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ID: Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Ryan Fitzpatrick    

                    Description:Aquatic Research Scientist Eastern Plains Native FishesContact Information
Aquatic Research GroupColorado Parks and Wildlife317 West Prospect RoadFort Collins, CO 80526Phone: (970) 472-4336Email: ryan.fitzpatrick@state.co.us​
Education
​Ph.D. Candidate, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – Colorado State University, Present
M.S., Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – Colorado State University, 2008
B.S., Finance and Management – Iowa State University, 2000​
Areas of Interest/Expertise
My primary research examines plains fish ecology, native species conservation, anthropogenic impacts to streams, fish movement, and otolith microchemistry. However, I am also involved in projects dealing with optimal sampling protocols, endocrine disrupting compounds, irrigation recharge, and fish passage.​
Current or Recent Positions
​Aquatic Research Scientist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2011-Present
Aquatic Conservation Biologist, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 2007-2011
Aquatic Technician, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 2006
Research Associate, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2004-2008
Aquatic Technician, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2003-2004
Current or Recent Research Projects
​Anthropogenic impacts affect probability of persistence for eastern plains native fishes in Colorado
Flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis) movement in Fountain Creek, Colorado
Spatial and optimal monitoring for plains fishes in Colorado
Endocrine disrupting compounds impact on Colorado’s eastern plains native fishes
Improving rock ramp fishways for small-bodies plains fishes
Training of hatchery reared fish to enhance antipredator behavior and increase  survival
Selected Publications
Adams, C. A., D. L. Winkelman, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Impacts of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban South Platte tributaries. Frontiers in Environmental Science 11:457.
Baum, C. M., D. L. Winkelman, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Temperature and winter duration requirements for reproductive success in Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado. Freshwater Biology 68(7): 1238-1251.
Fitzpatrick, R. M., D. Longrie, R. Friebertshauser, and P. Foutz. 2023. Evaluation of a prefabricated fish passage structure for Great Plains fishes. Fishes 2023, 8, 403.
Kopack, C. J., E. D. Broder, E. R. Fetherman, R. M. Fitzpatrick, and L. M. Angeloni. 2023. Assessing antipredator behavior and the potential to enhance it in a species of conservation concern. North American Journal of Aquaculture 85:136-145.
Kopack, C. J., E. R. Fetherman, E. D. Broder, R. M. Fitzpatrick, and L. M. Angeloni. 2023. The effects of abiotic enrichment and predator training on the behavior,morphology, and survival of a species of conservation concern. Conservation Science and Practice, e12999.
Swarr, T. R., C. A. Myrick, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Design, construction, and hydraulic evaluation of a model rock ramp fishway. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 43(4): 935-946.
Adams, C. M., D. L. Winkelman, P. A. Schaffer, D. L. Villeneuve, J. E. Cavallin, M. Ellman, K. S. Rodriguez, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2022. Elevated winter stream temperatures below wastewater treatment plants shifts reproductive development of Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum: a field and histological approach. Fishes 7:361.
Ciepiela, L. R., R. M. Fitzpatrick, S. T. Lewis, and Y. Kanno. 2021. Behavioral interactions between a native and an invasive fish species in a thermally heterogeneous experimental chamber. Fishes 2021(6):1–13.
Fitzpatrick, R. M., D. L. Winkelman, and B. M. Johnson. 2021. Using isotopic data to evaluate Esox lucius (Linnaeus, 1758) natal origins in a hydrologically complex river basin. Fishes 2021(6):1–14.
Swarr, T. R., C. A. Myrick, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2021. Tag effects in and effects of passive integrated transponder tagging on survival and swimming performance of a small-bodied darter. Journal of Fish Biology 2022:1–10.
Gibson-Reinemer, D. K., F. J. Rahel, S. E. Albeke, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2017. Natural and anthropogenic barriers to climate tracking in river fishes along a mountain-plains transition zone. Diversity and Distributions 7:761-770.
Bestgen, K. R., H. J. Crockett, M. Haworth, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Production of non-adhesive eggs by flathead chub and implications for downstream transport and conservation. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 7(2): 434-443.​
Broms, K. M., M. B. Hooten, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Model selection and assessment for multi-species occupancy models. Ecology 97(7):1759-1770.
Gibson-Reinemer, D. K., F. J. Rahel, S. E. Albeke and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2017. Natural and anthropogenic barriers to climate tracking in river fishes along a mountain-plains transition zone. Diversity and Distributions 23(7):761-770.
Broms, K. M., M. B. Hooten, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2015. Accounting for imperfect detection in Hill numbers for biodiversity studies. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 6:99-108.
Walters, D. M., R. E. Zuellig, H. C. Crockett, J. F. Bruce, P. M. Lukacs, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2014. Barriers impede upstream spawning migration of flathead chub. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 143:17-25.
Fitzpatrick, R. M. 2008. Use of otolith elemental signatures in estimating sources of northern pike recruitment in the Yampa River, Colorado. Master’s thesis. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University. Fort Collins, Colorado [show more]                

