Prevalence and intensity of nematode parasites in Wisconsin ermine.

In the midwestern United States, ermine ( Mustela erminea ) are economically important because they are legally harvested for pelts. Information on parasites of ermine is lacking, and the effects that nematode parasites have on body condition of ermine hosts are unknown. We identified Skrjabingylus nasicola and Filaroides martis in ermine trapped from 2007 to 2013 from 6 counties in Wisconsin.

Spines protect plants against browsing by small climbing mammals.

The presence of spines on woody plants has been shown to limit the loss of foliage to large mammalian browsers by restricting both bite size and biting rate. We tested the hypothesis that plant spines are also an effective defense against browsing by small mammals, such as rodents, that climb within the canopy of shrubs to harvest fruits, seeds, and foliage. Tame southern plains woodrats (Neotoma micropus) were allowed to harvest raisins impaled on the branches of blackbrush shrubs (Acacia rigidula Benth.