How Selective Breeding Has Changed the Morphology of the American Mink (Neovison Vison)—A Comparative Analysis of Farm and Feral Animals
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The Red and Gray Fox
The Red and Gray Fox There are five species of foxes found in North America but only two, the red (Vulpes vulpes), And the gray (Urocyon cinereoargentus) live in towns or cities. Fox are canids and close relatives of coyotes, wolves and domestic dogs. Foxes are not large animals, The red fox is the larger of the two typically weighing 7 to 5 pounds, and reaching as much as 3 feet in length (not including the tail, which can be as long as 1 to 1 and a half feet in length). Gray foxes rarely exceed 11 or 12 pounds and are often much smaller. Coloration among fox greatly varies, and it is not always a sure bet that a red colored fox is indeed a “red fox” and a gray colored fox is indeed a “gray fox. The one sure way to tell them apart is the white tip of a red fox’s tail. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargentus) Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Regardless of which fox both prefer diverse habitats, including fields, woods, shrubby cover, farmland or other. Both species readily adapt to urban and suburban areas. Foxes are primarily nocturnal in urban areas but this is more an accommodation in avoiding other wildlife and humans. Just because you may see it during the day doesn’t necessarily mean it’s sick. Sometimes red fox will exhibit a brazenness that is so overt as to be disarming. A homeowner hanging laundry may watch a fox walk through the yard, going about its business, seemingly oblivious to the human nearby. -
Mink: Wildlife Notebook Series
Mink The American mink (Neovison vison) and other fur bearing animals attracted trappers, traders, and settlers to Alaska from around the world. Some of the most valuable furbearers belong to the Mustelidae or weasel family, which includes the American mink. Other members of this family in Alaska include weasels, martens, wolverines, river otters, and sea otters. Mink are found in every part of the state with the exceptions of Kodiak Island, Aleutian Islands, the offshore islands of the Bering Sea, and most of the Arctic Slope. General description: A mink's fur is in prime condition when guard hairs are thickest. Mink are then a chocolate brown with some irregular white patches on the chin, throat, and belly. White patches are usually larger on females and often occur on the abdomen in the area of the mammary glands. Several albino mink have been reported from Alaska. Underfur is usually thick and wavy, not longer than an inch. It is dark gray to light brown in color with some suggestion of light and dark bands. The tail is one third to one fourth of the body length with slightly longer guard hairs than the body. As an adaptation to their aquatic lifestyle, their feet have semiwebbed toes and oily guard hairs tend to waterproof the animal. Adult males range in total length from 19 to 29 inches (48-74 cm). They may weigh from three to almost five pounds (1.4-2.3 kg). Females are somewhat smaller than males. Their movements are rapid and erratic as if they are always ready to either flee or pounce on an unwary victim. -
Vulpes Vulpes) Evolved Throughout History?
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses Environmental Studies Program 2020 TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY? Abigail Misfeldt University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses Part of the Environmental Education Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Disclaimer: The following thesis was produced in the Environmental Studies Program as a student senior capstone project. Misfeldt, Abigail, "TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY?" (2020). Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses. 283. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses/283 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies Program at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY? By Abigail Misfeldt A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The University of Nebraska-Lincoln In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Science Major: Environmental Studies Under the Supervision of Dr. David Gosselin Lincoln, Nebraska November 2020 Abstract Red foxes are one of the few creatures able to adapt to living alongside humans as we have evolved. All humans and wildlife have some id of relationship, be it a friendly one or one of mutual hatred, or simply a neutral one. Through a systematic research review of legends, books, and journal articles, I mapped how humans and foxes have evolved together. -
The Breeding in Captivity of the European Mink. Virgili Vidal, Albert
