Theriologia Ukrainica最新文献

{"title":"Genetic diversity of mtDNA in the grey wolf population of Belarus threatened by wolf-dog admixture","authors":"V. Molchan, K. Homel, A. Valnisty, M. Nikiforov, E. Kheidorova","doi":"10.53452/tu2508","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53452/tu2508","url":null,"abstract":"Hybridisation with domestic species is one of the prominent threats to conser-vation of numerous valuable species in Belarus, in particular the grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), the population of which has previously shown unusually divergent genotypes, indicating a possible admixture with free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758). Such admixture could threaten the future of the species already weakened by anthropogenic pressure. Reports of hybrids in Belarus based on morphological characteristics have been steadily increasing in frequency since 2010, which can be tied with a growing food availability for feral dogs and low population density of grey wolf facili-tating hybridisation. A limited number of genetic studies with sampling that partially covered Belarus did not detect any traces of hybridisation. Here we report our estimate of genetic diversity in the Belarusian population of grey wolf according to control region (D-loop) mtDNA sequence analysis. We ana-lysed tissue samples from 35 specimens harvested during legal hunts across 25 administrative districts from all 6 regions of Belarus between 2009 and 2022, with 9 of the specimens reported to have morphological characteristics of wolf–dog hybrids. We detected 6 haplotypes among those 35 specimens, 4 of which were found among the likely wolf–dog hybrids. Clade analysis of the obtained sequences with 100 confirmed sequences of wolves, dogs, and their hybrids from the NCBI Genbank database has shown the presence of possible wolf–dog hybrids in our sample. The Belarusian wolf population has shown a low nucleotide and a relatively high haplotype diversity. The discovered genet-ic diversity data of the Belarusian wolf population is mostly in line with studies of similar wolf populations across Europe. The persistence of large wolf meta-populations across Eastern Europe and Russia, combined with the high mobility of the animal, seems to be the probable cause of genetic diversity of wolf populations in Belarus, but some degree of wolf–dog hybridisation could also explain the observed genetic heterogeneity, which invites further research based on nuclear markers.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44056664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mammal diversity of an urbanised environment in an arid zone of south-west Africa","authors":"G. Kopij","doi":"10.53452/tu2503","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53452/tu2503","url":null,"abstract":"Thorough investigation of the entire mammalian assemblages has not been hitherto conducted in any African city. Most studies were limited to single species causing problems to citizens or to small mammals causing health hazard. In 2011–2020, 81 mammal species were recorded in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, although only 34 (42.0%) species occurred in the inner zone of the city (50 sq. km). The most speciose (25 species) order were rodents. Within this order the most speciose was the family Muridae (n = 13 species), while the most common rodent species were: Rhabdomys pumilio, Mastomys coucha, Gerbilliscus leucogaster, and Gerbillurus paeba. The second most speciose group of mammals were Chiroptera represented by 14 (17.3%) species in the outer zone (650 sq. km) and 8 species (23.5%) in the inner zone. Ungulates, although mostly rare or uncommon, were in the outer zone represented by eight (9.9%) species. None was, however, recorded in the inner zone. Nineteen Carnivora species (23.5%) were recorded in the outer zone, but only two of them in the inner zone. Other species recorded in Windhoek were representatives of seven other orders: Eulipotyphla (n = 4 spp.), Macroscelidea (n = 3), Lagomorpha (n = 3), Hyracoidea (n = 1), Primates (n=2), Tubulidentata (n = 1), and Pholidota (n = 1). Two species, Cynictis penicillata and Geosciurus inauris, were found to be relatively common in the inner zone. They have reached a population density (5.6 and >2.0 individuals per 100 ha, respectively) higher than in any other cities in Namibia, and probably in southern Africa at large. Despite intense searching in the inner zone, Hystrix africeaustralis and Procavia capensis were only recorded in a shrubby hill. The Procavia capensis population was estimated at 40–70 individuals. A few troops of Papio ursinus are resident only in the outer zone. The following species recorded in Windhoek are in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Acinonx jubatus, Panthera pardus, Felis nigripes, Hyaena brunnea, and Smutia temminckii. Noteworthy is the absence of any alien mammal species in the inner zone, and the presence of only Mus musculus in the outer zone of the city. The protection of mammals in Windhoek, especially in the outer zone, may act as a catalyst to move the municipality governance towards a more effective biodiversity conservation.