Feral Deer Research Articles

Differentiation of Mycobacterium bovis isolates from animals by DNA typing.

The insertion sequence IS6110 and the direct repeat (DR) specific to tuberculosis complex mycobacteria and the highly repeated DNA sequence, the polymorphic GC-rich repeat sequence (PGRS), were systematically used to identify restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) within 210 isolates of Mycobacterium bovis. The isolates were primarily of bovine origin, but isolates from badgers, feral deer, sheep, humans, and a pig were included. The RFLP probes IS6110, DR, and PGRS individually identified 17, 18, and 18 different RFLP types, respectively, but in combination these probes identified a total of 39 different M. bovis RFLP types. The recommendations (J. D. A. van Embden, M. D. Cave, J. T. Crawford, J. W. Dale, K. D. Eisenach, B. Gicquel, P. W. M. Hermans, C. Martin, R. McAdam, T. M. Shinnick, and P. M. Small, J. Clin. Microbiol. 31:406-409, 1993) for a standardized RFLP analysis for M. tuberculosis were adapted to facilitate gel documentation, image analysis, and construction of a database of RFLP types. In the present study the same M. bovis RFLP types were evident in the various animal species included, indicating that the strains were not host restricted. Application of these techniques to defined field studies should help elucidate more accurately aspects of the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in different countries.

Cadmium status of soils, plants, and grazing animals in New Zealand

Abstract The accumulation of cadmium (Cd), a biotoxic heavy metal, in the food chain is undesirable. A national survey of soils and plants and random testing of kidneys from grazing animals slaughtered for export was conducted to assess Cd accumulation in New Zealand (NZ) pastoral agriculture. Average total Cd content of pastoral soils (0–7.5 cm) was 0.44 (Xg Cd/g compared to 0.20 |xg Cd/g for “native” (non‐agricultural) soils. Total soil Cd was highly correlated to total soil P. An increase in total soil P is a reflection of fertiliser history thus phosphatic fertiliser use is implicated in Cd accumulation in pastoral soils. The elevated pastoral soil Cd levels were not clearly reflected in grass or legume species but were displayed in weed species viz, 0.28 ug Cd/g c.f. 0.14 μg Cd/g for pastoral and native sites respectively. Over the period 1988–91, 22–28% of sheep and 14–20% of cattle kidneys sampled exceeded the NZ maximum residue level of 1 μg Cd/g. Kidney Cd content was highly age‐related. Cadmium was also present in feral deer and feral sheep kidneys showing that Cd occurs naturally in the environment.

Mycobacteria isolated from deer in New Zealand from 1970–1983

Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from 504 deer from 1970 to 1983. It was first isolated from feral red deer (Cervus elaphus) in New Zealand in 1970, and from farmed deer in 1978. Cervine tuberculosis has emerged as a significant problem in farmed deer and in 1983 M.bovis was found on 40 different farms. Thirty-five isolates of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare have been cultured from deer but were associated with clinical disease in only four cases. Mycobacterium nonchromogenicum, Mycobacterium diernhoferi, Mycobacterium gastri, Mycobacterium chelonei, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium vaccae were isolated from deer but were not considered to be pathogenic.

Feral Dog and White-Tailed Deer Interactions in Alabama

Feral Dog and White-Tailed Deer Interactions in Alabama

A Modified Box Trap for Capturing Feral Hogs and White-Tailed Deer

A Modified Box Trap for Capturing Feral Hogs and White-Tailed Deer

Intake and digestion of hill-land vegetation by the red deer and the sheep.

DOMESTICATED sheep and feral red deer (Cervus elaphus) are the two principal producers of food for human consumption from a large proportion of the rough grazings of Scotland. There is considerable interest in the possibility of increasing the production of venison by farming the red deer, and studies of the degree of domestication required, the development of biologically sound management practices and their economic viability are in progress1. A fundamental question is whether the red deer can utilise the indigenous vegetation found on the hills more efficiently than does the sheep, and, if so, to what extent this is brought about by its greater ability to range over and graze selectively on hill vegetation or by its ability to consume and digest more of the poor quality vegetation. We have investigated this latter aspect and now report that on such diets red deer consume greater quantities of digestible dry matter per unit metabolic body weight than sheep. The greater ability of the deer to increase voluntary food intake during the summer months is also discussed.

The Incidence of Congenital Abnormalities in the Mandibular Dentition of Fallow Deer (Dama damn L.)

SUMMARY The examination of the mandibles of 234 park and feral fallow deer from seven areas of England and Scotland has shown that either one or two of the incisiform teeth together with their alveoli were sometimes missing. Teeth were missing in three of the five Jeral populations sampled and in one of the two park populations. The incidence was about 5 per cent for each sample 0 feral deer and 19 per cent for the park deer. The absence of incisiform teeth was observed in both males and females and in both the deciduous and permanent dentition.

Granular Venereal Disease in a White-Tailed Deer

Granular venereal disease (GVD) of cattle (infectious or nodular vaginitis) is a condition affecting the mucosa of the vagina and vulva or the prepuce and penis (Williams, 1939:329-338). It is common in heifers and exists in practically every dairy herd (Roberts, 1956:321-323). Lesions are small reddish nodules or papules up to 2 mm. in diameter. These nodules are compact round-cell foci surrounded by a diffuse round-cell infiltration; they are situated in the derma (Thoms, 1906). Among domestic animals, the disease is found in cattle, goats, sheep, and swine (Williams, op. cit.). This article reports the disease in a feral white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus ssp. The specimen was a 135-lb. female secured in New London County, Connecticut, on November 19, 1955. The animal was considered to be 20 months old, according to the Severinghaus (1949) technique. The reproductive tract was removed in the field and included the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and a portion of the vagina. Representative tissues were fixed in 10 per cent Formalin, embedded in paraffin, and stained by hematoxylin-eosin. Gross examination of the reproductive tract revealed a nongravid uterus. Both ovaries contained varied-sized corpora lutea and follicles. Histologic examination of the ovaries confirmed the gross observations and revealed that the corpora lutea were recent, while the follicles were developing, so that some were actually Graafian follicles. Of passing interest was a primary follicle, the ovum of which contained a well-developed nucleus and a degenerating nucleus or polar body. The pathognomonic lesions were found in the mucosa of the proximal vagina. These lesions consisted of many compact foci of lymphocytes, within which vascular spaces were seen (Figs. 1 and 2). The lesions were in the lamina propria. At this level, the epithelium was two cells in thickness and tended toward cuboidal. These lymphocytic alterations ceased abruptly at the cervix. The etiology of GVD in cattle is not known. Although a virus is believed responsible (G6tze, 1949:271-272), successful isolation and reproduction of the disease in this species has not been reported. At any rate the characteristic lesions appear from 2 to 4 weeks after apparent contact (Crawley, et al., 1950) and then subside in about one month (Roberts, op. cit.), although individual animals may have lesions for several months. If ov4#:::9: