Date of Award

6-2009

Document Type

Union College Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Kathleen LoGiudice

Language

English

Keywords

contamination, allegheny, anti, baiting, baits

Abstract

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is a North American small mammal considered endangered, threatened, or of concern in all known states of occupancy. There is evidence that the parasite, raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis), may be partly responsible for the decline of the species. In this study, I tested the effectiveness of a baiting technique to reduce the prevalence of B. procyonis in the Palisades Interstate Park, NJ, the last known population of the species in its northeastern range. Baits containing an anti-parasitic drug were distributed for consumption by raccoons (Procyon lotor). Raccoon roundworm contamination was measured throughout the fall egg shedding period and compared against historical data collected in NJ during the same months. Consistent with patterns previously observed, contamination increased in both the test site and the reference sites as the egg shedding period progressed. However, by late November the contamination had risen to 65% in the reference sites and only 33% in the test site. This study suggests that anti-parasitic baits can reduce contamination levels. This baiting technique should be considered as part of a management strategy to prevent further decline of the Allegheny woodrat.

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