial scales. anthropogenic disturbances impact these processes, but examinations of scale dependence in impacts are infrequent. such examinations can provide important insight to wildlife-human interactions and guide management efforts to reduce impacts. we assessed spatiotemporal scale dependence in habitat selection of mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) in the piceance basin of colorado, usa, an area of ongoing natural gas development. we employ ...201627859842
a common parvovirus in deer from california, usa.we characterize the genome of the first reported deer parvovirus, ungulate tetraparvovirus 5, which we detected by pcr in multiple tissues from 2/9 california mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus californicus) with hair loss syndrome (hls) and in 4/12 deer without hls, suggesting this common infection does not cause hls.201627479898
individual and population level resource selection patterns of mountain lions preying on mule deer along an urban-wildland gradient.understanding population and individual-level behavioral responses of large carnivores to human disturbance is important for conserving top predators in fragmented landscapes. however, previous research has not investigated resource selection at predation sites of mountain lions in highly urbanized areas. we quantified selection of natural and anthropogenic landscape features by mountain lions at sites where they consumed their primary prey, mule deer (odocoileus hemionus), in and adjacent to ur ...201627411098
the effect of terrain and female density on survival of neonatal white-tailed deer and mule deer fawns.juvenile survival is a highly variable life-history trait that is critical to population growth. antipredator tactics, including an animal's use of its physical and social environment, are critical to juvenile survival. here, we tested the hypothesis that habitat and social characteristics influence coyote (canis latrans) predation on white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (o. hemionus) fawns in similar ways during the neonatal period. this would contrast to winter when the hab ...201627386083
exotic pediculosis and hair-loss syndrome in deer (odocoileus hemionus) populations in california.infestation with nonnative, "exotic" lice was first noted in washington black-tailed deer (odocoileus hemionus columbianus) in 1994 and has since then spread throughout the western united states. in california, infestation with the exotic louse damalinia (cervicola) sp. was first detected in black-tailed deer from northern california in 2004, and, in 2009, the exotic louse species bovicola tibialis and linognathus africanus were identified on mule deer (odocoileus hemionus californicus) in centr ...201627240567
salivary prions in sheep and deer.scrapie of sheep and chronic wasting disease (cwd) of cervids are transmissible prion diseases. milk and placenta have been identified as sources of scrapie prions but do not explain horizontal transmission. in contrast, cwd prions have been reported in saliva, urine and feces, which are thought to be responsible for horizontal transmission. while the titers of cwd prions have been measured in feces, levels in saliva or urine are unknown. because sheep produce ~17 l/day of saliva, and scrapie pr ...201622453179
hepatitis e virus seroprevalence in free-ranging deer in canada.hepatitis e virus infection (hev) is an important public health concern not only in traditional endemic areas, but also in some industrialized countries where both domesticated and wild animals have been recognized as potential zoonotic reservoirs implicated in hev transmission. while the prevalence of infection in the deer population in europe and asia has been thoroughly investigated, it remains largely undetermined in north america. we assessed the presence of hev in three different species o ...201626752436
large herbivores surf waves of green-up during spring.the green wave hypothesis (gwh) states that migrating animals should track or 'surf' high-quality forage at the leading edge of spring green-up. to index such high-quality forage, recent work proposed the instantaneous rate of green-up (irg), i.e. rate of change in the normalized difference vegetation index over time. despite this important advancement, no study has tested the assumption that herbivores select habitat patches at peak irg. we evaluated this assumption using step selection functio ...201627335416
candidate adaptive genes associated with lineage divergence: identifying snps via next-generation targeted resequencing in mule deer (odocoileus hemionus).mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) are an excellent nonmodel species for empirically testing hypotheses in landscape and population genomics due to their large population sizes (low genetic drift), relatively continuous distribution, diversity of occupied habitats and phenotypic variation. because few genomic resources are currently available for this species, we used exon data from a cattle (bos taurus) reference genome to direct targeted resequencing of 5935 genes in mule deer. we sequenced appro ...201627438092
alive smc(2) : bayesian model selection for low-count time series models with intractable likelihoods.in this article we present a new method for performing bayesian parameter inference and model choice for low- count time series models with intractable likelihoods. the method involves incorporating an alive particle filter within a sequential monte carlo (smc) algorithm to create a novel exact-approximate algorithm, which we refer to as alive smc2. the advantages of this approach over competing methods are that it is naturally adaptive, it does not involve between-model proposals required in re ...201626584211
belowground fungal associations and water interact to influence the compensatory response of ipomopsis aggregata.although the concept that some plants benefit from being eaten is counterintuitive, there is now considerable evidence demonstrating enhanced fitness following herbivory. it has been assumed that plants growing in high resource conditions are the ones best able to compensate for herbivory. however, just the opposite has been found for dicotyledonous plants exhibiting patterns of overcompensation, with most occurring in resource-poor conditions. long-term studies of the monocarpic biennial, scarl ...201626497124
ungulate reproductive parameters track satellite observations of plant phenology across latitude and climatological regimes.the effect of climatically-driven plant phenology on mammalian reproduction is one key to predicting species-specific demographic responses to climate change. large ungulates face their greatest energetic demands from the later stages of pregnancy through weaning, and so in seasonal environments parturition dates should match periods of high primary productivity. interannual variation in weather influences the quality and timing of forage availability, which can influence neonatal survival. here ...201626849642
