Dean Biggins, PhD
Dr. Biggins is a scientist emeritus at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Dr. Biggins has been interested in grassland ecology since 1981. Within that broad topic his research has involved varied themes, including aspects of behavioral ecology, predator-prey relationships, and ecology of wildlife diseases. Most of his investigations have been motivated by their application to conservation and recovery of federally listed species. In that context, Dr. Biggins has worked at field study sites from Montana to Chihuahua, Mexico, as well as in Inner Mongolia and the Tibetan Plateau. Research has involved students at various universities (in CA, CO, ID, NM, MI, MO, TX, WY, France, and China). Taxa of interest have been carnivores (e.g., black-footed ferrets, Siberian polecats, badgers, weasels, coyotes, foxes), rodents, arthropods (fleas, ticks), and bacteria (Yersinia pestis). His present research emphasis is on ecology of plague, including its hosts and vectors, concentrating on maintenance of plague and its chronic effects on wildlife populations and ecosystems during inter-epizootic periods.
Professional Experience
Scientist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey, 2019 - Present
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 2002-present
Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, 1996-2019
Research Wildlife Biologist, National Biological Service, 1993-1996
Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1976-1993
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Zoology, Colorado State University, 2000
M.S., Wildlife Biology, University of Montana, 1975
B.S., Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University, 1968
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Society of Mammalogists, 1989 to present
Honors and Awards
2012—Aldo Leopold Award, American Society of Mammalogists
2005—Science Excellence Award of the Year, USGS, Biolo
2004—Conservationist of the Year, Denver Zoological Foundation
1998—Special Recognition Award, Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team
Science and Products
The symposium in context
Does predator management enhance survival of reintroduced black-footed ferrets?
Variation in torpor patterns of free-ranging black-tailed and Utah prairie dogs across gradients of elevation
Restoration of an endangered species: The black-footed ferret
Basal metabolism of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) and the Siberian polecat (M. eversmannii)
Challenges to reestablishment of free-ranging populations of black-footed ferrets
Evaluation of oral and subcutaneous delivery of an experimental canarypox recombinant canine distemper vaccine in the Siberian polecate (Mustela eversmanni)
Treatment of black-tailed prairie dog burrows with deltamethrin to control fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) and plague
Susceptibility of the Siberian polecat to subcutaneous and oral Yersinia pestis exposure
Disruptions of ecosystems in western North America due to invasion by plague
Influences of introduced plague on North American mammals: Implications from ecology of plague in Asia
Hybridization and the phylogenetic relationship between polecats and domestic ferrets in Britain
Science and Products
The symposium in context
Does predator management enhance survival of reintroduced black-footed ferrets?
Variation in torpor patterns of free-ranging black-tailed and Utah prairie dogs across gradients of elevation
Restoration of an endangered species: The black-footed ferret
Basal metabolism of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) and the Siberian polecat (M. eversmannii)
Challenges to reestablishment of free-ranging populations of black-footed ferrets
Evaluation of oral and subcutaneous delivery of an experimental canarypox recombinant canine distemper vaccine in the Siberian polecate (Mustela eversmanni)
Treatment of black-tailed prairie dog burrows with deltamethrin to control fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) and plague
Susceptibility of the Siberian polecat to subcutaneous and oral Yersinia pestis exposure
Disruptions of ecosystems in western North America due to invasion by plague
Influences of introduced plague on North American mammals: Implications from ecology of plague in Asia
Hybridization and the phylogenetic relationship between polecats and domestic ferrets in Britain
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government