Volume 86, Issue 3

Management of free-ranging wildlife may include the capture of animals, with the implication that the capture process is optimized, both logistically and economically and in a way that avoids animal suffering, injury or accidental mortality. Studies targeting the optimization of trapping techniques are scarce, especially when focusing on large European mammals. Therefore, to fill this knowledge gap, we aimed to evaluate key factors that help determine brown bear capture success. This was done by analysing a complete data set from 23 years of capturing free-living Eurasian brown bears in Croatia by using Aldrich-type foot snares. Results showed significantly higher capture efficiency when traps were located at permanent feeding sites when compared to temporary feeding sites. Also, the use of a trail trap design was significantly more efficient in capturing bears than using a cubby set. Finally, results showed that trapping was more efficient when we bait the traps more frequently and when we implemented longer trap-sessions, with at least 14 days.

We tracked a female eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius in North Carolina, USA, that gave birth to a litter of three kits in summer 2020. Using camera traps and radio-collars, we were able to monitor the movement and behaviors of the female and litter. We observed behaviors including food provisioning, play-fighting, and interspecific interactions. We tracked the movements of the kits past independence from their mother and documented dispersal events for two kits. This is the first known successful attempt to track eastern spotted skunk kits from birth to independence, providing new insights into the ecology of this cryptic species.

Considering climate change and high population increase, the conversion of natural habitats into arable land is rising at an alarming rate in the Ethiopian highlands. The impact on the diversity of rodents and shrews is difficult to measure since historical data are often unavailable. However, the relative effects of such land-use changes could be contemplated by comparing with data from similar natural habitats in adjacent areas. Between October to November 2018, we randomly setup 20 infrared camera traps in wheat fields located near Mount Guna at about 3350 m elevation, as part of a large research project investigating the efficacy of rodent repellent botanicals. We recorded six rodent species ( Arvicanthis abyssinicus , Dendromus lovati, Dendromus mystacalis, Hystrix cristata, Mus mahomet and Stenocephalemys albipes ) and two shrew species ( Crocidura cf. baileyi and Crocidura olivieri ). A. abyssinicus , H. cristata and S. albipes are known to occur in agricultural fields. D. lovati was recorded from anthropogenic habitat for the first time in this study. The species has been described as rare or difficult to capture with conventional traps. We call for rigorous biodiversity studies and conservation measures in agroecosystems in the Ethiopian highlands to avert further losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Cases of albinism have been reported in less than 2% of living rodent species. Here, we report the first description of complete albinism in Baiomys taylori along with photographic evidence. This adult female was captured on three occasions as part of a long-term small mammal study on rangelands of extreme southern Texas. The individual was developing teats upon the third capture, an early sign of pregnancy. Despite selective pressures against albino phenotypes, this animal was able to survive to adulthood and potentially pass its albino alleles to offspring.

The European mole Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758 is a quite common species in Central Italy. I report the first Isabelline individual of this species recorded in the scientific literature. Actually, this species is quite widespread throughout Europe, but coat-colouration anomalies have never been described in Central Italian mole populations. Further research is therefore needed to determine the percentage of occurrence of anomalous individuals and the evolutionary history of coat anomalies in moles. [Correction added after online publication 16 December 2021: text in the abstract section “Actually, this species is quite widespread throughout Europe, but coat-colouration anomalies have never been described in Italian mole populations.” has been changed]

Original data on diet, internal anatomy, morphology, reproduction, and parasites of Chiroderma doriae vizottoi from the State of Ceará (Brazil) are presented. Intact and crushed seeds of Solanum rhytidoandrum and scales of Lepidoptera were detected in the gastrointestinal tract and feces. Observation of internal organs did not reveal any abnormalities; the intestines were, on average, 11 times longer than the animal’s body length. Reproduction seems to occur in the rainy season. The association with an ectoparasite, Mastoptera sp. (Diptera, Streblidae), was recorded.

We report the first prey species consumed by the free-ranging Van Gelder’s bat Bauerus dubiaquercus . We trapped four pregnant individuals of this species carrying freshly captured dung beetles. We describe the wing morphology and flight descriptors (wing loading and wing aspect ratio) of the species, which presents wings more suitable for capturing insects by aerial hawking, although the evidence suggests that is able to capture dung beetles of nearly 10% of its body mass in flight close to the ground. The species could obtain their prey while foraging on uncluttered pasture near forest edges.

Albinism is a genetic disorder that causes pigmentation anomalies. Even though supposedly rare in free-living mammals, cases of albinism have been reported worldwide, particularly in bats. In this article we present a new case of albinism in a Lionycteris spurrelli Thomas, 1913. The individual, observed in an Amazon region iron ore cave, in Northern Brazil, was a lactating female with a dark-brown pelage pup.

Through an analysis of seeds in faeces, I recorded some fruits consumed by 13 bat species in a premontane forest of the buffer zone of Santuario Nacional Pampa Hermosa (Junin, central Peru) in March 2017. Platyrrhinus albericoi was found for the first time in the area. Results provide the first evidence of granivory by Chiroderma salvini and frugivory by Lonchophylla handleyi , and additional records of fruits consumed by some Neotropical frugivorous bats in premontane forests.

