Volume 78, Issue 4

The status of the arboreal squirrels of Mexico was analyzed as a model taxon to elucidate the urgent need that exists worldwide to allocate more funding and research effort to less charismatic species. To accomplish this, we surveyed the literature to review their diversity and present distribution, state of scientific knowledge, and conservation status. We also examined diversity patterns and threats to their persistence. There are currently 14 recognized species, of which four are endemic to the country, with the states of Chiapas and San Luis Potosí possessing the greatest diversity. Presently, seven species are federally listed under some category of risk in Mexico. Our survey yielded only 37 peer-reviewed publications, revealing that a critical dearth of information still exists on the arboreal squirrels of Mexico. We found that states with a greater diversity of arboreal squirrels also have a higher annual wood production, possibly posing a serious threat to their persistence. A common threat to all species is habitat loss caused by deforestation with annual rates >1.0% in the country. Like other less charismatic species in the world, information from local populations is needed to establish suitable regional plans to conserve species facing specific anthropogenic threats.

Here we describe a small mammal community in nonfragmented Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. A total of 146 individuals were live captured on the ground and in trees (total effort: 5600 trap-nights). Twelve species were identified by morphology, and identification of seven species was confirmed by DNA barcoding. Most species were terrestrial, with Euryoryzomys russatus being the most frequently captured, while the rodent Juliomys pictipes was semiarboreal and the marsupial Marmosa paraguayana was arboreal. With the capture of Trinomys iheringi , we extend the species distribution to the south. Species favored in disturbed environments as Oligoryzomys spp. and Akodon spp. were uncommon, and this small mammal community is typical of a well-conserved forest.

The deforestation of eastern Paraguay is a relatively recent phenomenon, starting as early as the 1940s. Assuming that larger forest fragments retain mechanisms and patterns of biodiversity resembling the original forests, understanding these patterns is valuable for comparative, management, and conservation purposes. In this study, I document diversity patterns in four of the largest reserves of subtropical rainforest in eastern Paraguay as part of a 3-year field study. Forty grids, totaling 31,600 trap nights per reserve, resulted in 19 captured species. Spearman correlations were used to understand effects of distance to edge, and various diversity metrics and multivariate analyses were implemented to compare assemblages between remnants. Trapping revealed an increase in biodiversity toward forest edges. Medium-sized remnants showed the highest diversity (D) and evenness (J). Statistically significant differences were found between and among forest fragments. Given that biodiversity includes both richness and abundances, high biodiversity metrics are not the best indicator for ecosystem “health,” as population explosions closer to edges result in greater biodiversity. More edge, more biodiversity. Thus, more emphasis needs to be given to understanding the natural history of native fauna and common assemblage patterns when addressing conservation and management strategies.

We studied the Neotropical otter ( Lontra longicaudis ) seasonal diet variations in the middle Paraná River valley, in central-northern Argentina, at the southern limit of its global range. We recorded 745 prey items in 320 scats collected over the course of 1 year in a tributary stream of the Paraná River. Fish, crustaceans, mammals, and insects were the most important items in frequency of occurrence among items. Other items, like mollusks, birds, amphibians, and reptilians were presented in low frequency in all seasons. We recorded seasonal variation in the frequency of the principal categories items: fish, mammals, crustaceans, and insects and in reptilian that had low frequency. Although fish were the most common items consumed by the otter, other groups such as crustaceans, mammals, and insects, were also important in the diet of the Neotropical otter throughout the seasons. Mammals and insects showed a higher frequency in the Neotropical otter diet in our study than in Brazil, Mexico, and even northern Argentina. We noted a marked variation throughout the Neotropical region in the niche breadth indices among studies of Neotropical otter’s diet. The Shannon H ′ diversity index showed a higher value in our study than in most of previous diet analyses of this species.

The maned wolf is the largest South American canid, and in Brazil, its distribution is closely associated with the Cerrado, one of the most threatened biomes in the world. Although the Cerrado have few, small, and often isolated protected areas, these fragments are crucial for the persistence of wide-ranging mammals, providing protection and resources, and facilitating their dispersal movements, especially in areas of intense human activity. Here, we estimated the minimum population size and genetic diversity of maned wolves inhabiting one of the last refuges of Cerrado vegetation in São Paulo State, the most developed, industrialized, and populous state of Brazil. Through fecal DNA analysis of five microsatellite loci, during a 13-month sampling period, we identified 13 maned wolves and observed a genetic diversity similar to other studies conducted in larger and better preserved areas of the central region of the country. However, unlike those studies, we found evidence of inbreeding, deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations, and a larger number of animals in relation to the sampled area, thus providing evidence that the population may be threatened.