the population history of endogenous retroviruses in mule deer (odocoileus hemionus).mobile elements are powerful agents of genomic evolution and can be exceptionally informative markers for investigating species and population-level evolutionary history. while several studies have utilized retrotransposon-based insertional polymorphisms to resolve phylogenies, few population studies exist outside of humans. endogenous retroviruses are ltr-retrotransposons derived from retroviruses that have become stably integrated in the host genome during past infections and transmitted verti ...201724336966
intracerebral malignant plasmacytoma in a mule deer (odocoileus hemionus).a wild, mature, gravid female mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) was presented with marked neurological signs, including abnormal behaviour, circling and incoordination. the animal was humanely destroyed and submitted for diagnostic investigation. grossly, a well-demarcated, 3 × 3 × 3 cm intracranial mass replaced the left olfactory bulb and frontal lobe. histologically, there was a highly cellular, infiltrative and unencapsulated neoplastic mass of round cells with eccentrically located nuclei. ne ...201726987510
increases in residential and energy development are associated with reductions in recruitment for a large ungulate.land-use change due to anthropogenic development is pervasive across the globe and commonly associated with negative consequences for biodiversity. while land-use change has been linked to shifts in the behavior and habitat-use patterns of wildlife species, little is known about its influence on animal population dynamics, despite the relevance of such information for conservation. we conducted the first broad-scale investigation correlating temporal patterns of land-use change with the demograp ...201727428886
abundance and bloodfeeding patterns of mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) in an oak woodland on the eastern slope of the northern coast range of california.the abundance and bloodfeeding patterns of mosquitoes was studied from 2008 to 2010 at an 18 ha. oak woodland in lake county, ca. host-seeking females were collected weekly from sunset to sunrise by paired dry-ice-baited cdc style traps, whereas resting females were aspirated from paired walk-in red boxes. sequences of the coi gene amplified from bloodmeals from engorged resting females were used to identify the bloodmeal hosts. aedes sierrensis (ludlow) and aedes increpitus dyar complex mosquit ...201728874011
whole-genome sequences of odocoileus hemionus deer adenovirus isolates from deer, moose and elk are highly conserved and support a new species in the genus atadenovirus.we present the first complete genome sequence of odocoileus hemionus deer adenovirus 1 (odadv-1). this virus can cause sporadic haemorrhagic disease in cervids, although epizootics with high mortality have occurred in california. odadv-1 has been placed in the genus atadenovirus, based on partial hexon, pviii and fibre genes. ten field isolates recovered from naturally infected mule deer (odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginiana) and moose (alces alces) from wyoming, black- ...201728809152
evolution of diagnostic tests for chronic wasting disease, a naturally occurring prion disease of cervids.since chronic wasting disease (cwd) was first identified nearly 50 years ago in a captive mule deer herd in the rocky mountains of the united states, it has slowly spread across north america through the natural and anthropogenic movement of cervids and their carcasses. as the endemic areas have expanded, so has the need for rapid, sensitive, and cost effective diagnostic tests-especially those which take advantage of samples collected antemortem. over the past two decades, strategies have evolv ...201728783058
temporal patterns of chronic wasting disease prion excretion in three cervid species.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is the only naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting free-ranging wildlife populations. transmission of cwd occurs by direct contact or through contaminated environments; however, little is known about the temporal patterns of cwd prion excretion and shedding in wild cervids. we tested the urine and faeces of three species of captive cervids (elk, mule and white-tailed deer) at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after oral inoculation to evaluate t ...201728708047
isolation and characterization of a novel cervid adenovirus from white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) fawns in a captive herd.a novel adenovirus, ceadv1, was isolated from buffy coat and nasal swab samples collected from two captive white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) fawns. the isolation was an incidental finding in the course of screening animals for use in a research study on an unrelated pathogen. in the screening process, virus isolation was performed on both nasal swabs and buffy coat samples and cytopathic effect was observed. electron microscopy revealed viral particles with the shape and morphology of a ...201728662929
the greenscape shapes surfing of resource waves in a large migratory herbivore.the green wave hypothesis posits that herbivore migration manifests in response to waves of spring green-up (i.e. green-wave surfing). nonetheless, empirical support for the green wave hypothesis is mixed, and a framework for understanding variation in surfing is lacking. in a population of migratory mule deer (odocoileus hemionus), 31% surfed plant phenology in spring as well as a theoretically perfect surfer, and 98% surfed better than random. green-wave surfing varied among individuals and wa ...201728444870
mule deer and energy development-long-term trends of habituation and abundance.as the extent and intensity of energy development in north america increases, so do disturbances to wildlife and the habitats they rely upon. impacts to mule deer are of particular concern because some of the largest gas fields in the usa overlap critical winter ranges. short-term studies of 2-3 years have shown that mule deer and other ungulates avoid energy infrastructure; however, there remains a common perception that ungulates habituate to energy development, and thus, the potential for a d ...201728375581
detection of a novel gammaherpesvirus (genus rhadinovirus) in wild muntjac deer in northern ireland.this study represents the initial part of an investigation into the potential for non-native, wild, free-living muntjac deer (muntiacus reevesi) to carry viruses that could be a threat to livestock. a degenerate pcr assay was used to screen a range of tissues from muntjac deer culled in northern ireland for the presence of herpesviral nucleic acids. this was followed by sequencing of pcr amplicons and phylogenetic analysis. we report the detection of a novel gammaherpesvirus most closely related ...201728204896