ID: Sarcoptic mange
Sarcoptic mange
Type: Fact Sheet
Subjects: Wildlife diseases
Sarcoptic mange
Item 

        Sarcoptic mange    
Type:Fact Sheet
Subject:Wildlife diseases
Sarcoptic mange

                    Description:Fact sheet covering species affected in Colorado, what to look for, cause and transmission, and public health considerations.                

ID: Sarcoptic mange severity is associated with reduced genomic variation and evidence of selection in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus)
Sarcoptic mange severity is associated with reduced genomic variation and evidence of selection in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus)
Type: Article
Subjects: Ectoparasitism
Infection severity
Mite infestations
Natural selection
RAD-sequencing
Sarcoptic mange
Item 

        Sarcoptic mange severity is associated with reduced genomic variation and evidence of selection in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus)    
Type:Article
Subject:Ectoparasitism
Infection severity
Mite infestations
Natural selection
RAD-sequencing
Sarcoptic mange

                    Description:Population genetic theory posits that molecular variation buffers against disease risk. Although this “monoculture effect” is well supported in agricultural settings, its applicability to wildlife populations remains in question. In the present study, we examined the genomics underlying individual-level disease severity and population-level consequences of sarcoptic mange infection in a wild population of canids. Using gray wolves (Canis lupus) reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) as our focal system, we leveraged 25 years of observational data and biobanked blood and tissue to genotype 76,859 loci in over 400 wolves. At the individual level, we reported an inverse relationship between host genomic variation and infection severity. We additionally identified 410 loci significantly associated with mange severity, with annotations related to inflammation, immunity, and skin barrier integrity and disorders. We contextualized results within environmental, demographic, and behavioral variables, and confirmed that genetic variation was predictive of infection severity. At the population level, we reported decreased genome-wide variation since the initial gray wolf reintroduction event and identified evidence of selection acting against alleles associated with mange infection severity. We concluded that genomic variation plays an important role in disease severity in YNP wolves. This role scales from individual to population levels, and includes patterns of genome-wide variation in support of the monoculture effect and specific loci associated with the complex mange phenotype. Results yielded system-specific insights, while also highlighting the relevance of genomic analyses to wildlife disease ecology, evolution, and conservation. [show more]                

ID: Saving Colorado's Boreal Toads
Saving Colorado's Boreal Toads
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Saving Colorado's Boreal Toads    

                    Description:Learn More: https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/ResearchBorealToad.aspx

The boreal toad is one of Colorado's most endangered amphibians. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is working to restore the small toads through an aggressive reintroduction program. To date, Zimmerman Lake in Larimer County is the only location where the small toads have established a self-sustaining population. Each year, biologists collect toad eggs at Zimmerman Lake, transport them to hatcheries and then restock the boreal tadpoles in key areas across the state. On Aug. 11, 2020, biologists stocked tadpoles into Rocky Mountain National Park in the hope of establishing a new population. CPW is working in collaboration with the National Park Service and other state and federal agencies to re-establish boreal toads across the state. The hope is that some toads will develop a resistance to the chytrid fungus, which is responsible for decimating amphibians throughout North America. Video produced by Jerry Neal/CPW [show more]                

ID: Saving Colorado‘s Greenback Cutthroat Trout with Dr. Kevin Rogers
Saving Colorado‘s Greenback Cutthroat Trout with Dr. Kevin Rogers
Type: Sound
Subjects: Greenback Cutthroat Trout 
Colorado’s Eastern Slope
Conservation
Management
Item 

        Saving Colorado‘s Greenback Cutthroat Trout with Dr. Kevin Rogers    
Type:Sound
Subject:Greenback Cutthroat Trout 
Colorado’s Eastern Slope
Conservation
Management

