Quantifying habitat use is vital to understanding animal ecology. Herein, we contrast classification‐based (i.e., animal locations are placed into habitat categories for subsequent analyses) and distance‐based (i.e., distance between animal locations and habitat features are used in subsequent analyses) approaches for analyzing habitat use data. Compositional analysis (CA) and a distance‐based analysis (DA) were used to quantify habitat selection of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). We qualitatively compared the outcome of these different procedures to illustrate advantages of the DA approach. The DA approach identified edges as an important habitat feature, and location error did not alter conclusions from DA. In contrast, CA did not detect the importance of edge, and presence of location errors altered conclusions. Moreover, modeling the distribution of location error did not effectively reduce sensitivity to error within CA. Distance‐based approaches to habitat analyses are not restricted to linear or point habitat features, require no explicit error handling, and permit extraction of more information from the data than classification‐based analyses alone. Corresponding Editor: J. M. Fryxell

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A reevaluation of the transcription profile of Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (AMDV)-infected CRFK cells at either 32°C or 37°C has determined that strain AMDV-G encodes six species of mRNAs produced by alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation of a pre-mRNA generated by a single promoter at the left end of the genome. Three different splicing patterns are used, and each type is found polyadenylated at either the 3 end of the genome (the distal site) or at a site in the center of the genome (the proximal site). All spliced species accumulate similarly over the course of infection, with the R2 RNA predominant throughout. The R2 RNA, which contains and can express the NS2 coding region, encodes the viral capsid proteins VP1 and VP2.

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bWe present a detailed characterization of a single-cycle infection of the bocavirus minute virus of canines (MVC) in canine WRD cells. This has allowed identification of an additional smaller NS protein that derives from an mRNA spliced within the NS gene that had not been previously reported. In addition, we have identified a role for the viral NP1 protein during infection. NP1 is required for read-through of the MVC internal polyadenylation site and, thus, access of the capsid gene by MVC mRNAs. Although the mechanism of NP1's action has not yet been fully elucidated, it represents the first parvovirus protein to be implicated directly in viral RNA processing.

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Many studies have been conducted on the ecology of raccoons (Procyon lotor), while few have examined raccoon den‐site selection, particularly in agricultural and prairie landscapes. Furthermore, no studies have examined selection of den sites at multiple spatial scales. We examined den‐site selection for 48 raccoons during 1997–1999 in an agricultural landscape in the Black Prairie physiographic region of east‐central Mississippi, USA. Den types selected by raccoons differed by gender and season. Females used more cavity dens during young rearing, whereas males selected ground dens and brush piles. We found that den sites were located closer to crop fields, roads, and macrohabitat edges than random points. At the landscape level, den sites were associated positively with woody patch size, amounts of woody and grass edge, number of available patches of crop fields, and available area of lakes and ponds. Composition of habitats around den sites differed from composition of habitats within home ranges, and this difference also was noted by gender. Female raccoons selected crop fields, whereas males selected lakes/ponds relative to composition of habitats within their respective home ranges. Our results indicate the importance of tree cavities to females during young rearing, particularly on prairie landscapes. Furthermore, our findings suggest that on prairie landscapes, availability of foraging habitat and water may influence den‐site selection. We suggest that raccoons select den sites based on a perceived arrangement of required resources and that landscape configuration is important in the den‐selection process. Additionally, our findings offer evidence that managers may selectively remove den sites as a nonlethal means of managing predation by raccoons.