capture of free-ranging mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) with a combination of medetomidine, azaperone, and alfaxalone.the combination of medetomidine, azaperone, and alfaxalone has been successfully used to anesthetize captive white-tailed deer ( odocoileus virginianus ). this same combination was utilized to immobilize free-ranging female mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus ; md) in urban and nonurban environments (14 urban md, 14 nonurban md) in british columbia, canada. physiologic data were collected to assess the safety and reliability of this drug combination under field conditions. each deer received estimat ...201728151080
evolution of host range in the follicle mite demodex kutzeri.the sequences of four mitochondrial genes were determined for demodex mites isolated from two distantly related species within the family cervidae, and identified morphologically as belonging to the species demodex kutzeri. the sequences were used to test the hypothesis that demodex are strictly host-specific, and hence cospeciate with their hosts: (1) the estimated divergence time between mites found on elk vs humans agreed closely with a previous estimate of the time that these host species la ...201727894366
influence of precipitation and crop germination on resource selection by mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) in southwest colorado.mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) populations in the western united states provide many benefits to local economies but can also cause considerable damage to agriculture, particularly damage to lucrative crops. limited information exists to understand resource selection of mule deer in response to annual variation in crop rotation and climatic conditions. we tested the hypothesis that mule deer select certain crops, and in particular sunflower, based on annual climatic variability. our objective w ...201729123212
ante-mortem detection of chronic wasting disease in recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues from elk (cervus elaphus nelsoni) using real-time quaking-induced conversion (rt-quic) assay: a blinded collaborative study.prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (tses) characterized by fatal, progressive neurologic diseases with prolonged incubation periods and an accumulation of infectious misfolded prion proteins. antemortem diagnosis is often difficult due to a long asymptomatic incubation period, differences in the pathogenesis of different prions, and the presence of very low levels of infectious prion in easily accessible samples. chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a tse affecting both wil ...201729098931
endemic chronic wasting disease causes mule deer population decline in wyoming.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus), mule deer (odocoileus hemionus), rocky mountain elk (cervus elaphus nelsoni), and moose (alces alces shirasi) in north america. in southeastern wyoming average annual cwd prevalence in mule deer exceeds 20% and appears to contribute to regional population declines. we determined the effect of cwd on mule deer demography using age-specific, female-only, cwd transi ...201729049389
the impact of rewilding, species introductions and climate change on the structure and function of the yukon boreal forest ecosystem.community and ecosystem changes are happening in the pristine boreal forest ecosystem of the yukon for two reasons. first, climate change is affecting the abiotic environment (temperature, rainfall, growing season) and driving changes in plant productivity and predator-prey interactions. secondly, simultaneously change is occurring because of mammal species reintroductions and rewilding. the key ecological question is the impact these faunal changes will have on trophic dynamics. primary product ...201729168615
mule deer spatial association patterns and potential implications for transmission of an epizootic disease.animal social behaviour can have important effects on the long-term dynamics of diseases. in particular, preferential spatial relationships between individuals can lead to differences in the rates of disease spread within a population. we examined the concurrent influence of genetic relatedness, sex, age, home range overlap, time of year, and prion disease status on proximal associations of adult rocky mountain mule deer (odocoileus hemionus hemionus) in a chronic wasting disease endemic area. w ...201728388681
molecular mechanisms of chronic wasting disease prion propagation.prion disease epidemics, which have been unpredictable recurrences, are of significant concern for animal and human health. examples include kuru, once the leading cause of death among the fore people in papua new guinea and caused by mortuary feasting; bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) and its subsequent transmission to humans in the form of variant creutzfeldt-jakob disease (vcjd), and repeated examples of large-scale prion disease epidemics in animals caused by contaminated vaccines. the ...201728193766
molecular surveillance for bartonella, borrelia, and rickettsia species in ticks from desert bighorn sheep ( ovis canadensis) and mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus) in southern california, usa.:  ticks (acari: ixodidae) were collected from 44 desert bighorn sheep ( ovis canadensis) and 10 mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus) in southern california, us during health inspections in 2015-16. specimens were identified and screened by pcr analysis to determine the presence and prevalence of bartonella, borrelia, and rickettsia species in ticks associated with these wild ruminants. none of the 60 dermacentor hunteri and 15 dermacentor albipictus ticks tested yielded positive pcr results. additi ...201828977771
the influence of periodic increases of human activity on crepuscular and nocturnal mammals: testing the weekend effect.human recreation can negatively affect wildlife, particularly on weekends when human activity is highest (i.e., the weekend effect). much of what we understand about the weekend effect is based on research conducted on diurnal species, which have greater temporal overlap with humans. because nocturnal species generally avoid times when humans are active, they are likely less affected by anthropogenic activity on weekends. our objective was to test the weekend effect in relation to the degree of ...201829122640
applying network theory to animal movements to identify properties of landscape space use.network (graph) theory is a popular analytical framework to characterize the structure and dynamics among discrete objects, particularly effective at identifying critical hubs and patterns of connectivity. the identification of such attributes is a fundamental objective of animal movement research, yet network theory has rarely been applied directly to animal relocation data. we develop an approach that allows the analysis of movement data using network theory by defining occupied pixels as node ...201829420867
