Volume 88, Issue 6

Red deer populations, once extirpated in large parts of Europe, have recovered over the last century in many regions. In Switzerland, primarily inhabiting mountain forests, they have recently started to expand into human-dominated lowland landscapes. To study their habitat selection, we analyzed day- and nighttime positions of 15 GPS-collared red deer. Our results show that during daytime, all animals generally preferred forests; open land was mainly used at night. In summer and fall, some lowland individuals deviated from this pattern and used agricultural crops as daytime retreats. Human settlements were often avoided in the lowlands. Day-site selection in the lowlands occurred irrespective of the distance to trails and the probability of being accessed by humans, in contrast to the pattern observed in the mountains. At night, red deer preferred forest edges and open land. In the lowlands, human settlements were avoided. Trails and transport infrastructures had a marginal influence at night. Our study confirmed a high behavioral plasticity of red deer. The use of daytime retreats close to trails and in high-standing crops represent major extensions of their behavior. Our habitat models indicate that there is ample suitable habitat in the lowlands, which is of major relevance for their management.

The grasslands and shrub areas of the Patagonian steppe are the most frequent habitat for the “Near Threatened” armadillo, known as pichi ( Zaedyus pichiy ). Dense exotic conifer plantations are replacing the steppe in Argentinean northern Patagonia. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of conifer afforestation on the occurrence and food availability in a Z. pichiy population in north-western Patagonia. Fifteen sites in the native steppe and 50 in exotic pine plantations were sampled. We recorded the number of signs of pichi’s presence and the diversity of invertebrates. Signs of Z. pichiy presence decreased in pine afforestation compared to the native steppe. Additionally, we found a decrease in the abundance, richness, diversity, and biomass of arthropods in pine plantations. Therefore, the presence of pine plantations in the steppe reduces the main food items of Z. pichiy and also eliminates the native steppe vegetation structure that provides preferred places to dig burrows. Pine monocultures do not provide a suitable habitat for Z. pichiy and may exacerbate the degradation of an already disturbed environment.

This study investigates the effects of seasonal changes in vegetation productivity on olive baboon feeding behavior in a protected Guinea savannah (Kainji Lake National Park). Over two consecutive years (2017 and 2018), observations were conducted both during the wet and dry seasons using a scan sampling method. Results revealed that olive baboons consumed 34 plant species belonging to 20 families, with 28 species in the wet season and 12 in the dry season. A total of 922 feeding events were recorded in the wet season and 621 in the dry season, indicating significant seasonal variation. Fruits were the preferred food item, especially in the dry season, followed by animal matter, seeds, leaves, and subterranean food. Interestingly, baboons also consumed tree bark regardless of season. In addition, their consumption of fruits (in both seasons) and seeds (in the dry season) highlights their ecological role in seed dispersal and plant regeneration within the park. To sustain baboon (and all non-human primates) conservation efforts within the park, it’s important to maintain a high diversity and abundance of native fruit trees throughout the year. This study highlights the importance of understanding how seasonal changes in vegetation affect olive baboon feeding behavior for effective park management and biodiversity conservation.

The information such as survival, longevity, or recruitment is relatively unknown for most jaguar populations. Herein, we present results from an assessment performed from March through May 2023 in a region where jaguars were assessed during the 2010–2016 period. Jaguars persisted, and a female registered during 2014 survived for nine years with a free-living longevity estimated at 11–12 years. This evidence indicates the region as important for habitat restoration and the establishment of a jaguar sanctuary in Michoacan.

This is the first documented instance of Sri Lanka’s endemic Macaca sinica (toque macaque) foraging on invasive Annona glabra (pond apple). We observed a troop of toque macaques (∼15) consuming A. glabra in a mangrove forest in Negombo lagoon in western Sri Lanka. This behaviour highlights the need to understand species interactions in the design of effective invasive species interventions for mangrove management.

