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Swanepoel, Lourens Hendrik. "Ecology and conservation of leopards, Panthera pardus, on selected game ranches in the Waterberg region, Limpopo, South Africa." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2009. http://upetd.up.ac/thesis/available/etd-11302009-220336.
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Nyoni, Phumuzile. "Leopard population density and community attitudes towards leopards in and around Debshan Ranch, Shangani, Zimbabwe." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020838.
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Leopards (Panthera pardus) are regarded as one of the most resilient large carnivore species in the world and can persist in human dominated landscapes, areas with low prey availability nd highly fragmented habitats. However, recent evidence across much of their range reveals declining populations. In Zimbabwe, 500 Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) export tags are available annually for leopards as hunting trophies, despite limited accurate data on the leopard populations of the country. Moreover, when coupled with the massive land conversions under the controversial National Land Reform Programme (NLRP), leopard populations in Zimbabwe are in dire need of assessment. My study was conducted on Debshan ranch, Shangani, Zimbabwe, which is a commercial cattle (Bos indicus) ranch but also supports a high diversity of indigenous wildlife including an apparently healthy leopard population. However, the NLRP has resulted in an increase in small-holder subsistence farming communities around the ranch (the land was previously privately owned and divided into larger sub-units). This change in land-use means that both human and livestock densities have increased and the potential for human leopard conflict has increased. I estimated the leopard population density of the ranch and assessed community attitudes towards leopards in the communities surrounding the ranch. To estimate population densities, I performed spoor counts and conducted a camera trapping survey. Questionnaire interviews were used to assess community attitudes. My spoor counts provided a leopard density estimate of 13.57 leopards/100km2 compared to the camera trapping estimate of between 2.0 and 6.9 leopards/100km2. Although the high density estimate derived from the spoor counts is possible for Debshan because leopards are the apex predators and are adequately protected, potential edge effects are not yet fully understood. Thus, the more conservative estimate of 2.0 leopards/100km2, derived from the camera trapping survey, is probably more appropriate. Attitudes towards predators amongst respondents surrounding Debshan (n = 140) were neither too negative nor positive, attitude index had a mean score of 1.7 ± 3.8 (range: -7 – 10). No single predictor variable used in my analysis was able to adequately explain why the communities held these negative views. However, livestock losses were repeatedly listed by respondents as being one of the main reasons for their lack of tolerance towards predators. The density estimate of 2.0 leopards/100km2 translates to a population of 9 – 26 leopards within Debshan ranch. This density estimate is too low considering the habitat type at Debshan ranch but should be interpreted with caution as it lacks fundamental elements like age and sex ratio. Moreover, the interaction of the leopard population with the surrounding communities is currently unclear. As a precautionary measure, I recommended reducing the annual hunting quota for Debshan from five to one leopard. Future work should aim to improve the attitudes of the surrounding communities to secure broader landscapes for leopard conservation while also reconciling density estimates to fully understand the leopard population of the region.
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De, Haas van Dorsser Florine Juliana. "Reproduction in the Arabian leopard." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.613872.
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Lodhi, Asad. "Conservation of leopards in Ayubia National Park, Pakistan." Connect to this title online, 2007. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-05172007-111437/.
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"Professional paper presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Wildlife Biology, the University of Montana, Missoula, MT, spring 2007."Title from PDF title page (viewed on Aug. 12, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-70).
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MacLean, Kath. "All along it was the leopard." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp02/NQ60000.pdf.
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Sutton, William Bradley. "The ecology and natural history of the Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens Schreber in West Virginia." Huntington, WV : [Marshall University Libraries], 2004. http://www.marshall.edu/etd/descript.asp?ref=458.
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Thesis (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2004.Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 110 including illustrations. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-103).
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Parris, Matthew James. "Analysis of fitness determinants in an anuran hybrid zone (Rana blairi and Rana sphenocephala) : the evolutionary potential of natural hybridization /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1999. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9953888.
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Silva, João. "Necessidades de Manutenção da aquisição dos Leopard." Master's thesis, Academia Militar. Direção de Ensino, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/7804.
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O reequipamento militar levou a que o Exército Português adquirisse à Holanda 37
CC Leopard 2A6 que este país considerava material excedentário. O nível tecnológico associado a este equipamento obrigou o Exército a alterar doutrinas e conceitos, entre os quais os relativos à manutenção.
É com base nestas alterações que elaboramos este trabalho de investigação, de forma a percebermos qual a capacidade de realizaçãoda manutenção de Nível III no Exército Português para o CC Leopard 2A6.
Assim, o nosso estudo recorre ao método qualitativo- pela realização de entrevistas
semi-directivas a quatro participantes com reconhecido conhecimento na área e que respeitavam alguns requisitos levantados - e através da análise de conteúdo. Do tratamento e análise dos dados surgiram quatro categorias: Vantagens, Recursos, Limitações e Alternativas.
A principal conclusão aponta que o Exército não temactualmente a capacidade de
suportar uma estrutura que lhe permita fazer a manutenção de Nível III no CC Leopard 2A6,
e que para isso concorrem factores de ordem humana e de ordem física. No entanto este
estudo aponta vantagens para o Exército Português em conseguir fazer este tipo de manutenção, nomeadamente a nível do aproveitamento de recursos, do desenvolvimento nacional, da independência internacional, de uma manutenção mais rápida e do desenvolvimento de novos conhecimentos. A constante dependência da marca, a complexidade tecnológica, a inexperiência e a quantidade de meios exigidos foram as limitações associadas à manutenção de Nível III que emergiram do nosso estudo. As estratégias encontradas foram a criação de parcerias, e o recurso ao outsourcing tanto nacional, como internacional.Abstract In order to fulfill for military reequipment needs,the Portuguese army purchased 37 MBT Leopard 2A6 considered as surplus material in Holland. Due to its high technological level, the army had to reshape doctrines and concepts, including those related with maintenance. Based on those changes, the aim of the present study was to understand what is, the Portuguese capability to perform Level III maintenance for the MBT Leopard 2A6. Consequently, for this study, we have used the qualitative method – interviewing four renowned participants in this field of knowledge – and by means of content analysis. After the analysis four categories stood out: Advantages;Resources, Limitations and Alternatives. The main conclusion to come into sight was that, currently, the army does not have the capability to perform Level III maintenance forthe MBT Leopard 2A6, due to human and material factors. However, this study points out the advantages for the Portuguese army to achieve such level of performance, namely in terms of taking advantages of its resources, in terms of national development, international independence, faster maintenance and development of new knowledge. The limitations associated to Level III maintenance are: continuous dependence of the manufacturer, technological complexity; inexperience and the amount of resources demanded. In order to combat those limitations we suggest the creation of partnerships and the use of national and international outsourcing.
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Warnich, Dirk J. "Tracking collar and infrastructure for leopard research." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71722.
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Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This project targeted the development of a new tracking collar, trap telemetry system and supporting infrastructure, to aid researchers from the Cape Leopard Trust. Previously used collar products had all proven insu cient in some capacity and remote monitoring of trap sites was also required. Tracking collars are used to identify the movement patterns of the leopards and through the resulting research, assist in protecting this threatened species. In the development of the tracking collar and trap telemetry system, a high level system design was rst formulated, identifying major components that would be required. Alternative methods for implementation were then considered and the most optimal chosen. Two di erent modes of communication with the collar were envisioned and designed for. These would be used to transmit logged coordinates obtained from a GPS receiver back to researchers. A VHF terrestrial radio link was investigated, but an Iridium Satellite based solution was ultimately selected. An Iridium Satellite communications system was also used for transfer of trap state data. Ultimately, a working trap telemetry system was delivered for use by researchers. The tracking collar system had progressed to a working prototype, requiring miniaturisation and packaging before deployment. A possible packaging solution was also identi ed. The trap telemetry system, although displaying certain de ciencies, provided a capability previously unavailable to researchers. With further development, there is potential for the tracking collar to provide accurate satellite tracking and communications in a mass and price combination not previously available.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie projek het as doel die ontwikkeling van 'n nuwe opsporingshalsband, 'n lokval telemetriese stelsel en die nodige ondersteunende infrastruktuur daarvoor. As hulpmiddels vir navorsers van Cape Leopard Trust. Geen van die halsband produkte wat tot nou toe gebruik is, het voldoen aan al die nodige behoeftes nie, en dit was ook nodig om die lokvalterreine van 'n afstand te kan monitor. Die opsporingshalsbande word gebruik om die bewegingspatrone van luiperds vas te stel en die navorsing wat daarop volg, help dat 'n bedreigde spesie bewaar word. Die ontwikkeling van die opsporingshalsband en lokval telemetriese stelsel het begin met die formulering van 'n ho evlak stelselontwerp waarin die hoofkomponente wat benodig sou wees ge denti seer is. Alternatiewe metodes van bewerkstelling is daarna oorweeg en die optimale hiervan is gekies. Twee verskillende metodes van kommunikasie met die halsband is voorgestel en ontwerp. Hierdie sou gebruik word om die vasgelegte koordinate wat van 'n GPS ontvanger verkry is, na navorsers terug te versend. 'n Terrestriale radioverbinding is ondersoek, maar 'n Iridium Satelliet-baseerde oplossing is uiteindelik verkies. 'n Iridium Satelliet kommunikasie stelsel is ook gebruik vir die oordrag van data aangaande die lokvaltoestand. Uitendelik is 'n werkende lokval telemetriese stelsel gelewer vir dir gebruik van navorsers. Die opsporingshalsband stelsel was nou 'n werkende prototipe, wat slegs verklein en toepaslik verpak moes word voor dit in gebruik geneem kon word. 'n Moontlike oplossing tot die verpakkingsprobleem is ook identi seer. Die lokval telemetriese stelsel, hoewel dit steeds tekorte toon, voorsien die navorsers van voorheen onbekombare inligting. Met verder ontwikkeling is daar potensiaal vir die opsporingshalsband om akkurate satellietopsporing en kommunikasie te voorsien in 'n kombinasie van laer massa, sowel as prys, soos nog nooit voorheen beskikbaar nie.
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Fuentes, Delgado José Eduardo. "Biogeografía y patrones actuales de composición y distribución del patrón Leopardo (Leopard Bush) al norte de Sur América." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/400670.