seroprevalence of cache valley virus and related viruses in sheep and other livestock from saskatchewan, canada.cache valley virus, an orthobunyavirus, is an important cause of ovine neonatal malformations. information on the seroprevalence of this virus in saskatchewan livestock populations is lacking. the objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of cache valley virus and closely related viruses in sheep, cattle, goats, horses, and mule deer in saskatchewan by performing a plaque-reduction neutralization test using cache valley virus. in total, sera from 130 sheep from 50 flocks were ...201829606729
orf virus infection in alaskan mountain goats, dall's sheep, muskoxen, caribou and sitka black-tailed deer.the zoonotic orf virus (orfv; genus parapoxvirus, poxviridae family) occurs worldwide and is transmitted between sheep and goats, wildlife and man. archived tissue samples from 16 alaskan wildlife cases, representing mountain goat (oreamnos americanus, n = 8), dall's sheep (ovis dalli dalli, n = 3), muskox (ovibos moschatus, n = 3), sitka black-tailed deer (odocoileus hemionus sitkensis, n = 1) and caribou (rangifer tarandus granti, n = 1), were analyzed.201829467004
hunger makes apex predators do risky things.in focus: blecha, k. a., boone, r. b., & alldredge, m. w. (2018). hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface. journal of animal ecology, 87, 609-622. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12801 puma (puma concolor), an apex predator, can live at the edge of cities where pockets of low-density human dwellings form residential patches in the wildland-urban interface. blecha, boone, and alldredge () tracked puma via global positioning system (gps) telemetry coll ...201829652091
spatial processes decouple management from objectives in a heterogeneous landscape: predator control as a case study.predator control is often implemented with the intent of disrupting top-down regulation in sensitive prey populations. however, ambiguity surrounding the efficacy of predator management, as well as the strength of top-down effects of predators in general, is often exacerbated by the spatially implicit analytical approaches used in assessing data with explicit spatial structure. here, we highlight the importance of considering spatial context in the case of a predator control study in south-centr ...201829676861
climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels.climate and land-use change are the major drivers of global biodiversity loss. their effects are particularly acute for wide-ranging consumers, but little is known about how these factors interact to affect the abundance of large carnivores and their herbivore prey. we analyzed population densities of a primary and secondary consumer (mule deer, odocoileus hemionus, and mountain lion, puma concolor) across a climatic gradient in western north america by combining satellite-based maps of plant pr ...201830088318
cattle ( bos taurus) resist chronic wasting disease following oral inoculation challenge or ten years' natural exposure in contaminated environments.we conducted a 10-yr study to establish whether chronic wasting disease (cwd) was readily transmissible to domestic cattle ( bos taurus) following oral inoculation or by cohousing cattle with captive cervids in outdoor research facilities where cwd was enzootic. calves ( n=12) were challenged orally on one occasion using brain homogenate derived from cwd-infected mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus). five uninoculated cattle served as unchallenged controls. two other groups of cattle ( n=10-11/group ...201829715064
mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in wildlife species beyond subfamily caprinae.elucidating the emergence of mycoplasma ovipneumoniae-associated respiratory disease in ruminants requires identification of the pathogen host range. this bacterium was thought to be host restricted to subfamily caprinae, but we describe its identification in healthy moose, caribou, and mule deer and diseased mule and white-tailed deer, all species in subfamily capreolinae.201830457547
mule deer impede pando's recovery: implications for aspen resilience from a single-genotype forest.aspen ecosystems (upland populus-dominated forests) support diverse species assemblages in many parts of the northern hemisphere, yet are imperiled by common stressors. extended drought, fire suppression, human development, and chronic herbivory serve to limit the sustainability of this keystone species. here we assess conditions at a renowned quaking aspen (populus tremuloides) grove-purportedly the largest living organism on earth-with ramifications for aspen biogeography globally. the "pando" ...201830332420
functional attributes of ungulate migration: landscape features facilitate movement and access to forage.long-distance migration by terrestrial mammals is a phenomenon critical to the persistence of populations, but such migrations are declining globally because of over-harvest, habitat loss, and movement barriers. increasingly, there is a need to improve existing routes, mitigate route segments affected by anthropogenic disturbance, and in some instances, determine whether alternative routes are available. using a hypothesis-driven approach, we identified landscape features associated with the pri ...201830329189
a cryptic species of onchocerca (nematoda: onchocercidae) in blackflies (simulium spp.) from southern california, usa.entomological surveillance for pathogens based on molecular screening of putative arthropod vectors such as blackflies (diptera: simuliidae) is becoming increasingly important. surveillance provides a means to understand host and geographical patterns of underestimated biodiversity among north american species of onchocerca and a pathway to identify and track expanding emergence of the zoonotic onchocerca lupi. herein, we have screened two blackfly species, simulium tescorum and simulium vittatu ...201830326946
integrating physiological stress into the movement ecology of migratory ungulates: a spatial analysis with mule deer.rapid climate and human land-use change may limit the ability of long-distance migratory herbivores to optimally track or 'surf' high-quality forage during spring green-up. understanding how anthropogenic and environmental stressors influence migratory movements is of critical importance because of their potential to cause a mismatch between the timing of animal movements and the emergence of high-quality forage. we measured stress hormones (fecal glucocorticoid metabolites; fgms) to test hypoth ...201830279991
effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape features on mule deer harvest in nebraska.understanding the habitat use of wildlife species is important for effective management. nebraska has a variety of habitat types, with the majority being covered by rangeland and cropland. these habitat types likely influence the harvest of mule deer (md; odocoileus hemionus) in nebraska, but their specific effects are unknown, and moreover, harvest may also be influenced by the accessibility of deer habitats for hunters. we modeled which environmental and anthropogenic landscape features influe ...201830221086
infectious keratoconjunctivitis in free-ranging mule deer in wyoming: a retrospective study and identification of a novel alphaherpesvirus.we describe the clinicopathologic findings, relative prevalence, and pathogens associated with infectious keratoconjunctivitis in mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus) in wyoming. seventeen cases with ocular lesions were identified among 1,036 mule deer postmortem submissions (1.6%) in an ~16 y period. sixteen cases were observed in winter and most were in male (15 cases) and juvenile (13 cases) deer. blindness was the most commonly reported clinical sign (10 cases). a herpesvirus was detected only i ...201830032722
comparative health assessment of urban and non-urban free-ranging mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) in southeastern british columbia, canada.the provincial wildlife management agency, british columbia ministry of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development, performed a translocation to control the urban mule deer (odocoileus hemionus; umd) overpopulation and supplement the declining non-urban mule deer (numd) population in the kootenay region, british columbia, canada. the objectives of this cross-sectional study were to evaluate the health of the urban and numd populations by comparing pathogen exposure, body c ...201829942678
evaluation of a test and cull strategy for reducing prevalence of chronic wasting disease in mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus).we evaluated a test and cull strategy for lowering chronic wasting disease (cwd) prevalence in a naturally-infected, free-ranging mule deer ( odocoileus hemionus) herd wintering in the town of estes park, colorado, us and in nearby rocky mountain national park. we tested 48-68% of the estimated number of adult (≥1 yr old) deer annually for 5 yr via tonsil biopsy immunohistochemistry (ihc), collecting 1,251 samples from >700 individuals and removing ihc-positive deer. among males, cwd prevalence ...201829667874
a machine-learning approach for extending classical wildlife resource selection analyses.resource selection functions (rsfs) are tremendously valuable for ecologists and resource managers because they quantify spatial patterns in resource utilization by wildlife, thereby facilitating identification of critical habitat areas and characterizing specific habitat features that are selected or avoided. rsfs discriminate between known-use resource units (e.g., telemetry locations) and available (or randomly selected) resource units based on an array of environmental features, and in their ...201829607046
timing of precipitation in an arid environment: effects on population performance of a large herbivore.climate models predict that shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns are likely to occur across the globe. changing climate will likely have strong effects on arid environments as a result of increased temperatures, increasing frequency and intensity of droughts, and less consistent pulses of rainfall. therefore, understanding the link between patterns of precipitation, temperature, and population performance of species occupying these environments will continue to increase in importance ...201829607030
adenoviral hemorrhagic disease in california mule deer, 1990-2014.we reviewed case records from the california animal health and food safety (cahfs) laboratory and the california department of fish and wildlife (cdfw) spanning 25 years (1990-2014) for all deer accessions submitted to cahfs for pathology and/or histopathology, with and without a diagnosis of adenoviral hemorrhagic disease (ahd), in order to determine the prevalence of ahd in california. we also examined spatial and temporal distribution, age, and mule deer subspecies in deer that died from ahd. ...201829582709
genetic relatedness of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 from 2012 outbreak in the usa.during summer and early fall of 2012, the us experienced the largest outbreak of hemorrhagic disease (hd) on record; deer (both odocoileus virginianus and odocoileus hemionus) in 35 states were affected, including many northern states where hd typically does not occur. epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (ehdv) was the predominant virus isolated, with serotype 2 (ehdv-2) representing 66% (135/205) of all isolated viruses. viruses within the ehdv serogroup are genetically similar, but we hypothes ...201930284951
where to forage when afraid: does perceived risk impair use of the foodscape?the availability and quality of forage on the landscape constitute the foodscape within which animals make behavioral decisions to acquire food. novel changes to the foodscape, such as human disturbance, can alter behavioral decisions that favor avoidance of perceived risk over food acquisition. although behavioral changes and population declines often coincide with the introduction of human disturbance, the link(s) between behavior and population trajectory are difficult to elucidate. to identi ...201931301178
echinococcus canadensis g8 tapeworm infection in a sheep, china, 2018.we report a sheep infected with echinococcus canadensis g8 tapeworm in china in 2018. this pathogen was previously detected in moose, elk, muskox, and mule deer in europe and north america; our findings suggest a wider host range and geographic distribution. surveillance for the g8 tapeworm should be conducted in china.201931211942
linking deer browsing and terpene production among genetic identities in chamaecyparis nootkatensis and thuja plicata (cupressaceae).to investigate whether differential herbivore browsing reflects genetic variation in plant defense expression, variation in needle terpenes and damage caused by black-tailed deer (odocoileus hemionus) was analyzed on yellow-cedar (chamaecyparis nootkatensis) and western redcedar (thuja plicata). in a 100-genet yellow-cedar population, three genets that were heavily browsed and had extremely low levels of monoterpenes (0-0.36% dry matter), sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes were compared to unbrowsed ...201912547927
