Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are small canids that live in oak woodlands. Unlike their relatives, the coyote, gray foxes tend not to use urban habitats. Expansion into their natural habitats is threatening gray fox populations.
In fox habitats in the Santa Monica Mountains, some areas are off-limits to dogs, while others have high dog activity. Dogs can spread disease to, degrade habitat, and interfere with native species. How do introduced dogs affect the behavior of gray foxes? Further, do foxes habituate to dog cues? We are experimentally introducing cues to evaluate how dog presence may interfere with fox behavior. This project has implications for fox population viability, human-wildlife interactions. This project is supported by:
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Cats (Felis catus) cause ecosystem damage globally. Many studies have documented their impacts on prey, though they can also interfere with native carnivore behavior and ecology as competitors. On an archipelago in Mexico, a ringtail subspecies (Bassariscus astutus saxicola) is the only native carnivore. However, cats and goats were introduced to the archipelago a century ago. Management efforts have not succeeded in eradicating either invasive species.
My collaborators at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and I are investigating how cats affect the ecology of ringtails and other endemic mammals. We also aim to use an integrative conservation approach to assess stakeholder needs and values. This will help us develop an effective management plan for the faunal community and collect valuable ecological knowledge on these endemic species. This project is supported by:
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Aside from road mortalities, ringtails are rarely seen in the Santa Monica Mountains or elsewhere in Los Angeles. We are currently monitoring several sites for them. Ringtails like oak woodlands with rocky outcrops. A good way to catch them on camera is by baiting the traps with strawberry jam! Unfortunately, ringtails appear to be sequestered into a small, inaccessible region of the mountains. This may be due to predation, urban encroachment, or other factors; this population may be at risk.
Ringtails have recently been invading Mexico City, with more and more records appearing on Naturalista. Historically, we have few records of ringtails in urban areas. We are curious about what makes the Mexico City ringtails so unique! |
Ringtails (Bassariscus astutus) are small and agile, often denning in trees or caves. They are called different names across their range: ringtail cat, cacomixtle, babisuri, miner's cat. Ringtails are generalists, eating plants, insects, and small mammals. They are threatened by urbanization and roads. Click here to read more about them and click here to read more about ongoing research at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
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Effects of artificial lighting at night (ALAN) on bats in Los Angeles County: We are investigating 1) how ALAN differentially affects bat species, and 2) how bat communities in urban and suburban areas may be differentially affected. This work is in progress. This work was supported by the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science.
Lily Rivas's undergraduate honors project will conclude in spring 2025. |
Breed, Sex, and Age Differences in Problem Solving Ability of Domestic Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris): We are investigating how demographic factors may affect dog cognition, which we are measuring as how long it takes dogs to complete treat puzzles. Cognition may vary over an animal's lifespan, or vary between breed groups or sexes. This work is in progress.
Madilyn Schindler's undergraduate research will conclude in spring 2024. Contact for poster and thesis. |
Effects of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on shorebirds in Orange County: Using 5 years of systematic observations from 12 beaches in Orange County, California, we will be comparing human activity before, during, and after pandemic lockdowns. We will then be assessing how bird activity on the beaches relates to the changes in human activity.
Tiffany Chao's undergraduate honors project will conclude in spring 2024. Contact for presentation and thesis. |
Differences in ringtail reproductive phenology on the Espiritu Santo archipelago: A ringtail subspecies, Bassariscus astutus saxicola, is endemic to the Espiritu Santo archipelago. On the mainland, ringtails tend to breed in spring and rear offspring in summer. On the archipelago, reproductive phenology appears to be different. We are using camera trap data to better understand this species' reproduction.
Ellison Gonzales's undergraduate honors project will conclude in spring 2024. Contact for poster and thesis. |
Effects of the 2018 Woolsey fire on snake ecology: We used iNaturalist data to assess differences in snake observations, habitat use, and species ranges before and after the 2018 Woolsey fire. Observations in burned habitats were lower than expected. All 4 snake species were found more in grassland habitats and less in scrub habitats post-fire. Snake ranges did not change. This work was supported by the Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society.
Liam Bertrand's undergraduate honors research concluded in spring 2023. Contact for poster and thesis. |
The weekend effect on gray foxes in the Santa Monica Mountains: It is believed that human activity on weekends affects wildlife in unique ways, and some species are more affected than others. We investigated camera trap data to determine how gray foxes may be active at different times of night on weekends versus weekdays. At Red Rock Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, we found no significant effect.
Luke Benson's undergraduate research concluded in spring 2023. Contact for report. |
Human behaviors and attitudes towards domestic animals and wildlife near the Santa Monica mountain urban-wildlife interface: The Santa Monica Mountains are home to many wild carnivores. They are also heavily used by people and their pets. Inevitably, urban-wildlife conflicts arise along this interface. We will survey people who live near and/or use parks in the Santa Monica Mountains to evaluate human behaviors and attitudes towards the presence of wildlife and domestic animals.
Nada AbouHaiba's undergraduate honors research concluded in spring 2022. Contact for thesis. |
Effects of light pollution on kangaroo rat competition: The federally threatened Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi) has been shown to be impacted by artificial light; they forage less, thus losing suitable habitat (Shier et al. 2020). Might artificial light push them into denser coastal sage scrub habitats occupied by the Dulzura kangaroo rat (Dipodomys simulans)? The spring 2021 field behavioral ecology and conservation course (EEB 187), taught by Debra Shier and Greg Grether, is currently investigating the impacts of artificial light on kangaroo rat competition. I am all too happy to be a teaching assistant for this course! The field site hosts side-blotched lizards, king snakes, horned lizards, black widows, quails, roadrunners... field biologist paradise.
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Flying fox (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) dental morphology: Flying foxes are large bats that typically eat fruits and nectar. By studying museum specimens of 6 flying fox species that are rare in the wild, we found that the size of bats can predict tooth size while the relatedness of species can predict tooth proportions. This result has implications for genetic patterning mechanisms and the evolution of teeth in bats.
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Bat species occupancy and activity in northeastern Iowa: To find bat species habitat preferences, we modeled occupancy for several species in Iowa. We found that small bats species prefer forested areas while larger bats prefer open agricultural land, likely reflecting dietary preferences. Migratory bats are more likely to be detected with more moonlight, indicating they may rely on visual navigation more heavily. The smallest species is more likely to be detected in warmer weather, indicating there are some energetic constraints on activity. This project was supported by the CNR SPUR program.
Bat community and disease ecology in northeastern Iowa: We found that populations of bats in northeastern Iowa have declined dramatically since 2015, likely due to a fungal pathogen (Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes White-nose syndrome). Some species in this region are more affected by this disease than others.
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Mercury in Mississippi River mussels: Mercury (Hg) is a neurotoxin that can biomagnify in ecological systems. By pollywogging in pool 12 of the Mississippi River, we collected 3 species of mussels and sampled their digestive glands for Hg. We found differences in Hg concentration between species and along the river. While the levels were not dangerous to humans who may consumer mussels, there might be adverse effects for other wildlife.
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