Many studbooks include specimens with unknown origins. For some of these specimens, thorough investigation will eventually identify origin as either wild-caught or captive-born. For other specimens, assumptions or conventions may be invoked to resolve uncertain origins (see page 19 on assumptions and conventions). Every effort must be made to ascertain the true origin of every specimen in the studbook. Despite a studbook keeper's best efforts, a few specimens will probably have origins that are truly unknowable. Such specimens are a problem for genetic analyses because they will eventually require a decision to treat them as wild-caught or to exclude them from analyses. SPARKS 1.4 does not provide an event option for unknown origin. Thus, it is recommended that specimens of unknown origin be entered as a birth at an unknown location ({UNKNOWN}), with unknown birth type ({UNKNOWN}), and parents unknown ({UNK}). If only the month or year of birth is known, that should be entered with a <DATE ESTIMATE> of {M} or {Y}; this indicates that only the month or year of birth is known (see page 70 on estimating dates)
Every effort should be made to identify the parents: unknown parentage has profound effects on genetic analyses. If parentage cannot be estimated, either one or both parent studbook numbers should be entered as {UNK}. Blanks should not be entered to denote unknown parents. Subsequent studbook keepers and population managers will not be able to interpret blanks. For examples: a blank could represent "unknown," data lost through so are or hardware error, or an error of omission during data entry.
Rearing method should be entered if known (see page 60 on how to enter rearing type).
Specimens of unknown origin are entered or edited by:
(1) selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of SPARKS
(2) selecting Edit Animal Data from the Data Entry menu
(3) entering a new studbook number or number to be edited
(4) moving the cursor to the Master Record window (upper left) and pressing return
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(5) entering sex of the specimen
(6) entering birth date (and date estimate if appropriate)
(7) entering each parent as {UNK}
(8) entering rearing as {PARENT}, {HAND} or {UNKNOWN}
(9) entering global management plan (usually {NO})
(10) entering surplus (default is {NO})
If the specimen being entered is new (i.e., not previously in the studbook), then upon acceptance of information in the Master Record window, SPARKS automatically opens the Events window and requests a first event for this specimen. This first event is entered by:
(11) entering the first event as a {BIRTH}
(12) entering birth location as {UNKNOWN}
(13) entering loan as {NO} (if ownership is not being tracked)
(14) entering local ID as {UNK}
(15) entering estimated date of birth and date estimate
(16) entering removal date and removal date estimate as blanks
(17) entering lost-to-follow-up (default is {N})
(18) entering birth type as {UNKNOWN}
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The sex of each specimen should be recorded in the studbook. The studbook keeper should make every attempt to resolve unknown sexes by contacting the holding institution. If sex is not recorded for a specimen, its history is useless in determining accurate sex specific demographic parameters. Knowledge of a specimen's sex is essential if that specimen is to be paired for breeding.
In SPARKS, the sex of a specimen can be entered as one of six categories: male, female, unknown, contracepted, neutered, or abnormal. {MALE} or {FEMALE} will be entered most frequently. {UNKNOWN} will often be used for species that are not sexually dimorphic and have not been surgically, karotypically or biochemically sexed. {CONTRACEPTED}, {NEUTERED}, and {ABNORMAL} are also options that can be combined with male or female. However, for demographic analyses, specimens whose sex is entered as {UNKNOWN}, {CONTRACEPTED}, {NEUTERED}, or {ABNORMAL} are considered 50% male and 50% female. Thus, an abnormal specimen or a neutered male appears in the age pyramid one-half male and one- half female. Moreover, because sex is a categoricaI field in SPARKS, when it is changed (e.g., from male to contracepted male), it is changed for the entire history of the specimen. For example, if a specimen entered as male at birth is later neutered at age five, changing its sex in SPARKS (from male to neutered) will cause SPARKS to consider it as neutered at birth. Therefore, when a specimen is neutered or contracepted, the date of the event should be entered in a Special Data field to inform those conducting the analysis. The genetic analysis software, GENES, assumes that {NEUTERED} means post-reproductive and {ABNORMAL} means post-reproductive and unknown sex. Specimens that are neither male nor female will usually need to be kept out of genetic and demographic analyses, this is most readily done with a UDF (see page 80 on how to create and use a UDF).
The sex of a specimen is entered by:
(1) selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of SPARKS
(2) selecting Edit Animal Data from the Data Entry menu
(3) entering a new studbook number or number to be edited
(4) moving the cursor to the Master Record window (upper left) and pressing return
(5) entering sex
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Ideally, all birth events are entered into the studbook, regardless of whether the specimen survives. Stillbirths, partially cannibalized, or decomposed offspring should be given studbook numbers and entered into the database. For species with litters or clutches greater than one, the minimum number of offspring possible should be recorded if offspring are not intact upon first inspection. For example, if five legs (or three ears or two spleens) were discovered in a cannibalized litter of cats, two births should be recorded. The method or rationale used to calculate number of litter mates, and the studbook numbers of the litter mates, should be recorded in a Special Data field for each specimen.
