Moose Seeing Winter Tick Uptick

Student Maps Winter Tick Loads on Idaho Moose 

莱利·罗宾斯坦(Riley Robenstein)在博伊西(Boise)东南边缘的一个乡村社区长大，那里的郊狼会唱约德尔歌, 猫头鹰在山狮出没的鼠尾草丛上挖洞，老鹰在上面尖叫.

It wasn’t akin to an episode of Animal Kingdom, but for a child, Robenstein’s upbringing was enough to impress her future.

“我对鼠尾草草原景观有强烈的欣赏，”罗宾斯坦说.

She knew one day she would attend University of Idaho and, at least for a while, 离开了她在爱达荷州南部附近开阔多风的平原.

然而，罗宾斯坦并没有想到，一旦进入伊利诺伊大学的莫斯科分校，她就会加入一个 wildlife biology lab and be immersed in the study of ticks.

“Wasn’t on my radar,” the junior wildlife major said.

For almost two years, 罗宾斯坦一直在研究冬季蜱虫——这种蜱虫可能会伤害爱达荷州的一些驼鹿种群——作为一项研究的一部分 moose and tick study in the lab of Janet Rachlow, professor of wildlife ecology, 在那里，罗宾斯坦和其他研究人员一起探索为什么驼鹿数量在宝石州的部分地区下降.

罗宾斯坦想知道爱达荷州哪个地区冬季蜱虫最多, which infest moose, spread disease and may weaken animals during winter and spring, the hardest time of year for the big ungulates. 虱子数量多的驼鹿会勤快地摩擦感染部位，以缓解虱子引起的瘙痒, breaking off hairs, or they rub their fur completely off, Robenstein said. 由于毛发脱落和断裂导致的白色外观使生物学家将它们称为“幽灵驼鹿”.”

Future research will examine what specific habitat type supports ticks, 驼鹿在哪里感染了整个冬天都粘在它们身上的蜱虫——因此被称为冬季蜱虫——以及可以采取什么措施来减少这种有时致命的相互作用.

A couple summers ago, Robenstein worked in conjunction with Idaho Fish and Game, 这为她提供了看似无穷无尽的驼鹿后腿的皮革样本. 这些样本来自被猎人杀死或自然死亡的动物. Robenstein’s job was to count the number of ticks, adults and juveniles, from tiny clingers to large, blood-gorged parasites.

我甚至没有想过要拒绝参加这项研究的机会. Riley Robenstein, Junior. Wildlife Biology

Like the hides, the ticks were frozen, 尽管其中一些似乎在罗宾斯坦戴着橡胶手套的手上活了起来，她仔细地梳理着驼鹿的毛. “After work, I would tell my mom and dad, ‘Geez, you wouldn’t believe the number of ticks I counted today!’” she said. Her family, none of whom are biologists, were semi-aghast.

“我觉得这很恶心，一开始她不能吃葡萄之类的东西，因为这让她想起了蜱虫，我笑了一下,” Robenstein’s mother, Valerie, said. “I washed her work clothes separately from the rest of the laundry.”

According to sampling data, 罗宾斯坦了解到爱达荷州的三个地区，包括狭长地带的一部分, an area west of Yellowstone National Park, 爱达荷州中南部沿犹他州边境的一个地区蜱虫数量最高.

“爱达荷州的蜱虫数量各不相同，北部和中北部地区之间存在显著差异,” Robenstein said.

与华盛顿边境附近的驼鹿相比，在狭长地带与蒙大拿州东部边境附近采集的驼鹿皮样本上发现的蜱虫很少. 最高的数量来自黄石附近的岛屿公园和犹他州边境的驼鹿皮, she said.

今年3月，罗宾斯坦在科达伦的野生动物协会爱达荷分会上发表了她的研究结果.

研究的下一阶段希望评估夏季静止期的温度和湿度以及温度, humidity, 而在秋天的雪中，蜱虫出现并寻找哺乳动物宿主, she said.

The tick research may not have been anticipated, 但罗宾斯坦说，这次经历改变了她对未来研究的看法.

“奇怪的是，我甚至没有想过要拒绝参与这项研究的机会，”她说. “我已经在用牛的照片来量化脱发了. 我想我知道这个领域会带来一些非常奇怪的经历. Now, 每当我看到一只冬天的蜱虫——无论是死的还是活的——我都会比一个吃冰淇淋的孩子更兴奋!”

罗宾斯坦说，她从不怀疑自己有一天会去莫斯科上大学.

“My dad and mom and grandparents all attended University of Idaho, so I knew I would come here after high school,” she said.

Janet Rachlow, 他说冬季蜱虫对健康有重大影响, reproduction, and survival of moose calves in other populations, but scientists know less about their effects here in Idaho.

“关于蜱虫负载在州的不同地区和不同年份如何变化的信息, and how weather might influence tick loads across years, will contribute to an understanding of winter tick ecology in Idaho,” Rachlow said. “这位研究人员帮助管理人员了解爱达荷州驼鹿问题的潜在严重性——这两者都是制定减轻蜱虫对驼鹿影响的策略的关键.”

Valerie Robenstein, a nutritionist in Boise, 她可能会被女儿选择的领域吓到——至少是目前的研究——但她钦佩女儿的“坚持到底”.”

“我真的为莱利的职业道德和对研究的投入感到骄傲——我想不出有多少人能忍受这项任务!" she said.

Article by Ralph Bartholdt, University Communications

Photos by Garrett Britton, University Visual Productions and Ralph Bartholdt

Published April 2024