Volume 80, Issue 4

Climate change constitutes a potential threat to montane biodiversity, particularly in low-altitude, tropical mountains; however, few data exist for the Afromontane taxa. In South Africa, the temperate grassland and fynbos biomes are mostly associated with the Great Escarpment and the high-lying central plateau. Varying contractions of the grassland and fynbos biomes are predicted under different climate scenarios by 2050. Animal taxa adapted to these biomes should suffer similar range declines and can be used to independently test the vegetation models. We constructed MaxEnt models from 271 unique locality records for three species of montane and submontane vlei rats that are closely associated with grassland ( Otomys auratus , Wroughton 1906), mesic savanna ( Otomys angoniensis , Wroughton 1906), and fynbos ( Otomys irroratus , Brants 1827) biomes in South Africa. Projected range shifts under the A2 emission scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed increases ( O. angoniensis ) and decreases ( O. auratus ) that closely mirrored those expected for the savanna and grassland biomes, respectively. Comparison of historical (from 90 years ago) and current occurrence data from a zone of sympatry in the tropical Soutpansberg Mountains (at 1250 m asl) showed complete replacement of the grassland-adapted rodent species ( O. auratus ) by the savanna-adapted species ( O. angoniensis) due to historically documented changes from a grassland-dominated to thicket-dominated landscape.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between availability and consumption of food for two species of Neotropical fruit bats Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium . The study was conducted in the Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy, an Atlantic forest fragment with 680 ha in size. Monthly bat surveys were conducted at four sampling points (four nights with four mist nets per night during 6 h after sunset). The available fruit biomass of nine Piper species and seven Solanum species was measured, as well as the biomass consumed by C. perspicillata and S. lilium . We found a significant positive correlation between fruit biomass consumption and availability for both bat species. The proportion of available/eaten biomass only showed a significant difference for S. lilium , with a higher value in Solanum . The amount of biomass eaten was different only for P. umbellatum and P. glabratum between bat species. Carollia perspicillata mainly consumed fruits of two Piper species, whereas S. lilium consumed fruits of two different Piper species as well as a greater variety of Solanum fruits.

In this study, we performed a craniometric analysis on four Plecotus species from Croatia ( Plecotus macrobullaris , Plecotus kolombatovici , Plecotus austriacus , and Plecotus auritus ). The main objective of this study was to find a set of morphological characters that could enable a clear identification of the four Plecotus species in order to identify material consisting only of skulls or their parts. Discriminant function analyses were performed on all measurements. Complete separation of four species was possible only by discriminant functions that used 13 cranial and two teeth measurements. Also, we provided a two-step identification tool that used four (first step) and nine (second step) measurements. This simpler identification function could prove to be very useful for identifying broken or incomplete skull material.

Ocelots were historically hunted for their skins but habitat loss is now their most serious threat, causing rapid declines in populations throughout their range. Ocelot abundance has been estimated for various locations across the Neotropics, but we still lack this information from some countries, including Ecuador. Knowing whether ocelot abundance is increasing or decreasing is important to assess the conservation status of this species and the conditions of its habitats in the Ecuadorian Amazon and in the region. To determine whether ocelot abundance and its behavior are affected by human-related activities, camera-trap surveys were carried out in two localities of Yasuní National Park (YNP), one that has experienced hunting, oil extraction, and roads (Maxus Road) and one that is largely unaffected by these activities (Lorocachi). During the survey, 35 and 36 individual ocelots were photographed in Maxus Road and Lorocachi, respectively. Population density estimates were similar for both localities, ranging from 0.31 (SE±6) to 0.85 (SE±17) ocelots/km 2 in Maxus Road and 0.35 (SE±6) to 0.93 (SE±18) ocelots/km 2 in Lorocachi, when using the MMDM and the ½ MMDM to estimate the effective trapping area, respectively. Ocelots were more active during the night than during the day in both study sites, probably reflecting the activity patterns of their prey. Ocelot densities obtained in YNP are among the highest reported within the Neotropics. Yasuní’s large tracts of suitable habitat can provide the resources necessary to support sufficiently large populations of ocelots and other species, and ensure their long-term survival.

Black-backed jackals ( Canis mesomelas Schreber, 1775) are one of the most commonly implicated conflict animals on farming areas in southern Africa. To determine the diet of black-backed jackals, and to understand their possible predation effects on domestic livestock, a study was conducted using faecal analyses in the Nottingham Road/Mooi River agricultural areas, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We collected and analysed 154 scat samples from two seasons (summer and winter). Jackals consumed 17–19 taxa per season, including a number of rodents and shrews, domestic and wild ungulates, birds, insects, reptiles, and grass. Rodents were the most consumed prey item seasonally (relative percentage of occurrence: 54–56.3%), indicating that they were the main food source of black-backed jackals. Another important food source was domestic livestock comprising between 19.7% (winter) and 16.3% (summer) seasonally. Black-backed jackals consumed a wide range of prey categories during both seasons; however, we recorded a slightly broader prey diversity during the summer period. A large spectrum of prey species in the diet of jackal confirmed the opportunistic and generalist nature of the species. Domestic stock constituted an important food source in the diet of black-backed jackal in this modified agricultural landscape. Therefore, appropriate management measures are needed to avoid growing human-wildlife conflict in agricultural farmlands.

