Volume 89, Issue 3

Tickell’s bat ( Hesperoptenus tickelli ) is a medium-sized bat belonging to the family Vespertilionidae. This species was rarely recorded in recent surveys in its range. Similarly, this species has not been recorded in Sri Lanka since 1963. Further, it is assumed to roost in dense foliage of tall trees. We report three opportunistic records of this species from Sri Lanka after 58 years, along with notes on its roosting ecology. We highlight the importance of comprehensive studies on the life history of this species for better conservation and management.

This study provides new insights into the behavioral ecology of Dinomys branickii based on long-term camera trap surveys conducted at three sites along an altitudinal gradient in southeastern Peru. Notably, we document the first known cases of geophagy in this species, which suggests a highly herbivorous diet. Moreover, in contrast to previous reports that described D. branickii as a group-living species, our data indicate that it is primarily solitary, with group formations likely limited to reproductive activities. Additionally, we confirm the species’ predominantly nocturnal and crepuscular activity patterns, with most activity occurring between 02:00 and 05:00 h. By calculating and comparing camera trap detection rates, used as an index of relative abundance (RAI), for D. branickii across different surveys, we highlight the species’ ecological rarity, evidenced by consistently low detection rates (0.163; 0.173 and 0.011 events per 1,000 trap-days) across diverse habitats and survey designs.

The scientific question addressed in this study is how mammals in the Caatinga dry forest of northeast Brazil adapt to seasonal variations, specifically regarding their activity and occupancy patterns and species richness and composition. To investigate, we deployed camera traps across Furna Feia National Park during both wet and dry seasons in 2018. We utilized methods such as rarefaction curves, circular statistics, and occupancy models to analyze data collected from 44 and 40 sampling points during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. We obtained 485 records of 11 mammal species from six orders and nine families, including endangered species like Leopardus tigrinus and Herpailurus yagouaroundi . Notably, we captured the first photographic evidence of a free-living Dicotyles tajacu in Rio Grande do Norte state. Results indicate that some mammals adjust their activity to avoid peak heat, particularly during the dry season, with no significant change in species richness but with important changes in occupancy and relative abundance between seasons. Our research expects to shed light on mammalian ecology in seasonally dry environments, contributing to species management and conservation efforts.

Marmosa rapposa and Thylamys sponsorius were captured in syntopy in the locality of Isla de Cañas Salta province, Argentina. We studied the stomach contents of 7 M. rapposa and 10 T. sponsorius and identified arthropods and plant material as the main items. Niche overlap was studied using the Pianka index. We found that arthropods were the most abundant items in both species (67 % in M. rapposa , 63.5 % in T. sponsorius ), and plant material represented 29.6 % and 35.5 %, respectively. Insects were the main item in both species (45 % in M. rapposa , 58.5 % in T. sponsorius ), while spiders were more abundant in the diet of M. rapposa (21.7 % vs. 5 % in T. sponsorius ). The dietary overlap between the two species was high (91.1 %); a similar result was found between males and females of M. rapposa (74.2 %) and T. sponsorius (77.4 %). Non-parametric analyses using PERMANOVA and Principal Coordinate Analysis showed the same pattern, with broad overlap in the diets of the species. The coexistence of these two species may be due to temporal segregation (which we could not study) or different habitat use (more prominent palmar and plantar calluses in M. rapposa indicate a more arboreal lifestyle than that of T. sponsorius ).

Tree hollows are a critical resource for many wildlife taxa, thus declining tree hollow availability across forest ecosystems worldwide presents a critical conservation challenge. In this note, the characteristics of trees and tree hollows used by the Nilgiri marten, a threatened small carnivore endemic to the Western Ghats of India were described. Nilgiri martens were observed on 11 occasions using eight species of hollow trees, including two red listed tree species. Hollows were typically located on tree trunks in the forest subcanopy below 10 m. Trees containing hollows had an average height of 27.44 ± 5.23 m (range: 20–38 m) and an average GBH of 3.43 ± 0.49 m (range: 2.80–4.10 m). Although limited in number, these observations suggest that large hollow trees could be important to Nilgiri marten life history, similar to marten species elsewhere. Policies that target retention of such trees in mid-elevation evergreen and shola forests may benefit long-term conservation of martens and other hollow-using wildlife in India.

