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Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-107). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-50). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

The causes of natural mortality and disease in free ranging black bears, Ursus americanus, in California, Oregon, and Washington are poorly known. Life history components, such as scavenging and overlapping habitat with many species of carnivores, potentially expose bears to a wide range of infectious disease agents. To date, no disease has been identified that appears to greatly influence black bear population dynamics. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence rates of exposure to selected infectious disease agents in black bears at six study sites of California, Oregon, and Washington, and to assess if age, sex, study area, or year of sampling are related to the prevalence of specific diseases. One hundred and ninety nine black bear serum samples were collected between 1993 and 1997 and tested for selected viral and bacterial disease agents. Antibody prevalence was 0% for bluetongue virus, 12.6% (24/190) for Borrelia burdorferi (Lyme disease), 0% for Brucella spp., 0% for Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm), 4.8% (8/165) for canine distemper virus, 4.5% (9/198) for Ehrlichia equi, 0% for epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, 9% (8/88) for Francisella tularensis (tularemia), 1.8% (3/165) for canine infectious hepatitis virus, 2.5% (5/198) for Trichinella spiralis, 45% (89/198) for Toxoplasma gondii and 5.5% (11/198) for Yersinia pestis (plague). Prevalence differences were observed among study sites. Lyme disease and plague antibodies were detected only in black bears from California and Oregon. E. equi antibody detection was highest from California bears. This is the first report of E. equi in the Ursidae family, and the first report of morbillivirus in black bears. These data do not support the relationship reported in other studies of rising prevalence rates with increased age of bears. The potential implications of diseases transmitted by translocated bears or re-introduced sympatric carnivores should be considered before management decisions are made. / Graduation date: 1999

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Acadia University, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-128). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 17, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. R. Lee Lyman. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 56 p. : ill., maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes Bibliographical References. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2005. / Title from title page screen (viewed on September 2, 2005). Thesis advisor: Frank T. van Manen. Document formatted into pages (xiii, 91 p. : ill., col. maps). Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-87).

Eighty-three (21M, 62F) of 194 black bears captured during 1994-1996 were equipped with radio collars. Annual survival rates estimated with Kaplain-Meier staggered entry approach for radio collared adult females, adult males, subadult females, and subadult males were 95.3, 100.0, 90.4 and 50.0% respectively. Hunting, handling, vehicle collisions, and natural causes accounted for 81.0, 11.1, 3.2, and 1.6% of mortality. Twenty, 9.8, and 70.6 % of bears harvested were harvested in the deer firearm season, the deer archery season, and the bear firearm season, respectively. Twenty-three cubs were equipped with expandable radio collars (11M,10F) or transmitters implanted subcutaneously (2M,0F) in 1995-1996. Six cubs (4M, 2F) died, 6 (3M,3F) survived their first year, and the status of 11 cubs (6M, 5F) was unknown. Survival rates (date marked until 4 December) estimated with Kaplain-Meier and Heisey-Fuller were 64.3 and 64.7% respectively. Interval survival rates were 71% (15 March to 31 May), 100% (1 June to 31 July), 92% (1 August to 31 August), and 100% (1 September to 4 December). Intraspecific aggression (33.3%), starvation (16.7%), unknown causes (16.7%) and predation (16.7%) were the causes of mortality. Total home range size for males and adult, subadult, and transitional age females were 7.2, 5.5, 5.6 and 7.2 km2 (95% MCP) and 11.2, 6.8, 9.0, and 10.0 km2 (95% normal kernel). Females with cubs had larger fall ranges than spring and summer ranges. Seasonal ranges of solitary females did not differ when estimated with MCP. Bears exhibited home range overlap among and within sex classes. / Master of Science