In this work, we have analysed the different causes of admissions of stone martens ( Martes foina ), genets ( Genetta genetta ) and pine martens ( Martes martes ) in two rehabilitation centres in Castilla y León (Spain) during 32 years (1991–2022). The results indicate that the most important factor for stone martens was road kills with 227 martens (53.4 %) followed by electrocutions with 90 martens (21.2 %). From genets, 94 of them (68.6 %) were due to roadkill and 7 (5.1 %) were due to electrocution. The most important cause of admission for pine martens was road kills with 22 (88 %) and 1 (4 %) due to electrocution. Possible explanations for the observed high mortality of stone martens in electric pylons are discussed.

Prey-predator interactions across time and space strongly influence many animal communities. This study unveils the first insights into the ecology of the Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) in Mongolia, and specifically in Bogd Khan Mountain Strictly Protected Area. We used by-catch data obtained from camera traps to analyze activity patterns and potential interactions with mammalian predators. Red squirrels exhibited primarily diurnal activity with occasional nocturnal forays, while potential predators like foxes ( Vulpes vulpes, Vulpes corsac ) and martens ( Martes foina, Martes zibellina ) displayed cathemeral and nocturnal patterns, respectively. The diurnal Pallas’s cat ( Otocolobus manul ) showed the greatest activity overlap with squirrels. Suggesting predator avoidance behavior potentially mediated by olfactory cues, squirrel activity was negatively impacted by marten presence, which was in turn potentially affected by human disturbance. We highlight the need for further investigations, particularly regarding the dietary composition of Pallas’s cats in forested habitats and the broader ecological implications of human disturbance on predator–prey dynamics within this crucial conservation area.

Nesting is a central topic in the behavioural ecology of many species, but data on the materials used to construct mammal nests are rarely reported. This paper describes the most commonly used components from 25 summer nests of the garden dormouse, a small threatened rodent endemic to Europe. Median nest dry weight of 25 nests was 15.5 g (10.3–21.1 g) and moss was the most common material (78 %), followed by leaves (9 %). Mosses were also the most frequently used material, with Hypnum cupressiforme being the most frequently used taxon in 11 out of 25 nests.

In the northern portions of its range, Abert’s Squirrel ( Sciurus aberti ) has two color morphs: a wild-type gray morph and a melanistic morph. Using camera traps, citizen science data and in-person observations in and near Boulder, Colorado (USA), we compared current color morph frequencies to those reported in a 1969–1971 study. At all study sites, we observed a large and statistically significant increase in the frequency of the melanistic morph compared to historic data. We hypothesize that this increase may be due to selection favoring the melanistic morph in a changing forest environment.

Specialist carnivores are often among the first species disappearing from transformed, human-dominated landscapes. However, some carnivore species can exploit abundant food sources in human-dominated landscapes. In this study, we investigated the diet of a specialist carnivore, the serval ( Leptailurus serval ), inhabiting artificial and natural landscapes surrounding a petrochemical plant in the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa. From 2013 to 2018, for each year, we collected and analysed a total of 264 scat samples. We found that rodent species dominated the serval diet, while other prey items like birds, insects, and unidentified prey contributed little to the diet. In terms of biomass consumed, Otomys sp (56.94 %), Mastomys sp (19.12 %), and Rhabdomys sp (8.68 %) were the most important rodent prey. We further found that biomass consumed is only affected by species, not season or species–season interactions. Our results concur with previous studies that serval is primarily a rodent specialist and that specialisation holds even in human-altered landscapes.

Strandings and opportunistic sightings represent an invaluable source of information on cetacean’s biodiversity in the Mexican Caribbean. Here, we document the stranding and rescue of two pantropical spotted dolphins Stenella attenuata (mother and male calf) near Tulum (Quintana Roo, Mexico), which died without a clear diagnosis of cause of death. This case confirms the occurrence of S. attenuata , increasing the number of local aquatic mammals to 20. As most of the other small cetaceans in this region, the conservation status of the species remains undefined, and more research is needed to better understand ecological and biological aspects of its population.