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Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo estudiar y determinar los aspectos biogeográficos vinculados a la distribución y composición actual del patrón Leopardo en la Península de la Guajira para contribuir a su conocimiento, conservación y manejo. Para alcanzar esta finalidad, se aíslan las condiciones ambientales específicas de la Guajira que determinan el porqué de su existencia y partiendo de la tesis de que la distribución y composición del patrón Leopardo en la Península de la Guajira es originada por la interacción entre los aspectos antrópicos asociados con los aspectos ambientales tales como el viento, el agua y la geomorfología siendo esta interacción la que produce en ciertas partes del paisaje la acumulación de nutrientes en el suelo donde se desarrollan las formaciones vegetales.
La presente investigación se basó en un enfoque biofísico (Hipotético – Deductivo) que integra tecnologías de Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) y Percepción Remota (PR), con el propósito de entender el comportamiento de los parches de vegetación Leopardo a través de construcción de modelos geoespaciales, información secundaria y levantamiento de información primaria (Biofísica y medio social) que permitieron conocer el contexto biogeográfico del patrón en la Península de la Guajira. Se utilizó información recabada en campo, imágenes de satélite de alta resolución (1:5000) históricas (Corona KH-4A) y actuales (QuickBird, EROS-B), así como, modelos de elevación digitales para producir mapas de distribución de la vegetación con el objetivo de estudiar y caracterizar el área con un proceso cartográfico de alta resolución. Se realizó un modelo mundial de la distribución potencial de la vegetación Leopardo utilizando un modelo de máxima entropía junto con predictores ambientales y datos de presencia tomados en campo y referencias bibliográficas.
Los resultados permitieron conocer que en el paisaje existían ciertos lugares que permiten un desarrollo especial de la vegetación, las cuales mostraron que características relevantes como el material parental, la geomorfología y los suelos desarrollaban un ambiente particular en donde se ubicaba la vegetación. En este ambiente particular se encontraron unidades de paisaje que conformaban las áreas donde se encuentra ubicado el patrón Leopardo. Análisis de los nutrientes presentes en el suelo mostraron como varían los valores de N, P, K en los suelos desnudos y en las islas de fertilidad conformadas por la vegetación.
Se concluye que la formación del patrón Leopardo es el resultado de la interacción de seis factores básicos que los conforma (Paisajes, isla de fertilidad, fragmentación de la vegetación, influencia antrópica, herbivorismo). Se desarrollan unas características geomorfológicas, edafológicas y climáticas específicas que limitan las formas de vida vegetales que se pueden desarrollar, al limitarse el desarrollo vegetativo a solo ciertas especies resistentes a condiciones extremas, estas conforman asociaciones y a su vez generan estrategias para optimizar los recursos disponibles. La principal estrategia es aprovechar el viento en el área para fijar nutrientes en la tierra por medio de la retención de sedimentos lo que conlleva a la modificación de la humedad y la disponibilidad de nutrientes en el suelo, finalmente, este equilibrio es perturbado por las actividades humanas a través de la ganadería de ungulados y de las actividades antrópicas, generando la heterogeneidad de suelos y de vegetación cuya interacción genera el patrón.This thesis aims to study and determine the biogeographical aspects related to the current distribution and composition of the Leopard pattern in the Guajira Peninsula to contribute to its knowledge, conservation and management. To achieve this purpose, specific environmental conditions of the Guajira are isolated to determine the reason for its existence and based on the thesis that the distribution and composition of the Leopard pattern in the Guajira Peninsula originates from the interaction between anthropic aspects in association with environmental aspects such as wind, water and geomorphology being that this interaction occurs, produce in certain parts of the landscape, an accumulation of nutrients in the soil where the plant formations are developed. This research was based on a biophysical approach (Hypothetical - Deductive) that integrates Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies, for the purpose of understanding the behavior of the Leopard vegetation patches through the building of geospatial models, secondary information and primary information (biophysics and social environment) that allows us to know the biogeographic context of the pattern in the Guajira Peninsula. Information from satellite images of high resolution historic (Corona KH-4A) and present (QuickBird, EROS-B) was utilized, as well as digital elevation models to produce distribution maps of vegetation with the objective of studying and characterizing the area with a high-resolution mapping process. A global model of the potential distribution of Leopard vegetation was made using a maximum entropy model with environmental predictors, present data taken in the field, and bibliographic references. The results allowed for the understanding that within the landscape, existed certain places that allow a special development of the vegetation, which showed what relevant characteristics like the parent material, the geomorphology and the soils developed a particular environment where the vegetation was located. In this particular environment units of landscape were found to form the areas in which the Leopard pattern are located. Analysis of nutrients present in the soil showed how the values as vary of N, P, K on bare soils and fertility islands formed by the vegetation. It is concluded that the formation of the Leopard pattern is the result of the interaction of six basic factors that shapes it (Landscapes, island of fertility, fragmentation of the vegetation, anthropogenic influence, herbivory). They develop geomorphological, edaphological and climatic characteristics which limit the forms of plant life that can develop, the limited vegetative growth only develop certain strains resistant to extreme conditions, and these form associations that in turn generate strategies to optimize the available resources. The main strategy is to harness the wind in the area to fix nutrients in the soil through sediment retention which leads to changes in moisture and nutrient availability in the soil, finally, this equilibrium is disturbed by human activities through the raising of ungulates and anthropic activities, generating the heterogeneity of soils and vegetation whose interaction generates the pattern.
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MacKinnon, Katherine Margaret. "Pairing clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa) in a captive breeding program." Online access for everyone, 2008. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Spring2008/k_mackinnon_042508.pdf.
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Holmes, Scott. "Analysis of tooth replacement in adult leopard geckos." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44626.
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Though most dentate vertebrates replace their teeth at least once in the course of their lives, the process of tooth replacement is poorly understood. This is mainly because the major tooth development model is the mouse which only has one generation of teeth. Our previous work suggested that tooth renewal in geckos might involve dental epithelial stem cells and that these putative stem cells become transit- amplifying cells when exposed to canonical WNTs. Here we further investigate this idea using adult leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius). To further previous findings from our lab that the dental apparatus is a WNT responsive tissue we perturbed the WNT pathway by agonist and antagonist organ cultures of oral tissue explants. BIO stimulated proliferation at an intermediate concentration of 20 μM but not at higher or lower concentrations. This suggests that in vivo, cells are responding to gradients of WNT activity. We also looked at associated BMP and FGF pathways via in situ histology and organ culture manipulation respectively and found alternating patterns of gene expression. We then mapped areas of high canonical WNT signaling and found that nuclear staining for phospho beta catenin was principally found in the outer enamel epithelium and successional lamina. We moved to an in vivo strategy to allow for better tissue survival. Palatal injections of LiCl or the control reagent NaCl were delivered to the base of the maxillary teeth. We found that LiCl increased proliferation in the successional lamina and cervical loops, areas that normally have higher proliferation. We conclude that certain regions of the dental epithelium are sensitive to change in canonical WNT signaling and that this signaling is potentially kept to a localized region via BMP inhibition of the WNT pathway. Regions of the dental lamina that contain putative stem cells may require signals in addition to WNTs to stimulate the formation of transit amplifying cells. Future work will further elucidate the many signaling cascades required for tooth succession to occur.
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Benardino, Mariana Sofia Nunes. "Parasitas gastrointestinais de uma colecção privada de geckos-leopardo (Eublepharis macularius) e de répteis tidos como animais de estimação no Norte de Portugal." Master's thesis, Universidade de Lisboa. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/7616.
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Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaDurante as últimas décadas, os répteis têm aumentado a sua popularidade como animais de estimação por todo o mundo, reflectindo-se este fenómeno num aumento do número de espécies disponíveis nas lojas de animais, bem como no número crescente de criadores destes animais por hobby ou com objectivos comerciais. Neste contexto, um rastreio de parasitas gastrointestinais foi efectuado a uma colecção de geckos-leopardos e répteis tidos como animais de estimação. As amostras recolhidas foram analisadas utilizando métodos coprológicos de flutuação, sedimentação, Mcmaster e esfregaço fecal. Relativamente à colecção privada de geckos-leopardo, foram analisadas um total de 49 amostras fecais para a presença de parasitas gastrointestinais. A prevalência de amostras positivas da população foi estimada entre 61,1 e 85,9%. Em todas as amostras positivas foram detectados ovos de vários géneros da superfamília Oxyuroidea (Pharyngodon sp., Ozolaimus sp. e um género não identificado), sendo que em aproximadamente 22,4% das amostras foi detectada também a presença do protozoário Nyctotherus sp. A eficácia do método da fita-cola para pesquisa de oxiurídeos foi testada em 20 animais, tendo sido determinada uma sensibilidade entre 4,9 – 49,3% e uma especificidade entre 25,5 – 100% face ao esfregaço fecal usado como gold standard. No âmbito de um rastreio parasitológico gastrointestinal realizado a répteis tidos como animais de estimação no norte de Portugal foram analisados um total de 28 amostras (correspondentes a 16 quelónios, 4 sáurios e 8 ofídios), tendo sido realizado também um pequeno questionário aos donos com o objectivo de apurar a origem dos animais e condições gerais de maneio. No total das amostras analisadas, foram encontradas formas parasitárias em 16 amostras (cerca de 57,1%). Quatro grupos de endoparasitas (nemátodes oxiurídeos (N=6), Nyctotherus sp. (N=5), amebas (N=4) e flagelados (N=3) de géneros não identificadas) foram detectados em 13 (81,3%) dos 16 quelónios participantes. Nos 4 sáurios, 2 grupos de endoparasitas (nemátodes oxiurídeos (N=3) e Nyctotherus sp. (N=1)) foram encontrados em 3 animais. Nas amostras dos 8 ofídios participantes não foram detectadas quaisquer formas parasitárias nas técnicas coprológicas realizadas. Sendo este o primeiro estudo parasitológico realizado em répteis de estimação em Portugal, os resultados obtidos evidenciam a importância do parasitismo em répteis em cativeiro e a necessidade de estudos futuros mais aprofundados sobre a fauna parasitológica destes animais e seu possível impacto na Saúde Pública e Animal.
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Wong, Andrew Carlton Edward. "Longitudinal studies on tooth replacement in the leopard gecko." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/54273.
