Volume 77, Issue 3

The feeding ecology of lions ( Panthera leo, Linnaeus 1758) was investigated in and around Waza National Park, northern Cameroon. Diet was determined using global positioning system (GPS) data of lion kill sites (clusters of GPS location points) collected using radio collars. Lions consumed 14 different prey species, with five species that were either medium (50–200 kg) or large (>200 kg) in size forming the bulk of kills. The western kob ( Kobus kob kob ) was the most common (23.5%) wild prey of lions, but worryingly livestock (predominantly cattle) constituted as much as 21.6% of the diet. This creates a conservation problem resulting in lions being killed in retaliation. However, this conflict is strongly exacerbated by herders driving their cattle into the park for forage and water. Wild prey was also consumed outside the park (6.7%), suggesting excursions beyond the park boundary. Lions showed a preference for wild prey over livestock when relative abundances were considered. Management efforts to reduce livestock intrusion into the park and to reverse the declining trends of wild prey populations would significantly reduce predation of livestock and prevent persecution of lions in this park, but conflict mitigation measures outside the park are also urgently needed.

We investigated factors influencing differences in the rookery distribution patterns between northern fur seals and Steller sea lions in the waters of the Russian far east. The limited distribution of northern fur seal rookeries observed during 1991–2001 resulted from the need for shallow tide pools near the shore for pups to practice swimming. In addition, the large and concentrated populations of the seals required large flat areas and a high degree of natal site fidelity. In contrast, in the case of Steller sea lion rookeries observed along the Kuril islands in 2001, the pups were able to swim under maternal care, and their populations were smaller and had a lower degree of natal site fidelity. So, from our observations, their rookeries, unlike those of northern fur seals, are therefore widely distributed across diverse topographical conditions in the waters of Russian far east.

Knowledge of the distribution and habitat preferences of a species is of paramount importance when assessing its conservation status. We used accurately recorded occurrence records and ecological niche modelling to predict the distribution of two threatened and poorly known small carnivore species that occur in Southeast Asia, the banded civet ( Hemigalus derbyanus ) and Hose’s civet ( Diplogale hosei ), and analysed their spatial niche differentiation for habitat and elevation. We then identified possible anthropogenic threats, and used our modelling predictions to recommend surveying priorities. The predicted distribution of the banded civet was principally in lowland evergreen forest in southern Myanmar/Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and three Mentawai Islands (Siberut, Sipora and South Pagai), and for Hose’s civet in evergreen forest across the higher elevation regions of Borneo. Our niche analyses suggested that there is a tendency for these two species to separate spatially along an elevation gradient: the banded civet is mainly found in lowland areas, whereas Hose’s civet primarily occurs at higher elevations. Our study strongly indicated that these two viverrids are forest-dependent species that may be threatened by forest loss, degradation and fragmentation. Field surveys should be prioritised in areas where each species is predicted to occur and no records currently exist.

This study presents the first data on the diet of the puma ( Puma concolor ) and an endemic culpeo fox ( Pseudalopex culpaeus smithersi ) in the high mountains of central Argentina, based on scat analysis. Trophic interactions of both carnivores were examined from 2003 to 2008 inside a protected area after livestock removal. A total of 604 scats were analyzed. Native species (small cavids and cricetine rodents) were most frequently consumed (58%–100%) by both carnivores. Exotic prey were consumed more in 2003 than in other years by both carnivores. Culpeo foxes consumed a higher number of prey items and a lower mean weight of mammalian prey than pumas. Niche breadth was high for pumas in 2003 and for culpeo foxes in 2004, decreasing in subsequent years with the same tendency in both carnivores. Diet overlap was high in all years. Pumas seemed to prey on available prey items, suggesting a trend toward diet specialization in small prey in both carnivores. Native prey are the most important food items for both carnivores inside the park; these results are encouraging in terms of the resilience of at least some components of the predator-prey assemblage in the high mountains of central Argentina.

We assessed habitat use and selection of 16 radio-tracked adult common genets ( Genetta genetta ) using log-linear models at three different scales (plot, home range and core area) in a Mediterranean area situated in northeast Iberian Peninsula. Genets demonstrate flexibility in habitat use and select habitats using different criteria depending on the scale of analysis, although they show clear selection for habitats formed by forest areas with a tree layer and dense underbrush vegetation cover. Vegetation cover is the most important factor determining habitat selection across all scales. Selections within home range and core area are very similar, with genets showing a preference for pine forest, ravine and holm oak forest over other habitat types (crops, lowland sparse, maquis vegetation and anthropized areas). In resting sites, genets show a strong preference for ravines. Ravine was also the only habitat that is present in the home ranges and core areas of all individuals. Vegetation-associated ravines provide the most cover of all available habitats, and therefore we conclude that these habitats are selected by genets to provide the resources they need. We recommend that management should maintain vegetation cover to preserve the populations of genets.