Cases of anomalous coloration are regularly reported in Neotropical mammals, including the rodent family Dasyproctidae (agoutis and acouchis) where leucistic and albino individuals have been observed. Here, we document the first case of leucism in the Brown Agouti ( Dasyprocta variegata ) in Bolivia. During a camera trap survey of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, we obtained footage of a Brown Agouti with a completely white body. Additional pictures of this individual revealed that it has black eyes, indicating leucism instead of albinism. Previous observations (since 2017) of a white agouti in the area suggest that these anomalously colored individuals can survive in the wild. Rare observations of top predators suggest a relatively low predation pressure in the area. We had only one record of a South-American Puma ( Puma concolor ) during our camera trap survey. Hence, leucistic individuals of a common prey species might also be indicative of the dwindling population densities of top predators in the region.

Trachops cirrhosus bats are especially notable for feeding on various types of preys throughout its range, including other bat species. Here we report predation events of T . cirrhosus on Natalus macrourus, a new bat species among a wide range of prey.

The Reeves’ muntjac Muntiacus reevesi is an ungulate native to China and Taiwan that has been released into the wild in several continental European countries and the United Kingdom. We present recent records of the species in mainland France. We also investigated the dispersal rate and density of the established population in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The number of observations of M. reevesi was low in the period 2008–2016, increased sharply until 2019 and then decreased until 2023. From a comparison between the distribution in 2008–2012 and 2013–2017, the dispersal rate was estimated at an average of 3.2 km/year, and 7.6 km/year between 2013–2017 and 2018–2023. Based on a camera trap protocol, the population density was assumed to be very low in forested areas but estimated with a lack of robustness due to a single observation. Further efforts must be made to better assess the risk of an increase in the wild population of Reeves’ muntjac in the Centre-Val de Loire region. To prevent potential impacts, rapid control measures can be put in place in the large area (10,800 km 2 ) where muntjacs are now rapidly spreading.

This study examines the population structure, ecological niche, and vulnerability to climate change of the woolly dormouse Dryomys laniger in Türkiye. Integrating genetic data with species distribution modeling, the research predicts suitable habitats for D. laniger under current and future climate change scenarios until the year 2100. Using an ensemble of two machine learning models, this study finds that by 2040, the range of D. laniger will be reduced significantly, particularly in southern populations. Eastern areas emerge as a potential refuge, showing slight expansion and colonization. The low genetic diversity in this eastern population indicates the need for long-term adaptability of D. laniger . Due to the unique adaptive potential of each population, this research highlights the importance of region-specific management plans to ensure the long-term survival of this species, which appears to be vulnerable to habitat fragmentation.

We report the first record of the grand leaf-nosed bat, Hipposideros grandis , from a cave in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. We confirmed its identity using morphometric and molecular analyses. This study enhances the number of national bat fauna and underscores the importance of comprehensive bat surveys in Bangladesh.

We report the rediscovery of Microtus bavaricus in Germany, a small mammal that had not been recorded here in more than 60 years. Between 2012 and 2014, a citizen science project addressed cat owners and farmers to collect rodents killed by cats and traps. Until 2017, we conducted 3,432 live trap nights to rediscover the species in and around the area of its discovery. However, only a three-step approach (screening large areas for the occurrence of pine voles using camera trapping, live trapping for collecting genetic material, DNA-barcoding) allowed for the rediscovery of this elusive species near Mittenwald in 2023.

Limited vouchered records exist for Cuniculus paca , the second-largest living caviomorph rodent, documenting its southernmost occurrence. Here, we introduce four new recording sites based on skulls probably discarded by local hunters, with three located in Misiones Province and the fourth marking the first supported evidence in the neighboring Corrientes Province in Argentina. The data remains inconclusive as to whether the latter location signifies a southern expansion of this rodent due to climate change or simply an overlooked population that has long been established. Regardless, these findings underscore the importance of increased fieldwork and specimen collection.