For egg laying organisms, hatching is the equivalent birth event that should be entered into the studbook. Eggs laid, but not hatched, are not birth events and should not be entered into the studbook. Of course, egg fertility and other factors preventing an egg from hatching are important to record. Studbook keepers for egg laying taxa should keep an egg log database (paper or electronic), separate from the studbook database, to preserve this important information.
Some taxa (e.g., toads, insects, fish) produce many offspring that logistically prevent entering all hatching or birth events in the studbook. In these instances as much information as possible should be tracked in or outside SPARKS. SPARKS is simply not designed to track the demography of highly fecund taxa. If possible, it is important to keep "batches" of offspring separate so the parents of those that are eventually entered into the studbook are known. This information is critical for the best genetic analyses and making future breeding recommendations. If a convention is developed (e.g., enter into the studbook only toadlets kept in the population for future breeding), it should be clearly defined in the Species Notes field in SPARKS.
If the date of birth is known, it should be entered into the Birth Date field with the <DATE ESTIMATE> field left blank. If the exact date of birth is not known, every effort should be made to develop a reasonable estimate. The best date estimate is one based on information specific to the specimen and/or species. For example, in a herd situation where the female was observed to be pregnant, and then seen again with the offspring three days later, the exact date is not known; however, it was born within the last three days. The condition or behavior of the offspring may give additional clues to the exact date of the birth. A similar situation may occur when a nest is only checked every three days to avoid disturbance. If hatching occurs between nest-checks, then the hatch date
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can easily be estimated to day (see pages 70 on date estimates).
READ THE SECTION ON
ESTIMATING DATES!
Marsupials, bears, and cavity nesting birds, among other taxa, are examples of species whose biology can be used to estimate the birth/hatch date. In these cases, the studbook keeper should work with the holding institution (e.g., keepers and curatorial staff) to back calculate from the date the specimen was first observed (e.g., pounch or nest cavity emergence) to estimate the date of birth; this can be based on the species's biology or perhaps an observed change in the parents's behavior. Species Notes should describe how dates are back-calculated. The date when the young are first observed should be provided in Special Data. Other conventions have been developed for species with multiple life stages and high fecundity (e.g., some anurans) (see page 19 on conventions).
DOCUMENT ANY CONVENTION FOR
DATE ESTIMATIONS IN SPECIES
NOTES
In some cases, especialiy with wild-caught adult specimens or adult specimens from the private sector, the studbook keeper may not have specific information on the individual specimens that would allow precise estimates. However, it is still important to estimate the birth date; these estimates are important for demographic analyses. In some cases, a generic estimate may be appropriate: conventions should be developed for generic birth date estimates (see page 19 on conventions). Dates should always be estimated to the smallest time unit possible. If a standard estimated birth date convention is developed for the species, it should be described in the Species Notes.
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Although the studbook keeper enters the birth date as an estimate, SPARKS uses the date entered as an exact date to calculate age-specific demographic parameters. Thus, there are some specific rules to follow when making date estimates so that demographic parameters are less biased. All dates should be entered as the middle of the estimated interval (i.e., year or month). For example, a birth occurring sometime in 1988 should be entered as {1 July 1988}6 with a {Y} in the <DATE ESTIMATE> field; (1 January 1988} or another date, should not be entered for a date estimated to calendar year. Seasonal breeders should be estimated to the middle date of the season. When making date estimates, the studbook keeper should use a scenario that is realistic with regard to the species's biology and husbandry.
Birth date for wild-caught specimens is entered in the Master Record window of Data Entry (upper left of the Data Entry window). For captive-born specimens, birth date is also entered as the date for the birth event in the Events Record window (upper right of Data Entry screen). SPARKS will not allow these dates to differ.
Birth date is entered or edited by:
(1) selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of SPARKS
(2) selecting Edit Animal Data from the Data Entry menu
(3) entering a new studbook number or number to be edited
(4) moving the cursor to the Master Record window (upper left) and pressing return
(5) entering sex of the specimen
(6) entering birth date (and date estimate if appropriate)
6 SPARKS requires that dates be input as either {day/month/year} or {month/day/year}. To avoid confusion between these options, throughout this document, dates will be shown as {1 July 19__}, where the open spaces represent values to be determined by the user (e.g., year).