                    Description:Co-host Anders Halverson talks with Dr. Kevin Rogers about efforts to save the Greenback Cutthroat Trout on Colorado’s Eastern Slope. Think of it as story the producers of CSI Miami would write, if they were fortunate enough to be fisheries biologists. There’s extinction (or maybe not?). There’s resurrection (twice!). Just when you think you have it figured out, another clue from a dusty library or a PCR machine sends you off in an entirely different direction. And of course, it ends on a cliffhanger. [show more]                

ID: Science Application Highlights
Science Application Highlights
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Science Application Highlights    

                    Description:Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has an in-house science program that has served the agency for over seven decades. CPW research scientists investigate high-priority information needs, and develop and refine many of the tools and practices our agency uses to conserve and manage Colorado’s fish, wildlife, and park resources for current and future generations. The annual Science Application Highlights briefly describes a few examples of CPW’s science activities and their application to management during the previous year. [show more]                

ID: Scientific solutions for fisheries management
Scientific solutions for fisheries management
Type: 
Subjects: Aquatic research
Fisheries management
Item 

        Scientific solutions for fisheries management    
Subject:Aquatic research
Fisheries management

                    Description:An overview of the  Aquatic Research Section and how the researchers use a science-based approach to their work                

ID: Scuba divers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers
Scuba divers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers
Type: Brochure
Subjects: Aquatic nuisance species
ANS
Scuba apparatus
Scuba diving
Item 

        Scuba divers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers    
Type:Brochure
Subject:Aquatic nuisance species
ANS
Scuba apparatus
Scuba diving

                    Description:Divers can unintentionally spread freshwater aquatic nuisance species (ANS) such as the zebra or quagga mussel, New Zealand Mudsnail (NZMS), Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water flea, or Asian clam from one body of water to another on their scuba diving gear. Some ANS larvae are invisible to the naked eye and can survive hours to weeks on wet scuba gear or in water inside equipment. By adhering to the following guidelines, you can help prevent the spread of ANS when you scuba dive.

Print copy, CPW Library: FILE Scu [show more]                

ID: Shane Frank, Wildlife Research Scientist
Shane Frank, Wildlife Research Scientist
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Shane Frank, Wildlife Research Scientist    

                    Description:Current or Recent Research Projects
Bobcat Ecology and Management
Bobcat ecology
Where do bobcats occur?
Determining where bobcats select habitats and resources

What do bobcats eat?
Spatial and temporal variation in prey availability
Determining dietary composition and prey use/selection

Bobcat monitoring and management
How many bobcats are out there?
Evaluating statistical methods for estimating bobcat abundance/density

What are causes of bobcat mortality?
Estimating the relative magnitude of mortality sources

Bobcat reproduction
Spatial and temporal variation in bobcat family group occurrence

Understanding changes in bobcat population size
Determining potential important factors affecting bobcat population density and dynamics (e.g. habitat, prey availability, and harvest rate)

Improving bobcat data collection methods and population inference
Enhancing age classification through dentition and teeth measurements
Exploring cutting-edge methods in population size/density estimation