unique structural features of mule deer prion protein provide insights into chronic wasting disease.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a highly infectious prion disease of cervids. accumulation of prions, the disease-specific structural conformers of the cellular prion protein (prpc), in the central nervous system, is the key pathological event of the disorder. the analysis of cervid prpc sequences revealed the existence of polymorphism at position 226, in which deer prp contains glutamine (q), whereas elk prp contains glutamate (e). the effects of this polymorphism on cwd are still unknown. we ...201931788624
evidence for adaptive introgression of exons across a hybrid swarm in deer.secondary contact between closely related lineages can result in a variety of outcomes, including hybridization, depending upon the strength of reproductive barriers. by examining the extent to which different parts of the genome introgress, it is possible to infer the strength of selection and gain insight into the evolutionary trajectory of lineages. following secondary contact approximately 8000 years ago in the pacific northwest, mule deer (odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and black-tailed deer ...201931684869
spatial memory shapes migration and its benefits: evidence from a large herbivore.from fine-scale foraging to broad-scale migration, animal movement is shaped by the distribution of resources. there is mounting evidence, however, that learning and memory also guide movement. although migratory mammals commonly track resource waves, how resource tracking and memory guide long-distance migration has not been reconciled. we examined these hypotheses using movement data from four populations of migratory mule deer (n = 91). spatial memory had an extraordinary influence on migrati ...201931412429
rapid acquisition of memory in a complex landscape by a mule deer. 201931351009
nitrogen addition pulse has minimal effect in big sagebrush (artemisia tridentata) communities on the pinedale anticline, wyoming (usa).nitrogen additions are known to elicit variable responses in semi-arid ecosystems, with responses increasing with precipitation. the response of semi-arid ecosystems to nitrogen are important to understand due to their large spatial extent worldwide and the global trend of increasingly available nitrogen. in this study, we evaluated the impact of a single nitrogen addition pulse on a semi-arid big sagebrush (artemisia tridentata) ecosystem in western wyoming. this is important given that sagebru ...201931150398
reduced body size of insular black-tailed deer is caused by slowed development.adult body size correlates strongly with fitness, but mean body sizes frequently differ among conspecific populations. ultimate, fitness-based explanations for these deviations in animals typically focus on community-level or physiological processes (e.g., competition, thermoregulation). however, proximate mechanisms underlying adaptive body size adjustments remain poorly understood. adjustments in adult body size may result from shifts in growth-related life-history traits, such as the length o ...201930805763
native lagomorphs suppress grass establishment in a shrub-encroached, semiarid grassland.shrub encroachment into arid grasslands has been associated with reduced grass abundance, increased soil erosion, and local declines in biodiversity. livestock overgrazing and the associated reduction of fine fuels has been a primary driver of shrub encroachment in the southwestern united states, but shrublands continue to persist despite livestock removal and grassland restoration efforts. we hypothesized that an herbivory feedback from native mammals may contribute to continued suppression of ...201930680115
development of a novel mule deer genomic assembly and species-diagnostic snp panel for assessing introgression in mule deer, white-tailed deer, and their interspecific hybrids.mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) are endemic to a wide variety of habitats in western north america, many of which are shared in sympatry with their closely related sister-species white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus), whom they hybridize with in wild populations. although mule deer meet many ideal conditions for a molecular ecological research species, such as high abundance, ecological importance, and broad dispersal and gene flow, conservation genetic studies have been limited by a relati ...201930670611
migratory plasticity is not ubiquitous among large herbivores.the migratory movements of wild animals can promote abundance and support ecosystem functioning. for large herbivores, mounting evidence suggests that migratory behaviour is an individually variable trait, where individuals can easily switch between migrant and resident tactics. the degree of migratory plasticity, including whether and where to migrate, has important implications for the ecology and conservation of large herbivores in a changing world. mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) are an icon ...201930449042
advancing the deer calcaneus model for bone adaptation studies: ex vivo strains obtained after transecting the tension members suggest an unrecognized important role for shear strains.sheep and deer calcanei are finding increased use as models for studies of bone adaptation, including advancing understanding of how the strain (deformation) environment influences the ontogenetic emergence of biomechanically relevant structural and material variations in cortical and trabecular bone. these artiodactyl calcanei seem ideal for these analyses because they function like simply loaded short-cantilevered beams with net compression and tension strains on the dorsal and plantar cortice ...201930411344
evidence for transmission of the zoonotic apicomplexan parasite babesia duncani by the tick dermacentor albipictus.babesiosis is a potentially fatal tick-borne zoonotic disease caused by a species complex of blood parasites that can infect a variety of vertebrates, particularly dogs, cattle, and humans. in the united states, human babesiosis is caused by two distinct parasites, babesia microti and babesia duncani. the enzootic cycle of b. microti, endemic in the northeastern and upper midwestern regions, has been well characterised. in the western united states, however, the natural reservoir host and tick v ...201930367862
habitat use of sympatric prey suggests divergent anti-predator responses to recolonizing gray wolves.the non-consumptive effects of predators on prey are now widely recognized, but the need remains for studies identifying the factors that determine how particular prey species respond behaviorally when threatened with predation. we took advantage of ongoing gray wolf (canis lupus) recolonization in eastern washington, usa, to contrast habitat use of two sympatric prey species-mule (odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed (o. virginianus) deer-at sites with and without established wolf packs. under ...201930539299
