Volume 87, Issue 5

Recently, the Mostela system emerged as an expansion of camera trapping to gain new insights into the assemblages of small-sized and cryptic mammals. Despite being an established technique to study the natural history and ecology of rodents, shrews and small carnivores in Europe, its potential in tropical areas remains unexplored. We present the results of a pilot hybrid survey with conventional trail cameras and Mostelas conducted in a private protected area situated in the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia. We installed eight Mostelas paired with an external trail camera 550 m apart from each other from May to October 2022 in the Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve. The Mostelas recorded two species of small carnivores, the threatened and unknown Colombian weasel ( Neogale felipei ), and the Long-tailed weasel ( Neogale frenata ), including several small rodents and marsupials. Mostelas captured a larger proportion of small non-volant mammals that could at least be identified to genus level compared to conventional trail cameras. We found that using baits inside Mostelas yielded a greater number of detections and richness compared to surveys not using them. Finally, we encourage the use of this hybrid system to improve the monitoring of poorly known small non-volant mammals in the Andean cloud forests.

Longworth live traps are widely used for trapping mouse-sized rodents and shrews. However, they have a number of disadvantages: some have a manufacturing defect, resulting in reduced sensitivity; smaller species of shrews can pass under the treadle, avoiding capture; captured animals can gnaw specific parts of the sidewalls and decrease the durability of the traps. To increase the efficiency of catching small shrews, we added a movable tin ramp to the treadle of the Longworth live traps and used washers to improve the design. To repair and protect traps damaged by captured animals, we used tin patches. The modified traps were shown to be significantly better than the original traps in catching small shrew species ( Sorex caecutiens Laxmann 1788, Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766). Tin patches reliably protected live traps from further damages by animals and do not affect their catching efficiency.

Conservation of mammals in human-dominated landscapes requires essential information on their ecological aspects. We used camera traps to assess the wild mammal assemblage, their relative abundance, and activity patterns in the human-dominated landscape of Vansda taluka, Gujarat, India. We deployed 80 camera traps in square grids of 2 km 2 resulting in an area coverage of 160 km 2 . To assess the mammal assemblage, relative abundance of species, and activity pattern, respectively, we used a count of species, relative abundance index (RAI), and circular statistics. We captured 13 mammals, including the wild pig, Indian hare, leopard, rhesus macaque, common grey mongoose, small Indian civet, common palm civet, Indian crested porcupine, hanuman langur, chital, barking deer, striped hyena, and jungle cat. The wild pig was the most abundant (RAI = 10.29), while the jungle cat was the least abundant (RAI = 0.04) species. Hanuman langur, rhesus macaque, and chital showed diurnal activity, while striped hyena, barking deer, small Indian civet, common palm civet, and Indian crested porcupine showed nocturnal activity. Leopard, wild pig, common grey mongoose, and Indian hare showed cathemeral activity pattern. The present study serves as a baseline for future studies and help formulate conservation strategies for wild mammals in the study area.

The occurrence of the non-native, greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula in the Stavanger area in Southwestern Norway was brought to our attention by two records from the public (from 2012 and 2017). A citizen-science project, based on targeted media-calls between 2017 and 2019, resulted in 78 reported observations. A correct species identity, using photographs and collected specimen, was confirmed for 103 observations from 68 unique localities. Many of the sightings resulted directly from the media calls, but several were made both years before and after (ranging from 2012 to 2021). The minimum area of occurrence was 60 km long and 20 km wide and is characterised by one of the mildest climates in Norway. No clear expansion pattern was evident from the data, though an introduction between 2000 and 2010 seems likely. As only a few other shrew species were reported by the public, it is possible that the white-toothed shrew has outcompeted native shrews in the area. However, this could be biased by the nature of the media call or the commensal lifestyle of the shrew. Media calls beyond the area of occurrence did not result in any reports of the species. The introduction route and origin of the present population remain unclear.

The recently established Chebera Churchura National Park represents a mosaic of savanna and montane evergreen forest. A report on small mammals (2013) showed their relatively high diversity, but species identification was based only on external morphology. We conducted a new field survey and genetic analyses to shed light on diversity and biogeographical affinities of small mammals in this under-explored national park. Based on results of mitochondrial DNA barcoding, 14 species of rodents and two species of shrews, including Crocidura turba (new to the Ethiopian fauna), were identified. Moreover, a new taxon of gerbils – presumably representing a new species – of the genus Gerbilliscus was discovered. We show that forest and savanna species often inhabit the same localities, which can be explained by the mosaic nature of biotopes. These results document the uniqueness of Chebera Churchura NP, especially in comparison with other Ethiopian national parks, and argue for its protection and further development.