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The leopard gecko is an emerging reptilian model for the molecular basis of indefinite tooth replacement. Here we characterize the tooth replacement frequency and pattern of tooth loss in the normal adult gecko. We chose to perturb the system of tooth replacement by activating the Wingless signaling pathway (Wnt). Misregulation of Wnt leads to supernumerary teeth in mice and humans. We hypothesized by activating Wnt signaling with LiCl, tooth replacement frequency would increase. To measure the rate of tooth loss and replacement, weekly dental wax bites of 3 leopard geckos were taken over a 35-week period. The present/absent tooth positions were recorded. During the experimental period, the palate was injected bilaterally with NaCl (control) and then with LiCl. The geckos were to be biological replicates. Symmetry was analyzed with parametric tests (repeated measures ANOVA, Tukey’s post-hoc), while time for emergence and total absent teeth per week were analyzed with non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U post-hoc and Bonferroni Correction). The average replacement frequency was 6-7 weeks and posterior-to-anterior waves of replacement were formed. Right to left symmetry between individual tooth positions was high (>80%) when all teeth were included but dropped to 50% when only absent teeth were included. Two animals were followed for 14 weeks after NaCl injections and 14 weeks after LiCl injections. NaCl did not affect the replacement dentition but LiCl delayed and disrupted the pattern of replacement. The phenotypes were more severe for one animal including 1) increased time before emergence, 2) increased total number of absent teeth per week, 3) a greater effect on anterior teeth and 4) disruption of symmetry. The most affected period began 7 weeks post LiCl injection. At the end of the study, in vitro CT scans of both animals revealed normal patterns of unerupted teeth however there was bone loss in one animal. Gecko tooth replacement is rapid enough to be useful for longitudinal studies. Between-animal variation is high when studying individual teeth therefore each animal should be used as its own control. Future work includes increasing the biological replicates and detailed molecular studies to confirm the effect of LiCl.Dentistry, Faculty of
Graduate
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Recktenwald, Eric William. "VISUAL RECOGNITION OF THE STATIONARY ENVIRONMENT IN LEOPARD FROGS." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2014. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/292229.
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BiologyPh.D.
Leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) rely on vision to recognize behaviorally meaningful aspects of their environment. The optic tectum has been shown to mediate the frog's ability to recognize and respond to moving prey and looming objects. Nonetheless, atectal frogs are still able to appropriately respond to non-moving aspects of their environment. There appears to be independent visual systems operating in the frog: one system for recognizing moving objects; and another system for recognizing stationary objects. Little is known about the neural mechanisms mediating the recognition of stationary objects in frogs. Our laboratory showed that a retino-recipient area in the anterior lateral thalamus--the NB/CG zone--is involved in processing visual information concerning stationary aspects of the environment. This thesis aims to characterize the frog's responses to a range of stationary stimuli, and to elucidate the thalamic visual system that mediates those responses. I tested leopard frogs' responses to different stationary stimuli and found they respond in stereotypical ways. I discovered that leopard frogs are attracted to dark, stationary, opaque objects; and tested the extent of this attraction under different conditions. I found that frogs' preference to move toward a dark area versus a light source depends on the intensity of the light source relative to the intensity of ambient light. Unilateral lesions applied to the NB/CG zone of the anterior lateral thalamus resulted in temporary deficits in frogs' responses to stationary stimuli presented in the contralateral visual field. Deficits were observed in response to: dark objects, entrances to dark areas, light sources, and gaps between stationary barriers. However, responses to moving prey and looming stimuli were unaffected. Interestingly, these deficits tended to recover after about 6 days in most cases. Recovery time ranged from 2 - 28 days. The NB/CG zone is anatomically and functionally connected to a structure in the posterior thalamus called the "PMDT." The PMDT has no other connections in the brain. Thus, I have discovered a "satellite" of the NB/CG zone. Preliminary evidence suggests that the PMDT is another component of the visual system mediating stationary object recognition in the frog.
Temple University--Theses
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van, Schalkwyk Irené. "Leopard conservation, tourism and local communities in the Cederberg." University of the Western Cape, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7229.
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Magister Artium - MAThe Cederberg is increasingly associated with wildlife and ecotourism. Long-established rural communities practising subsistence farming reside in the Cederberg, some on the very boundary of the Cederberg Wilderness Area. Land uses related to tourism and conservation are currently reframing the Cederberg as a leisure landscape; a development that is not always compatible with sustaining the livelihoods of local inhabitants. Humans often occupy spaces to create a ‘civilised’ place of belonging for themselves and their domestic animals, and may regard certain indigenous wildlife species (such as baboons and leopards) as intrusive vermin. Livestock-keeping communities in the Cederberg are affected in particular by leopard conservation efforts. Livestock (sheep and donkeys in particular) is important to these farmers but often in danger of becoming prey to wild predators. In the Cederberg, the endangered Cape Mountain Leopard moves freely between the protected and inhabited spaces and often comes into contact with livestock owned by local subsistence farmers. This dissertation is rooted in the emerging sub-discipline of ‘animal geographies’. It explores divergent views of the term ‘wilderness’ as well as the treatment of ‘wild’ animals within the areas occupied by local people. It focusses on the community involvement in conservation practices and human-wildlife conflict issues, exploring community responses to their changing context and especially current conservation practices of CapeNature and the Cape Leopard Trust (the provincial conservation authority and an NGO respectively). Interviews with local people about current and historical leopard encounters are drawn upon in the analysis. The study is concerned to understand how conservation is impacting on local communities, and their responses to these shifts. Results suggest that there is substantial gap in the relationship with the communities and conservation authorities, especially regarding leopard conservation and livestock preservation. The communities of Wupperthal continue to suffer significant losses due to leopard predation. As it is now illegal to trap or kill leopards, residents have few strategies to protect their livestock. While some communities have a better relationship with CapeNature regarding the tourism activities within their community and other conservation initiatives, their considerable frustration was evident. The study explores the complex land issues in the region, and suggests possibilities for improvement in the relationship between local subsistence farmers and conservation authorities.
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Steyn, V., and PJ Funston. "Land-use and socio-spatial organization of female leopards in a semi-arid wooded savanna, Botswana." Southern African Wildlife Management Association, 2009. http://encore.tut.ac.za/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1001723.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract
Leopards (Panthera pardus) are the most widespread large felid, yet comparatively little is
known about their fine-scale movement patterns and how these affect the risks they face.
There has been much debate on the conservation status and management needs for
leopards with much extrapolation from limited data. In order to gather more information on
leopard movements in Botswana’s Northern Tuli Game Reserve, seven leopards were
collared between February 2005 and August 2006. This allowed key aspects that affect
demography, and thus resilience to anthropogenic effects, to be investigated. Generally,
home ranges were typical for breeding females in woodland savanna (32.9 ± 7.3 km²)
with substantial overlap (average 26.0%). Core areas though were independent and
extremely small (1.9 ± 2.2 km²). These were used primarily for young cub rearing, and were
characterized by rugged terrain along riverbeds. This highly localized use places leopards at
potential risk of snaring as snares tend to be concentrated along these landscape features.
Furthermore, hunters can conceal blinds from which to shoot leopards more easily in
these areas. Further risk to adult female survival came from excursions outside the reserve
boundary during which livestock was predated. Three incidences of cannibalism by adult
territorial males on adult females are also reported, suggesting significant intra-specific
competition.
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THOMAS, ALYSSA SHEA. "IDENTIFYING LOWLAND LEOPARD FROGS (LITHOBATES YAVAPAIENSIS) USING IN SITU PHOTOGRAPHY." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613634.
Full textAbstract:
Lowland leopard frogs (Lithobates yavapaiensis) are endemic to Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora,
and Chihuahua. Due to conservation concerns about this species and potential risk of injury,
stress, and spread of disease during research efforts, in situ photography could provide an
alternative for identifying individuals without capturing and handling frogs. I administered 25
pairs of photographs to 35 participants and asked them to determine if the frogs in the
photograph were the same individual. I also asked them to gauge the degree of confidence they
had in each response, as well as questions about themselves, including their experience
observing wildlife in general and lowland leopard frogs in particular, and whether they enjoyed
puzzles. Participants identified matches (86.9% correct) and mismatches (87.4% correct) with
similar accuracy, and both reflected their estimated degree of confidence. Only participants with
experience observing wildlife had higher scores. Overall, in situ photography offers promise as a
method to identify individual leopard frogs and perhaps other species with distinctive individual
patterns.
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Ivey, Kathleen N. "Thermal Ecology of the Federally Endangered Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2020. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2143.
Full textAbstract:
Recognizing how climate change will impact populations can aid in making decisions about approaches for conservation of endangered species. The Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) is a federally endangered species that, despite protection, remains in extremely arid, hot areas and may be at risk of extirpation due to climate change. We collected data on the field-active body temperatures, preferred body temperatures, and upper thermal tolerance of G. sila. We then described available thermal habitat using biophysical models, which allowed us to (1) describe patterns in lizard body temperatures, microhabitat temperatures, and lizard microhabitat use, (2) quantify the lizards’ thermoregulatory accuracy, (3) calculate the number of hours they are currently thermally restricted in microhabitat use, (4) project how the number of restricted hours will change in the future as ambient temperatures rise, and (5) assess the importance of Giant Kangaroo Rat burrows and shade-providing shrubs in the current and projected future thermal ecology of G. sila. Lizards maintained fairly consistent daytime body temperatures over the course of the active season, and use of burrows and shrubs increased as the season progressed and ambient temperatures rose. During the hottest part of the year, lizards shuttled among kangaroo rat burrows, shrubs, and open habitat to maintain body temperatures below their upper thermal tolerance, but occasionally, higher than their preferred body temperature range. Lizards are restricted from staying in the open habitat for 75% of daylight hours and are forced to seek refuge under shrubs or burrows to avoid surpassing their upper thermal threshold. After applying climatic projections of 1 and 2˚C increases to 2018 ambient temperatures, G. sila will lose additional hours of activity time that could compound stressors faced by this population, potentially leading to extirpation.
