Species We Study: Terrestrial Mammals Active
USGS research into environmental stressors (e.g., climate, drought, floods, wildland fire) and anthropogenic stressors (e.g., energy production, urban encroachment, water abatement) provides managers with information to reduce or eliminate impacts from stressors to fish and wildlife populations and advances our understanding of the efficacy of conservation and adaptation actions to mitigate land-use and climate change impacts on sensitive species.
Terrestrial Mammal Research
Support the Development of a National Park Service Midwest Region bison stewardship strategy
Managing for Grassland Health at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
A Generalized Estimator for Estimating Bird and Bat Mortality at Renewable Energy Facilities - GenEst
Grazing resources for integrated conservation of bison and native prairie at Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Ellesmere wolf movements
Yellowstone wolf restoration
Superior National Forest wolf population trajectory
Mountain Lions of the Intermountain West
Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
Use of Remote Sensing Data to Quantify Bird and Bat Distributions and Inform Migratory Bird Conservation Efforts
Wildlife Monitoring in National Parks
Bat Research in California
Recent data related to USGS terrestrial mammal research are listed below. A broader listing of USGS mammal-related data is available from the button below. To see USGS resources about a specific species, use the search box in the blue page header on the top right corner of the page.
Rangewide summertime model predictions for three bat species (Myotis lucifigus, Myotis septentrionalis, and Perimyotis subflavus) from acoustic and mist net data 2010 to 2019
Detections of bison from helicopter and aerial thermal infrared imagery in Grand Canyon National Park, 2019-2021
Mesocarnivore Survey of Crater Lake National Park, Klamath Network, 2016
Mesocarnivore Survey of Lava Beds National Monument, Klamath Network, 2018 (ver. 2.0, April 2022)
Mesocarnivore Survey of Lassen Volcanic National Park, Klamath Network, 2017-2018 (ver. 2.0, April 2022)
Mesocarnivore Survey of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Klamath Network, 2018-2019
Mesocarnivore Survey of Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Klamath Network, 2017 (ver. 2.1, July 2022)
Predicted Calving and Post-calving Season Resource Use of the Porcupine Caribou Herd During 2012-2018 With Future Projections for the 2030s, 2040s, and 2050s
In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Winter Colony Count Analysis
In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Predicted Wind Take Allocated To Hibernacula Each Year Under Current and Future Scenarios
In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Summer Mobile Acoustic Transect Analysis
In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Wind Energy Influence
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS terrestrial mammal research are listed below. A listing of USGS mammal-related publications is available from the button below. To see publications about a specific species, use the search box in the blue page header.
Are wild wolves southpaws? Including potential conservation implications
Human-cougar interactions: A literature review related to common management questions
Assessing spontaneous howling rates in captive wolves using automatic passive recorders
New insights into dietary management of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos)
Responses of American black bears to spring resources
Fatty acid profiles of feeding and fasting bears: Estimating calibration coefficients, the timeframe of diet estimates, and selective mobilization during hibernation
Utah prairie dog population dynamics on the Awapa Plateau: Precipitation, elevation, and plague
Small mammal shooting as a conduit for lead exposure in avian scavengers
Acoustic interaction between a pair of owls and a wolf
Native mammals lack resilience to invasive generalist predator
Estimates of abundance and harvest rates of female black bears across a large spatial extent
Improving evaluation of nonlethal tools for carnivore management and conservation: Evaluating fladry to protect an endangered species from a generalist mesocarnivore
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- Overview
USGS research into environmental stressors (e.g., climate, drought, floods, wildland fire) and anthropogenic stressors (e.g., energy production, urban encroachment, water abatement) provides managers with information to reduce or eliminate impacts from stressors to fish and wildlife populations and advances our understanding of the efficacy of conservation and adaptation actions to mitigate land-use and climate change impacts on sensitive species.