Areas of Interest and Expertise​
My background is in terrestrial wildlife ecology with a focus on carnivores (primarily bears and bobcats) and harvest, though my interests vary widely. I have interest in exploring both the lives and deaths of wildlife and how individual contexts scale up to have population level effects. This encapsulates both the contextual decisions of individual animals and how we manage and conserve their populations. I have researched several themes, including animal movement, connectivity, sociality, carcass ecology, and the effects of harvest. Moreover, I have utilized a multitude of data collection methods (e.g. location data, genetics, isotopes) and statistical approaches to answer research questions under these themes. My overarching aim is help provide pragmatic answers to (1) applied questions and (2) contribute to the ever-advancing suite of data collection and analytical tools available to practitioners. Moreover, I hope to (3) help bridge the knowledge gap between wildlife science, research findings, and people.
Select Publications
Lucas, P. M., Thuiller, W., Talluto, L., Polaina, E., Albrecht, J., Selva, N., De Barba, M., Penteriani, V., Gueguen, M., Balkenhol, N., Dutta, T., Fedorca, A., Frank, S. C., Zedrosser, A., Afonso-Jordana, I., Ambarli, H., Ballesteros, F., Bashta, A. T., Bilgin, C. C., . . . Pollock, L. J. (2025). Trophic Interactions Are Key to Understanding the Effects of Global Change on the Distribution and Functional Role of the Brown Bear. Glob Chang Biol, 31(6), e70252. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70252
Hertel, A. G., Parres, A., Frank, S. C., Renaud, J., Selva, N., Zedrosser, A., Balkenhol, N., Maiorano, L., Fedorca, A., Dutta, T., Bogdanovic, N., Bragalanti, N., Chiriac, S., Cirovic, D., Ciucci, P., Domokos, C., Fedorca, M., Filacorda, S., Findo, S., . . . De Barba, M. (2025). Human Footprint and Forest Disturbance Reduce Space Use of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) Across Europe. Glob Chang Biol, 31(1), e70011. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70011
Heeres, R. W., Leclerc, M., Frank, S., Kopatz, A., Pelletier, F., & Zedrosser, A. (2025). Flexibility in female spatiotemporal behavioral tactics to counter infanticide risk during the mating season. Mov Ecol, 13(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-025-00561-6
Hertel, A. G., Albrecht, J., Selva, N., Sergiel, A., Hobson, K. A., Janz, D. M., Mulch, A., Kindberg, J., Hansen, J. E., Frank, S. C., Zedrosser, A., & Mueller, T. (2024). Ontogeny shapes individual dietary specialization in female European brown bears (Ursus arctos). Nat Commun, 15(1), 10406. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54722-z
Heeres, R. W., Leclerc, M., Frank, S., Kopatz, A., Pelletier, F., & Zedrosser, A. (2024). Are nonsocial species more social than we think? Seasonal patterns in sociality in a solitary terrestrial carnivore. Animal Behaviour, 216, 107-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.07.022
Zedrosser, A., Frank, S. C., Hansen, J. E., Steyaert, S. M. J. G., & Swenson, J. E. (2023). The social system of a "nonsocial" species, the brown bear. In Bear and Human (Vol. 3, pp. 121-128). Brepols Publishers. https://doi.org/doi:10.1484/M.TANE-EB.5.134329
Hansen, J. E., Hertel, A. G., Frank, S. C., Kindberg, J., & Zedrosser, A. (2023). The role of familial conflict in home range settlement and fitness of a solitary mammal. Animal Behaviour, 202, 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.05.006
Dutta, T., De Barba, M., Selva, N., Fedorca, A. C., Maiorano, L., Thuiller, W., Zedrosser, A., Signer, J., Pflüger, F., Frank, S., Lucas, P. M., & Balkenhol, N. (2023). An objective approach to select surrogate species for connectivity conservation. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1078649
Thorsen, N. H., Hansen, J. E., Stoen, O. G., Kindberg, J., Zedrosser, A., & Frank, S. C. (2022). Movement and habitat selection of a large carnivore in response to human infrastructure differs by life stage. Mov Ecol, 10(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-022-00349-y
Hansen, J. E., Hertel, A. G., Frank, S. C., Kindberg, J., & Zedrosser, A. (2022). Social environment shapes female settlement decisions in a solitary carnivore. Behav Ecol, 33(1), 137-146. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arab118
Arnberg, M. P., Frank, S. C., Blaalid, R., Davey, M. L., Eycott, A. E., & Steyaert, S. (2022). Directed endozoochorous dispersal by scavengers facilitate sexual reproduction in otherwise clonal plants at cadaver sites. Ecol Evol, 12(1), e8503. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8503
Frank, S. C., Pelletier, F., Kopatz, A., Bourret, A., Garant, D., Swenson, J. E., Eiken, H. G., Hagen, S. B., & Zedrosser, A. (2021). Harvest is associated with the disruption of social and fine-scale genetic structure among matrilines of a solitary large carnivore. Evol Appl, 14(4), 1023-1035. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13178
Frank, S. C., Blaalid, R., Mayer, M., Zedrosser, A., & Steyaert, S. (2020). Fear the reaper: ungulate carcasses may generate an ephemeral landscape of fear for rodents. R Soc Open Sci, 7(6), 191644. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.191644
Rivrud, I. M., Frank, S. C., Bischof, R., Mysterud, A., Steyaert, S., Hertel, A. G., Hagen, S. B., Eiken, H. G., Swenson, J. E., & Zedrosser, A. (2019). Heritability of head size in a hunted large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Evol Appl, 12(6), 1124-1135. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12786
Badia, R., Blaalid, R., Puliti, S., Steyaert, S. M. J. G., & Frank, S. C. (2019). Reindeer carcasses provide foraging habitat for insectivorous birds of the alpine tundra. Ornis Norvegica, 42, 36-40. https://doi.org/10.15845/on.v42i0.2639
Steyaert, S., Frank, S. C., Puliti, S., Badia, R., Arnberg, M. P., Beardsley, J., Okelsrud, A., & Blaalid, R. (2018). Special delivery: scavengers direct seed dispersal towards ungulate carcasses. Biol Lett, 14(8). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0388
Frank, S. C., Leclerc, M., Pelletier, F., Rosell, F., Swenson, J. E., Bischof, R., Kindberg, J., Eiken, H. G., Hagen, S. B., & Zedrosser, A. (2018). Sociodemographic factors modulate the spatial response of brown bears to vacancies created by hunting. J Anim Ecol, 87(1), 247-258. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12767
Leclerc, M., Frank, S. C., Zedrosser, A., Swenson, J. E., & Pelletier, F. (2017). Hunting promotes spatial reorganization and sexually selected infanticide. Sci Rep, 7, 45222. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45222
Frank, S. C., Ordiz, A., Gosselin, J., Hertel, A., Kindberg, J., Leclerc, M., Pelletier, F., Steyaert, S. M. J. G., Støen, O.-G., Van de Walle, J., Zedrosser, A., & Swenson, J. E. (2017). Indirect effects of bear hunting: a review from Scandinavia. Ursus, 28(2), 150-164. https://doi.org/10.2192/ursu-d-16-00028.1
Steyaert, S. M. J. G., Zedrosser, A., Elfström, M., Ordiz, A., Leclerc, M., Frank, S. C., Kindberg, J., St⊘en, O. G., Brunberg, S., & Swenson, J. E. (2016). Ecological implications from spatial patterns in human‐caused brown bear mortality. Wildlife Biology, 22(4), 144-152. https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00165
Frank, S. C., Steyaert, S. M., Swenson, J. E., Storch, I., Kindberg, J., Barck, H., & Zedrosser, A. (2015). A "clearcut" case? Brown bear selection of coarse woody debris and carpenter ants on clearcuts. For Ecol Manage, 348, 164-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.03.051
Education
Ph.D., Ecology – University of South-Eastern Norway (formerly Telemark University College), 2017
M.S., Forest Ecology and Management – University of Freiburg, 2011
B.S., Wildlife Biology –​ Colorado State University, 2003
Current or Recent Positions
Wildlife Research Scientist – Colorado Parks and Wildlife, State of Colorado, 2022-Present
Statistical Analyst / Quality Specialist Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2020-2022, State of Colorado
Postdoctoral Associate –​ “BearConnect”, Department of Nature, Health, and Environment, University of South-Eastern Norway, 2017-2020
Contact Information
346 Co Rd 362Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451
Email: shane.frank@state.co.us
Phone: ​970-646-2961
 [show more]                