Finally, temperature-based activity estimation (TBAE) is an automated method for predicting surface activity and microhabitat use based on the temperature of an organism and its habitat. In an attempt to lessen impacts on sensitive species and costs, we assessed continuously logged field active body temperatures as a tool to predict the surface activity and microhabitat use of an endangered lizard (Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard, Gambelia sila). We found that TBAE accurately predicts whether a lizard is above or below ground 75.7% of the time when calculated using air temperature, and 60.5% of the time when calculated using biophysical models. While surface activity was correctly predicted about 93% of the time using either method, accuracy in predicting below ground (burrow) occupancy was 62% for air temperature and 51% for biophysical models. Using biophysical model data, TBAE accurately predicts microhabitat use in 79% of observations in which lizards are in the sun, 47% in the shade, and 51% in burrows. Heliotherms bask in the sun, and thus body temperatures can shift rapidly when the animal moves to a new microhabitat. This sensitivity, makes TBAE a promising means of remotely monitoring animal activity, particularly for specific variables like emergence time and surface activity.
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Rogerson, Janet. "Leopard, and, 'As obvious as an ear' : Frank O'Hara's sound." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.701120.
Full textAbstract:
Leopard: A poem, is an event that begins and ends on the page; when a poem works it works alone and is not dependent on the performance of its neighbours. The goal with Leopard was to create individual poems whose scope is eclectic and ambitious rather than to fashion a coherent collection. This attitude is not a popular one in twenty-first century poetry, where themed collections and identity poetry are both desired and celebrated. But I believe imagination is the true currency of poetry and coherence is over-rated. The poems cross a variety of forms and styles, to invent and tell stories, to untame the imagination. My poems are disparate and there is little point forcing arbitrary connections and themes onto them. Leopard is influenced by music, film, art, words and by other poets. The poems are influenced by Frank O'Hara, not in style, but in the way O'Hara reminds me that poems can begin anywhere, the poet is nothing if not in control, and writing poems is an exciting thing to do. I imagine some of the poems would please the old ladies in Ealing comedies, these 'doiley' poems are flimsy and full of carefully positioned holes; they stand next to surreal poems which I see being read by a guy in a diner in a David Lynch movie, he'll be crying and laughing—at the same time probably—and not necessarily because the poems are sad or funny; others might be valued by characters who know things about poems and can appreciate what they do, know who or what they are referring to and hopefully find something beyond their lines. Like the spots on a leopard, each poem stands alone, but if a unity is to be found, I hope it is through sound and accessibility. I care how my poems sound because poetry for me is primarily an oral art form. I think some of the poems sound good, others I never read to an audience because not every poem can escape its white space, though it can still serve a valuable enough purpose on the page. I hope my poems are accessible and I hope the sound of a few of them, at least, will stay with the reader, but most of all I hope the poems will not bore; the worst adjective to attach to a poem is boring.'As obvious as an ear': Frank O'Hara's soundThis thesis explores the poems of Frank O'Hara in relation to sound. O'Hara's status as a poet, though legendary, is built on the casual nature of his poetic and not on claims about technical expertise. O'Hara's much-quoted statement in 'Personism: A Manifesto', in which he rejects 'elaborately sounded structures' has resulted in critics taking O'Hara at his word and largely avoiding the sonic properties of his poems. But a poem and its sound are inseparable and to overlook sound in the critical discourse on O'Hara is a considerable omission. The study of sound in poetry typically involves the examination of embedded sound effects which have been employed by the poet to manipulate the readers' experience when reading or listening to a poem. O'Hara does embed sound to some degree in a haphazard way, but what is more noteworthy about O'Hara's poetic is the way sound inhabits the surface of his poems. My intention is to turn up the volume on this neglected area of O'Hara's poetic and tune in to the sonic world he invites the reader to inhabit, the world of surface sound.
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Grant, Tanith-Leigh. "Leopard population density, home range size and movement patterns in a mixed landuse area of the Mangwe District of Zimbabwe." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005412.
Full textAbstract:
Trophy hunting is often employed as a conservation management tool for large predators. However, in order for this method to succeed, hunting levels must be sustainable. Very little robust population data exist for African leopards (Panthera pardus) in general, and almost no density or spatial ecology data exist for leopards in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has one of the highest annual CITES leopard trophy hunting quotas in Africa, the sustainability of which has not been assessed, despite large scale landuse changes over the last 12 years. The focal area of this study was within the Mangwe district, in the south-west of Zimbabwe. The region is dominated by cattle and wildlife ranches, with high levels of leopard hunting, making it an important area for assessing leopard population density and spatial ecology. Three population density estimation methods were employed in my study: a spoor index survey, an unbaited camera-trapping survey and a baited camera-trapping survey. Using three calibration equations, spoor indices appeared to underestimate the leopard population (1.28-3.29 leopards/ 100 km²) as the equations were calibrated for areas with different habitats and leopard densities. In addition, the unbaited camera survey only produced six leopard photographs, unsuitable for individual identification and analysis. By contrast, the baited camera survey produced 292 identifiable leopard photographs, from which 13 individuals were identified. Density estimates calculated using the programme CAPTURE and the M[subscript]h model with the Mean Maximum Distance Moved Outside of Study Area (MMDMOSA) buffer method (4.79±0.83 leopards/100 km²), and the programme SPACECAP, using a buffer of 2.5 km (5.12±0.62 leopards/100 km²), appeared to generate the most reliable leopard population estimates. To assess the spatial ecology, three leopards (one male, two females) were captured and fitted with GPS collars. The home range estimates of the three leopards (95% Kernel UD: male 263 km², females 31 and 45 km²) were smaller than those of leopards in more arid regions, but larger than those of mesic habitats. This suggests that the Mangwe area has a higher quality habitat than the arid regions of Namibia, but less suitable habitat than protected bushveld areas (e.g. Kruger National Park, South Africa). My data represents the first robust leopard density and home range assessment for Zimbabwe. In addition, my results indicate that the current hunting quota issued to the Mangwe area is unsustainable. Consequently, I recommend revising the quota to five leopards for the entire area, and halving the current national leopard quota to 250, until a national leopard census is completed.
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Mills, Nathan E. "Direct and indirect effects of an insecticide on Rana sphenocephala tadpoles /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3052201.
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Minnie, Liaan. "Socio-economic and ecological correlates of leopard-stock farmer conflict in the Baviaanskloof mega-reserve, Eastern Cape." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1044.
Full textAbstract:
The leopard, Panthera pardus, is particularly threatened outside conservation areas in South Africa. This has been attributed to a reduction in natural habitat, decreasing natural prey populations, and commercial exploitation such as trophy hunting, and most importantly, persecution by stock farmers (Woodroffe 2001). The leopard population in the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve (BMR) has undergone a substantial decrease in range and numbers in the past 200 years, resulting in a highly fragmented population in the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, and is regarded as being insecure. There is thus a need to investigate the nature and extent of leopard-stock farmer interactions to provide the foundation for an effective leopard conservation plan. Here I investigated the ecological and socio-economic factors influencing leopard-stock farmer conflict via landowner surveys and estimated potential leopard numbers using a prey-based density model. Leopards are not necessarily the most important causes of livestock mortality in the BMR. On average, leopards killed significantly less livestock (0.7 percent livestock per year) than black-backed jackals (4.7 percent per year) and caracal (2.5 percent per year), yet 67 percent of farmers had negative attitudes towards leopards. These negative attitudes were not significantly related to stock losses. However, most of the farmers that had negative attitudes towards leopards did not have any stock losses attributed to leopards. Thus if predator-stock conflict is not reduced it will result in the retaliatory killing of leopards. This will have severe consequences for this relatively small population (estimated at 59 – 104 individuals by the prey-based model), which may ultimately lead to the local extinction of these leopards (Woodroffe & Ginsberg 1998).
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Constant, Natasha Louise. "A socio-ecological approach towards understanding conflict between leopards (Panthera pardus) and humans in South Africa : implications for leopard conservation and farming livelihoods." Thesis, Durham University, 2014. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10807/.
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The thesis investigates the socio-ecological factors driving human-leopard conflict due to livestock and game depredation in the Blouberg Mountain Range, South Africa. Local people’s perceptions of conservation are shaped by historical and contemporary relationships with protected areas and particularly, by conflicts of land and natural resource use. Legacies of disempowerment, marginalisation and stigmatisation manifest through people’s conservation discourses, social conflict and resistance towards protected area establishment, a process defined as traumatic nature. Traumatic nature elevates distrust of local people towards wildlife authorities and decreases support for wildlife conservation, aggravating human-leopard conflicts. Leopard predation on livestock and game is most strongly influenced by distance to village and distance to water, respectively, in addition to seasonal grazing patterns, the calving season and poor livestock husbandry practices. Livestock depredation represents significant economic costs for subsistence communal farmers’, which is exacerbated by the erosion of traditional cattle sharing systems and a lack of alternative livelihood strategies. Livestock depredation results in the loss of functional and material benefits, social capital, a spiritual resource, diminished wellbeing and perceived cultural decay. Camera trap results showed a lower leopard density of 0.7 leopards per 100km2 on commercial farms compared to the Blouberg Nature Reserve of 5.4 leopards per 100km2. Commercial farms may function as ecological traps because they represent areas with disproportionate leopard mortality that otherwise provide a high abundance of prey species for leopards. A male-biased sex ratio and a high number of sub-adult male leopards indicate high leopard mortality rates in the population. Camera trap results show low occupancy rates on communal land that may reflect a low large prey biomass, potentially caused by overhunting and habitat conversion. Farming communities ascribe a wide range of environmental values to the leopard that provide barriers and support for leopard conservation. Environmental institutions need to improve responses to reports of human-leopard conflicts and build trust and legitimacy in the eyes of local people by developing stronger working relationships with farming communities. The decentralisation of authority to local government actors to manage human-leopard conflicts and the devolution of responsibility to farmers to improve livestock husbandry practices is necessary to reduce depredation incidents. Incentive and education schemes are important for reducing lethal control measures and to improve tolerance of depredation incidents and leopard conservation.
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Martins, Quinton Eugene. "The ecology of the leopard Panthera pardus in the Cederberg Mountains." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/113b1d28-eed4-443c-96e6-0e7ac57d9ada.
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Rutherford, Mark Allen. "Synaptic exocytosis in the frog sacculus /." view abstract or download file of text, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3190546.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76 - 80). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Inczauskis, Heather Lynn. "The Need to Move: Exploring Landscape Connectivity through the Eyes of the Northern Leopard Frog." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2017. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28662.
