Cortisol is a hormone released when animals experience stress. We validated the measurement of cortisol from hair for use in wildlife using wild chipmunks, and tested the use of hair cortisol by measuring cortisol from chipmunks captured in natural and logged sites.
Roadkill is a serious threat for many species of freshwater turtles. One of the most common road mitigation tools is wildlife warning signs to alert drivers. These warning signs have commonly been used for large mammals, although there is little evidence that they are effective in reducing roadkill. We tested the effectiveness of turtle warning signs at four known roadkill hotspots along a provincial highway in eastern Ontario and compared the results with four control sites on a nearby major road in a before-after-control-impact (BACI) study. We found 30 dead turtles in the four hotspots in 2017 before the signs were installed and 27 in 2018 after the signs were installed. The number of turtles killed on the road after the signs were installed did not change significantly (χ21 = 1.1, P > 0.2). Although turtle warning signs may alert some drivers, they should not be considered a replacement for more effective road mitigation tools, such as wildlife fencing and crossing structures.
The only population of the endangered blue racer (Coluber constrictor foxii) in Canada occurs on Pelee Island, Ontario. The species is threatened by multiple factors including habitat degradation and loss, road mortality, persecution, and potentially predation. We designed and evaluated the performance of an eDNA ddPCR assay that can be used for multiple facets of conservation of this species. We tested the assay in silico and in vitro using DNA of blue racers and co-occurring snake species, and estimated the LOD and LOQ using synthetic DNA. As wild turkey predation has been suggested to negatively affect racers, we tested the assay on eight wild turkey fecal samples. Our assay is specific, can detect the target species at very low levels of concentration (0.002 copies/μL) and can accurately quantify the copy number ≥0.26 copies/μL. We detected no racer DNA in any wild turkey fecal sample. More fecal samples collected at strategic locations during snake peak activity would enable a more thorough assessment of the possibility of turkey predation. Our assay should be effective for other environmental samples and can be used for investigating other factors negatively affecting blue racers, for example helping to quantify blue racer habitat suitability and site occupancy.
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