Applied Animal Behaviour Science

The present Table contains detailed information about the litters involved in the study in relation to risk factors for litter loss.

Raw questionnaire data, component scores and cluster memberships

Stallion databases contain data used in statistical analyses assessing the effects of female behavior, habitat visibility, and home range overlap on male-male contest escalation, percentage of time males spent vigilant, and rates of male-male aggression, male-female aggression, and male-female reproductive behavior.

Modelling of the probability of use of different habitats by free-ranging beef cattle in south-boreal forest.

Data used to model the probability of use of different habitats by free-ranging beef cattle in south-boreal forest.

Raw data for exposure and preference tests

Rates of Japanese macaque behavior when cognitive testing was available and unavailable to the social group in their exhibit at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Raw data from behavioural scan sampling of pigs.

Data accompanying manuscript showing feeding and activity data and performance indicators

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive species in the U.S. which is killing key agricultural products. Containing this pest is critical to limit its overall economic impact. One proposed method for slowing the spread of SLF is to ensure that egg masses are not transported out of infested regions. Previous research showed that canines can be trained to detect dead egg masses and readily transfer training to detect live egg masses. The objectives of the current study were 1) to develop a training aid in a controlled lab setting to which dogs trained to detect SLF could spontaneously generalize (Experiment 1), and 2) deploy this aid to evaluate detection canines in a mock deployment scenario (Experiment 2). Seven dogs were used to test eight different training aids in Experiment 1. The time dogs spent investigating each training aid and the probability of alerting to these training aids was analyzed. Results from Experiment 1 show that a 40 mL glass vial with 1 g of cold killed SLF egg masses covered with a mesh barrier had the highest cumulative sniff time of 3.02 s [95% CI 2.3, 4.0] on average compared to the target material which had a sniff time of 3.8 s [3.1, 4.6]. A mesh pouch training aid was selected for use in Experiment 2 because it was more durable and easily hidden than the glass vial with mesh, and it had the second highest cumulative sniff time of 2.08 s [1.6, 2.7]. This mesh pouch training aid secured the eggs to prevent spreading but allowed for odor permeation. In Experiment 2, two dogs were trained to find the mesh pouch aid in a search area with 3 wooden pallets. The two dogs showed a sensitivity of 0.91 [0.73, 0.97] and 0.96; [0.79, 0.99], with a false alarm rate of 0% and 3.3%, respectively. In conclusion, a training aid was found that allows SLF egg mass odor permeation while effectively containing the eggs, and dogs in a mock deployment scenario showed excellent sensitivity and specificity for egg mass detection.