We studied the feeding ecology of Molina’s hog-nosed skunk ( Conepatus chinga ) in a protected area of the Pampas grassland by comparing the content of scats (140 samples) to prey abundance (estimated by invertebrate capture rates from 38 pitfall trap grids). Fecal analysis supported a largely insectivorous diet, with small vertebrates and carrion representing minor alternative resources. Almost all invertebrate prey was significantly more abundant in the warm period than the cold period, whereas skunk diet did not vary seasonally. Even though Molina’s hog-nosed skunks were considered to be opportunistic foragers due to their wide trophic niche, our results indicate that despite their trophic generalism, they consumed several prey items in proportions differing from those expected by their respective availabilities.

This study aimed to characterize the distribution of botos, Inia geoffrensis , along a 530 km stretch in the middle reaches of the Araguaia River (central Brazil). Data collection was conducted in May (lowering water season) and September (dry season) of 2009. The location and group size of botos were recorded, and the relative density was calculated. The river was divided into nine areas according to geomorphological features; these areas were later grouped into two (low and high) levels of sediment input. The study area was categorized into six types of shoreline habitats: vegetated bank, non-vegetated bank, beach, confluence, bay, and island. A total of 195 sightings (239 botos) were recorded, with the highest density of sightings found in habitats in which tributaries entered the Araguaia River (confluence) followed by the bay habitat. The group size varied from one to three individuals, and single individuals were predominant. The segment with high sediment input also had a higher density of botos compared with the low-sediment segment. Botos-preferred habitats and human activities have a great overlap in Araguaia River. Restrictions of certain human activities, and tourism management would reduce both the intentional and accidental harm of botos in the Araguaia River.

Large islands near the mainland tend to have greater species richness than smaller or remote oceanic islands. This study aimed to compare the community of Phyllostomidae bats on the island of Maracá-Jipioca, in Amapá, northern Brazil, and on the adjacent mainland. We also compared the community in four vegetation types present in both areas. Sampling occurred during the wet and dry seasons of 2010 at 24 independent sampling points. We recorded 333 Phyllostomidae bats belonging to 19 species. Species richness did not differ between the island and mainland but was different among the vegetation types, with grassland being the poorest. Species composition and abundance were different between the island and mainland. This difference was significant for Carollia perspicillata and Phyllostomus elongatus , which were more abundant on the island and mainland, respectively. Artibeus concolor did not exhibit differences between the two areas but differed among the vegetation types, being more abundant in flooded forest. Our findings did reveal that isolation and distance act as selective pressures for Phyllostomidae bats.

In farming areas predominated by one field crop, harvest changes food and cover availability for European hares ( Lepus europaeus ) within a short time frame. In this study, we tracked European hares by GPS (n=9) and VHF (n=19) in an agricultural area with 54% of cereal cropping before, during, and after harvest. In particular, we focused on the question whether and how harvest affects European hares’ space use. We found that, during activity, hares’ 24-h home-ranges were significantly larger after harvest than before, whereas on weekly home-range size, harvest had only a significant effect when calculated by the Minimum Convex Polygon method. We suggest that the effect of harvest on the species’ home-range size is time scale dependent. Changes in home-range use were mainly due to hares using less cereal fields after harvest. Furthermore, after harvest, active hares stayed further away from field edges, whereas resting animals were closer to field edges. In conclusion, our results show that cereal harvest influenced European hares’ space use, but this influence might only be discernible on the small time scale.

The current distribution of the endemic Perote ground squirrel ( Xerospermophilus perotensis ) and its future potential response to climate change have not been addressed. Thus, in this work, we focus on both aspects of this species by means of ecological niche modeling, using different general circulation models and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emission scenarios. Because the species’ life history includes a hibernation period, we performed two different sets of analysis: one considering the whole annual cycle and another considering only the species’ active season. According to our results, the current potential distribution of X. perotensis extends further out of the Oriental Basin, to which the species is endemic. Future projections vary among different climatic scenarios and data sets used in the modeling process, but virtually all of them project a substantial encroachment of the species’ potential distribution area by 2050. Our models suggest that, compared with species that are active throughout the year, X. perotensis , being a seasonal species, could be affected by climate change, increasing the risk of extinction. This may pose a serious threat to the Perote ground squirrel’s persistence throughout the following decades.

Phylogenetic relationships among three subspecies of banteng, Burma banteng Bos javanicus birmanicus in mainland Southeast Asia, Javan banteng Bos javanicus javanicus in Java, and Bornean banteng Bos javanicus lowi in Borneo, and the presence/absence of interbreeding between wild Bornean banteng and domestic cattle in Sabah, Malaysia, were investigated by partial sequences of cytochrome b and D-loop of mitochondrial DNA. The results show that genetic distance of the Bornean banteng are relatively close to the gaur Bos gaurus /gayal Bos frontalis (the cytochrome b , 0.004–0.025; the D-loop, 0.012–0.021) followed by Burma banteng (the cytochrome b , 0.027–0.035; the D-loop, 0.040–0.045), and kouprey Bos sauveli (the cytochrome b , 0.031–0.035; the D-loop, 0.037–0.042). There are much greater distances between Bornean banteng and domestic cattle, Bos taurus and Bos indicus (the cytochrome b , 0.059–0.076; the D-loop, 0.081–0.090). These results suggest that the Bornean banteng diverged genetically from other banteng subspecies and that the wild Bornean banteng from this study are pure strain and have high conservation value.