Rhipidomys is a Sigmodontinae genus with a great diversity in western Amazonia, including Rhipidomys gardneri and Rhipidomys leucodactylus . These species shared the same diploid number of 44, however, two fundamental numbers were attributed to R. leucodactylus and one to R. gardneri . A new karyotype for R. leucodactylus is described, with a diploid and fundamental number shared by other Rhipidomys species. Data confirmed three karyotypes for R. leucodactylus , only one for R. gardneri , the presence of R. leucodactylus in the Brazilian state of Acre and extend the distribution of R. gardneri to Manoel Urbano, in Acre, showing both species occurring in the high Purus River basin.

The Indian pangolin ( Manis crassicaudata ) is an “endangered” mammal species that is restricted to four range countries of Asia. The ecology and breeding behavior of Indian pangolins is poorly understood due to a lack of scientific data. Due to heavy poaching and illegal killing, the species population has declined drastically in the last decade. Considering the fact that Indian pangolin has low reproductive output, it needs special conservation measures and authentic information about its breeding ecology. We estimated concentrations of three reproductive hormones from scats using ELISA kits in male and female pangolins inhabiting the Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan, to confirm its breeding pattern in its range. Testosterone levels were found elevated from May (0.59 ng/ml) until October (1.28 ng/ml). Oestradiol levels were raised from May (0.59 pg/ml) until December (2.64 pg/ml). Progesterone concentrations were relatively low from January until March but increased from April (4.85 pg/ml) through December (14.0 pg/ml) with highest concentrations (20.13 pg/ml) in September and October. Mean hormone (testosterone, oestradiol and progesterone) concentrations were elevated in winter compared to summer ( p  < 0.001). The current study is the first one to quantify hormonal levels in this species, and our findings establish the breeding pattern of Indian pangolin.

Defined as the killing of a newborn individual by a conspecific, infanticide by males is widespread in mammals. Results from this paper used genetic analysis to confirm and characterize the first report of non-parental infanticide in giant armadillos. Genetic evidence demonstrates that the killer male is unrelated to the killed infant but is the father of the next offspring. This evidence supports the sexual selection hypothesis, in which infanticide is used to obtain increased access to breeding females.

We report on a small collection of shrews from the central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three taxa are recognized, of which a long-tailed and a middle-sized species of Crocidura are described as C. salonga sp. nov. and C. binco sp. nov. Crocidura lwiroensis is recorded for the first time since its description from near Lake Tanganyika in 2013.

The Silver-backed Chevrotain ( Tragulus versicolor ), a mammal endemic to the unique coastal arid ecosystem in south-central Vietnam, is an enigmatic mouse deer with little information available about its ecology and evolutionary history. The recent rediscovery of the species provides a rare opportunity to clarify its taxonomy and phylogenetic relationship within the genus Tragulus . In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for samples of T . versicolor and T . kanchil from Vietnam. Our molecular results show that the species forms a distinct evolutionary lineage sister to all other species in the genus, confirming the earlier hypothesis based on morphological evidence. However, further research is needed to assess the genetic diversity of the species and design appropriate conservation measures. As the species has not been secured over much of its range, it is recommended that the population in Nui Chua National Park, the only one covered by a protected area, be prioritized for conservation actions. Conserving the species in this unique and imperiled ecosystem will also benefits a suite of locally endemic and threatened species of fauna and flora.

We review the history of the Sri Lankan squirrel Funambulus obscurus in the context of the Bombay Natural History Society’s Mammal Survey of South Asia. Kathleen Ryley (1883–1935), who helped to compile the results of the Survey, was among the earliest women to name a species of mammal. She was the first to recognise the Sri Lankan species as distinct from its closest relative in southern India. This decision has been confirmed by recent research, but her chosen name for the species is no longer considered valid. We record the rediscovery of the holotype specimen of F. obscurus in Vienna, confirming its identity. We suggest the common name “Dusky Striped Squirrel” for the Sri Lankan F. obscurus and “Pygmy Striped Squirrel” for the Indian Funambulus sublineatus .