Water-balance is a critical but understudied consideration for animals reproducing in dry environments, as females invest a significant amount of water into their offspring. What makes water especially challenging, is that few animals are known to have true water storage, whereas energy as fat storage is well-documented. Recent studies have suggested the possibility that, when drinking water is scarce, animals can catabolize their muscles, thereby extracting cellular water. In this study, the aim was to show this as a potential method used by animals reproducing in dry environments to cope with dehydration and still produce a clutch. Children's pythons (Antaresia childreni) were used to investigate this phenomenon due to the fact that they experience two, distinctive, reproductive phases- vitellogenesis (when protein and energy are mobilized and invested into the yolk) and gravidity (when the major water investment into the egg occurs, as well as egg shelling). Other factors that make them excellent candidates are that they are pure capital breeders (don't eat during the reproductive season) and can withstand periods of water deprivation that far outlast their reproductive gravid phase. Reproductive and non-reproductive females were deprived of water for the duration of gravidity, and their mass decrease, epaxial muscle shrinkage, blood osmolality, total protein, uric acid, triglycerides and ketones were measured at the onset of each reproductive stage; these values were compared to their water-provided counterparts. Water-deprived females experienced greater mass loss, epaxial muscle loss, blood plasma osmolality, and uric acid than water-provided females. These findings suggest that muscle catabolism is used as a method of dealing with water-deprivation during gravidity.

Objective: To explore the dimensions of the human animal bond and provide a community needs assessment to inform the community stake holders such as the Arizona Humane Society and Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Foundation how many animals are in need of veterinary services within the homeless population of Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to this, pets of the homeless individuals will be able to gain access to veterinary services for eight consecutive weeks. Background: Pets have an important impact on human mental, physical, social, and emotional health. It has been reported that about one third of the homeless population in Arizona has pets that are not able to gain access to veterinary care (Wang, 2015). Most homeless shelters will not allow people to access services with pets. As a consequence people will sleep out in the streets. Animals as Lifechangers and Lifesavers: Pets in the Redemption Narratives of Homeless People (Irvine, 2013) contains interviews of homeless people based on their life stories. A common theme among interviewees was that they felt they had a responsibility to their pets that served as a motivating purpose for giving up horrible personal habits because they had a sense of responsibility. Methods/Materials: Wandering Paws was launched in February 2015, but did not officially start as an eight-week study until March 2016. This pilot program serves the homeless populations' dogs and cats with veterinary care. The Arizona Humane Society was approached to acquire their services for this project including a veterinarian, a technician, and usage of their seventy-one foot mobile unit. Homeless individuals who wanted veterinary services were recruited and asked to fill out a twenty-three-question survey. Secondary data was procured from the Arizona Humane Society about the animal and services rendered for that pet. Results: Over the course of the first four weeks 22 surveys have been completed. 86% of the surveys completed indicate a strong bond between the owner and animal. The remaining 14% of the surveys completed indicate a weaker bond between the animal and owner. Conclusion/Implications: The research indicates a strong connection between most people and their animals. The veterinary services provided for the homeless population should be continued on a monthly basis as a wellness clinic in the future, as these services are in great demand.

Vertebral osteology varies greatly among snake species. This variation may be related to specialization in microhabitat and prey-capture. Radiographs of eight preserved male specimens were taken in order to analyze the vertebral length and morphology of snakes which exhibit extreme characteristics in microhabitat utilization and prey-capture methods (highly arboreal, effective constrictor). This group includes two representatives each from four major families within Serpentes: Boidae, Pythonidae, Viperidae, and Colubridae. The four boids and pythons are effective constrictors, while the four vipers and colubrids are non-constricting. One specimen of each pair is highly arboreal, while the other is terrestrial. Findings support previous research in that constrictors had larger total numbers of vertebrae than non-constrictors. When average maximum adult length and morphology of axial musculature was taken into consideration, however, flexibility gained by vertebral number alone does not theoretically confer a mechanical advantage during constriction, at least among the specimens examined. All arboreal specimens had tails with a greater number of vertebrae than their con-familial terrestrial counterpart, implicating greater flexibility in the caudal region as an important characteristic for arboreality across taxa. Examination of segments of 10 vertebrae revealed that the greatest vertebral elongation occurred at the midpoint of the thoracic region. Reduction in size and length of tail vertebrae appears to occur independently of thoracic vertebrae. Colubrids, specifically, demonstrated a unique caudal vertebral elongation pattern which could potentially be advantageous for quick locomotion. These results indicate that caudal morphology may be more important in behavioral specialization than previously thought.

This creative thesis project aimed to create career development resources that School of Life Sciences majors could use to enhance their college experience, expand the breadth of relevant career options for School of Life Sciences majors, and confront and divert career problems through the implementation of these career development resources. Students encounter career problems when their intention and action diverge. These career problems may cause a student to stop their pursuit of a given career, change majors, or even stop schooling completely. It is the objective of this project to help resolve these career problems by introducing a career development resource flyer that educates the student about a given career, provides coursework to guide a student towards this career path, familiarize students with extracurricular efforts necessary for this position, propose valuable resources that the student can utilize to learn more about the career, and offer a question and answer portion for further career and professional understanding. In order to create these career development resource flyers a variety of professionals, both with and without relationships with Arizona State University were contacted and interviewed. The answers gathered from these interviews were then utilized to create the career flyers. The project was successful in creating five distinct career development resource flyers, as well as a blank template with instructions to be used in the future by the School of Life Sciences. The career development resource flyers will be utilized by the School of Life Sciences advising staff for future exploratory majors, but is not limited to just these students. Aspirations are set to create an expansive reservoir of these resources for future generations of students to access in hopes that they will be better suited to find a career path that they are passionate about and be better prepared to attain.

