The Canadian Field-Naturalist (E-Journal)
Not a member yet
2472 research outputs found
Sort by
A case of a Pustulated Carrion Beetle (Nicrophorus pustulatus, Coleoptera: Silphidae) burying live Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor, Passeriformes: Hirundinidae) nestlings under the nest
Get PDFThe ecology of Pustulated Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus pustulatus, Coleoptera: Silphidae) appears distinct among Nicrophorus species, with evidence of it parasitizing snake eggs and foraging primarily above the ground and into the forest canopy. Here we document an extension of its aberrant ecology and behaviour: a case of N. pustulatus burying 2-day-old live and dead nestlings of Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor, Passeriformes: Hirundinidae) under the nest, behaviour consistent with the early stages of breeding in N. pustulatus. Based on different levels of decomposition, we suspect that N. pustulatus responded to one dead swallow nestling in the brood of five and went on to bury all of the nestlings at the bottom of the nest box. The observation provides the first evidence, to our knowledge, of Nicrophorus burying live vertebrates
First record and new host record of the obligate dulotic ant, Polyergus bicolor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Alberta, Canada
Get PDFWe describe the discovery of Polyergus bicolor, an obligate slave-making ant species, as a new provincial record in Alberta. This species was previously known mostly from eastern Canada and the northeastern United States and has been sparsely collected: only once in the past 50 years. Polyergus bicolor was discovered parasitizing Formica podzolica, which is also a new host for the species. This discovery marks a significant expansion of both range and host for P. bicolor
Potential case of pseudo-hermaphroditism in Elk (Cervus canadensis) in Alberta, Canada
Get PDFCases of true and pseudo-hermaphroditism, in which animals possess both ovaries and testes or have a single chromosomal and gonadal sex but secondary features of the other sex, have been documented in several cervids, including Odocoileus (deer) and Capreolus (roe deer) species. Another form of intersexuality that has been well documented in Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus) and induced in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is freemartinism, where blood is shared between heterosexual twins leading to XX/XY chimeras. We report the first case of pseudo-hermaphroditism in wild Elk (Cervus canadensis), observed in the central east slopes of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, from September through December 2019. The Elk had no antlers, exhibited female external genitalia, and displayed male secondary sexual characteristics, including colouring and breeding behaviour. To determine whether this is a case of true hermaphroditism, pseudo-hermaphroditism, or freemartinism would require blood analysis and inspection of internal sex organs by necropsy
First record of an Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus) in British Columbia, Canada
Get PDFItalian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus) is known from scattered locations in the United States, including Orcas Island, Washington, where a population went unreported for about a decade, but was confirmed in 2017. On 19 June 2019, a single adult female P. siculus was caught in an industrial area along the northern arm of the Fraser River in Vancouver, British Columbia; this represents the first record of this species on the loose in Canada. No other P. siculus were sighted in the Vancouver area. We assume this Canadian P. siculus was a lone stow-away and had not deposited eggs. We could not determine how it entered the province
Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update
Get PDFIn winter, Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) frequent a 96-year-old grain terminal, in Edmonton, Alberta, hunting Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). This phenomenon was reviewed shortly after it was first noticed by others in 1998 and, since then, we have observed hunting success and methods of Gyrfalcons and Prairie Falcons that were similar but not identical to earlier observations, with success rates of 21.0% and 10.6%, respectively, compared with 10.6% and 26.0% earlier. The most frequently observed hunting strategy for both species was a repeated upward attack on swirling Rock Pigeon flocks, resulting in success rates of 10.7% and 11.4%, respectively. Notably, 50% of downward dive hunts made by Gyrfalcon were successful, although only eight hunts using this method were recorded. The falcons were mildly selective with respect to pigeon colour morphs, with an apparent preference for pied colouration. Contrary to previous interpretations, Rock Pigeon do not appear to eat spilled grain on the building to any great extent; instead, the terminal may simply provide abundant roosting sites, which attain surface temperatures roughly 10°C warmer than ambient on sunny days and at temperatures below −20°C when the building is warmed internally
"Frog Pond Philosophy: Essays on the Relationship Between Humans and Nature" by Strachan Donnelley, 2018. [book review]
Get PDFFirst verified sighting of a Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) in British Columbia, Canada
Get PDFWestern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is known from Baja California, Mexico, north to north-central Washington State, including Puget Sound, where scattered populations extend from the Cherry Point area south to Tacoma and along the west side of Puget Sound to Port Townsend. On 6 June 2020, a single juvenile S. occidentalis was photographed in a Cloverdale area garden, Surrey, British Columbia, representing the first verified sighting of this species in Canada. No other S. occidentalis were sighted in the area, and we could not determine how the specimen entered the province
