A retrospective analysis of the Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) conservation breeding and release program: Conservation physiology and hibernation
Date
2021-09-28
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Abstract
The Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) is an endangered mammal whose
population is being recovered with a conservation breeding and release program. This involves
management both in and ex situ, so it is vital to understand how the different environments are
affecting the populations to maximize program outcomes. The purpose of this thesis was to
retrospectively analyze data collected from this program to address questions relevant to
population recovery. The first chapter compared the physiology of the managed populations
using the neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio and found significant differences in this metric among
targeted comparisons. The second chapter assessed factors that may be contributing to
hibernation-related mortality of marmots during their first winter post-release. I found a
combination of environmental and intrinsic factors influencing this mortality. Overall, this thesis
contributes to a growing body of literature surrounding the efficacy of conservation breeding and
release programs to recover critically endangered species.
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Keywords
Vancouver Island marmot, Marmota vancouverensis, conservation physiology, neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio, hibernation, conservation breeding