Ectoparasites Among the Small Mammal Population on the Eastern Washington Prairie Restoration
Faculty Mentor
Krisztian Magori
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-5-2023 12:00 PM
End Date
10-5-2023 12:20 PM
Location
PUB 317
Department
Biology
Abstract
Eastern Washington University is actively working on a prairie restoration project to restore multiple acres of farmland back to a prairie ecosystem, eventually adding walking paths for the general public. Previous tracking at the prairie restoration project shows an established small mammal population. Our study aims to look at whether there is an ectoparasite population among small mammals and the hosts they prefer. The ecological importance of this project lies within the lack of knowledge surrounding the newly renovated prairie restoration and the ectoparasites that could be present. We plan to set multiple Sherman traps out during midday and check for small mammals the following day early in morning. The small mammals will be searched for ectoparasites in accordance with IACUC protocol then released. We will use statistical analysis to identify which small mammal is the preferred host for the ectoparasites. We will also monitor the large mammals that go through the prairie restoration site that could be bringing ectoparasites. It has been shown in previous literature that deer, moose, and elk, and other large mammals, often provide transportation to new areas and host for ectoparasites. We hope this study provides new information on any ectoparasites that inhabit the prairie restoration, and their hosts, which can help further ecological knowledge of the Eastern Washington area. It will also provide information for when the walking paths are created for the general public to know what type of ectoparasites they could encounter and how best to prepare for them.
Recommended Citation
Arrasmith, Natasha; Barton, Natalie; Keyser, Cari; Schneider, Clayton; and White, Abbigail, "Ectoparasites Among the Small Mammal Population on the Eastern Washington Prairie Restoration" (2023). 2023 Symposium. 12.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/os1_2023/12
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Ectoparasites Among the Small Mammal Population on the Eastern Washington Prairie Restoration
PUB 317
Eastern Washington University is actively working on a prairie restoration project to restore multiple acres of farmland back to a prairie ecosystem, eventually adding walking paths for the general public. Previous tracking at the prairie restoration project shows an established small mammal population. Our study aims to look at whether there is an ectoparasite population among small mammals and the hosts they prefer. The ecological importance of this project lies within the lack of knowledge surrounding the newly renovated prairie restoration and the ectoparasites that could be present. We plan to set multiple Sherman traps out during midday and check for small mammals the following day early in morning. The small mammals will be searched for ectoparasites in accordance with IACUC protocol then released. We will use statistical analysis to identify which small mammal is the preferred host for the ectoparasites. We will also monitor the large mammals that go through the prairie restoration site that could be bringing ectoparasites. It has been shown in previous literature that deer, moose, and elk, and other large mammals, often provide transportation to new areas and host for ectoparasites. We hope this study provides new information on any ectoparasites that inhabit the prairie restoration, and their hosts, which can help further ecological knowledge of the Eastern Washington area. It will also provide information for when the walking paths are created for the general public to know what type of ectoparasites they could encounter and how best to prepare for them.
