Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

401

Date

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Biology

Committee Chair

Michael L. Kennedy

Committee Member

Cheryl A. Goudie

Committee Member

Bill A. Simco

Abstract

An Assessment of Differential Susceptibility of Raccoons (Procyon lotor) to Capture in Live Traps in Western Tennessee Spatial and temporal variation in differential susceptibility of male and female raccoons (Procyon lotor) to capture in live traps was investigated during 2001-2005. Initial captures and recaptures were assessed using mark-recapture procedures on 6 spatially-independent grids. Numbers of males captured were always greater than numbers of females spatially and temporally, although not always significantly. In the spatial assessment, initial captures ranged from 86 (56:30 males:females) at Site 1 to 12 (11:1) at Site 4; recaptures ranged from 34 (22:12) at Site 1 to 3 (3:0) at Site 4. Temporal analysis indicated initial captures ranged from 72 (44:28) in 2001 to 22 (16:6) in 2005; recaptures ranged from 22 (17:5) in 2001 to 2 (2:0) in 2002. Density of populations could be a factor in response of males and females to traps. Investigators using mark-recapture techniques should be aware of the potential capture heterogeneity between sexes when interpreting mark-recapture data.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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