Volume 71, Issue 1-2

Golden jackals are locally common in Bangladesh despite intensive cultivation and high human densities. We studied the relative importance of seasonal flooding, rodent prey-base, and daytime cover on the occurrence of golden jackals in the two major agro-ecosystems in Bangladesh, one with annual monsoon flooding and the other without. Jackals were less common throughout the year where floodwaters occurred that would have excluded them for 1–3 months during their pup-rearing season. Diets of jackals were similar in the two agro-ecosystems. Rodents were the most common food type in scats throughout the year. The occurrence of burrowing rats in scats peaked seasonally when these rats were most concentrated in ripening cereals, suggesting that jackals are beneficial for rat control. Radiotelemetry of seven jackals in the non-flooded agro-ecosystem over an 11-month period indicated that sugarcane was the preferred type of daytime cover, despite representing only 2–4% of the area. There was a day-to-day return rate of 67% to the same 1-ha patch of cover. Evidently, sugarcane provides daytime cover for avoiding humans and for feeding on roof rats ( Rattus rattus ), which concentrate in this crop. Evidence suggests that breeding pairs of jackals were annual residents that defended cover (average of 37.3 ha) but not foraging areas beyond.

Selection and use of woody plants in beaver ( Castor fiber ) lodge construction on the Loire River are poorly understood. We investigated woody species used by beaver for construction and analysed the efficiency of the tree-cutting technique used. We observed that beavers used branches of Salicaceae of large diameter (approx. 4.5 cm) to build the frames of their lodges, even in sites where these were scarce. They then cut small branches of the more abundant species in any given site ( Salix fragilis , S. alba , Fraxinus angustifolia , Ulmus minor ) to cover the lodge. The shapes of cut tree sections depended on diameter at the cut, and orientation was related to bank slope. Most cut trees (55%) fell into the water, where they were more easily exploited than those that fell in other directions. We conclude that beavers of the Loire River need Salicaceae for construction, even where they are scarce. The tree-cutting technique is efficient for exploiting fallen trees, but leads to changes in plant morphology. Repeated use by beaver creates shrubby re-growth that is too small for use in lodge construction.

During drought, otters live under extreme conditions for a semiaquatic mammal, with none or very little water available. These conditions also affect its prey species. To understand the ecological and behavioural adaptive mechanisms of the otter to seasonal river streams, a study was carried out in the Bergantes River, Spain. We compared pond use by radiotracked otters during a “normal” and a “dry” period. The otters were detected significantly more often at ponds and their surroundings during the dry period. Pond use was mainly explained by the total biomass available (fish, crayfish, amphibians), and this was mostly correlated with the maximum depth of the pond. Some evidence of progressive pond depletion was obtained. Sprainting behaviour was mainly linked to predation activities (number of prey remains) and to total biomass available. We discuss the importance of these findings in the design of otter and freshwater habitat management and conservation strategies.

Studies were conducted to assess the behavioral responses of silky pocket mice, Perognathus flavus , to test odors associated with two naturally occurring predators (northern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys leucogaster , and Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus ), a novel test odor (sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps ), and a control odor (water). Pocket mice were tested in a chamber in which they had access to two cages containing food; one of these cages contained no odor (control), while the other contained a predator odor. When both cages contained no test odors, pocket mice showed no preference for one cage over the other; they spent equivalent amounts of time in and in front of each cage, and in the frequency of feeding bouts within cages. In contrast, P. flavus avoided odors associated with grasshopper mice and Norway rats. They entered cages containing predator odors far less frequently than the control cages, exhibited significantly reduced exploratory activity, and took significantly smaller amounts of food. Pocket mice entered cages containing odors associated with a non-predator (novel odor, sugar glider) more frequently than cages containing odors associated with grasshopper mice. Because all test subjects had no prior experience with grasshopper mice or Norway rats, these results suggest that P. flavu s has an innate ability to detect and respond to odors associated with these two predators.

Four four-toed elephant-shrews Petrodromus tetradactylus were radio-tracked at Sodwana Bay National Park in the dune forest situated on sand-hills above the high water mark along the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tracking was conducted over 5 months during summer and the results were used to explore the use of space by the elephant-shrews. None of the topographical or vegetational features of the study area had any great influence on the distribution of the elephant-shrews. Both sexes occupied highly symmetrical (circular) home ranges that were similar in area. The elephant-shrews showed considerable fidelity to their home ranges, which had long-term permanence, but were not obviously defended as territories. Activity of the elephant-shrews, monitored for the first time during 24 h in the wild, was strongly crepuscular, with intense activity around dusk and dawn, much reduced during the day, with complete cessation of activity at night. There was considerable overlap between individual home ranges, suggesting a high population density. This may be related to the mild climate and ample food supply of the dune forest of northern KwaZulu-Natal or to the season of observation.

