Below is a list of useful field investigation and necropsy guidelines.
USGS Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases (2015 version)
The purpose of this manual is to provide information that will enhance the ecological understanding and comfort level of nonspecialists so that they can address various aspects of wildlife disease within the context of wildlife conservation and management. Other readers, from students to science professionals, may also find the information presented to be of interest and value.
Download publication.
USGS Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases — General Field Procedures and Diseases of Birds (1999)
Access the Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases: General Field Procedures and Diseases of Birds published in 1999. Includes sections on general field procedures, bacterial diseases, fungal diseases, viral diseases, parasitic diseases, biotoxins, chemical toxins, and miscellaneous diseases.
SCWDS Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases in the Southeastern United States
The intent of the manual is to aid in the recognition of common wildlife diseases and parasites, to provide guidelines for the collection of diagnostic specimens, and to serve as a field reference when questions on wildlife diseases arise.
Intended for wildlife professionals, includes basic information on diseases of wildlife, including: white-tailed deer, elk, wild pigs, black bear, raccoon, striped skunk, red fox, gray fox, coyote, bobcat, opossum, mink, river otter, muskrat, beaver, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, woodchuck, armadillo, bats, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, mourning dove, waterfowl, raptors, and herpetofauna.