Volume 75, Issue 3

Bat species have differences in diet composition, use of vertical space, and nocturnal activity period. We analyzed diet and partitioning of spatial and temporal resources among fruit bats, and the influence of fruit availability on the number of bat captures in the southern boundary of the Atlantic Forest. Artibeus lituratus and A. fimbriatus fed mainly on Ficus , whereas Sturnira lilium fed on Solanaceae, Piperaceae, and Ficus . However, we did not find correlation between number of fruit bat captures with fruit availability. S. lilium was more active at dusk, whereas A. fimbriatus and A. lituratus were more active at dawn. S. lilium flew more in the understory than canopy and A. lituratus and A. fimbriatus did not show differences in the use of vertical space. There was no difference in the use of vertical space among these fruit bats. We showed that differences in one dimension of the niche, such as food, can help to explain differences in another dimension, such as space use. Niche overlap is greater for related species and studies about niche overlap addressing more than one spatial dimension can elucidate the patterns in use of these resources and also the understanding about bat community composition.

Myotis simus is apparently restricted to tropical and subtropical South American lowlands, with a possible disjunction isolating northern and southern populations. Twenty-eight museum and literature records were assembled and analysed in the context of a taxonomic review of South American species of Myotis . In order to model the distribution of M. simus , to reveal putative areas of occurrence and environmental constraints to its distribution, as well as to test the previously proposed hypothesis of disjunct distribution, Maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) was implemented on the information retrieved from the sampling localities, using nine environmental variables. Two regions with increased probability values were revealed in the Amazon and Paraná basins, connected by a bottleneck in southeastern Bolivia, which provides further support for the previously proposed hypothesis of disjunctive distribution. The predicted distribution for M. simus was strongly associated with the drainage basins, precipitations of the driest quarter, mean temperatures of the warmest quarter and altitude. The Andean eastern slopes and the Guyana, Paraná and Central Brazilian plateaus delimit the geographical distribution of M. simus , and the confirmed records document its presence in both terra firme and floodplain areas in lowland forest and savanna formations across South America.

It is considered that four factors influence ungulate activity budget: (a) seasonal biomass and quality, (b) temperature, (c) yearly life cycle, and (d) livestock movements and human activity. In order to test them, the diurnal time budget of goitred gazelles was studied using the focal sampling method in Xinjiang Province (China) during a two-year period (2007–2009). According to our results, in all seasons goitred gazelles spent more than half (up to 68.9%) of their daytime feeding on pastures, and more than one-third resting in spring, autumn, and especially summer (up to 42.1%); in winter their resting time decreased to 29.0% for males and 19.0% for females. Though other activities were very important in the gazelles’ lives, the diurnal time budget for these activities was low (<8.0%). Goitred gazelles showed a trimodal feeding activity in most seasons, and a bimodal in summer (females). Females in summer and males during rutting season devoted more significant time to other activities (suckling, moving, courting and agonistic behaviour). However, the portion of time was still notably lower than for feeding and resting.

The sex ratio of a population of Arabian Sand Gazelle in Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area in central western Saudi Arabia was compared to that determined from 296 skulls collected from the same area. Skulls were collected between March 2008 and March 2009 during a period of mass die-off caused by a severe drought. Most abundant were male skulls ageing between 18 and 24 months. The skulls of natural mortalities indicated an imbalanced sex ratio skewed towards males (1.39:1), compared to a sex ratio slightly skewed towards adult females (1:1.07) in the living population. Horn lengths of males and females were significantly shorter in the wild population of Mahazat as-Sayd than compared to an analogous population in captivity (King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre, KKWRC, Saudi Arabia). Possible causes for diverging sex ratio were linked to increased male mortality during the drought. Male mortalities and female biased sex ratio are discussed in the light of territoriality, predation, poor environmental conditions and limited opportunities to migrate.