Terrestrial Mammal ResearchFilter Total Items: 50Support the Development of a National Park Service Midwest Region bison stewardship strategy
Bison have played a key role in shaping the grasslands of the Great Plains for millennia. National Parks are a major last bastion for wild herds of the national mammal and symbol of the Department of the Interior. However, even as the National Park Service aims to maintain as natural as possible ecosystem conditions within its parks’ boundaries, managers regularly make decisions affecting their...Managing for Grassland Health at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
Southern Arizona’s semi-desert grasslands provides habitat for flora and fauna, regulates rainfall infiltration and overland flow, mitigates surface erosion and dust production, and sequesters carbon. Sustainable management is important to maintain these ecological services and is of concern for the managers, ranchers, and other people associated with the grassland. The Buenos Aires National...A Generalized Estimator for Estimating Bird and Bat Mortality at Renewable Energy Facilities - GenEst
GenEst - One estimator for accurate bird and bat fatality estimatesGrazing resources for integrated conservation of bison and native prairie at Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Badlands National Park (BADL) contains one of the largest protected expanses of mixed-grass prairie in the United States, much of which supports a herd of nearly wild bison. The park nevertheless is too small to accommodate bison’s natural nomadic behavior, which in the past resulted in their ephemeral but intense influence on Great Plains grasslands. This research is assessing the spatial...Ellesmere wolf movements
Wolves on Ellesmere Island, just south of the North Pole, survive in extreme cold during 24 hours of darkness per day from November through January, and survive in much higher temperatures during 24 hours of light per day from April through September. Partnering with other agencies, we use GPS radio collars applied to wolves during summer to examine wolf-pack movements on Ellesmere Island...Yellowstone wolf restoration
The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 and 1996. This study helps assess that population’s recovery and determine factors that affect the population, including diseases, intraspecific strife, and interactions with prey. The restoration has been very successful, and the population has persisted for more than 20 years...Superior National Forest wolf population trajectory
When the wolf was listed as endangered, the last remaining mainland wolf population in the lower 48 states was in the Superior National Forest (SNF) of northeastern Minnesota. Since then, using radiocollaring and aerial tracking, we have studied the wolf population trend, factors influencing it, and prey species, white-tailed deer, moose, and beavers, affected by wolves. During winter 2018-2019...Mountain Lions of the Intermountain West
The presence of top predators is considered an indication of ecosystem health and can play a vital role in ecosystem functioning by promoting biodiversity, and can contribute to regulating prey species abundance, and herbivory. In the intermountain west, the largest mammalian predator and obligate carnivore is the mountain lion, Puma concolor . This elusive and wide-ranging predator occupies a...Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) is an interdisciplinary group of scientists and biologists responsible for long-term monitoring and research efforts on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The team was formed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) in 1973 as a direct result of controversy surrounding the closure of open pit garbage dumps within Yellowstone...Use of Remote Sensing Data to Quantify Bird and Bat Distributions and Inform Migratory Bird Conservation Efforts
Three federal wildlife refuge complexes on the upper Texas coast include portions of the Columbia Bottomlands and other forests that are important for migratory birds and possibly bats: Texas Mid-Coast, Trinity River, and Chenier Plain.Wildlife Monitoring in National Parks
Maintaining a current understanding of ecological conditions is fundamental to the National Park Service in meeting its mission to preserve park resources in an unimpaired state for future generations. Ecological monitoring establishes reference conditions, which over time help to define the normal limits of natural variation, determine standards for comparing future changes, and identify the need...Bat Research in California
The primary goal of this bat research program is to develop projects that increase our understanding of basic ecology and natural history of western bat species, while simultaneously providing needed data to inform conservation measures and management decisions in the West. Dr. Brian Halstead, together with Gabriel Reyes, studies the habitat and resource selection, movement ecology, demography... - Data
Recent data related to USGS terrestrial mammal research are listed below. A broader listing of USGS mammal-related data is available from the button below. To see USGS resources about a specific species, use the search box in the blue page header on the top right corner of the page.