neospora caninum dna in coyote fecal samples collected in an urban environment.definitive hosts of neospora caninum are species of canids, such as domestic dogs ( canis lupus familiaris), coyotes ( canis latrans) and foxes ( vulpes vulpes), whereas ruminants, such as cattle ( bos taurus), sheep ( ovis aries), and deer (cervidae) serve as intermediate hosts. we investigated the presence of n. caninum in feces of coyotes in calgary, alberta, canada. one hundred coyote fecal samples were collected from five city parks. following dna extraction, the presence of n. caninum dna ...201930096031
marine fog inputs appear to increase methylmercury bioaccumulation in a coastal terrestrial food web.coastal marine atmospheric fog has recently been implicated as a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (mmhg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems through the process of sea-to-land advection of foggy air masses followed by wet deposition. this study examined whether pumas (puma concolor) in coastal central california, usa, and their associated food web, have elevated concentrations of mmhg, which could be indicative of their habitat being in a region that is regularly inundated with ...201931772229
ecological effects of fear: how spatiotemporal heterogeneity in predation risk influences mule deer access to forage in a sky-island system.forage availability and predation risk interact to affect habitat use of ungulates across many biomes. within sky-island habitats of the mojave desert, increased availability of diverse forage and cover may provide ungulates with unique opportunities to extend nutrient uptake and/or to mitigate predation risk. we addressed whether habitat use and foraging patterns of female mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) responded to normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi), ndvi rate of change (green-up), ...201931380044
cellular distribution of the prion protein in palatine tonsils of mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) and rocky mountain elk (cervus elaphus nelsoni).chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (tse) that affects members of the cervidae family, including deer (odocoileus spp.), elk (cervus canadensis spp.), and moose (alces alces spp.). while cwd is a neurodegenerative disease, lymphoid accumulation of the abnormal isoform of the prion protein (prpsc) is detectable early in the course of infection. it has been shown that a large portion of the prpsc lymphoid accumulation in infected mule deer takes place on the ...201931548473
failure to detect prion infectivity in ticks following prion-infected blood meal.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is an emerging and fatal contagious prion disease that affects cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, red deer reindeer, elk, and moose. cwd prions are widely distributed throughout the bodies of cwd-infected animals and are found in the nervous system, lymphoid tissues, muscle, blood, urine, feces, and antler velvet. the mechanism of cwd transmission in natural settings is unknown. potential mechanisms of transmission include horizontal ...202032878935
wild ruminants as reservoirs of domestic livestock gastrointestinal nematodes.gastrointestinal nematode (gin) infections in cattle cause appetite suppression which leads to poor feed conversion, reduced weight gain and reduced milk production. overuse and exclusive reliance on anthelmintic drugs has resulted in widespread resistance in many parasitic nematode species infecting livestock making control increasingly difficult. wild ruminants are competent hosts of a number of nematode species that typically infect and are best adapted for cattle, sheep, and goats. thus, the ...202032160579
competition for safe real estate, not food, drives density-dependent juvenile survival in a large herbivore.density-dependent competition for food reduces vital rates, with juvenile survival often the first to decline. a clear prediction of food-based, density-dependent competition for large herbivores is decreasing juvenile survival with increasing density. however, competition for enemy-free space could also be a significant mechanism for density dependence in territorial species. how juvenile survival is predicted to change across density depends critically on the nature of predator-prey dynamics a ...202032607167
genetic and evolutionary considerations of the chronic wasting disease - human species barrier.transmissible spongiform encephalopathies can jump species barriers. in relatively few cases is the possible route of transmission thought to be known, mostly involving humans, cattle and sheep. it is thought that sheep might be the cause of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) and chronic wasting disease (cwd) in cervids, and that humans might have gotten prion disease (e.g., vcjd) from eating meat from bse+ cows. a looming societal question is whether humans will acquire a prion disease from ...202032731042
geographic variation in the prnp gene and its promoter, and their relationship to chronic wasting disease in north american deer.prnp genotypes, number of octarepeats (phgggwgq) and indels in the prnp promoter can influence the progression of prion disease in mammals. we found no relationship between presence of promoter indels in white-tailed deer and mule deer from nebraska and cwd presence. white-tailed deer with the 95 h allele and g20d mule deer were more likely to be cwd-free, but unlike other studies white-tailed deer with the 96s allele(s) were equally likely to be cwd-free. we provide the first information on prn ...202032715865
wave-like patterns of plant phenology determine ungulate movement tactics.animals exhibit a diversity of movement tactics [1]. tracking resources that change across space and time is predicted to be a fundamental driver of animal movement [2]. for example, some migratory ungulates (i.e., hooved mammals) closely track the progression of highly nutritious plant green-up, a phenomenon called "green-wave surfing" [3-5]. yet general principles describing how the dynamic nature of resources determine movement tactics are lacking [6]. we tested an emerging theory that predic ...202032619482
foot-and-mouth disease in experimentally infected mule deer (odocoileus hemionus).the only known outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (fmd) in wildlife in the us occurred in mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) in california in 1924-25. there is little recorded information on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of the disease in deer in that outbreak. in this experimental study, we compared the susceptibility of mule deer to fmd virus (fmdv) serotype o to that of cattle (bos taurus). we also determined the potential for intra- and interspecies transmission of fmdv serotype o in mule d ...202031329525