ID: Sharing the same slope: behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation
Sharing the same slope: behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation
Type: Article
Subjects: Anthropogenic disturbance
Canada lynx
Ski resorts
Snowmobiles
Space use
Winter recreation
Item 

        Sharing the same slope: behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation    
Type:Article
Subject:Anthropogenic disturbance
Canada lynx
Ski resorts
Snowmobiles
Space use
Winter recreation

                    Description:Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed winter recreation on Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) at their southwestern range periphery in Colorado, USA. We used GPS collars to track movements of 18 adult lynx over 4 years, coupled with GPS devices that logged 2,839 unique recreation tracks to provide a detailed spatial estimate of recreation intensity. We assessed changes in lynx spatial and temporal patterns in response to motorized and nonmotorized recreation, as well as differences in movement rate and path tortuosity. We found that lynx decreased their movement rate in areas with high-intensity back-country skiing and snowmobiling, and adjusted their temporal patterns so that they were more active at night in areas with high-intensity recreation. We did not find consistent evidence of spatial avoidance of recreation: lynx exhibited some avoidance of areas with motorized recreation, but selected areas in close proximity to nonmotorized recreation trails. Lynx appeared to avoid high-intensity developed ski resorts, however, especially when recreation was most intense. We conclude that lynx in our study areas did not exhibit strong negative responses to dispersed recreation, but instead altered their behavior and temporal patterns in a nuanced response to recreation, perhaps to decrease direct interactions with recreationists. However, based on observed avoidance of developed recreation, there may be a threshold of human disturbance above which lynx cannot coexist with winter recreation. [show more]                