Assessments of generic indices of health in wildlife populations increase our knowledge about the natural history of animal species and provide useful information for ecoepidemiological studies. However, there have been minimal studies on the parameters of hematological and biochemical parameters in wildlife. The goal of this study was to evaluate physiological dynamics of wild capybaras ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ). To this aim, we evaluated biochemical and physiological parameters (blood cell counts, serum protein fractions, and spleen mass) and assessed their variability with sex, body condition, pregnancy status, and season. Samples ( n =67) were obtained from a managed population of free-ranging capybaras from Esteros del Iberá (Northeastern Argentina). The main findings reported were i) Kurloff cells (KC) were found in peripheral blood of both sexes, but levels were higher in females; ii) KC, eosinophil (E), and basophil (B) counts were positively associated with body condition; iii) pregnant females had different values of KC, B, and spleen mass than nonpregnant females; iv) albumin and KC (in females) and E and neutrophil (N) counts in males showed a seasonal pattern; and v) protein fractions of capybaras are reported for the first time. Life history traits such as pregnancy, seasonal processes, nutritional status, are reflected in some of the biochemical and physiological parameters evaluated here.

Bandicoot rats are a widespread species in Asia. Throughout their distribution, bandicoot rats are of high sanitary importance as reservoirs of at least 10 human diseases. In mainland Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, where two species coexist, taxonomic distinction based on external characters is difficult and may lead to a certain proportion of misidentification. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of classical methods for distinguishing these bandicoot species, and provide new, simple, and cheap tools for discriminating species based on molecular characteristics, morphological ratio, and morphometric variation. Two PCR tests were developed: a first (PCR1) for distinguishing Bandicota and Rattus genera, and a second (PCR2) for distinguishing Bandicota indica and Bandicota savilei species. We evaluated two morphometric approaches for species discrimination: (a) one based on the ratio between head and body and hind-foot length, and (b) a second based on landmark analysis of mandible forms. The accuracy of both morphological approaches was fairly high. Together, the three identification tools appear useful for a wide scientific community, including curators, agronomists, ecologists, and epidemiologists wishing to have access to reliable species identification.

We report the unprecedented occurrence of the virtually complete loss of cheek teeth on the cranium of an adult male mountain goat ( Oreamnos americanus ). In addition, the alveolar sockets of these teeth were filled with and covered by a substantial layer of bone. Intriguingly, this individual apparently survived for at least several months without the use of its upper cheek teeth.

In this study, we describe a limb abnormality, possibly ectrodactyly, in a male adult gracile mouse opossum ( Gracilinanus agilis ), an arboreal species, captured in a fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Cerrado. The captured individual lacked the central rays of the right hindlimb and was the thinnest male adult captured. Despite the abnormality, the scaled mass index of the individual did not differ from other adult males captured in the study. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of limb abnormality for a didelphid marsupial, which indicates that this type of malformation may not negatively affect individual body condition.

The distribution of the giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758) is poorly known, especially outside Brazil. Here, we present an approx. 430-km range expansion for the species based on 71 records collected from interviews, camera traps, tracks, and direct sightings in the Magdalena-Urabá moist forest ecoregion (MUMFE), Colombia. Our records, obtained from 31 localities during July 2013 to July 2015, represent the first evidence of M. tridactyla in the middle Magdalena River valley since the late 18th Century. Our camera traps identified at least six individual giant anteaters, including a female with offspring. We discuss the severity of threats in the MUMFE and the urgency for conservation planning.

In mountain ungulates, antipredator behaviour is one of the main constraints on foraging behaviour and habitat selection, especially when newborn, vulnerable offspring are present. Golden eagles have been known to prey on ungulates successfully, but predation may be relatively rare on chamois. Here, we report an unsuccessful predation attempt by a golden eagle on a kid of Apennine chamois. The kid was grazing in a female kid mixed herd, and the attack by the eagle was deterred by cooperative defence of females. Chamois are a social species: defending other females’ fawns may be consistent with the importance of cooperative maternal behaviour in kin groups.

We report a new locality for the rodent Chelemys megalonyx in Rinconada de Maipú (Santiago, metropolitan region, central Chile), located in the central valley of Chile, in the eastern slope of the Chilean coastal range. Although the collected specimens show morphological similarities with other members of Chelemys , some cranial and body measurements confirmed our identification. Despite extensive field effort in the central coast of Chile, C. megalonyx has been barely recorded. In light of previous evidence and our findings, we suggest that the C. megalonyx distribution range has been previously underestimated, limiting our understanding about its current conservation status. The presence of C. megalonyx in the central valley of Chile opens additional questions to be resolved regarding its distribution and ability for dispersal.

The various activities of the wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), such as nesting, feeding, and rooting, may impact a wide array of taxa and ecological processes, but there is still controversial evidence about the effects of wild boars on small mammal populations. Here, we tested whether a negative effect of wild boar abundance on the wild populations of the wood mouse ( Apodemus sylvaticus ) does occur along 24 transects in Sardinia Island, Italy. We found a significantly negative linear relationship between the rooting intensity of wild boars and the density of mice in each transect. Our study, therefore, suggests that wild boars may have a negative impact on mice populations. Monitoring the populations of wild boar would be also useful for the management of free-ranging rodent populations throughout Europe.

Mimon bennettii is widely distributed in South America. In Brazil, records are mainly concentrated in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, although there are scattered occurrences in the Pantanal, Caatinga, and Amazonian biomes. In this study, we report the first occurrence of M. bennettii in the Amazonas State, Brazil. We compare these Amazonian specimens to a sample from the Atlantic Forest and discuss morphological differences. This record extends the Brazilian distribution westward by 1350 km. Amazonas is now the richest Brazilian state, with 128 bat species.