Very little is known on Ctenomys pilarensis, as it has rarely been studied. We conducted a preliminary study on its burrow use by implementing a capture-mark-recapture method. Between February and June 2022, 12 different Pilar tuco-tucos were captured and chipped using MiniHPT8 PIT tags, 7 individuals were recaptured at least once. Our results indicate this species to be solitary, as we found no evidence of burrow sharing. These findings should, however, be viewed with caution due to our small sample size.

Tree squirrel species that are successful invaders may modify their behaviour according to the characteristics of the invaded community. We studied the use of space by Callosciurus erythraeus in the main invasion focus established in Argentina, where suitable habitat is highly fragmented and immersed in a rural–urban landscape of the Pampas region. We evaluated habitat use in relation to the dominant arboreal vegetation (evergreen vs. deciduous) based on seasonal trapping data throughout two years and home range size and overlap based on seasonal radio-tracking data in two consecutive years. We captured 476 squirrels with a higher trapping success in areas dominated by evergreen vegetation. Effective home ranges were smaller for females (0.10–0.77 ha, n  = 12) than for males (0.9–3.78 ha, n  = 3). We observed home range overlap between and within both sexes, suggesting no or low territoriality. Our results support the two working hypotheses on the relatively higher use of areas dominated by evergreen vegetation and on the relatively small home range sizes and large overlapping areas associated to high squirrel density. The flexibility in the use of different type of arboreal patches would be another attribute linked to the invasion success of this species.

While many studies have characterized small mammals of the southern and central Great Plains (USA), far fewer have documented small mammals of the northern Great Plains which differ dramatically in plant structure and composition. We examined the presence and distribution of small mammals captured at a salinity-affected grassland in northeastern North Dakota (2018–2021). We captured 12 species from 8 genera including Microtus pennsylvanicus ( n  = 724), Peromyscus ( maniculatus ) sonoriensis ( n  = 114) , Sorex cinereus ( n  = 54), and Zapus hudsonius ( n  = 43). We evaluated the extent to which these species varied with plant and environmental characteristics. M. pennsylvanicus was positively associated with plant cover and soil moisture and P . ( maniculatus ) sonoriensis was positively associated with forb cover and negatively associated with litter and elevation. Z. hudsonius was negatively associated with forb cover and soil moisture and S. cinereus was positively associated with cover and negatively associated with salinity. These species associated with their environments differently than their more southern counterparts and reinforce the notion that not all areas, even in relatively intact grasslands, are available to all species. Future studies are needed to further examine more infrequently captured species, including a Sorex hoyi , an Onychomys leucogaster , and eight Myodes gapperi in this region.

Rodent-borne diseases such as bubonic plague remain a significant threat to public health in tropical countries. In plague-endemic areas, little information exists on the factors triggering periodic bursts, thus rendering preparedness strategies for preventing the negative impacts of the deadly zoonosis difficult. In this study, we assessed how species richness, diversity, and community structure of rodents are associated with plague persistence in Mbulu District, Tanzania. Rodent data were collected using the removal trapping technique. We captured 610 rodents belonging to 12 species, with Mastomys natalensis recording highest abundance. There was significantly higher abundance and species richness in persistent than non-persistent plague locality. Also, house premises recorded significantly lower species richness than farm and forest habitats. Additionally, we found three broad rodent community structures that varied significantly between studied habitat types suggesting high rodent populations interaction at fine-scale resource abundance. The high abundance and diversity of plague-susceptible rodent reservoirs suggestively contribute to the plague persistence in the foci. These results may be useful to developing preparedness strategies in these areas to control plague outbreaks.

Lasiurus is a bat genus recognised to have migratory species. However, little is known about the seasonal distribution for most of its species. We used spatial analysis of occurrence records and ecological niche modeling to evaluate the seasonal distributions of five species: Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus frantzii, Lasiurus ega, Lasiurus xanthinus, and Lasiurus intermedius, to disentangle their seasonal distribution patterns. L. intermedius , L. xanthinus , and L. frantzii presented distinct seasonal patterns in the rate of occurrence records in different areas, which accumulate most records in the northern populations in summer. For L. borealis , we found seasonal variation throughout its entire distribution, with most records in summer and a progressive decline towards winter. In contrast, L. ega showed no seasonal changes in any region. In species with seasonal changes in their occurrences records, the projections of summer conditions did not predict their preferred winter conditions, suggesting these species occupy different ecological niches seasonally. We found seasonality in the northern areas of these species’ distributions, although we could not distinguish whether migration movements or torpor behaviors are the underlying cause. Conversely, we suggest that most central and southern populations of the five species do not exhibit seasonality and are year-round residents.

