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Extensive translocation of wildlife throughout North America has led to concerns regarding taxonomic integrity for a number of species. Often, multiple subspecies or variants were translocated into a common habitat or region, creating the opportunity for hybridization to occur. This issue is of particular concern to managers of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), a species in which considerable mixing of subspecies has occurred. We aim to quantify the subspecific status and degree of hybridization of individuals within an introduced population of Merriam's turkeys (M. g. merriami) in the Davis Mountains of Texas, USA, and within nearby Rio Grande turkey populations (M. g. intermedia). We used data from the Merriam's source population in New Mexico, USA, as a baseline reference for the genetic characteristics of the Merriam's subspecies. Nineteen years following the introduction event, microsatellite data indicate that the genetic integrity of the introduced population of Merriam's turkeys in the Davis Mountains Preserve has been eroded by both immigration from and hybridization with nearby Rio Grande populations. Data from the mitochondrial control region allow for further characterization of hybrid individuals and indicate that most hybrids were the result of immigrant Rio Grande males mating with resident Merriam's females. Our results attribute to the potential importance of hybridization in wildlife species and suggest that hybridization can be a rapid process capable of drastically altering the evolutionary integrity of animals in a region.

: Ungulate populations in desert environments are thought to be regulated by precipitation. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) populations in Trans‐Pecos, Texas, USA, experienced a 70% decline between 1977 and 2001. The causative factors associated with the decline are unknown but appear to be related to drought. We evaluated the relationships between pronghorn abundance and productivity and precipitation (i.e., raw precipitation, Palmer Drought indices) for the Trans‐Pecos district of Texas from 1977 to 2004. Pronghorn productivity (range = 305‐4,407) and abundance (range = 5,061‐17,266) showed high variability. Precipitation was also highly variable, ranging from 18 cm to 57 cm. Pronghorn abundance was positively influenced by precipitation indices (R = 0.790, P < 0.001). The relationship between fawn production and raw precipitation (R = 0.869, P < 0.001) suggested that fawn production may be more closely related to immediate moisture conditions, whereas pronghorn abundance was more influenced by long‐term population trends. Management plans for pronghorn populations in more arid regions should include drought contingencies including reduced stocking rates and harvest quotas.

We propose that creating on‐campus wildlife research projects propelled by undergraduate students and interns is a simple way to improve the quality of wildlife education and research. Wildlife educators and natural resource agencies alike have called for wildlife undergraduates to acquire more experience and technical and critical thinking skills before entering the work force. The benefits, especially in the aforementioned skills, from learning by experiencing are well documented. One way to increase learning experience opportunities and to include undergraduates in the research process is through the use of on‐campus wildlife research projects. We used 2 on‐campus research projects to illustrate the versatility and benefits of this approach. On the urban Texas A&M University (TAMU) campus (≅45,000 students, College Station), we established a fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) research project, and on the rural Sul Ross State University (SRSU) campus (≅2,400 students, Alpine, Texas), we established a scaled quail (Callipepla squamat) research project. We have incorporated on‐campus wildlife research projects into the lesson plans of 4 broad categories of wildlife courses at SRSU and TAMU: wildlife ecology, population dynamics, habitat management, and wildlife management techniques. We have used the projects to provide “hands‐on” wildlife experiences, which included capture and handling techniques, radiotelemetry, habitat measurements, population estimation, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and data analysis and presentation. Student workers, interns, and volunteers are the driving force behind the research projects that have proven to be an excellent source of long‐term data. Other benefits of on‐campus wildlife research projects include a common research theme throughout the wildlife curriculum and less travel time commonly associated with traditional field labs. Additionally, research projects have boosted the profile of both departments on their respective campuses. We believe similar projects on raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossums (Didelphis virginianus), and feral cats (Felis catus) could provide other excellent on‐campus research opportunities.

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