The American mink Neovison vison is a widespread alien carnivore in Europe due to escapes from fur farms through this continent. Impacts by naturalized mink include competition with native species and predation of crayfish and small vertebrates. Therefore, an updated monitoring of mink distribution is required to design management plans. The American mink has been reported with an established population in North-Eastern Italy, in Sardinia, and two small nuclei respectively in the Central and in the Northern Apennine ridge. Available information for the latter dates back to early 1990s. In this note, we described the range expansion of the American mink population in the Northern Apennine ridge and we estimate the current distribution range and the extent of occurrence by using data collected from 2006 to 2021 through the Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP). We compared the current distribution range with that of 1990s. The American mink showed a remarkable range increase since its first escape in the Northern Apennines, thus requiring rapid actions to limit impacts on native biodiversity.

Here, we report the rediscovery of Coelops frithii in the pristine mangrove forest of Sundarbans Forest Reserve in Khulna division of Bangladesh. A dead individual of adult female was collected and identified to species based on morphological features and skull measurements (FA: 41.28 mm, GTL: 17.52 mm, CCL: 15.58 mm). This finding represents the first record from the type locality one and a half century after Blyth (1848) first described the species. C. frithii is considered near threaten in the IUCN Red List. The confirmed occurrence through this record calls for future systematic surveys of this species within the Sundarbans.

As part of their behavior, various groups of species, including marsupials and other mammals, have evolved vocalizations, with varying degrees of complexity, for different communication purposes. Despite the growing interest in the bioacoustics of species, there are groups in which the study in this field is still unknown. A clear example is the genus Monodelphis , the most diverse group of didelphid marsupials. In this work we present the first description of the vocalizations of Monodelphis adusta , the only species of the genus registered in Ecuador, which shows the ability to produce audible phrases with different numbers of syllables.

Sexual size dimorphism is common in many taxa and results from various pressures, including competition, reproductive requirements, functional differences, and sexual recognition. For mammals, males are typically the larger sex; however, for vespertilionid bats, females are more often the larger sex. Forearm length, a feature that influences overall wing and body size and is often sexually dimorphic, is a standard morphological measurement taken from bats. Forearm length was measured in two vesper bat species ( Corynorhinus rafinesquii and Myotis austroriparius ) that co-occur across much of the southeastern United States. Forearm length was greater in females of both species, and females of both species also exhibited regional variation in forearm length. By having a longer forearm and therefore being larger in size, females may be more maneuverable and better equipped to carry young. While this study did not directly investigate the mechanisms behind regional variation in forearm length, it is possible this is the result of variability in habitat types, resources, or thermodynamic constraints. Knowledge of sexually dimorphic characteristics is important for obtaining a general understanding of a species and its morphology.

We investigated the occurrence of congenital dental abnormalities in 94 wild boars Sus scrofa scrofa , and 20 Iberian pigs Sus scrofa domesticus from Doñana (DNP) and Sierra de Andújar Natural Park (ANP) southern Spain. The only dental variation found was agenesis of the lower first premolar, either deciduous (Dp 1 ) or permanent (P 1 ). We analyzed prevalence variations using: odds ratios, Fisher’s exact test and logistic-regression models. The lower first premolar has often been reported to be absent in modern domestic breeds of pigs, but it is usually reported as present in wild boar. However, we found a similar occurrence of agenesis in wild boar as in Iberian pigs. A common genotypic background between wild boar and Iberian pig populations of ANP sharing the same ecosystems may explain this result. When considering only wild boar, unexpected differences between populations were detected. The wild boar from ANP showed higher estimated probabilities of agenesis than those from DNP. Environmental conditions can also represent influencing factors for changes within subspecies. Our findings reinforce the idea that in suids the congenital absence of premolars probably has an evolutionary relevance, which could represent a generalized trend towards the reduction of the dental formula from the plesiomorphic placental dentition.

Species identification is pivotal in taxonomy, systematics, evolutionary biology and conservation biology. We collected bats that died of natural causes in Shihezi city, Xinjiang, China, and carried out morphological and genetic identification. Morphologically, all individuals were adults/subadults or juveniles of Pipistrellus pipistrellus . We found one haplotype for the mitochondrial gene ND1 and five for the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b (Cyt b ) among six specimens. Phylogenetically, all the Cyt b sequences grouped with P. pipistrellus . We confirm this species’ occurrence in Xinjiang, China.

In April 2019, 15 (10♂, 5♀) Kerivoula bats were collected by harp traps from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China. External and craniodental examination, multivariate statistical analyses and molecular phylogenetic inference ( CoI , Cytb and Rag2 gene markers) indicated they are Kerivoula kachinensis and Kerivoula titania , respectively. Former represents a new chiropteran record from China, while the latter is a valid occurrence of K. titania in this region because recent study indicate a misidentification of “ K. titania ” in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, China. All specimens are presently preserved at Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China in Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China. Nowadays, four woolly bats occur in China including, Kerivoula furva , K. kachinensis , Kerivoula picta and K. titania , whilst there is a risk of underestimation the actual species diversity in China region when comparing those of neighboring region such as Vietnam. Supports for field survey need to be continued in future.