There are numerous strategies for determining an organism's metabolic rate, one of which is the heart rate method. The heart rate method is based on a relationship between an organism's heart rate and its oxygen consumption (V(O2)). Although validations of the heart rate method have focused on adult animals, researchers could benefit from applying this method to embryonic animals. In this study, the heart rate's reliability as an indicator of oxygen consumption in early stage embryos of reptiles (or more specifically, lizards) is evaluated. The focus is primarily on the earliest stages of cardiovascular detection. The results suggest that while it may be possible to use a reliable heart rate method to find an accurate value for oxygen consumption of a group of early embryos in lizards if the oxygen pulse can be accurately identified, it is more likely that in the earliest stages of cardiovascular development, the heart rate cannot serve as a reliable indicator of V(O2) because it may not be the primary manner in which oxygen is distributed in Sceloporus undulatus.

Attitudes toward animal welfare have been evolving in our society as we have developed from early agricultural roots to an increasingly urban and technologically advanced community. However, despite the growing societal appreciation and care for animals in our homes and backyards, veterinarians are still faced with cases of abuse and neglect. Although it may seem obvious for veterinarians, as animal welfare advocates, to confront this dilemma each time they are faced with it, that is not always the case. In order to assess the responsibilities of veterinarians in regard to neglect and abuse, an extensive literature review and analysis was performed and practicing veterinarians were interviewed to determine their attitudes regarding the responsibility to report suspected cases of animal neglect and abuse. Specifically, these interviews focused on such topics as the educational background of the practitioners, how empathy impacts their perception of animal welfare, their relationship with law enforcement agencies, and related questions. The study demonstrated that the most prominent factor in a veterinarian's understanding of violations of animal welfare stems from their educational background. Therefore, it is recommended that veterinary medicine programs alter their curricula to emphasize animal welfare training and the obligation of veterinarians to report suspected cases of neglect and abuse.

The purpose of this creative thesis project was to create a line of veterinary educational materials (VEMs) for the target population of English Second Language (ESL) Spanish Speakers. Target population research and personal veterinary clinic experience resulted in the selection of five topics for consideration, these were: vaccination, surgical sterilization, feline leukemia, canine parvovirus, and euthanasia. The two formats chosen for subject matter presentation was a line of Spanish brochures as a physical resource for clients and a line of newsletters in both English and Spanish for online viewing purposes. The overarching objectives during the creation of the VEMs were to encourage communication between veterinary staff and clients while increasing client education and compliance. During design formatting emphasis was placed on creating a line of VEMs that would be consistent, concise, and modern in order to achieve maximum client interest. The completed line of VEMs successfully fulfilled the overarching objectives of encouraging communication, increasing client education, and increasing client compliance to ultimately increase patient care.

An organism's ability to maintain optimal body temperature is extremely important for sustaining physiological and behavioral processes necessary for survival. However, like other physiological systems, thermobiology can be influenced by the availability of resources. Water is a vital resource that has profound implications on many aspects of biological function, including thermoregulatory pathways. However, water availability has a tendency fluctuate within any given ecosystem. While several studies have investigated the influence of water availability on a range of thermoregulatory pathways, very little attention has been given to its influence on Voluntary Maximum Temperature (VMT). We investigated the effects of dehydration on Voluntary Maximum Temperature in a captive population of Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum). Gila monsters are large-bodied, desert dwelling lizards that experience periods of seasonal dehydration. Additionally, the effects of dehydration on their physiology and behavior have been extensively studied. We hypothesized that dehydration would reduce VMT. As expected, there was a significant decrease in exit temperature as blood osmolality increased. This is presumed to be in an effort to decrease water loss. Adaptations that allow desert dwelling organisms to conserve water are highly advantageous due to seasonal water constraints. Our findings offer insight on how the behavior of these organisms may change in response to changes in climate.

Many animals thermoregulate to maximize performance. However, interactions with other animals, such as competitors or predators, limit access to preferred microclimates. For instance, an animal may thermoregulate poorly when fighting rivals or avoiding predators. However, the distribution of thermal resources should influence how animals perceive and respond to risk. When thermal resources are concentrated in space, individuals compete for access, which presumably reduces the thermoregulatory performance while making their location more predictable to predators. Conversely, when thermal resources are dispersed, several individuals can thermoregulate effectively without occupying the same area. Nevertheless, interactions with competitors or predators impose a potent stress, often resulting in both behavioral and physiological changes that influence thermoregulation. To assess the costs of intraspecific competition and predation risk during thermoregulation, I measured thermoregulation, movement, and hormones of male lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) in experiment landscapes, with clumped to patchy distributions of microclimates. I found lizards aggressively competed for access to microclimates, with larger males gaining priority access when thermal resources were aggregated. Competition reduced thermoregulatory performance, increased movements, and elevated plasma corticosterone in large and small males. However, the magnitude of these responses decreased as the patchiness of the thermal environment increased. Similarly, under simulated predation risk, lizards reduced thermoregulatory performance, decreased movements, and elevated plasma corticosterone. Again, with the magnitude of these responses decreased with increasing thermal patchiness. Interestingly, even without competitors or predators, lizards in clumped arenas moved greater distances and circulated more corticosterone than did lizards in patchy arenas, indicating the thermal quality of the thermal landscape affected the energetic demands on lizards. Thus, biologists should consider species interactions and spatial structure when modeling impacts of climate change on thermoregulation.