Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus
Abstract The nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is considered by many to be one of the greatest nuisance wildlife species in the Southeastern United States. Management is difficult because no repellents, toxicants, or fumigants are currently registered for this species; exclusion is labori...
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Wiley
2011-12-01
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| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.79 |
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| author | Holly K. Ober Lucas W. Degroote Colleen M. Mcdonough Russell F. Mizell III Richard W. Mankin |
| author_facet | Holly K. Ober Lucas W. Degroote Colleen M. Mcdonough Russell F. Mizell III Richard W. Mankin |
| author_sort | Holly K. Ober |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is considered by many to be one of the greatest nuisance wildlife species in the Southeastern United States. Management is difficult because no repellents, toxicants, or fumigants are currently registered for this species; exclusion is laborious because armadillos are adept burrowers; and no effective trapping attractants have been identified. If a suitable lure were discovered, trap capture success could increase and the frequency of nuisance complaints could decrease. We compared the behavioral attractiveness to captive armadillos of 15 commercially available food materials, as well as scents collected from conspecifics, in Florida, USA, 2008–2009. According to 3 distinct behavioral measures, 4 materials consistently elicited the most attraction responses from armadillos: pond worms (Lumbricus terrestris), crickets (Acheta domesticus), red worms (Eisenia fetida), and wigglers (Pheretima hawayanus). Recognizing that all of these materials were live prey, we devised a second series of experiments to evaluate the relative importance of olfactory cues versus auditory–vibrational cues in evoking a response from armadillos. Results suggested auditory–vibrational cues were meaningful. Finally, we measured sound pressure and vibration levels produced by the most preferred and less preferred prey items. Sound and vibrational cues decreased rapidly below background noise levels within 10–30 cm from baits. Because of this, and because the perceptual range of armadillos to the olfactory cues from these baits appears limited, traps baited with any worm or cricket are unlikely to lure armadillos from great distances. Development of an effective baiting system will require further investigation into the possibility of enhancing the ability of stimuli to travel over long distances. © 2011 The Wildlife Society. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7209be7ae18c4c76a7f8395f309aaa9a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2328-5540 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-7209be7ae18c4c76a7f8395f309aaa9a2025-08-20T02:36:15ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402011-12-0135442142910.1002/wsb.79Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctusHolly K. Ober0Lucas W. Degroote1Colleen M. Mcdonough2Russell F. Mizell III3Richard W. Mankin4Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, NFREC‐Quincy, 155 Research Road, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351, USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, NFREC‐Quincy, 155 Research Road, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351, USADepartment of Biology, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA 31698, USADepartment of Entomology, NFREC‐Quincy, 155 Research Road, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351, USAUnited States Department of Agriculture‐Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL 32608, USAAbstract The nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is considered by many to be one of the greatest nuisance wildlife species in the Southeastern United States. Management is difficult because no repellents, toxicants, or fumigants are currently registered for this species; exclusion is laborious because armadillos are adept burrowers; and no effective trapping attractants have been identified. If a suitable lure were discovered, trap capture success could increase and the frequency of nuisance complaints could decrease. We compared the behavioral attractiveness to captive armadillos of 15 commercially available food materials, as well as scents collected from conspecifics, in Florida, USA, 2008–2009. According to 3 distinct behavioral measures, 4 materials consistently elicited the most attraction responses from armadillos: pond worms (Lumbricus terrestris), crickets (Acheta domesticus), red worms (Eisenia fetida), and wigglers (Pheretima hawayanus). Recognizing that all of these materials were live prey, we devised a second series of experiments to evaluate the relative importance of olfactory cues versus auditory–vibrational cues in evoking a response from armadillos. Results suggested auditory–vibrational cues were meaningful. Finally, we measured sound pressure and vibration levels produced by the most preferred and less preferred prey items. Sound and vibrational cues decreased rapidly below background noise levels within 10–30 cm from baits. Because of this, and because the perceptual range of armadillos to the olfactory cues from these baits appears limited, traps baited with any worm or cricket are unlikely to lure armadillos from great distances. Development of an effective baiting system will require further investigation into the possibility of enhancing the ability of stimuli to travel over long distances. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.79armadillosattractantsbaitscaptureDasypus novemcinctuslures |
| spellingShingle | Holly K. Ober Lucas W. Degroote Colleen M. Mcdonough Russell F. Mizell III Richard W. Mankin Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus Wildlife Society Bulletin armadillos attractants baits capture Dasypus novemcinctus lures |
| title | Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus |
| title_full | Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus |
| title_fullStr | Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus |
| title_short | Identification of an attractant for the nine‐banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus |
| title_sort | identification of an attractant for the nine banded armadillo dasypus novemcinctus |
| topic | armadillos attractants baits capture Dasypus novemcinctus lures |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.79 |
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