Environmental degradation has altered animal population dynamics, making the monitoring of parasitic communities in wildlife relevant because of their potential impact on environmental and public health. Through the compilation of ectoparasite data in three wild canids of Mexico, an updated list of ectoparasite species recorded on them in Mexico is reported. The goal is to understand the current state of knowledge about the taxonomic composition of ectoparasite communities in wild canids, specifically which taxa are currently known, locations been recorded, and sites yet to be sampled. Using electronic databases, geographical coordinates were obtained for localities with records of wild canids and their ectoparasites. The records for the canid species and their respective collected ectoparasites were mapped in Mexico. Urocyon cinereoargenteus has the greatest number of ectoparasite species, followed by Canis latrans and Vulpes macrotis. A total of 14 flea species from three families were recorded. The family Pulicidae was the most abundant, followed by Rhopalopsyllidae and Ceratophyllidae. Regarding ticks, only three species of the family Ixodidae were found. No louse records were found. It is recommended to conduct further studies on the composition and structure of ectoparasite communities in carnivores because it provides fundamental data for species conservation.

This note documents three cases of aberrant colouration in two species of Jaculus , observed following hunts by local people, as these jerboas are commonly consumed in Arabic countries. In Tunisia, the first cases of albinism and leucism in the greater Egyptian jerboa ( Jaculus orientalis ) were reported: one albino individual characterized by white fur and red eyes and one leucistic individual with white fur but black eyes. In Iraq, an albino lesser Egyptian jerboa ( Jaculus jaculus ) with white fur and red eyes was recorded, marking the second known case of albinism in this species.

This study presents the first confirmed record of the long-eared hedgehog ( Hemiechinus auritus ) in Lebanon, specifically at Ras El Assi, Hermel. This finding extends the known range of the species regionally and globally and contributes to regional biodiversity documentation. The record was obtained through an opportunistic observation in a semi-arid habitat, reinforcing the importance of biodiversity surveys in underrepresented areas. Further research is recommended to assess population status and potential conservation needs.

We report the first country record of Andersen’s leaf-nosed bat, Hipposideros gentilis, and hairy-faced myotis, Myotis annectans from a gorge in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Additionally, a large colony of dawn bat, Eonycteris spelaea , and grand leaf-nosed bat, Hipposideros grandis was found in the gorge which are the second country records. We provided specimen-based evidence by evaluating external and craniodental measurements of recorded bats supplemented with salient morphological features. This study enhances the number of national bat fauna and highlights the importance of continued bat surveys in Bangladesh.

Urbanization affects animal behavior, making ethology crucial for understanding its full impact. Artibeus lituratus is the most captured bat species in urban environments in Brazil, yet its ethology has never been studied in the country. Furthermore, there is much to be uncovered about the roles temperature and offspring play in influencing bat behavior. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the behavior of a group of roosting A. lituratus , and to test the influence of temperature and presence of offspring on their behaviors. A group of A. lituratus was observed roosting under palm leaves, on the Campus of Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense. Ad libitum sampling was used for behavior description, whereas Scan sampling was used to analyze the activity patterns and test the influence of temperature and offspring. Sixteen behaviors were distinguished. The bats were observed during daytime, and were the most active between 09:00 and 16:00, and lowest at 07:00, 8:00, and 17:00. Ambient temperature was positively correlated with behaviors “active” and “self-grooming”, and negatively correlated with “inactive”. “Allogrooming” was more abundant when offspring were present. This study provides the first ethological insights into A. lituratus in Brazil, emphasizing the roles of temperature and offspring in shaping their behavior.