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The northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) is a species that depends on landscape connectivity to complete its lifecycle. However, due to historic and present anthropogenic landscape changes, this species encounters a variety of agriculture fields during migratory and dispersal movements. These landscape changes have potential to affect habitat connectivity for these frogs and may interfere with the species? life-cycle needs. Differing land-cover types have varying effects on movement, desiccation and predation of the northern leopard frog, which in turn affect the frog?s ability to survive. Through creation and use of an agent-based model that can simulate individual frog movement on a modeled landscape, I explored habitat connectivity in the prairie-pothole region. I used northern leopard frog movement and desiccation data collected from two summers of field work to inform my modeled scenarios. The model I developed allows for the exploration of habitat connectivity under various patterns of land-cover change.U.S. Geological Survey Climate Research and Development Program
North Dakota State University (NDSU)
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Schmieder, Jens. "Killing behavior in smilodon fatalis (mammalia, carnivora, felidae) based on functional anatomy and body proportions of the front- and hind limbs." [S.l. : s.n.], 2003. http://www.bsz-bw.de/cgi-bin/xvms.cgi?SWB10733031.
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Jeanrenaud, Sally. "Can the leopard change its spots? Exploring people-oriented conservation in WWF." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267729.
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Farhadinia, Mohammad. "Ecology and conservation of Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in northeastern Iran." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a6de37f8-ad76-4341-a2a7-da17769a92a2.
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The Persian leopard is the largest cat in west Asia, and is considered to be endangered - poaching and habitat degradation are thought to be responsible. The rugged mountains and high altitudes it favours present considerable challenges for scientists, and it is consequently one of the least known subspecies. I have addressed this through exploring the subspecies' fundamental ecology across three national parks in northeastern Iran. I used satellite telemetry, camera trapping, genetic analysis and questionnaire surveys. The perceived role of leopards in livestock depredation was negligible compared to that of wolves. This was associated with relative tolerance of leopards compared with wolves; but the economic loss associated with predator damage did appear to influence peoples' attitudes. I also estimated a mean home range of 103.4 ± SE 51.8 km2 for resident males which is larger than what has been observed in other studies on Asian leopard. Five out of six of leopards spent 17.9% of their time outside the national park, among human communities. The kill rate was quantified as 3.7 ± SE 0.5 medium-sized prey/month per leopard, which is higher than reported by previous studies. Surprisingly, considering the subspecies' reported low density based on previous studies, I found relatively high population densities, varying between 4.01 ± SE 1.98 and 8.02 ± SE 2.67 individuals/100 km2. The number of adult leopards detected in Tandoureh (30 individuals) was larger than identified during comparable surveys at any other site globally. Persian leopards exhibited moderately high genetic diversity at six microsatellites (AN = 7.45, HO = 0.69, HE =0.75) and low haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.198) across three closely related haplotypes in NADH-5 gene. There was a weak evidence of spatial population partitioning. My research findings highlight the key role of mountainous ecosystems as refugia in supporting a high density of apex predators. Although land sharing is an inevitable solution for coexistence across Asian crowded montane landscapes, sparing mountains with improved law enforcement is encouraged for large cat conservation in Asian mountains. Finally, my thesis raises new hope for leopard viability as well as highlights the potential capacity of the Kopet Dag Ecoregion as a significant conservation unit for leopards.
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Chase-Grey, Julia Natasha. "Leopard population dynamics, trophy hunting and conservation in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa." Thesis, Durham University, 2011. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/823/.
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This thesis represents a highly novel attempt to combine capture-recapture camera trapping, GPS telemetry and dietary analysis with anthropological techniques such as participant observation and semi-structured interviews in order to investigate leopard population density and dynamics, human-leopard conflict and the potential and effectiveness of trophy hunting as a conservation tool for leopards in the Soutpansberg Mountains, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Results from camera trapping data show that the Soutpansberg is home to a very high density of leopards (20 per 100km2). This is supported by the small home range of an adult female measured during the study (13.9 km2 95% MCP) suggesting the Soutpansberg is a prey rich area with prey densities high enough to allow leopards to live in large numbers and hold small home ranges. The dispersal movements of a collared sub-adult male indicate that the Soutpansberg may be acting as a population source for sinks beneath the mountains. High levels of human-wildlife conflict exist between leopards and landowners and leopards are frequently persecuted for perceived livestock predation although no evidence of livestock was found in leopard scats. Trophy hunting does not currently work as an effective conservation tool for leopards by providing economic incentives for landowners to reduce illegal hunting and tolerate the wider leopard population. Quotas are not based on accurate population figures of leopards from field studies, females are allowed in hunting off-take and only game farmers that own hunting farms apply for trophy hunting permits. Landowners responsible for the majority of leopard mortalities (cattle and community farmers) do not conduct trophy hunting due to their distrust of the complex and bureaucratic application process. The sustainability of trophy hunting must be improved by basing off-take on accurate population numbers, monitoring harvested populations, encouraging a wider uptake of commercial hunting and reducing illegal harvests.
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Jackson, Rodney Malcolm. "Home range and the habitat use of snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in Nepal." Thesis, University of London, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.362776.
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Mann, Gareth. "Aspects of the ecology of leopards (Panthera Pardus) in the Little Karoo, South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012241.
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Leopards (Panthera pardus) are the most common large predators, free roaming outside of protected areas across most of South Africa. Leopard persistence is attributed to their tolerance of rugged terrain that is subject to less development pressure, as well as their cryptic behaviour. Nevertheless, existing leopard populations are threatened indirectly by ongoing transformation of natural habitat and directly through hunting and conflict with livestock farmers. Together these threats may further isolate leopards to fragmented areas of core natural habitat. I studied leopard habitat preferences, population density, diet and the attitudes of landowners towards leopards in the Little Karoo, Western Cape, South Africa, an area of mixed land-use that contains elements of three overlapping global biodiversity hotspots. Data were gathered between 2010 and 2012 using camera traps set up at 141 sites over an area of ~3100km², GPS tracking collars fitted to three male leopards, scat samples (n=76), interviews with landowners (n=53) analysed in combination with geographical information system (GIS) layers. My results reveal that leopards preferred rugged, mountainous terrain of intermediate elevation, avoiding low-lying, open areas where human disturbance was generally greater. Despite relatively un-fragmented habitat within my study area, the leopard population density (0.75 leopards/100km²) was one of the lowest yet recorded in South Africa. This may reflect low prey densities in mountain refuges in addition to historical human persecution in the area. Currently local landowners are more tolerant of leopards than other wildlife species with incidents of conflict involving leopards being rare relative to black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), baboons (Papio hamadryas), caracals (Caracal caracal) and porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis). Although current levels of conflict between leopards and stock farmers are low, leopards do depredate livestock, which constitute 10-15% of their diet. Improved livestock husbandry measures and co-operation between conservation authorities and farmers are necessary to mitigate such conflict and balance economic security with biodiversity conservation in the region. Leopards are the only remaining top predators throughout much of the Little Karoo and the Western Cape and as such are predicted to play a critical role in ecosystem structure and the survival of other species. Current high levels of connectivity between areas of suitable leopard habitat bode well for the conservation status of leopards within this region and future conservation efforts need to ensure that narrow corridors linking such habitat are preserved. The potential for leopards to serve as both an umbrella and a flagship species for biodiversity conservation suggests that long term monitoring of this population would be a conservation priority for the Little Karoo.
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Van, Bockhaven Vicky. "The Leopard Men of the Eastern Congo (ca. 1890-1940) : history and colonial representation." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2013. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/48774/.
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The research begins with a sculpture representing a “Leopard Man”, threatening to attack a sleeping victim, at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. Recently this colonial icon was criticised for presenting a racist image. Leopard men killed on behalf of chiefs in the east of Congo (ca. 1890-1940). The emergence of a mythology of leopard men is analysed in relation to its suppression as an anti-colonial movement in the colony. This research highlights the distinctive potency of ethnographic objects as proof, shaping experiences of the colonised in the colonial museum, in relation to the text-focused study of the colonial discourse. The history of leopard men is reconstructed to break away from an exotic and de-historicised understanding. Two eastern Congolese varieties, anioto and vihokohoko, are studied, from which the RMCA display was derived. The micro-histories of conflict clusters are considered in the context of the Zanzibari slave trade and the Belgian colonisation as forms of empowerment. Anioto and vihokohoko are further studied in their cultural history. They are regarded as institutional developments in the context of political competition. Mythologisation in colonial sources is regarded as a process of structuration underlying all expressions of human experience. While rooted in reality, such expressions are also shaped by what people desire to believe. This occurs in line with a cultural logic and the rhetoric of rumour with the most potent elements being singled out to support the colonial discourse, leaping into fiction. Leopard men accounts are structured after culturally effective traditions of narration, presenting the civilising project as a moral victory of good over bad. Leopard men became an epistemological category, a morally inferior, animal-like opponent threatening the colonial order. The use of costumes and claws for the killings was falsely exaggerated, because their form objectifies the colonial logic.
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Skorina, Laura. "Representation of the stationary visual environment in the anterior thalamus of the leopard frog." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2013. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/231474.
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BiologyPh.D.
The optic tectum of the leopard frog has long been known to process visual information about prey and looming threats, stimuli characterized by their movement in the visual field. However, atectal frogs can still respond to the stationary visual environment, which therefore constitutes a separate visual subsystem in the frog. The present work seeks to characterize the stationary visual environment module in the leopard frog, beginning with the hypothesis that this module is located in the anterior thalamus, among two retinorecipient neuropil regions known as neuropil of Bellonci (NB) and corpus geniculatum (CG). First, the puzzle of how a stationary frog can see the stationary environment, in the absence of the eye movements necessary for persistence of vision, is resolved, as we show that whole-head movements caused by the frog's respiratory cycles keep the retinal image in motion. Next, the stationary visual environment system is evaluated along behavioral, anatomic, and physiological lines, and connections to other brain areas are elucidated. When the anterior thalamic visual center is disconnected, frogs show behavioral impairments in visually navigating the stationary world. Under electrophysiological probing, neurons in the NB/CG region show response properties consistent with their proposed role in processing information about the stationary visual environment: they respond to light/dark and color information, as well as reverse-engineered "stationary" stimuli (reproducing the movement on the retina of the visual backdrop caused by the frog's breathing movements), and they do not habituate. We show that there is no visuotopic map in the anterior thalamus but rather a nasal-ward constriction in the receptive fields of progressively more caudal cell groups in the NB/CG region. Furthermore, each side of the anterior thalamic visual region receives information from only the contralateral half of the visual field, as defined by the visual midline, resulting from a pattern of partial crossing over of optic nerve fibers that is also seen in the mammalian thalamic visual system, a commonality with unknown evolutionary implications. We show that the anterior thalamic visual region shares reciprocal connections with the same area on the opposite side of the brain, as well as with the posterior thalamus on both sides; there is also an anterograde ipsilateral projection from the NB/CG toward the medulla and presumably pre-motor areas.