An inventory of the mammal fauna of Phu Quoc Island, the largest offshore island of Vietnam lying 20 km off the Cambodian coast, has been conducted for the first time. A total of 17 species of small mammals were recorded: Cynopterus brachyotis , Cynopterus sphinx , Hipposideros ater , Rhinolophus shameli , Rhinolophus lepidus , Rhinolophus malayanus , Hesperoptenus blanfordi , Crocidura sp., Menetes berdmorei , Hylopetes alboniger , Berylmys berdmorei , Maxomys surifer , Rattus tanezumi , Rattus exulans , Niviventer fulvescens , Tupaia belangeri , Paradoxurus hermaphroditus . In addition, Pteropus vampirus , Callosciurus finlaysonii , Trachypithecus germani , Macaca fascicularis and Muntiacus muntjak were registered on the basis of field observations. Records for Sus scrofa and Cervus unicolor are based on interviews conducted. Most of the findings represent new distributional records for Vietnamese mammal fauna.

We present a checklist of mammals of the Udzungwa Mountains of south-central Tanzania (7°40′–8°40′ S and 35°10′–36°50′ E; Figure 1). The area (10,000 km 2 ) contains the largest moist forest blocks of the Eastern Arc Mountains, a chain of ancient massifs partially covered in rainforest (Lovett and Wasser 1993), which is of outstanding importance for biodiversity conservation (Myers et al. 2000, Burgess et al. 2007). The area is also vulnerable to human exploitation because of the relatively small size of the forests, severe fragmentation (Brooks et al. 2002) and a lack of effective conservation management. The biodiversity importance of the Udzungwa Mountains is well reflected in the mammalian fauna (Kingdon and Howell 1993).

Morphological and morphometric analyses were carried out on 33 specimens representing three Iranian populations of Apodemus hyrcanicus and A. witherbyi . The 39 states of 14 morphological dental and cranial characteristics and 26 tooth and skull characters measured were subjected to detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and discriminant function analysis (DFA) to elucidate valid characters on the basis of two different approaches. The DCA result is in agreement with DFA and the two species were clearly separated from each other. Stepwise discriminant analysis indicated that three cranial and dental characters are sufficient to separate the two species and classify 100% of individuals correctly. The occlusal patterns of M1/, M/1, M/2, the palatopterygoid region, the bulla, the fronto-parietal suture and the angular process of the mandible are particularly distinctive.

The cottontail rabbit species, Sylvilagus brasiliensis , is currently understood to be constituted by 18 subspecies ranging from east central Mexico to northern Argentina, and from sea level to at least 4800 m in altitude. This hypothesis of a single widespread polytypic species remains to be critically tested. In other species groups of Sylvilagus from other geographic areas, the use of chromosomal information has been important in delineating taxonomic boundaries. To date, however, no chromosomal data are available for Sylvilagus south of Mexico. Here we report the chromosomal complement of two individuals (a male and a female) putatively ascribed to Sylvilagus brasiliensis on the basis of morphological characters and collected from southern Península del Azuero in Panama. The diploid number (2n) of these two individuals was 38 and the fundamental number (autosomal arms, aFN) was 72. Karyotypes of S . brasiliensis from southern Mexico have reported two chromosomal forms: 2n=36, FN=68 and 2n=40, FN=76. We complement the chromosomal data with a morphological examination of the Panama specimens and of holotype materials pertinent to the taxonomic identity of Mesoamerican taxa of Sylvilagus . These findings, in association with others regarding the phylogenetic relationships of Sylvilagus from the Neotropics, reinforce the idea that the current taxonomic treatment of the species merits critical scrutiny. In particular, we excise Sylvilagus gabbi from subspecific synonymy with S . brasiliensis and remove the subspecies truei from brasiliensis to gabbi .

The taxonomy of some African vespertilionid bats of uncertain status is studied. Analysis of the original description of Vesperugo flavescens Seabra 1900 and subsequent examination and discussion of a syntype specimen of V. flavescens disclose discrepancies leading to the conclusion that it is a nomen dubium . V. flavescens is furthermore preoccupied by Nannugo pipistrellus var. flavescens Koch 1865. The holotype of Vesperugo grandidieri Dobson 1876 is examined, its species characters, especially of its skull and dentition, clearly established, and the taxon is removed from the synonymy of Neoromicia capensis (Smith 1829) as a well-defined species, Pipistrellus ( sensu lato ) grandidieri , that differs from any subgenus recently associated with that genus. Eptesicus capensis angolensis Hill 1937 is considered to be conspecific with P. grandidieri , the former representing a subspecies in south-central and west-central Africa.