The Sakeji horseshoe bat Rhinolophus sakejiensis is an endemic to south-central Africa. Until recently, it remained known only from the type series of three specimens collected in Nchila Wildlife Reserve, north-western Zambia. The phylogenetic position of R. sakejiensis was evaluated based on morphologic traits and it was suggested that it represents a part of the ‘ clivosus -complex’ within the Rhinolophus ferrumequinum clade of the genus. In this study, we provide an insight into the phylogenetic position of R. sakejiensis employing molecular data, using a newly discovered specimen that originates from the identical area as the type series. We assessed the genetic relationships of R. sakejiensis using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. This analysis revealed this species to be phylogenetically distinct from morphologically similar congeners of the capensis , fumigatus , and ferrumequinum species groups. In fact, it does not belong to any recognised species group but rather represents a distinct evolutionary lineage – along with another African relic bat, Rhinolophus horaceki . The divergence time of R. sakejiensis from R. horaceki , its closest relative, was estimated to have occurred in the Middle Miocene, roughly at 15.3 Ma, a period of dynamic environmental changes that may have led to widely separated occurrences of various relic bat lineages.

We report the first confirmed geographical occurrences of three species of leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae) in the Brazilian Caatinga, based on specimens collected in semideciduous forests and rupestrian grasslands of the Chapada Diamantina National Park. The new records include Artibeus anderseni , A. gnomus (Stenodermatinae), and Rhinophylla pumilio (Rhinophyllinae). Additionally, we expand the known distribution of five taxa previously recorded in other sectors of the Caatinga but either unknown in Bahia state or whose presence in this region is supported by few museum specimens: Uroderma magnirostrum, Micronycteris megalotis, M. minuta, M. sanborni , and Gardnerycteris crenulata . The new findings highlight the need for precise morphological diagnoses of voucher specimens in field surveys and geographical assessments of bat communities from the Caatinga, including the taxonomic revision of historical records. Previous records of species reported in transitional areas between this natural region and the Atlantic Forest suggest that, with additional sampling efforts in other areas, new species could be added to bat inventories in the dry ecosystems of northeastern Brazil.

The leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis ), a small wild feline native to Asia, is known for its considerable genetic diversity across its range; however, studies on the mitochondrial genome of Prionailurus bengalensis alleni , a subspecies endemic to Hainan, are lacking. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the Hainan leopard cat. Sequencing revealed a genome length of 16,936 bp, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. Phylogenetic analyses of the 13 protein-coding genes from the mitochondrial genomes of 11 subspecies of leopard cats revealed two well-supported clades (Clade A and Clade B). Within Clade A, P. b. alleni clustered with P. b. chinensis instead of P. b. bengalensis . Genetic distance and divergence time analyses supported the synonymization of P. b. alleni , P. b. chinensis , and P. b. horsfieldi with P. b. bengalensis . P. b. iriomotensis could be considered a synonym for P. b. euptilurus . Clade B corresponds to the recently the recognized species Prionailurus javanensis . Overall, our findings provide strong support for two P. bengalensis subspecies ( P. b. bengalensis and P. b. euptilurus ) and two P. javanensis subspecies ( P. j. javanensis and P. j. sumatranus ), and confirm the interest of using mitochondrial genome for gaining insights into phylogenetic relationships and subspecies taxonomy.

The male karyotype of Hylomys maxi has a diploid number (2n) of 46 chromosomes, with a medium-sized submetacentric X and a small acrocentric Y sex chromosomes. It has two chromosomes less than that of the Vietnamese taxa Hylomys peguensis microtinus and Hylomys macarong with 2n = 48, and differs particularly in the morphology of the second largest autosome – metacentric in H. maxi and submetacentric in the Vietnamese taxa. The karyotypes support the molecular findings that H. maxi and H. peguensis microtinus are not conspecific as members of H. suillus .