Temple University--Theses
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Blizard, Katherine S. "Shark Sim: A Procedural Method of Animating Leopard Sharks Based on Raw Location Data." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2013. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/938.
Full textAbstract:
Fish such as the Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata) can be tagged on their fin, released back into the wild, and their location tracked though technologies such as autonomous robots. Timestamped location data about their target is stored. We present a way to procedurally generate an animated simulation of T. semifasciata using only these timestamped location points.
This simulation utilizes several components. Input timestamps dictate a monotonic time-space curve mapping the simulation clock to the space curve. The space curve connects all the location points as a spline without any sharp folds that are too implausible for shark traversal. We create a model leopard shark that has convincing kinematics that respond to the space curve. This is achieved through acquiring a skinned model and applying T. semifasciata motion kinematics that respond to velocity and turn commands. These kinematics affect the spine and all fins that control locomotion and direction. Kinematic- based procedural keyframes added onto a queue interpolate while the shark model traverses the path.
This simulation tool generates animation sequences that can be viewed in real-time. A user study of 27 individuals was deployed to measure the perceived realism of the sequences as judged by the user by contrasting 5 different film sequences. Results of the study show that on average, viewers perceive our simulation as more realistic than not.
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Braczkowski, Aleksander Ryszard. "The susceptibility of leopards Panthera pardus to trophy hunting : the trophy hunting of leopards." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2013. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:801c0746-1b25-4c84-9ce8-bfeaf6c014d3.
Full textAbstract:
The trophy hunting of African leopards Panthera pardus pardus may generate revenue to help foster their conservation. However, leopards are sensitive to hunting and populations decline if overharvested. The practice therefore requires careful management grounded in robust estimates of population density/status. Camera-trap surveys are commonly used to establish leopard numbers, and may guide harvest quotas. However, such surveys are limited over wide spatial scales and many African governments lack resources to implement them. In this thesis I explore the potential use of a harvest composition scheme applied to puma Puma concolor in North America, to monitor leopards. The method hinges on the susceptibility of different leopard cohorts to hunting and if this varies, then predictions can be made about harvest composition. Susceptibility is likely to be governed by space use, encounter rates with bait lures (a common method used to attract leopards to hunting hides) and hunter selectivity. Thus in this thesis I explore leopard susceptibility to these factors using a protected leopard population in northern Zululand, South Africa. In my first chapter I examine using scent lures in camera-trapping. Against a backdrop of a passive survey I show adult males, females and sub-adults are captured at similar rates compared to a passive survey using lures. The use of lures does not appear to violate closure assumptions or affect spatio-temporal patterning, but their use appears limited as density estimate precision is not improved. My second chapter examines ecological (likelihood of encountering a hunter) and anthropogenic (attractiveness to hunters) susceptibility of leopards to trophy hunting. I show that adult males are the most susceptible cohort to hunting (sub-adults least susceptible). I then take the incident rates from ecological and anthropogenic models and create a theoretical harvest composition using population parameters of protected leopards. My third data chapter departs from hunting susceptibility and examines determinants of leopard trophy package price across Africa. I show that factors such as trophy quality, outfitter leopard hunting reputation and hunt success have little impact on price determination. Instead, overall outfitter reputation and the number of charismatic species in a package are positively correlated with price. These results have important consequences on several sustainable leopard hunting schemes proposed in the literature.
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Naude, Vincent Norman. "Scale and impact of the illegal leopard skin trade for traditional use in southern Africa." Doctoral thesis, Faculty of Science, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32936.
Full textAbstract:
While leopards (Panthera pardus) currently occupy the most extensive geographic range of all large felids, they are also suffering the highest rate of current range loss amongst large terrestrial carnivores. This is primarily because most leopards still range outside of formally protected areas where they are exposed to the full suite of anthropogenic threats affecting carnivores including habitat loss, prey depletion, conflict with humans, and commercial harvest for body parts. The extensive use of leopard derivatives among traditional healers, royalty, and culturo-religious groups poses a known but poorly understood threat to leopards. Sociopolitical sensitivities surrounding cultural identity and the illegality of much of this use have impeded an objective assessment of both the drivers and impacts of this threat. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, this thesis describes the drivers of illegal leopard skin trade among a significant portion of traditional users in South Africa, quantifies the extent of this trade across the southern African region and assesses its impact on local leopard populations. Together these findings seek to address the lack of conservation- and policy-relevant data regarding the impact and scale of the trade for traditional use in South Africa. Followers of the recently established ‘Shembe' Church, with its estimated membership of over four million in South Africa, represent the foremost culturo-religious users of illegal leopard skins in the world. Following the introduction of a faux skin alternative, I used longitudinal surveys to explore the drivers of authentic skin desirability and possession amongst faux skin recipients. While demand for authentic skins decreased, and faux alternatives were generally considered satisfactory, 27% still expressed a desire for an authentic skin, and 15% had acquired one in the three years since receiving their faux skin. Both desiring and having obtained an authentic skin were best explained by improved economic status and the perceived weakness of law enforcement. The combined demand of all Shembe followers cannot be sustained by the estimated extant leopard population of South Africa, and it is predicted that traders must be sourcing leopards from surrounding range states to meet local demands. To investigate this, I created a genetic reference database of leopards across southern Africa (1,452 individuals) and using DNA-based assignment tests, inferred the geographic origins of illegally traded skins sourced within southern Africa. Smoothed continuous assignment techniques revealed leopard source ‘hotspots' in southwestern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and along the eastern borders of South Africa confirming suspicions that the illegal leopard skin trade for traditional use in South Africa is transnational. A similar distribution of leopard source populations was identified from leopard parts obtained in traditional wildlife markets and a large-scale confiscation from a single trader. Together, this suggests the regional trade in leopard parts has been syndicated with predictable harvesting and trade routes into the South African consumer market. Genotyping across all trade samples (237 individuals) revealed a clear bias towards males despite reported sex-ratios being female-biased for natural free-ranging populations. To understand the ecological cost of this sex-biased exploitation of leopards, I compared the spatial, genetic, and demographic data of two South African leopard populations with markedly different histories of anthropogenic mortality. Home-range overlap, parentage assignment, and spatio-genetic autocorrelation showed that extensive historical exploitation, linked to Shembe and other traditional trade, has reduced subadult male dispersal, thereby facilitating opportunistic male natal philopatry. The resultant kinclustering in males is comparable to that of females in the well-protected reserve and has promoted localised inbreeding. Together these results demonstrate novel evidence linking significant ecological consequences to an underestimated, transnational, and syndicated illegal leopard skin trade driven by demand for traditional and religious use in South Africa. These findings are translatable to all leopard populations threatened by exploitation and emphasise the importance of long-term monitoring of leopard populations within protected areas and improving management interventions to mitigate these effects. Interventions such as anti-poaching can be focussed on the ‘hotspots' identified in this study while protected area management should prioritise the maintenance of dispersal corridors to promote in situ recovery of exploited populations. Lastly, demand reduction strategies such as the continued provisioning of suitable alternatives, together with improved education and increased enforcement, are essential to addressing the growing culturo-religious demand for leopard products contributing to the illegal harvest and trade in this iconic large predator. Success will depend on finding the balance between an improved transnational policy which effectively conserves wild leopard populations and maintaining respect for cultural practices
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Fisher, Justin David Lee. "Northern Leopard Frogs in North Dakota: Assessing the Conservation Status of a Widespread Amphibian Species." Diss., North Dakota State University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10365/24879.
Full textAbstract:
North Dakota?s midcontinent location within the Prairie Pothole Region is widely known
for the dense wetlands. These highly productive wetlands are mixed within an agricultural
mosaic which places increased pressure on water quality and overall wetland persistence. These
threats to wetlands affects other, more common species which are presumed to have healthy
populations but lack statewide information. Such is the case with the northern leopard frog
(Lithobates pipiens).
I examined genetic variation for 41 populations across the state. Genetic diversity was
not correlated with latitude, but was negatively correlated with longitude. Along this genetic
diversity gradient, there was a distinctive break near the 100th meridian, a historical boundary
between the arid western United States and the wet eastern side. Further data exploration
revealed wetland densities to be positively correlated with genetic diversity whereas precipitation
and anthropogenic disturbance were not correlated with genetic diversity.
I also examined population genetic structure to identify conservation units. Strong
population structuring was defined by the Missouri River, identifying the Western Badlands and
Western Prairie conservation units. Further structuring of L. pipiens occurred within these two
defined conservation units with rough correspondence to local watersheds. Additionally, I used
approximate Bayesian computational analyses to evaluate coalescence times among the 10
defined units. The Western Prairie and Western Badlands unit shared common ancestry 13,600
to 18,100 generations ago. The coalescence times of the 6 populations within the Western
Prairie unit varied from as recently as 588 generations to 10,900 generations, while populations
within the Western Badlands unit varied as recently as 2,890 generations to 5,220 generations.
In addition to the northern leopard frog genetics research, I conducted research that
considered how sampling biases may lead to inaccurate estimates aquatic invertebrate
abundance. I present an assessment of potential biases associated with sampling a population of
the amphipod Gammarus lacustris in the presence of Polymorphus spp. acanthocephalan
parasites shown to increase positive phototaxis in their amphipod hosts. Results indicated that
the highest captures of G. lacustris individuals were in benthic traps, however, parasitized
individuals were captured most often in surface traps.North Dakota Game and Fish Department
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Doucette-Riise, Stephen. "Migration and dispersal of the western leopard toad (amietophrynus pantherinus) in a fragmented agricultural landscape." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10420.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references.Habitat alteration, primarily associated with human expansion and consumption, has been identified as the leading threat to biodiversity worldwide. The net result of an ever increasing human population is the loss of available habitat to species, affecting individual survival, together with the fragmentation of habitat across a landscape, resulting in an increased chance of a genetic bottlenecks and localized extinction. Although many organisms are experiencing the deleterious effects of these processes, amphibians appear to be suffering more than other vertebrate groups. One species that has experienced significant impact through habitat alteration and urbanization is the Western Leopard Toad (Bufonidae: Amietophrynus pantherinus). In the south-western portion of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, the population is large and genetically diverse with numerous potential breeding sites. However, extinctions in the disjunt eastern area, where there are a low number of known breeding sites (currently 7 identified), have raised concern over the conservation of this management unit. In this study radio-telemetry and population genetic data were used to investigate fine scale, short term migration patterns in Western Leopard Toads to specifically assess the role of agricultural land-use and habitat fragmentation on long-term dispersal dynamics.