The breeding in captivity of the European mink (Mustela lutreola). Virgili Vidal, Albert. Final degree project. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. June 2019. Objectives To know about the current situation of the European mink (Mustela lutreola), one of the most threatened mammals in Europe, from studies and data related to conservation, population (wild and captive) and causes of extinction. In addition, the research will focus on the effectiveness, results and difficulties of the recovery, conservation, breeding and release programs carried out in Europe, Spain and Catalonia. From this, some possible options will be evaluated to overcome the obstacles that the objective of saving the species is facing and if the programs applied nowadays are useful in the conservation of the European mink. European mink. Biology of the species The European mink is a little semi-aquatic carnivorous mammal of the Mustelidae family., known for it’s brown “chocolate” coat, one of the main reasons for it being hunted, and a white spot covering both lips. Its habitats include riparian forests and humid zones. It has solitary habits and a crepuscular and nocturnal activity in which it Figure 1: Geographic range of European mink. Historical distribution area (red), travels along the fluvial courses. Is a polygamous species, with a area where it is possibly still existent (purple) and confirmed existence area seasonal poliestrus and only breeds once a year giving birth to about (orange). Source: IUCN. three to six pups. In wildlife these animals live about 5-6 years. Conservation, breeding and recovery programs Situation of the species Many European countries (especially in Estonia, Germany, Spain and Until the end of XIX century it was very common and it was widely France) carry out reproduction and environment action programs in distributed around the whole continent, especially central and the wild. -
Eu Non-Native Organism Risk Assessment Scheme
EU NON-NATIVE SPECIES RISK ANALYSIS – RISK ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE V1.0 (8-06-16) EU NON-NATIVE ORGANISM RISK ASSESSMENT SCHEME Name of organism: Neovison vison Authors (alphabetical order): George Bouros, Jasja Dekker, Asun Gómez, Lauren A. Harrington, Zsolt Hegyeli, Calin Hodor, Kaarina Kauhala, Andreas Kranz, Erkki Korpimäki, Maurice La Haye, Xavier Lambin, David Macdonald, Sisco Mañas, Tiit Maran, Johan R. Michaux, Laura Moreno, Santiago Palazón, Madis Põdra, Pälvi Salo, Attila D. Sandor, Margarida Santos-Reis, Arnd Schreiber, Dan Traian Ionescu, Jiska van Dijk, Andrzej Zalewski, Iñigo Zuberogoitia Risk Assessment Area: European Union (28 Countries) Draft: 8/06/2016 1 EU NON-NATIVE SPECIES RISK ANALYSIS – RISK ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE V1.0 (8-06-16) EU CHAPEAU QUESTION RESPONSE 1. In how many EU member states has this species been recorded? List 24 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, them. Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. There is no American mink in Malta and information is not available from Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus (Macdonald & Harrington 2003, Bonesi & Palazón 2007, Dekker & Hofmeester 2014, Hegyeli & Kecskés 2014). In addition it is recorded in the non-member state Norway (The Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management 2011). American mink is kept also in fur farms almost all over Europe, in such countries as Germany, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Poland etc. (Kauhala 1996, Ruiz-Olmo et al 1997, Hammershoj et al 2005), though no longer in the United Kingdom. It is believed that keeping American mink as a pet is gaining popularity in some countries as well, for example in France (P. -
The 2008 IUCN Red Listings of the World's Small Carnivores
The 2008 IUCN red listings of the world’s small carnivores Jan SCHIPPER¹*, Michael HOFFMANN¹, J. W. DUCKWORTH² and James CONROY³ Abstract The global conservation status of all the world’s mammals was assessed for the 2008 IUCN Red List. Of the 165 species of small carni- vores recognised during the process, two are Extinct (EX), one is Critically Endangered (CR), ten are Endangered (EN), 22 Vulnerable (VU), ten Near Threatened (NT), 15 Data Deficient (DD) and 105 Least Concern. Thus, 22% of the species for which a category was assigned other than DD were assessed as threatened (i.e. CR, EN or VU), as against 25% for mammals as a whole. Among otters, seven (58%) of the 12 species for which a category was assigned were identified as threatened. This reflects their attachment to rivers and other waterbodies, and heavy trade-driven hunting. The IUCN Red List species accounts are living documents to be updated annually, and further information to refine listings is welcome. Keywords: conservation status, Critically Endangered, Data Deficient, Endangered, Extinct, global threat listing, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable Introduction dae (skunks and stink-badgers; 12), Mustelidae (weasels, martens, otters, badgers and allies; 59), Nandiniidae (African Palm-civet The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most authorita- Nandinia binotata; one), Prionodontidae ([Asian] linsangs; two), tive resource currently available on the conservation status of the Procyonidae (raccoons, coatis and allies; 14), and Viverridae (civ- world’s biodiversity. In recent years, the overall number of spe- ets, including oyans [= ‘African linsangs’]; 33). The data reported cies included on the IUCN Red List has grown rapidly, largely as on herein are freely and publicly available via the 2008 IUCN Red a result of ongoing global assessment initiatives that have helped List website (www.iucnredlist.org/mammals). -
Molecular Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Genus Mustela