Filter Total Items: 38Rangewide summertime model predictions for three bat species (Myotis lucifigus, Myotis septentrionalis, and Perimyotis subflavus) from acoustic and mist net data 2010 to 2019
False positive occupancy analysis predictions with model uncertainty based on summertime data provided to support the three bat species status assessment (SSA) for Myotis lucifigus (MYLU), Myotis septentrionalis (MYSE), and Perimyotis subflavus (PESU). The objectives outlined by the Fish and Wildlife Service's SSA team were to estimate summertime distributions across the entire species range. StatDetections of bison from helicopter and aerial thermal infrared imagery in Grand Canyon National Park, 2019-2021
These data are detections of bison in Grand Canyon National Park made during helicopter surveys between 2019 and 2021, and an aerial infrared imagery survey done in February 2020.Mesocarnivore Survey of Crater Lake National Park, Klamath Network, 2016
Remote camera stations were set up in Crater Lake National Park from June to October 2016 to document occurrence of mesocarnivores and other wildlife. 124 cameras were set up at 31 primary sampling units (clusters of 4 cameras) throughout the park. Random locations for primary sampling units were chosen using a 3-km sampling grid over the park area. The dataset contains all species observed withinMesocarnivore Survey of Lava Beds National Monument, Klamath Network, 2018 (ver. 2.0, April 2022)
Remote camera stations were set up in Lava Beds National Monument and Modoc National Forest from January to May 2018 to document occurrence of mesocarnivores and other wildlife. Thirty-three cameras were set up at 12 primary sampling units (clusters of one to four cameras) throughout the park. Potentially suitable habitat occurred in small patches in Lava Beds National Monument with cameras were pMesocarnivore Survey of Lassen Volcanic National Park, Klamath Network, 2017-2018 (ver. 2.0, April 2022)
Remote camera stations were set up in Lassen Volcanic National Park from August to October 2017 and June to September 2018 to document occurrence of mesocarnivores and other wildlife. 126 cameras were set up at 32 primary sampling units (clusters of two to four cameras) throughout the park. Random locations for primary sampling units were chosen using a 3-km sampling grid over the park area. The dMesocarnivore Survey of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Klamath Network, 2018-2019
Remote camera stations were set up in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area from October 2018 to January 2019 to document occurrence of mesocarnivores and other wildlife. Forty-five single-camera sampling stations were setup throughout the park. Camera locations were chosen based on the Klamath Monitoring Network vegetation plots. The dataset contains all species observed within the study time-framMesocarnivore Survey of Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Klamath Network, 2017 (ver. 2.1, July 2022)
Remote camera stations were set up in Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve from February through April 2017 to document occurrence of mesocarnivores and other wildlife. Fifteen cameras were set up at four primary sampling units (clusters of three to four cameras) throughout the park. Random locations for primary sampling units were chosen using a 3-km sampling grid over the park area. The dPredicted Calving and Post-calving Season Resource Use of the Porcupine Caribou Herd During 2012-2018 With Future Projections for the 2030s, 2040s, and 2050s
This dataset contains rasters and polygon shapefiles related to predicted resource use of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH) during the calving (26 May-10 June) and post-calving (11-30 June) seasons in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Resource selection was analyzed for each season using random forest models, which compared female caribou GPS collar locations (2012-2018) to available locations withinIn Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Winter Colony Count Analysis
Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program, Bat Conservation International and U.S Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assistance in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Status Assessment ("SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSAIn Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Predicted Wind Take Allocated To Hibernacula Each Year Under Current and Future Scenarios
Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assist in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' (USFWS) Species Status Assessment ('SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSA data call,In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Summer Mobile Acoustic Transect Analysis
Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program, Bat Conservation International and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provided technical and science support to assistance in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' Species Status Assessment ("SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-coIn Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Wind Energy Influence
Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program, United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assist in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' Species Status Assessment ("SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSA data call, provided data ar - Publications
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS terrestrial mammal research are listed below. A listing of USGS mammal-related publications is available from the button below. To see publications about a specific species, use the search box in the blue page header.
Filter Total Items: 96Are wild wolves southpaws? Including potential conservation implications
Lateralization, or a left-right bias in behavior (e.g., handedness), was originally thought to exclusively exist in humans, but is now known to be widespread. Lateralization can exist at the individual or group level. In dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), tests of paw preference have produced inconsistent results. Because wolves (C. l.) differ genetically, morphologically, and behaviorally from dogs,AuthorsShannon Barber-MeyerHuman-cougar interactions: A literature review related to common management questions