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du, Preez Byron Dennis. "The impact of intraguild competition with lion (Panthera leo) on leopard (Panthera pardus) behavioural ecology." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6c17014e-2c58-40e5-866e-d1ce88fe0e89.
Full textAbstract:
Single-species research dominates the field of ecology; however there is a growing appreciation of the importance of a multi-species approach to holistic conservation. Carnivores exert a top-down control on other species, and are vital components of stable ecosystem functioning. Physiologically adapted for predation upon other animals, competition between carnivores can be particularly aggressive; frequently resulting in mortality, and even population suppression. Big cat research has historically focused on those species that are most easily observable; in particular the lion Panthera leo. The majority of the Felidae however are secretive and elusive, and receive relatively little scientific attention. In particular, there are few data available that measure the effect of direct intraguild interactions between carnivores. Using leopards Panthera pardus as a model species, this research aimed to investigate the impact of lions on the behavioural ecology of a socially subordinate carnivore. Leopards are the most abundant large carnivore in Africa, and have the largest global range of all felids; their ecological niche overlapping with that of both lions and tigers. The knowledge gained from examining their competitive interactions is therefore widely relevant, and may be applicable to other subordinate carnivore species that remain unstudied. Biotelemetry and camera-trap data were modelled using novel algorithms to show that lions impact on leopard population density, demographics and spatial ecology. Faecal analyses suggest that dietary niche segregation may facilitate sympatry. These results indicate the level of impact that large carnivores can exert over smaller species, and the potential for a focus on single-species conservation to undermine holistic conservation. The manifestation of intraguild competition has a significant influence on an animal’s ecology; leopards are generalist species that cope with persecution by adapting their behaviour and niche. Ecological specialists may not fare as well under competitive pressure, and proactive conservation initiatives may be required for endangered species.
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Bessis, Didier. "Étude prospective des manifestations dermatologiques des RASopathies." Thesis, Montpellier, 2018. http://www.theses.fr/2018MONTT089.
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Les RASopathies avec phénotype Noonan associent le syndrome de Noonan (SN), le syndrome cardio-facio-cutané (SCFC) et le syndrome de Costello (SC). Leurs manifestations dermatologiques restent peu étudiées.Objectifs Colliger les différentes manifestations dermatologiques des SN, SCFC et SC afin d’établir leur nature et leur prévalence, et définir d’éventuelles corrélations phénotype/génotype au sein de chacune de ces affections.Méthodes Les patients atteints d’un SN, SCFC et SC confirmé sur le plan moléculaire par la présence d’une mutation germinale pathogène étaient inclus dans une étude menée durant 5 ans dans les départements de Génétique, Dermatologie et Pédiatrie des CHU de Bordeaux, Marseille, Montpellier, Nancy, Nantes, Paris AP-HP (Hôpital Robert-Debré et Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades), Rennes, Saint-Pierre (La Réunion) et Toulouse.Résultats Cent quatre-vingt-quatorze patients atteints de SN, SCFC et SC étaient inclus. Cent-vingt et un patients atteints de SN étaient inclus. La tendance aux hématomes était la manifestation la plus fréquente au cours du SN-PTPN11 (53.8%). Les ML et les tâches café-au-lait atypiques (≥3) étaient observés respectivement dans 94% et 80% des SNML liés à des mutations spécifiques de PTPN11. Des formes atypiques de SNML étaient associées au SN-RAF1 et SN-NRAS. En analyse univariée, les patients sans mutation PTPN11 présentaient (i) un risque de troubles de la kératinisation augmenté (P=0.001), dont la kératose pilaire (KP) (P=0.005), l’ulerythema ophryogenes (UO) (P=0.0001) et la kératodermie palmoplantaire (KPP) (P=0.06), et (ii) un risque augmenté d’alopécie du scalp (P=0.035) et des cils (P=0.06) par rapport aux patients sans mutation PTPN11.Quarante-cinq patients atteints de SCFC étaient inclus, parmi lesquels 77,8% avec mutation BRAF. Les anomalies pilaires étaient constantes, incluant une alopécie du scalp et des sourcils et des cheveux frisés ou bouclés respectivement dans 73% et 69% des cas. Une KP, un UO, une KPP et de multiples naevi (MN >50) étaient observés respectivement dans 82%, 44%, 27% et 29% des cas. L’alopécie des sourcils, l’association UO et KPP, la KP diffuse, et les MN constituaient des signes pertinents de différenciation du SCFC avec le SN et le SC. L’acitrétine orale permettait de traiter avec succès la KPP, tandis que le traitement de l’UO par sirolimus à 1% en topique échouait. Aucune corrélation phénotype-génotype n’était notée.Vingt-et-un patients atteints de SC étaient inclus, parmi lesquels 60% avec la mutation p.G12S-HRAS. Les anomalies pilaires étaient constantes, comprenant des cheveux frisés ou bouclés et une alopécie du scalp respectivement dans 70% and 60% des cas. Un acanthosis nigricans, des papillomes, une KPP, et une cutis laxa acrale étaient notés respectivement dans 65%, 65%, 55% et 80% des cas. Des papules linéaires à disposition pavimenteuse de la lèvre supérieure étaient présentes dans 55% des cas, tandis que l’alopécie des sourcils ou le lymphoedème n’étaient pas observés. Aucune corrélation phénotype-génotype n’était notée. Un patient avec SC atypique avec mutation c187_207dup21/p.Glu63_Asp69dup-HRAS présentait un phénotype cutané distinct associant des MN, un lymphoedème et des manifestations dermatologiques de SC, évoquant une nouvelle forme phénotypique de chevauchement entre un SC et un SN et/ou un SCFC.Conclusion La connaissance précise des manifestations dermatologiques des RASopathies et l’identification de thérapeutiques permet une optimisation de leur prise en chargeBackground Data on dermatological manifestations of RASopathies with Noonan phenotype including Noonan syndrome (NS), cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFCS) and Costello syndrome (CS) remain heterogeneous and based on little dermatological expertise.Objectives To describe the dermatological manifestations of NS, CFCS and CS compare them with the literature findings, and test for dermatological phenotype-genotype correlations with or without the presence of PTPN11, BRAF and pG12S-HRAS mutations respectively for NS, CFCS and CS.Methods We performed a large, 5-year, prospective, multicentric, collaborative dermatological and genetic study.Results A total of 194 patients with NS, CFC and CS were included. One hundred and twenty-nine patients with NS were enrolled, including 65 with PTPN11-NS, 34 with PTPN11-NS with multiple lentigines (NSML), and 30 without PTPN11-NS. Easy bruising was the most frequent dermatological finding in PTPN11-NS, present in 53.8%. Multiple lentigines and café-au-lait macules (≥3) were present in, respectively, 94% and 80% of NSML linked to specific mutations of PTPN11. Atypical forms of NSML could be associated with NS with RAF1 or NRAS mutations. In univariate analysis, patients without a PTPN11 mutation showed (i) a significantly higher frequency of keratinization disorders (P=0.001), including keratosis pilaris (P=0.005), ulerythema ophryogenes (P=0.0001) and palmar and/or plantar hyperkeratosis (P=0.06, trend association), and (ii) a significantly higher frequency of scarce scalp hair (P=0.035) and scarce or absent eyelashes (P=0.06, trend association) than those with PTPN11 mutations. Forty-five patients with CFCS were enrolled with mutations in BRAFin 77.8%. Hair abnormalities were ubiquitous, including scarcity or absence of eyebrows and wavy or curly hair respectively in 73% and 69%. Keratosis pilaris (KP), ulerythema ophryogenes (UO), palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis (PPHK), and multiple melanocytic naevi (MMN; MN >50) were noted respectively in 82%, 44%, 27% and 29%. Scarcity or absence of eyebrows, association of UO and PPHK, diffuse KP, and MMN best differentiated CFCS from NS and CS. Oral acitretin may be highly beneficial for therapeutic management of PPHK, whereas treatment of UO by topical 1% sirolimus failed. No significant dermatological phenotype-genotype correlation was determined. Twenty-one patients with CS were enrolled with p.G12S mutation of HRAS identified respectively in 60%. Hair abnormalities were ubiquitous, including wavy or curly hair and scalp alopecia respectively in 70% and 60%. Acanthosis nigricans with pachydermatoglyphia, papillomas with periorificial location, PPHK, and acral cutis laxa were noted respectively in 65%, 65%, 55% and 80%. Cobblestone papillomatous linear papules of the upper lip was present in 55%, while scarcity of eyebrows and lymphedema were almost absent. No significant dermatological phenotype-genotype correlation was determined. One patient with CS with c187_207dup21/p.Glu63_Asp69dup mutation of HRAS had a new distinct cutaneous phenotype including MMN and severe lymphedema similar to NS and/or CFCS findings.Conclusions A thorough knowledge of RASopathies skin manifestations would help in making a positive diagnosis
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Vradenburg, John. "Distribution and abundance of anurans in southeast Missouri." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4258.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (January 10, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.
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Piard, Juliette Leheup Bruno. "Syndrome de Noonan et apparentés Etude clinique et moléculaire de 51 enfants et adultes pris en charge au centre de référence "anomalies de développement" de Nancy /." [S.l.] : [s.n.], 2009. http://www.scd.uhp-nancy.fr/docnum/SCDMED_T_2009_PIARD_JULIETTE.pdf.
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Chiang, Po-Jen. "Ecology and conservation of Formosan clouded leopard, its prey, and other sympatric carnivores in southern Taiwan." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29674.