Mammal Study 33: 25–33 (2008) © the Mammalogical Society of Japan Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Mustela (Mustelidae, Carnivora), inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: New perspectives on phylogenetic status of the back-striped weasel and American mink Naoko Kurose1, Alexei V. Abramov2 and Ryuichi Masuda3,* 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan 2 Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia 3 Creative Research Initiative “Sousei”, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan Abstract. To further understand the phylogenetic relationships among the mustelid genus Mustela, we newly determined nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene from 11 Eurasian species of Mustela, including the domestic ferret and the American mink. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from the 12S rRNA sequences were similar to those based on previously reported mitochondrial cytochrome b data. Combined analyses of the two genes demonstrated that species of Mustela were divided into two primary clades, named “the small weasel group” and “the large weasel group”, and others. The Japanese weasel (Mustela itatsi) formerly classified as a subspecies of the Siberian weasel (M. sibirica), was genetically well-differentiated from M. sibirica, and the two species clustered with each other. The European mink (M. lutreola) was closely related to “the ferret group” (M. furo, M. putorius, and M. eversmanii). Both the American mink of North America and the back-striped weasel (M. strigidorsa) of Southeast Asia were more closely related to each other than to other species of Mustela, indicating that M. strigidorsa originated from an independent lineage that differs from other Eurasian weasels. -
Mammals of the Finger Lakes ID Guide
A Guide for FL WATCH Camera Trappers John Van Niel, Co-PI CCURI and FLCC Professor Nadia Harvieux, Muller Field Station K-12 Outreach Sasha Ewing, FLCC Conservation Department Technician Past and present students at FLCC Virginia Opossum Eastern Coyote Eastern Cottontail Domestic Dog Beaver Red Fox Muskrat Grey Fox Woodchuck Bobcat Eastern Gray Squirrel Feral Cat Red Squirrel American Black Bear Eastern Chipmunk Northern Raccoon Southern Flying Squirrel Striped Skunk Peromyscus sp. North American River Otter North American Porcupine Fisher Brown Rat American Mink Weasel sp. White-tailed Deer eMammal uses the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for common and scientific names (with the exception of Domestic Dog) Often the “official” common name of a species is longer than we are used to such as “American Black Bear” or “Northern Raccoon” Please note that it is Grey Fox with an “e” but Eastern Gray Squirrel with an “a”. Face white, body whitish to dark gray. Typically nocturnal. Found in most habitats. About Domestic Cat size. Can climb. Ears and tail tip can show frostbite damage. Very common. Found in variety of habitats. Images are often blurred due to speed. White tail can overexpose in flash. Snowshoe Hare (not shown) is possible in higher elevations. Large, block-faced rodent. Common in aquatic habitats. Note hind feet – large and webbed. Flat tail. When swimming, can be confused with other semi-aquatic mammals. Dark, naked tail. Body brown to blackish (darker when wet). Football-sized rodent. Common in wet habitats. Usually doesn’t stray from water. Pointier face than Beaver. -
American Mink Neovison Vison
American mink Neovison vison Mink are an important part of the native wilderness of North America, and are regularly spotted along the Chicago River. Like many larger predators, it is a species that needs space if it is to thrive and coexist with humans. The mink is a member of the Mustelid family (which includes weasels, otters, wolverines, martens, badgers and ferrets). Historically, two species of mink were found in North America; however, the sea mink is now extinct. It lived exclusively along the Atlantic coast and had adapted to this habitat because of the abundant food (it preferred eating Labrador duck). The sea mink was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. The surviving species, the American mink, lives in a wide range of habitats and is found throughout the United States and Canada except for Hawaii and the desert southwest. The American mink has been introduced in Europe where it is considered to be a pest and tends to displace the smaller European mink. The American mink lives in forested areas that are near rivers, lakes and marshes. The mink is very territorial and males will fight other minks that invade their territory. They are not fussy over their choice of den, as long as it’s close to water. They sometimes nest in burrows dug previously by muskrats, badgers or skunks. The American mink is carnivorous, feeding on rodents, fish, crustaceans, amphibians and even birds. In its natural range, fish are the mink’s primary prey. Mink inhabiting sloughs and marshes primarily target frogs, tadpoles, and mice. -
A Growing Problem Selective Breeding in the Chicken Industry
