Field Methods: As a component of feral swine control measures conducted by National Park Service employees within Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I would request that either a small piece of ear tissue be collected or approximately 45 hairs be plucked from euthanized hogs (tissue type to be determined by NPS biologists). Specifically for the collection of ear tissue, standard livestock ear notchers will be provided along with cryovials filled with silica beads. The biologist would use the notches to clip a small piece of ear (~1/4”) from the animal. Tweezers or needle nose pliers can be helpful for transferring the tissue from the notchers to the cryovial. Upon insertion of the tissue into the cryovial, desiccation is used to preserve the tissue until genetic analysis can be completed. Alcohol prep wipes are effective for wiping away residual cells, blood, or hair from the cutting service of the notchers before the notchers are used sample another hog. Alternatively, biologists could collect hair from feral swine. Specifically, following euthanasia, pliers can be used to pluck (collection of the hair follicle is essential) approximately 45 hairs from the carcass (generally takes 2 pulls with pliers to get a sufficient number of hairs). The hairs would be transferred to collection cards (small book, approximately the size of a business card with light adhesive to retain hair samples) and the collection card placed in a coin envelop (cards and envelops will be provided).

Samples in either cryovials or hair cards can be stored at room temperature, in a refrigerator, or frozen; I only ask that collected tissue be removed from field vehicles to avoid the dramatic fluctuations in temperature that can occur. I ask that you record very basic information on the animals collected, specifically sex, age (adult, subadult, juvenile), date of collection, and provide a collection location (I will provide a data sheet). I will provide barcodes stickers that can be placed on either on the hair envelopes or cyrovials as well as the data sheet so that I can match a tissue sample (and subsequent genotype) back to the associated field data. For details on research methods please see attached proposal.