Full textAbstract:
During 2000-2004 I studied the population status of the Formosan clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyurus) and the ecology of its prey and other sympatric carnivores in the largest remaining lowland primary forest in southern Taiwan. My research team and I set up 232 hair snare stations and 377 camera trap sites at altitudes of 150-3,092m in the study area. No clouded leopards were photographed in total 13,354 camera trap days. Hair snares did not trap clouded leopard hairs, either. Assessment of the prey base and available habitat indicated that prey depletion and habitat loss, plus historical pelt trade, were likely the major causes of extinction of clouded leopards in Taiwan.
Using zero-inflated count models to analyze distribution and occurrence patterns of Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) and 4 ungulates, we found habitat segregation among these 5 herbivore species. Formosan macaques, Reeve's muntjacs (Muntiacus reevesi micrurus), and Formosan serows (Nemorhaedus swinhoei) likely were the most important prey species of Formosan clouded leopards given their body size and high occurrence rates in lower altitudes. In contrast, sambar deer (Cervus unicolor swinhoii) tended to occur more frequently as altitude increased. Formosan macaques exhibited seasonal differences in occurrence rates and were absent at altitudes > 2,500m in winter. Only Formosan serows showed preference for cliffs and rugged terrain, while the other 4 species, except wild boars (Sus scrofa taivanus), avoided these areas. Habitat segregation in forest understory and structure were more pronounced among the 4 ungulates. Forest structure rarely affected occurrence rates of Formosan macaques on the ground.
Niche relationships of the other sympatric carnivores were studied through habitat, diet, and temporal dimensions. Resource partitioning by carnivores was observed. Altitude was the strongest factor explaining the composition of the carnivore community in the local study-area scale and in the landscape scale across Taiwan. Carnivores could be divided into 2 groups: low-mid altitude consisting of Formosan ferret badgers (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca), gem-faced palm civets (Paguma larvata taivana), lesser oriental civets (Viverricula indica taivana), crab-eating mongooses (Herpestes urva formosanus), leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis chinensis), and feral cats (Felis catus), and the mid-high altitude group consisting of yellow-throated martens (Martes flavigula chrysospila), Siberian weasels (Mustela sibirica taivana), and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus formosanus). Carnivore richness was higher at mid altitudes where these 2 groups overlapped (i.e. mid-domain effect). The low-mid altitude carnivores were more nocturnal and tolerant of human activity and forest alteration except crab-eating mongooses, which were diurnal and avoided human encroachment. Similar to crab-eating mongooses, the mid-high altitude carnivores also avoided human encroachment and were diurnal except for Siberian weasels, which were more nocturnal. Diet summary based on their major food items for all sympatric carnivores revealed 3 groups of foragers which foraged on: invertebrates, small mammals, and plant fruits. Felidae, yellow-throated martens, and Siberian weasels preyed on small mammals. Asiatic black bears and gem-faced palm civets ate mostly plant fruits. The other 3 carnivores were mainly invertebrate foragers. These 9 carnivores partitioned resource uses in the 3 niche dimensions except for some overlap in resource use by leopard cats and feral cats.
Prey base for Formosan clouded leopards and the carnivore richness in Taiwan were found to be lower in areas with higher levels of human activity. On the other hand, Formosan macaques and ungulates could become over-abundant without human hunting and top carnivore predation. Mesopredator release may occur because of vanishing top carnivores, causing reduction of the lower trophic level prey species. It is important to assess the cascading impacts of the loss of the Formosan clouded leopards and Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra chinensis) and the declining Asiatic black bears and to consider reintroduction of Formosan clouded leopards, as well as active management of the other larger mammals. These results provided baseline information for reintroduction of clouded leopards and management of their prey and generated new hypotheses regarding the ecology of these large mammals for future investigation.Ph. D.
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Janjua, Safia. "Genetic Analysis of Snow Leopard Population Employing Next Generation Sequencing For Its Improved Conservation And Management." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1598870693394148.
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Lickel, Laura Evelyn. "Intake, apparent digestibility, and digesta passage in leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis) fed a complete, extruded feed." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2011. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/480.
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The influence of feeding juvenile female leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis, n=18) a commercially available, complete, extruded feed three (3) or seven days (7) per week on dry matter and digestible energy intake, apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, gross energy and fiber fractions, animal body weight and measurements, digesta transit time, rate of passage, and indigestible fill was evaluated. Both feeding frequencies are commonly practiced with captive tortoises. When fed 7 compared to 3 days per week, dry matter and digestible energy intake was greater. Tortoises gained more g BW, but not when adjusted per kg initial BW. When fed 7 compared to 3 days per week, tortoises grew more in plastron width (PW) and carapace height (CH), but not midline straight carapace length (MSCL), and grew more in calculated shell volume (i.e., a calculated estimate of shell volume using MSCL, PW, and CH), with a higher calculated body condition index (BCI). Providing short fasts (i.e., feeding 3 compared to 7 days per week) may be useful in slowing tortoise growth when animals are provided food ad libitum. In general, ad libitum feeding, especially of a highly digestible extruded feed, is not recommended for captive juvenile G. pardalis, especially when offered food daily. With two data points (detected as outliers) removed due to low fecal output (and resulting unrealistically high apparent digestibility of all nutrients analyzed) of two animals when fed 3 days per week, apparent digestibility of cellulose in tortoises fed 7 (n=18) compared to 3 (n=16) days per week was lower, but no differences were detected in DM, OM, GE, or any other fiber fractions analyzed. Transit time (TT1) was shorter and indigestible fill was higher in tortoises (n=18) fed 7 compared to 3 days per week, regardless of percent Cr marker recovered. With four animals removed due to <50% Cr marker recovery, tortoises fed 7 compared to 3 days per week exhibited shorter mean retention time (RGIT), with no differences in digesta transit or indigestible fill. Longer digesta retention when food availability included short periods of fasting may have allowed tortoises to extract more energy from cellulose.
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McManus, Jeannine Stephanie. "The spatial ecology and activity patterns of leopards (Panthera pardus) in the Baviaanskloof and Greater Addo Elephant National Park (GAENP), Eastern Cape Province, South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007601.
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The conservation of leopards in the Eastern Cape Province requires a holistic approach that considers both predator-human interactions as well as the biology of the carnivore. Numerous studies have been conducted on leopards within protected areas; however more information regarding the species is needed outside these areas to facilitate effective management of predators. The spatial ecology of the leopard (Panthera pardus) were studied in the Baviaanskloof and GAENP in the Eastern Cape. The Baviaanskloof is an extensive area of mountainous terrain (approximately 2665km²) which has a mosaic of land uses, and leopards move from conservation areas to farmland where they come into contact and conflict with farmers. This study examined the spatial ecology of leopards living on farmlands adjacent to protected land. The space utilization and activity patterns of six leopards were analysed. These animals were caught and released on farmlands in the Baviaanskloof (n=4) or translocated (n=2) when not possible to release on site. The animals were caught by means of fall-door, walk-in traps and fitted with Vectronic GPS collars that facilitated the collection of high quality GPS fixes from each animal. Data was collected using VHF and UHF telemetry to download data. An understanding of spatial requirements in areas with different land use, and the extent of overlap of space use with other leopards allow, for the first time in the region, the calculation of possible maximum population size. Analysis of range size was carried out using two methods: minimum convex polygon, and Kernel Utilization Distribution. Finally, a key predictor of space use is prey availability. I assessed the prey base using a grid of camera traps. The studied leopards revealed large range utilization with minimal overlap. The activity patterns suggest there is no preference between diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns and the population density was estimated between 0.3 - 1.3 leopards per 100km². Large home range sizes and low population densities suggest that leopards require large areas of suitable habitat, and that conservation efforts need to be extended beyond protected areas to ensure the long-term viability of leopard populations in such areas.
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Klinck, Holger [Verfasser]. "Automated passive acoustic detection, localization and identification of leopard seals: from hydro-acoustic technology to leopard seal ecology = Automatisierte, passiv-akustische Detektion, Lokalisation und Identifikation von Seeleoparden : Von hydro-akustischer Technologie zur Ökologie des Seeleoparden / Holger Klinck." Bremerhaven : AWI, Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 2008. http://d-nb.info/1010122274/34.
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Rautenbach, Therèsè. "Assessing the diet of the Cape leopard (panthera pardus) in the Cederberg and Gamka mountains, South Africa." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1078.
Full textAbstract:
As limited prey availability and persecution by humans in response to livestock predation are key conservation concerns for the Cape leopard (Martins & Martins 2006), the present study aimed to provide more information regarding their feeding habits. The first objective was to determine whether the Cape leopard was subject to a change in their prey base and how they responded to the change. This was established by comparison of their current diet in the Cederberg and Gamka Mountains, determined by using scat analysis techniques, with a previous dietary assessment (Norton et al. 1986). The second aim was to provide a preliminary assessment of the prey preference of the Cape leopard and examine the utility of camera trap surveys to determine leopard prey preference. Leopard diet in the Cederberg and Gamka Mountains consisted largely of small- (1-10 kg) and medium-sized (10-40 kg) mammals; rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) and klipspringers (Oreotragus oreotragus) were key prey items. In terms of regional variation in leopard diet, there was a significant difference in the average weight of prey utilized in the Cederberg and Gamka Mountains. Despite the importance of prey availability of suitable size, their flexibility in terms of prey size utilization reflected their ability to switch to smaller prey to fulfil their dietary requirements, when prey is limited. The study suggested a dietary shift, with significant variation in prey species utilization in both regions. The shift did not appear to be in response to prey scarcity, but rather a reduction in key prey species, particularly the rock hyrax. The shift involved an increase in the number of species utilized, and only a very small increase in livestock predation in both areas. There was however no significant variation in prey size category utilization. This demonstrated their dietary flexibility, as well as the importance of suitable prey sizes rather than the presence of specific prey species to fulfil their dietary requirements. The camera trap survey revealed a strong correlation between the number of camera trap days and the number of photographs taken of identifiable species. Variation of this correlation between different habitats supported the notion that individual images are a better unit to determine sampling efficiency than trap days. The camera trap survey also showed that small rodent availability was underestimated by camera trap surveillance, which resulted in poor prey preference estimation. It was therefore suggested that camera trap surveys be restricted to the surveillance of larger prey species (> 1 kg). By excluding small rodents from the analysis, prey preference could be estimated for other species and prey size categories. Small- and medium-sized mammals were significantly preferred, whereas large mammals were significantly avoided by the Cape leopard.