Changing Attitudes and Animal Welfare in Small Island Developing States: Dogs on New Providence, The Bahamas.

This article compares results from a study in 2014 with a similar study from 1998 (Fielding, 1999 ) to examine changes in the care of dogs in New Providence, The Bahamas. The results from a survey of 379 residents indicated a general lack of improvement in matters associated with the care of dogs during the past 16 years. For example, in 1998, it was estimated that 35% of caregivers had at least 1 dog sterilized, and in 2014, the corresponding figure was 37%.

The Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescents in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of elevated blood pressure (EBP) in Bahamian adolescents.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey employing a self-administered questionnaire, and concurrently obtaining anthropometric measurements, was conducted involving selected grades 9, 10 and 11 students of all targeted public high schools in The Bahamas.

Results: The mean age of the 785 participants was 14.

Consequences of experimental cortisol manipulations on the thermal biology of the checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) in laboratory and field environments.

Anthropogenic climate change is altering temperature regimes for coastal marine fishes. However, given that temperature changes will not occur in isolation of other stressors, it is necessary to explore the potential consequences of stress on the thermal tolerances and preferences of tropical marine fish in order to understand the thresholds for survival, and predict the associated coastal ecological consequences. In this study, we used exogenous cortisol injections to investigate the effects of a thermal challenge on checkered puffers (Sphoeroides testudineus) as a secondary stressor.

What's the 'buzz' about? The ecology and evolutionary significance of buzz-pollination.

Many plant species have evolved floral characteristics that restrict pollen access. Some of these species are visited by insects, principally bees, which make use of vibrations to extract pollen from anthers. Buzz-pollination, as this phenomenon is generally known, is a widespread method of fertilization for thousands of species in both natural and agricultural systems.

Variability in bumblebee pollination buzzes affects the quantity of pollen released from flowers.

Buzz-pollination is a plant strategy that promotes gamete transfer by requiring a pollinator, typically bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), to vibrate a flower's anthers in order to extract pollen. Although buzz-pollination is widespread in angiosperms with over 20,000 species using it, little is known about the functional connection between natural variation in buzzing vibrations and the amount of pollen that can be extracted from anthers. We characterized variability in the vibrations produced by Bombus terrestris bumblebees while collecting pollen from Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae), a buzz-pollinated plant.

Care of dogs and attitudes of dog owners in Port-au-Prince, the Republic of Haiti.

This article reports the first known study on dogs in Port-au-Prince. Interviews with 1,290 residents provided information on 1,804 dogs. More than 57.

Dog breeding in New Providence, The Bahamas, and its potential impact on the roaming dog population II: the fate of puppies.

This article reports the first known study on the disposal of puppies in an Afro-Caribbean community. The study reported the fate of 2,427 puppies through 517 interviews with dog caregivers. The study reported that surviving puppies from "pure-bred" females were typically sold (60.

A comparison of Bahamian cat and dog caregivers on New Providence.

This article offers the first comparison of actions and attitudes of Afro-Caribbean caregivers who keep only cats or only dogs. A total of 330 Bahamian caregivers found that women primarily keep cats; men primarily keep dogs. Cat keepers were more attached to their companion animals but no more sensitive toward nonhuman animal-welfare issues than dog keepers.

Knowledge of the welfare of nonhuman animals and prevalence of dog care practices in New Providence, The Bahamas.

Interviews with 509 adults in New Providence, The Bahamas, indicated that people have limited knowledge of dog care and the laws pertaining to nonhuman animal welfare. Interviews also indicated that many dogs received care limited only to food and water and--to a lesser extent--shelter. Potcakes (local mongrels) received the least health care; "breed" dogs, the most.

Characteristics of owned dogs on the island of New Providence, The Bahamas.

This study reports the findings from street interviews on owned dogs (N = 442) in New Providence, The Bahamas. Many households kept dogs outside, and roughly 43% of households allowed at least 1 dog to roam. Dogs kept inside most likely were considered a companion, whereas dogs used for security were kept outside.