Eric Green
Eric holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Missouri State University and an A.A.S. in Electronic Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. As a member of the Air Force, Eric was an electronics technician for 10 years. At Missouri State University, Eric gained a wealth of experience in field and lab techniques working on research efforts involving bats, armadillos, turtles, and salamanders. His research interests include sexual selection, predator-prey interaction, and behavioral physiology. His undergraduate research, which was undertaken in collaboration with his wife, Dana Green, culminated in two publications that are in preparation. Eric’s hobbies include hiking and backpacking.
Evaluating Coyotes as a Potential Dispersal Mechanism for the Vector of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a zoonotic illness caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, and is transmitted by tick bites. The tick vector for RMSF in Arizona is the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus). Since its emergence in 2003, RMSF has been affecting communities throughout the state. Conventional wisdom says that brown dog ticks only parasitize domesticated dogs, and that humans are accidental hosts when tick populations are high. However, even free-roaming domesticated dogs tend to stay near human activity, and long-distance transmission of the pathogen is unexplained. Because coyotes are genetically similar to dogs and sometimes exhibit peridomestic behavior, Eric is investigating whether coyotes play a role in dispersing RMSF-infected brown dog ticks to human habitations.