Interactions between humans and cougars (Puma concolor) present unique challenges for wildlife managers; reducing occurrences that lead to conflict is a priority for state and provincial wildlife agencies throughout western North America, including Washington. With an increase in management emphasis of human-wildlife conflict resolution, a growing body of scientific literature related to cougar wiAuthorsB. N. Kertson, S. M. McCorquodale, C. R. Anderson, Anis N. Aoude, R. A. Beausoleil, M. G. Cope, M. A. Hurley, B. K. Johnson, Glen A. Sargeant, S. L. SimekAssessing spontaneous howling rates in captive wolves using automatic passive recorders
We studied the spontaneous vocal behaviour of captive wolves at the International Wolf Center (IWC) in Minnesota (spring 2019 and winter 2020), and the Centro del Lobo Ibérico Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente (CLIFRF) in Spain (winter 2020). We used AudioMoth recording devices to record wolf howling 24 hr/day. We identified 412 solo howl series and 403 chorus howls and found differences between wolvesAuthorsVicente Palacios, Shannon Barber-Meyer, Bárbara Martí-Domken, Lori J. SchmidtNew insights into dietary management of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos)
Although polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos) have been exhibited in zoological gardens for centuries, little is known about their nutritional needs. Multiple recent studies on both wild and captive polar bears and brown bears have found that they voluntarily select dietary macronutrient proportions resulting in much lower dietary protein and higher fat or digestible carbohydrAuthorsCharles T. Robbins, Troy N Tollefson, Karyn D. Rode, Joy Erlenbach, Amanda J. ArdenteResponses of American black bears to spring resources
In temperate regions of the world, food resources are seasonally limited, which causes some wildlife species to seek out nutrient-rich resources to better meet their caloric needs. Animals that utilize high-quality resources may reap fitness benefits as they prepare for mating, migration, or hibernation. American black bears (Ursus americanus) are omnivores that consume both plant and animal foodAuthorsNathaniel R. Bowersock, Andrea R. Litt, Jerod A. Merkle, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van ManenFatty acid profiles of feeding and fasting bears: Estimating calibration coefficients, the timeframe of diet estimates, and selective mobilization during hibernation
Accurate information on diet composition is central to understanding and conserving carnivore populations. Quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) has emerged as a powerful tool for estimating the diets of predators, but ambiguities remain about the timeframe of QFASA estimates and the need to account for species-specific patterns of metabolism. We conducted a series of feeding experimeAuthorsGregory W. Thiemann, Karyn D. Rode, Joy A Erlenbach, Suzanne Budge, Charles T. RobbinsUtah prairie dog population dynamics on the Awapa Plateau: Precipitation, elevation, and plague
Utah prairie dogs (UPDs, Cynomys parvidens) are colonial, herbivorous rodents listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened. Little is known about UPD population dynamics at higher elevations in the species’ range. From 2013 through 2016, we studied UPDs on five colonies at 2,645 to 2,873 m elevation on the Awapa Plateau, Utah, USA. Primary production increases with precipitation and preciAuthorsDavid A. Eads, Dean E. BigginsSmall mammal shooting as a conduit for lead exposure in avian scavengers
Lead (Pb) exposure is a widespread wildlife conservation threat. Although commonly associated with Pb-based ammunition from big-game hunting, small mammals (e.g., ground squirrels) shot for recreational or pest-management purposes represent a potentially important Pb vector in agricultural regions. We measured the responses of avian scavengers to pest-shooting events and examined their Pb exposureAuthorsGarth Herring, Collin Eagles-Smith, John Goodell, Jeremy A. Buck, James WillackerAcoustic interaction between a pair of owls and a wolf
During summer 2019, we recorded an apparent vocal interaction, lasting just under 4 min, between a pair of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) and a gray wolf (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone National Park. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such an acoustic interaction in the scientific literature. The increased use of passive acoustic recorders, which record spontaneous vocalizations emiAuthorsBárbara Martí-Domken, Vicente Palacios, Shannon Barber-MeyerNative mammals lack resilience to invasive generalist predator
Invasive predators have caused catastrophic declines in native wildlife across the globe. Though research has focused on the initial establishment, rapid growth, and spread of invasive predators, our understanding of prey resilience to established invasive predators remains limited. As a direct result of invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus), medium- to large-bodied native mammals dAuthorsPaul J. Taillie, Kristen Hart, Adia R. Sovie, Robert A. McCleeryEstimates of abundance and harvest rates of female black bears across a large spatial extent
American black bears (Ursus americanus) are an iconic wildlife species in the southern Appalachian highlands of the eastern United States and have increased in number and range since the early 1980s. Given an increasing number of human-bear conflicts in the region, many management agencies have liberalized harvest regulations to reduce bear populations to socially acceptable levels. Wildlife managAuthorsJacob Humm, Joseph D. ClarkImproving evaluation of nonlethal tools for carnivore management and conservation: Evaluating fladry to protect an endangered species from a generalist mesocarnivore
Carnivore conservation and management are global research priorities focused on reversing population declines of imperiled species and identifying more effective and humane management of generalist carnivores with thriving populations. Nonlethal methods to mitigate conflict are increasingly used to advance conservation objectives; however, there is limited knowledge about the effectiveness of manyAuthorsRebecca Windell, Larissa L. Bailey, Julie K. Young, Travis M. Livieri, David A. Eads, Stewart Breck - News
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