A comparative study on the hair microstructure of pteropodid bats Pteropus giganteus , Rousettus leschenaulti , and Cynopterus sphinx was performed using scanning electron microscope. Hair samples were taken from the dorsal, ventral, and neck regions. Among the three pteropodids examined, an imbricate and tightly appressed hair type was observed in P. giganteus , while a coronal type of cuticle with margins diverging from the shaft was observed in R. leschenaulti and C. sphinx . The coronal cuticles of R. leschenaulti and C. sphinx had relatively thinner scale widths than the imbricate cuticles of P. giganteus . There was a significant difference in hair length, scale lengths and scale widths, and scale indices among the three species of fruit bats. However, there was no significant difference in hair length and scale index of male and female R. leschenaulti as well as in hair length and scale indices of male and female C. sphinx . The presence of bell-shaped coronal cuticle and wide angular scale margin in R. leschenaulti and C. sphinx reveal their role as active pollinators. The hair patterns, hair length, scale length and width confirm the presence of species-specific characteristics of pteropodid bats and can be used for species identification.

We collected data on the terrestriality of two groups of Barbary macaques over a 7-month period: one group lived in a tourist site, while the other group lived in a wild site. The habitats of the study sites were classified similarly, but the tourist site is the only location where tourist and commercial activities take place. The present study indicates that the availability of human food and strong human disturbance can have a significant effect on the terrestrial behavior of the species. The two groups did not differ in the proportion of daily records devoted to terrestrial feeding, but the tourist group spent a significantly lower percentage of daily records in terrestrial foraging, moving and resting, while performing more terrestrial aggressive displays than the wild group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the proportion of terrestrial feeding on fruits; however, the tourist group had lower daily percentages of terrestrial feeding on leaves, seeds and acorns, roots and barks, and herbs, while it spent higher daily percentages of terrestrial feeding on human food.

We describe partial albinism (a white-belted coloration) in the Japanese shrew mole ( Urotrichus talpoides ) from Aichi Prefecture, Japan. This shrew-mole did not present symptoms of generalized types of vitiligo vulgaris. The white-belted coloration may have occurred because of a lack of melanocyte formation due to a deficit of or to abnormalities in neural crest cells during ontogeny.

Chelemys macronyx is a medium-sized, long-clawed sigmodontine of fossorial habits, distributed between 33°20′ and 51°30′S in the central and southern Andes of Argentina and Chile. Phylogeographic studies based on the analysis of mitochondrial DNA showed that this rodent has a shallow genealogy geographically structured into two main clades: one in the northern part of its range, at high-Andean localities in the Argentinean provinces of Mendoza and northern Neuquén, and the other covering medium- to low-elevation areas from northwestern Neuquén to southern Chile and Argentina. Qualitative and quantitative morphological characters show the existence of two main morphotypes of C. macronyx . Northern populations are characterized by a mesopterygoid fossa rounded at its anterior border and by a large and nearly circular foramen ovale, whereas in central and southern populations the mesopterygoid fossa is quadrate with an ovate to piriform foramen ovale. The described morphological variation is in congruence with the phylogeographic patterns identified by molecular markers. In light of these results, we suggest a simplified taxonomic arrangement on which two subspecies are recognized within C . macronyx , a northern one and a southern one for which the names C . m . macronyx and C . m . vestitus correspond, respectively.

In this study, we estimated leopard cat abundance and density using photographic capture-recapture methods. The leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis , is a common spread small cat in Asia, which is mainly nocturnal and solitary in nature. It occurs in across a range of habitat types. The study was conducted in Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) 26°54′–27°16′N, 92°36′–93°09′E), which lies in the eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh (27°29′–29°23′N 94°02′–95°15′E) and covers an area of 862 km 2 . Population status and abundance estimates were made through individual identification using camera trapping combined with mark-recapture methods. A total of 900 trap nights yielded seven leopard cat individuals, with 16 left flank and nine right flanks. The population abundance was 7±1.0 and the density was 3.2 individuals/100 km 2 . Estimated probability of capture, p-hat=0.15. Program closure test indicates that closure assumption was not violated in the study. Our density estimates (3.21) seems to be low as the leopard cat shares resources with five other small cats in the area.