Premier Presentation: Dynamics and impacts of sarcoptic mange in Yellowstone's wolves

As part of the predator control efforts of the early 1900s, state wildlife veterinarians intentionally released Sarcoptes scabiei, the mite that causes sarcoptic mange, into gray wolves and coyotes in the northern Rocky Mountains. Wolves were successfully extirpated from the region by the 1930s and were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995. Sarcoptes scabiei persisted in the absence of wolves, and by 2007, it invaded Yellowstone’s wolf population where we have since followed its dynamics and impacts. Research using thermal cameras suggests that wolves suffering from mange-induced hair-loss are expending considerably more energy thermoregulating in winter months, which may translate to behavioral changes, increased food intake, or reduced body condition. We have also demonstrated that the mite can have profound impacts on wolf survival, but only when wolf group size is small or the prevalence of the mite within the group is high. Our ongoing research is aimed at understanding how mange, through its impacts on abundance, behavior, and caloric needs of a top predator, may have cascading effects on elk and other species within the ecosystem.