-----Original Message-----
From: Olfenbuttel, Colleen <[log in to unmask]> 
Sent: Wednesday, April 4, 2018 3:07 PM
To: Urbanek, Rachael E. <[log in to unmask]>; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; Muller, Lisa Irene <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Fwd: RA position for Master's student at UCO spotted skunks

See master's student opportunity below. Please distribute to your students.

From: "Vicki Jackson" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: April 3, 2018 at 1:21:17 PM CDT
To: "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Subject: RA position for Master's student at UCO
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>


I am looking for a Master's student to begin a 2-year, funded RA position at the University of Central Oklahoma starting August 2018. The objectives of this project are: to estimate occupancy and detection probabilities of eastern (plains) spotted skunks through a focused survey effort in southeastern Oklahoma and the use of occupancy modelling.  Although eastern (plains) spotted skunks will be the focal animal, presence of all mesocarnivore species will be noted.  The exact nature of the thesis is flexible and will be determined by the incoming student under my direction.


Background:
Eastern spotted skunks are found primarily in the central United States eastward to the east coast.  Although currently listed as Apparently Secure (G4), they are uncommon to rare throughout most of their geographic distribution (NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__explorer.natureserve.org&d=DwIF-g&c=Ngd-ta5yRYsqeUsEDgxhcqsYYY1Xs5ogLxWPA_2Wlc4&r=hVDw-U7Ys9kVj-5GQVYOKLnsnbWVfwDmciSz1X3VLvLjESnqurCGOPj6Hyr-3Ez4&m=HW0uxs2taDj70yjJKYUAYlC-tGcickyh6T20Pb94k3U&s=fnbqGmENVm8fQhdDECrxJGzKAsO2DDZcmq3f5hEB9jM&e=. (Accessed: May 11, 2017).  This species exhibited a precipitous decline in the 1930-1940s, with no single cause having been attributed (Tyler and Lodes 1980, Gompper and Hackett 2005).  The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation ranks the eastern spotted skunk as a Tier III species of greatest conservation ne!
 ed in the Oklahoma Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy.  In addition, the plains subspecies (Spilogale putorius interrupta) was recently petitioned for a federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. While investigations into the validity of this taxon is of current research interest (Merav Ben-David, pers. comm), there is undoubtedly a dearth of information regarding the current status of the eastern spotted skunk in Oklahoma.  This species is thought to be found in Cross-Timbers, Mixed-grass prairie, Ouachita Mountains WGCP, and Ozarks regions; however, in each of these regions its trend in population size is Unknown, due to its rare and secretive nature (ODWC 2015).  Caire et. al (1989) described the species as able to utilize a diversity of habitats across Oklahoma with small, fluctuating population densities.  Not much is known about habitat characteristics associated with eastern spotted skunks in Oklahoma but they are known to prefer forests with closed !
 canopy or dense underbrush (Lesmeister et. al 2009) in adjacent Arkansas; woodland habitats (Schwartz and Schwartz 2016) in Missouri, and in Texas occur most often in wooded areas and tall-grass prairie, often using rocky canyons and outcrops (Schmidly and Bradley 2016).
Although Tyler and Lodes (1980) found no species records in neither the northeast nor southeast, recent observations by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation staff have demonstrated that the species still occurs in eastern Oklahoma, presumably in low densities. To further confound matters, fur dealer reports indicate that the densest populations of eastern spotted skunks were in central and northeastern portions of the state, with the lowest densities occurring in the southeast and far western parts (Caire et al. 1989). The Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory ranks the species as an S2, but limited information makes it difficult to adequately assess the current status of the species within the state.


I am hoping to fill this position as soon as possible, interested students should contact me directly.  Please send a CV/resume, unofficial copy of transcript, and letter of intent.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to send me an e-mail or give me a call.  Please share with anyone who might be interested!


Vicki Jackson


Dr. Vicki Jackson CWB(r) (Certified Wildlife Biologist; wildlife.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__wildlife.org&d=DwIF-g&c=Ngd-ta5yRYsqeUsEDgxhcqsYYY1Xs5ogLxWPA_2Wlc4&r=hVDw-U7Ys9kVj-5GQVYOKLnsnbWVfwDmciSz1X3VLvLjESnqurCGOPj6Hyr-3Ez4&m=HW0uxs2taDj70yjJKYUAYlC-tGcickyh6T20Pb94k3U&s=m2S6zhwYzFC_u7NpOP9DgLu4iU_tQzLg7FMONC3aMnU&e=>)

Associate Professor of Biology
Center for Wildlife Forensic Science and Conservation Studies University of Central Oklahoma Dept of Biology Box 89, Howell Hall 301H
100 North University Drive
Edmond, OK 73034
405-974-5480


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