The diet of Miniopterus schreibersii was investigated by morphological analysis of prey remains in droppings from the spring to the autumn of 2000 from a bat roost in northeastern Slovenia (Central Europe). Lepidoptera dominated, having an average percent volume (APV) of 79% and constituting the bulk of the diet throughout the year. By decreasing importance in the diet, the insects identified were Neuroptera – mostly Chrysopidae (APV 9.2%), Diptera (APV 7.4%), Trichoptera (APV 2.2%) and Coleoptera (APV 1.4%). The diet was most diverse in late October. It seems that M. schreibersii is an aerial hawker that specialises in eating moths, but can opportunistically switch to other seasonably abundant prey. It hunts small- to medium-sized winged prey (wing length: 2–18 mm), of which most are tympanate insects.

We report new recent and fossil records in Patagonia for six and three bat species, respectively. These findings significantly increase the previously known number of localities for these mammals in this entire region, filling gaps between previous references for some species (e.g., Histiotus macrotus ) and/or extending by 140–350 km the range of others (e.g., Myotis chiloensis , M . levis , Lasiurus varius ). In addition, we report for the second time the vespertilionid bat Lasiurus blossevillii in Patagonia. Fossils are mostly restricted to the Late Holocene epoch, and the recorded assemblages are similar to the recent ones. A preliminary analysis of richness indicates that bat diversity south of the Colorado River (around 39°S) decreases from five to six species in the northwestern to one species in the southeastern, changing abruptly around 43°S–46°S. Compared with similar latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, bat diversity in the Neotropics follows a similar pattern, with <20 taxa occurring south of 35°S.

Geographic range, morphometric skull variation and niche differentiation were analyzed in the greater Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus orientalis , and compared with published data on the species’ phylogeographic structure. The species occurs in 15 separate areas, which are grouped into two main blocks and divided by a wide gap. The first block goes from Morocco to western Libya and the second from eastern Libya to Israel; the second block is subdivided into two sub-blocks, eastern Libya and Egypt and Israel and Sinai. Analysis of niche similarity indicated niche convergence within the eastern and western parts of the species’ geographic range and niche divergence between these two major parts of the geographic range. There was a strong congruence among distributional, genetic and ecological patterns. Morphological variation in J. orientalis did not completely coincide with the distribution, genetic and ecological patterns. Three morphologically well-differentiated population groups were found within the geographic range of the species. The same level of morphological differentiation was demonstrated between highly isolated geographically and deeply diverged genetically and ecologically western and eastern groups of populations and between the weakly geographically isolated and ecologically similar populations of Egypt/Libya and Israel/Sinai. A taxonomic revision of the sub-specific division of J. orientalis is proposed.

Coprophagy is widespread among rodent species and has nutritional significance in providing microbial protein to animals via feces. However, studies of coprophagy in rodents have focused mainly on species that are cecal fermenters. In this study using rat-like hamsters ( Tscherskia triton ), which have a large forestomach and cecum, we investigated the contribution of coprophagy to protein nutrition in pregastric and cecal fermenters and also examined whether or not the cecum is involved in protein nutrition enhanced by coprophagy. With or without a forestomach, coprophagy may affect protein digestion in T. triton , and coprophagy cannot provide beneficial effects without a cecal contribution. Prevention of coprophagy increased the fecal concentration of crude protein in animals with an intact cecum. Therefore, we conclude that coprophagy is closely related to the cecum in terms of protein nutrition, even in the pregastric and cecal fermenter T. triton .

In shrews, it is difficult to identify the gender of an individual if it is not reproductively active. An alternative that has already been successfully tested in other mammals is using a molecular marker such as the SRY gene of the Y chromosome of males. This study aims to identify the sex in shrews through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the SRY gene of Mexican endemic shrews ( Cryptotis, Sorex and Megasorex ). PCR products were sequenced and compared through the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). Male tissues produced a 202-bp DNA fragment for Cryptotis , a 155-bp fragment for Sorex and a 189-bp fragment for Megasorex ; no female sample of any of the three species produced a positive amplification. Therefore, the sex of these shrew species was successfully identified. This is particularly useful for immature individuals or incomplete specimens found in pitfall traps. These results may be valuable to ecological studies and benefit conservation actions of threatened taxa.

Here we report the first records of the vespertilionid bat Histiotus montanus in southeastern Brazil. A male was found sheltering under a rock and collected by hand in the Serra do Papagaio State Park, Aiuruoca municipality, state of Minas Gerais. The taxonomic aspects of this species are discussed, and measurements of the sample are provided.

Mus talpinus , a fossil sigmodontine rodent exhumated by P. W. Lund from Quaternary deposits in the Lagoa Santa area, Brazil, has been varyingly allocated to the genera Oxymycterus , Blarinomys or Juscelinomys . After our examination of the holotype, an anterior fragment of the skull from Lapa da Serra das Abelhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, we refer the name talpinus to the genus Brucepattersonius . These mice are sylvan akodontines, widespread in the Atlantic Forest, with the nearest extant record approximately 250 km southeast of Lagoa Santa. The addition of Brucepattersonius to the fossil sigmodontine fauna of Lagoa Santa suggests a non-analogous assemblage of species in this area during the Late Pleistocene.