The management of forested landscapes for biodiversity conservation is increasingly recognized as an important objective in Argentina. However, pine plantations are being established replacing native pristine or human modified vegetation and there is a lack of information of its impact on biodiversity. To understand the effect of this activity on small mammal assemblages, we compared its composition and abundance in pine plantations and native vegetation dedicated to traditional cattle production and studied the habitat structure that could explain the differences between habitat types. Additionally, we evaluated the role of firebreaks as corridors in forested landscapes. We found lower abundance and fewer species in plantations. Firebreaks showed a lower abundance and number of species than native vegetation, suggesting that they do not function effectively as corridors. Abrothrix longipilis was the most frequently captured species and abundance of this species was best explained by herbaceous cover and shrub richness. Our results suggest that pine plantations negatively impacts small mammal assemblages and that the decline is strongly associated with decreased understory cover and plant species richness. Management practices targeting conservation objectives such as maintaining lower tree densities and retention of native understory could enhance the value of forest plantations as habitat for small mammal species.

We assessed distribution and abundance of mammals in dense, rugged eastern Himalayan habitats of Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (BR), Sikkim, India, from April 2008 to May 2010, using field methods and remote cameras under varying rain and snow conditions. We report the occurrence of 42 mammals including 18 species that have high global conservation significance. Three leopards ( Panthera uncia, Panthera pardus, Neofelis nebulosa ), Tibetan wolf ( Canis lupus chanco ), wild dog ( Cuon alpinus ), red panda ( Ailurus fulgens ), Asiatic black bear ( Ursus thibetanus ), and two musk deer species ( Moschus chrysogaster, M. fuscus ) were recorded. Species number decreased with increasing elevation, 22 were recorded in temperate habitats, 18 in subalpine and 11 in alpine. The yellow-throated marten ( Martes flavigula ) and black bear were found to have the most diverse distribution extending from temperate to alpine. Red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) was the most abundant carnivore (8.98±2.31 photo capture/100 days) while goral ( Naemorhedus goral ) was the most abundant prey (9.14±5.27). Camera trap detected most of the mammals of the intensive study area (35/39). Considering the benefits and limitations, we recommend application of camera trapping along with sign surveys for monitoring of mammals in Khangchendzonga BR for effective conservation.

Until now, there has been a single Paraguayan record of climbing rats of the genus Rhipidomys (Tschudi, 1845), and the specimen has not been identified at the species level. Remarkably, this record has been overlooked in recent mammal lists. Field work conducted in Paraguay during and since 2006 has produced the second and third records of Rhipidomys for this country. We conducted an assessment of external and skull morphologic variation, as well as Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses based on DNA sequences, all of which indicate that all three known Paraguayan specimens of Rhipidomys belong to the species Rhipidomys macrurus (Gervais, 1855). In addition, we provide information distinguishing R. macrurus from some of its congeners, as well as new natural history data. There is now a total of 31 sigmodontine species with published Paraguayan records.

The woolly flying squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus is one of the rarest and least known mammals in Asia. Previously, it has only been known from a few specimens, a few recently captured individuals, and data obtained from local residents. In 2004, two woolly flying squirrels were located in the Nanga Parbat area of Pakistan and observed for two nights. For the first time, the behavior in the wild, vocalizations, and tracks of woolly flying squirrel are described.

We describe the behavior in captivity of the rare Patagonian opossum ( Lestodelphys halli ) from five individuals captured at three localities, which were kept alive in glass terraria for different periods of time (between 2.5–3.5 months). During our observations we found that L. halli can climb and jump well, has a prehensile tail-tip which can hold the body suspended for several seconds, powerful grasping hind feet and the ability to dig. Feeding preferences of meat (mainly raw) and live animals (i.e., mice, lizards and beetles) over vegetables or fruit was observed. We document the first records of torpor/hibernation for the species, its locomotion and exploration patterns and feeding postures. Resting/sleeping in L. halli is done with the body curled along a vertical axis and its head placed against the chest and between the hind legs, a posture different from previously reported American marsupials. Stereotyped behavior patterns (e.g., grooming) were observed and compared with other studied species, providing comparative information for further studies on New World marsupials.

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