cellulose ether treatment in vivo generates chronic wasting disease prions with reduced protease resistance and delayed disease progression.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a prion disease of free-ranging and farmed cervids that is highly contagious because of extensive prion shedding and prion persistence in the environment. previously, cellulose ether compounds (ces) have been shown to significantly extend the survival of mice inoculated with mouse-adapted prion strains. in this study, we used ces, tc-5rw, and 60sh-50, in vitro and in vivo to assess their efficacy to interfere with cwd prion propagation. in vitro, ces inhibited cw ...202031553058
deer slow down litter decomposition by reducing litter quality in a temperate forest.litter decomposition is a key process that allows the recycling of nutrients within ecosystems. in temperate forests the role of large herbivores in litter decomposition remains a subject of debate. to address this question, we used two litterbag experiments in a quasi-experimental situation resulting from the introduction of sitka black-tailed deer odocoileus hemionus sitkensis on forested islands of haida gwaii (canada). we investigated the two main pathways by which deer could modify litter d ...202033098575
long-term and interactive effects of different mammalian consumers on growth, survival, and recruitment of dominant tree species.throughout the world, numerous tree species are reported to be in decline, either due to increased mortality of established trees or reduced recruitment. the situation appears especially acute for oaks, which are dominant features of many landscapes in the northern hemisphere. although numerous factors have been hypothesized to explain reductions in tree performance, vertebrate herbivores and granivores may serve as important drivers of these changes. here, using data from 8- and 14-year-old exc ...202032884658
granulomatous inflammation of the muzzle in white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) associated with mannheimia granulomatis.since 2002, reports of deer with swollen muzzles from throughout the united states have resulted in significant interest by wildlife biologists and wildlife enthusiasts. the condition was identified in 25 white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) and 2 mule deer (o. hemionus). microscopic lesions consisted of severe, granulomatous or pyogranulomatous inflammation of the muzzle, nasal planum, and upper lip, as well as similar but less severe inflammation of the hard palate. lymphadenitis of regi ...202032812508
lesions of mycobacterium avium spp. hominissuis infection resembling m. bovis lesions in a wild mule deer, canada1.we used molecular analyses to confirm mycobacterium avium spp. hominissuis infection in lung granulomas and pyogranulomas in the tracheobronchial lymph node in a wild mule deer in banff, canada. these lesions are similar to those found in m. bovis-infected animals, emphasizing the critical need for disease surveillance in wildlife populations.202032568050
drought reshuffles plant phenology and reduces the foraging benefit of green-wave surfing for a migratory ungulate.to increase resource gain, many herbivores pace their migration with the flush of nutritious plant green-up that progresses across the landscape (termed "green-wave surfing"). despite concerns about the effects of climate change on migratory species and the critical role of plant phenology in mediating the ability of ungulates to surf, little is known about how drought shapes the green wave and influences the foraging benefits of migration. with a 19 year dataset on drought and plant phenology a ...202032524724
rickettsia parkeri (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae) in the sky islands of west texas.rickettsia parkeri, a tick-borne pathogen distributed throughout several countries of the americas, causes a mild to moderately severe, eschar-associated spotted fever rickettsiosis. although most u.s. cases of r. parkeri rickettsiosis are reported from southeastern states, some have been reported recently from remote regions of southern arizona. these cases are linked to r. parkeri-infected ticks of the amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae) group found in several isolated mountain ranges of sou ...202032249319
first report of adenoviral hemorrhagic disease in three mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) in arizona.this study presents the gross and histopathological findings of adenoviral hemorrhagic disease (ahd) in two yearling and one adult mule deer (odocoileus hemionus). these cases represent the first known outbreak of deer adenovirus (odocoileus adenovirus 1) in arizona. over the span of a month, three female captive mule deer were submitted to midwestern university's animal health institute for postmortem examination. all of these deer were from the same deer farm and historical findings were simil ...202032212569
insight into the epigenetic landscape of a currently endogenizing gammaretrovirus in mule deer (odocoileus hemionus).endogenous retroviruses (ervs) constitute a significant part of vertebrate genomes. they originated from past retroviral infections and some of them retain transcriptional activity. the key mechanism avoiding uncontrolled erv transcription is dna methylation-mediated epigenetic silencing. despite numerous studies describing the involvement of erv activity in cellular processes, epigenetic regulation of ervs is still poorly understood. we previously described a cervid endogenous retrovirus (crerv ...202031175981
detection of deer atadenovirus a dna in dam and offspring pairs of rocky mountain mule deer (odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and rocky mountain elk (cervus canadensis nelsoni).adenovirus hemorrhagic disease affects primarily mule deer (odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus), rocky mountain elk (cervus canadensis nelsoni), and moose (alces alces) in their first year of life. the method by which the causative virus, deer atadenovirus a, is maintained in the environment and transmitted to neonates is unknown. in this study, we investigated the potential transmission of the virus from dam to offspring in rocky mountain mule deer (odocoileus hemio ...202133822152
adenovirus hemorrhagic disease in moose (alces americanus gigas) in alaska, usa.in 1993, an epizootic of adenovirus hemorrhagic disease (ahd) caused the death of at least 1,000 mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) in california, us. since then, numerous cervid species throughout the us have had deaths confirmed to be caused by ahd. in 2015, the death of two captive moose (alces americanus gigas) calves marked the first recognized ahd-caused deaths in alaska, a state in which moose are important economically as well as for food security and cultural identity. both cases were char ...202133822159
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