Although melanism is common in some mammal species, particularly in domestic forms, its occurrence in lagomorphs is rare. We report the first records of melanistic wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus in North Africa. These were obtained from a camera-trap set in Tiaret governorate, Algeria, in 2019 and 2020. Melanism is restricted to few species of Leporidae, genera Sylvilagus and Lepus . Dark rabbits have been reported to a new subspecies from Camargue (France), however this status is not recognized any longer.

The Small Indian Mongoose Urva auropunctata (Hodgson 1836) is a small carnivore native to Iraq and South Asia; however, it has been widely introduced worldwide. The species has never been reported in Syria; however, it was suspected to occur in the extreme eastern parts of the country, but no confirmed records were made. In 2021–2022, several sightings were notified during in situ surveys in Deir ez-Zor Province in eastern Syria which confirm the first occurrence of the Small Indian Mongoose in the country.

The small-eared shrews Cryptotis mexicanus and Cryptotis obscurus (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) are two closely related taxa from the northern Neotropics whose taxonomy is still unresolved. Here, we tested the hypothesis of three lineages (Northern, Central, and Southern) within this pair of semifossorial shrews. We photographed skulls, dentaries, and humeri from 226 museum specimens and used geometric morphometrics to evaluate sexual dimorphism, differences between lineages, and the effect of the environment on the shape of the structures. We found negligible differences between males and females, supporting previous studies of classical morphometrics in this genus. Our results also support the differentiation of semifossorial shrews into the three geographically isolated groups, where the size of the dentary and the shape of the three examined structures contribute to discrimination. We found a significant sign of the influence of the environment on the shape of the dentary but not on the skull or the humerus. We suggest that geographic isolation across climatically similar regions has contributed to the differentiation between lineages. We propose recognizing all three lineages as valid species that must be adequately described.

Myotis muricola species group, being common and widespread across South-East Asia and Australasia, is highly complicated from a taxonomy point, and a combined use of different methods is required to solve subjects of its phylogeny, taxonomy and species delimitation. We try to use nuclear DNA for clarification of the taxonomic position and status of the Moluccan whiskered bat, Myotis ater , and in particular its population from mainland Asia mainland Asia. Following our results, individual nuclear markers showed weak phylogenetic signal and commonly provide controversial and low-supported topologies. The combined analysis of several nuclear genes gives a tree topology similar to the mitochondrial one, but with greatly smaller distances. Mitochondrial data, as well as morphometric data, show a separation of M. ater from M . muricola and, at the same time, a similar level of diversification between island and continental populations of M . ater . Unfortunately, nuDNA data at our disposal is not enough to come to reliable conclusions, but we may assume that continental Asia is inhabited by an undescribed taxon related to M . ater .

Rodents play an important role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases. This study investigated the prevalence of Leptospira spp. and Bartonella spp. in Mastomys natalensis and its ectoparasites (fleas and mites) in selected villages of Morogoro, Tanzania. Mastomys natalensis were captured live in fallow habitats using Sherman ® traps and anesthetized using Halothane. Blood samples were obtained from the retroorbital sinus Ectoparasites were removed from the fur using a hard brush and preserved in 70 % ethanol. Real time–qPCR was used to detect Leptospira spp . and Bartonella spp. from Mastomys natalensis blood and ectoparasites respectively. The study revealed a relatively larger number of males than females captures. Leptospira spp. was demonstrated in one out of 100 Mastomys natalensis . For Bartonella spp., prevalence of (14 %) was recorded in mites with a higher proportion in mites from adult male Mastomys natalensis than females. Upon Sanger sequencing, four positive samples showed a complete sequence of the ITS gene. Indicating that all samples belonged to Uncultured Bartonella . Low prevalence of Leptospira spp. and a high prevalence of Bartonella spp. was observed in Mastomys natalensis . Further exploration of rodent pathogens is recommended to raise awareness of the role of commensal rodents in disease transmission via their ectoparasites.