A GROWING PROBLEM SELECTIVE BREEDING IN THE CHICKEN INDUSTRY: THE CASE FOR SLOWER GROWTH A GROWING PROBLEM SELECTIVE BREEDING IN THE CHICKEN INDUSTRY: THE CASE FOR SLOWER GROWTH TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................. 2 SELECTIVE BREEDING FOR FAST AND EXCESSIVE GROWTH ......................... 3 Welfare Costs ................................................................................. 5 Labored Movement ................................................................... 6 Chronic Hunger for Breeding Birds ................................................. 8 Compromised Physiological Function .............................................. 9 INTERACTION BETWEEN GROWTH AND LIVING CONDITIONS ...................... 10 Human Health Concerns ................................................................. 11 Antibiotic Resistance................................................................. 11 Diseases ............................................................................... 13 MOVING TO SLOWER GROWTH ............................................................... 14 REFERENCES ....................................................................................... 16 COVER PHOTO: CHRISTINE MORRISSEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In an age when the horrors of factory farming are becoming more well-known and people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from, few might be surprised that factory farmed chickens raised for their meat—sometimes called “broiler” -
Sierra Nevada Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes Necator): a Conservation Assessment
Sierra Nevada Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes necator): A Conservation Assessment John D. Perrine * Environmental Science, Policy and Management Department and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California, Berkeley Lori A. Campbell** USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station Sierra Nevada Research Center Davis, California Gregory A. Green Tetra Tech EC Bothell, Washington Current address and contact information: *Primary Author: J. Perrine, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401 [email protected] **L. Campbell, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 Perrine, Campbell and Green R5-FR-010 August 2010 NOTES IN PROOF • Genetic analyses by B. Sacks and others 2010 (Conservation Genetics 11:1523-1539) indicate that the Sacramento Valley red fox population is native to California and is closely related to the Sierra Nevada red fox. They designated the Sacramento Valley red fox as a new subspecies, V. v. patwin. • In August 2010, as this document was going to press, biologists on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest detected a red fox at an automatic camera station near the Sonora Pass along the border of Tuolomne and Mono Counties. Preliminary genetic analyses conducted at UC Davis indicate that the fox was a Sierra Nevada red fox. Further surveys and analyses are planned. • The California Department of Fish and Game Region 1 Timber Harvest Program has established a Sierra Nevada red fox information portal, where many management-relevant documents can be downloaded as PDFs. See: https://r1.dfg.ca.gov/Portal/SierraNevadaRedFox/tabid/618/Default.aspx Sierra Nevada Red Fox Conservation Assessment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This conservation assessment provides a science-based, comprehensive assessment of the status of the Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) and its habitat. -
PLANT BREEDING David Luckett and Gerald Halloran ______
CHAPTER 4 _____________________________________________________________________ PLANT BREEDING David Luckett and Gerald Halloran _____________________________________________________________________ WHAT IS PLANT BREEDING AND WHY DO IT? Plant breeding, or crop genetic improvement, is the production of new, improved crop varieties for use by farmers. The new variety may have higher yield, improved grain quality, increased disease resistance, or be less prone to lodging. Ideally, it will have a new combination of attributes which are significantly better than the varieties already available. The new variety will be a new combination of genes which the plant breeder has put together from those available in the gene pool of that species. It may contain only genes already existing in other varieties of the same crop, or it may contain genes from other distant plant relatives, or genes from unrelated organisms inserted by biotechnological means. The breeder will have employed a range of techniques to produce the new variety. The new gene combination will have been chosen after the breeder first created, and then eliminated, thousands of others of poorer performance. This chapter is concerned with describing some of the more important genetic principles that define how plant breeding occurs and the techniques breeders use. Plant breeding is time-consuming and costly. It typically takes more than ten years for a variety to proceed from the initial breeding stages through to commercial release. An established breeding program with clear aims and reasonable resources will produce a new variety regularly, every couple of years or so. Each variety will be an incremental improvement upon older varieties or may, in rarer circumstances, be a quantum improvement due to some novel gene, the use of some new technique or a response to a new pest or disease.