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46646692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of species of the genus Sylvaemus of northeastern Ukraine by metric characters","authors":"O. Markovska","doi":"10.53452/tu2507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53452/tu2507","url":null,"abstract":"The reliable identification of representatives of the genus Sylvaemus is compli-cated by the huge coincidence of external and metrical characters, as well as by the fact that in most of their range, mice are in conditions of sympatry or even syntopy Moreover, identification is complicated by opposite clinal variability in size and geographic variability in fur colouration. The species are also similar in karyotypes, so their reliable identification is usually possible only based on biochemical or molecular analysis. The craniological collection of small mam-mals of O. V. Zorya and collection specimens of the Museum of Nature of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University were studied. In total, 436 speci-mens of three species of the genus Sylvaemus were analysed: Sylvaemus ura-lensis, Sylvaemus sylvaticus, and Sylvaemus tauricus. Analysed were 14 odon-tometric and 23 craniological characters. Among the metric characters, three odontometrical—width of first upper molar (WM1), length of second lower molar (LM2), length of lower molar row (LM123)—and seven craniometrical characters—length of first upper molar (LM1), length of foramen incisivum (LFI), length of upper molar row (LUM), width of choana (WCH), height of skull including bulla tympanica (HBCB), length of lower molar row (LLM), length of mandible (LM)—made the greatest contribution to the differentiation of mice of the genus Sylvaemus. Width of first upper molar (WM1), length of first lower molar (LM1), length of second lower molar (LM2), length of brain-case (LBC), least interorbital constriction (LIOC), width of braincase (WBC), distance between incisor and M3 (LIM3), length of upper molar row (LUM), condylobasal length of skull (CBL), palatal length (LPP), greatest length of skull (GLS), and length of lower molar row (LLM) are the least variable metric char-acters. Scatterplots linking LLM/CBL, LUM/CBL, and LUM/GLS appeared to be the most suitable for differentiating the specimens, with minimal overlap of species in the morphospace. In north-eastern Ukraine, the best distribution of mice of the genus Sylvaemus was obtained as a result of the analysis based on both odontometrical and craniological characters, when the correctness of the classification was 100%.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43686321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hibernating bat species of Belarus: results of the work of the Minsk bat contact centre ‘Kazhanapolis’ (2018–2022)","authors":"A. Shpak","doi":"10.53452/tu2506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53452/tu2506","url":null,"abstract":"Bat rehabilitation centres, in addition to their main goal, namely, animal rescue, may provide a significant scientific information, and are also sites for popular science activities. This article presents the results of the work of the Minsk Bat contact centre ‘Kazhanapolis’ in 2018–2022. The work of the Сentre includes the rescue of animals by means of artificial hibernation with subsequent release into the wild. Species identification is carried out directly when possible, but sometimes also by photographs. During the hibernation seasons (October–March) in 2018 to 2022, 565 finds were recorded, accounting for more than 730 individuals of 10 species of bats, including Barbastella barbastellus, Epte-sicus nilssonii, E. serotinus, Myotis dasycneme, M. daubentonii, Nyctalus noctu-la, Pipistrellus kuhlii, P. pygmaeus, Plecotus auritus, and Vespertilio murinus. Data were collected from 56 unique localities. Compared to the previous period of work (2007–2017), an increase in the number of recorded species, in the total number of individuals, as well as in the number of localities is shown. By the number of finds (55.47%), as well as recorded specimens (71.32%), V. murinus prevails. A significant proportion (more than 5%) of records are those of N. noctula (23.28% ind. and 8.31% finds), E. serotinus (8.9% ind. and 11.32% finds), and E. nilssonii (5.75% ind. and 3% finds). We consider the record of P. pygmaeus as accidental or migrant. Most of the finds of V. murinus, E. serotinus, P. auritus, P. kuhlii, M. dasycneme, and P. pygmaeus were represented by solitary individuals. N. noctula, E. nilssonii, M. daubentonii, and B. barbastellus are mainly recorded in colonies. The largest colony size (more than 100 ind.) was recorded for N. noctula. The sex ratio (M : F) ranges from 33.3 : 66.6% in E. nilssonii to 74.2 : 25.8% in N. noctula. Plecotus auritus and Myotis dasycneme are represented exclusively by females. Thus, we state the dominance in the species structure of wintering ‘urban bat species’ in Belarus of V. murinus and, at the same time, the expansion of the winter range of N. noctula and P. kuhlii. In addition, the collected data signifi-cantly contribute to our knowledge on the winter range and some hibernation traits of B. barbastellus, M. dasycneme, E. nilssonii, and E. serotinus in Belarus and Eastern Europe.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47437814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alien mammals in ecosystems of eastern Ukraine: a history of research and appearance of species","authors":"Denys Lazariev","doi":"10.15407/tu2418","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2418","url":null,"abstract":"The paper presents a review of the history of investigations and formation of the adventive component of the mammal fauna in eastern Ukraine, mainly in the territory of the left bank of the Siversky Donets, within the area of the eastern part of Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv oblasts). Most of these territories are part of the steppe zone of Ukraine. They are characterised by such edge effects as depletion of the steppe fauna and emergence of azonal species. Throughout almost 170 years of mammal studies in the region, the research directions and the processes of fauna formation have changed. The goal of this paper is to review the history of research and the available data on the appearance and expansion of new for this region species. We distinguish several periods in the history of the formation of the adventitious component of the mammal fauna and in its research. First, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a gradual accumulation of knowledge about the fauna of those regions. At that time, the territories underwent essential transformations. The active usage of lands for agriculture started, and, as a result, the steppe was split into local, isolated ecosystems with insignificant virgin areas. In the middle of the 20th century, the study of ecology and economic importance of mammals gained the attention of researchers. During this period, the intensity and character of distribution of the species increased: from a moderate spread of micromammals as a result of agricultural development to a more intensive distribution of game species as a result of intentional introduction of animals or their escape from culture. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the question of alien species become more prominent. This issue drew the attention of many researchers, and adventive traits were described for various mammals. As a result of our study, we could outline the chronology of the appearance of alien species in eastern Ukraine, as well as the main patterns of their distribution. Historical data allows for concluding that a notable part of the local fauna was formed as a result of invasions and expansion, and these processes are still relevant in the modern period of fauna development. It was established that the changes in the local fauna is closely related to land transformations and shifts in human economic activity.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43339928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mammals of the islands of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve","authors":"Zoya Selyunina, Dmytro Chernyakov","doi":"10.15407/tu2407","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2407","url":null,"abstract":"The island fauna has special characteristics that depend not only on biotope diversity, but also on the island’s geographical features: area, provenance, distance from the mainland, and hydrodynamic processes. Black Sea Biosphere Reserve includes islands located in Tendrivska and Yagorlytska bays. The islands of Babyn, Smalenyi, Potiyivski, Sybirski, and others are located in Tendrivska Bay. The island of Tendrivska Kosa (Tendra Island) separates Tendrivska Bay from the Black sea. In Yagorlytska Bay, there are the Malyi and Velykyi Kinskyi islands, Dovhyi and Kruhlyi islands, and the Yehypetski Islands. The total area of the islands of protected bays of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve is 3365 hectares, and the length of the outer coastlines is 179.5 km. The following biotopes were identified on the islands: reed thickets, sandy and shell beaches on the sea coasts and coasts of the deep-water parts of the bays; flooded solonchaks; the inner parts of the islands with plant associations that are typical for the coastal steppe and the littoral-coastal complex. The mammal assemblage of the islands includes 18 spe¬cies belonging to 6 orders, 10 families, and 16 genera. From 0 to 15 species of mammals live on individual islands. The species composition of the mammal fauna depends on the area of the island, available biotopes, the possibility of animal exchange between the island and the mainland. A number of islands have no other inhabitants except birds during the nesting period, primarily colonial ones. A number of islands belong to the complex of reed thickets, in particular the Yehypetski and Sybirski islands. These islands are located along the mainland coast and are regularly visited by wild boars and carnivorans; other islands are littoral (Novi, Potiyivski), and there are no permanent residents on them. Other islands are covered only with reeds and have no permanent inhabitants. On large islands, such as Dovhyi and Tendrivska Kosa, there are 11–15 species of mammals (migrating dolphins and bats not included), of which almost 20% are invasive and associated with human activity. The species composition and state of populations of micro- and mesomammals on the islands depend on many factors, mainly catastrophic flooding, storms, local epizootics, which can occur due to both natural abiotic and anthropogenic factors.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42008377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bats of Galicia and Bukovina in the 1830–1850s: composition and changes of fauna for 180 years","authors":"I. Zagorodniuk, Sergiy Kharchuk","doi":"10.15407/tu2405","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2405","url":null,"abstract":"The chiropterological component of one of the most significant zoological written monuments of the 19th century of Ukraine in general and the Carpathian region in particular is analysed. This is Stanislaw Petruski’s monograph titled ‘Natural History of Wild Mammals of Galicia’ (1853). The translation of this part has been arranged and commented in accordance with modern schemes of bat taxonomy and nomenclature supplemented with appropriate descriptions from the works of Alexander Zawadski (1840) and Ivan Verkhratsky (1869). Consequently, the most complete picture of the species composition and some features of the biolo-gy of the bat fauna of Prykarpattia (essentially the Carpathian region on the whole) within Ukraine was reconstructed and described, which is important for understanding the composition of past fauna states in neighbouring countries, including Poland and Romania. Descriptions of 12 species from 9 genera are presented and commented taking into account the current state of knowledge. The underestimation concerned only rare species and those morphologically simi-lar to other more common ones (e.g. lesser horseshoe bat, Brandt’s bat, Nathusi-us’s pipistrelle, lesser noctule, etc.). Features of contemporary taxonomy, fauna composition, descriptions of dwellings and display of synanthropy are considered. Special attention is paid to the consideration of fauna changes that have occurred over almost 100 years, as well as the features of the fauna of that time, which shows obvious signs of the ‘warm phase.’ The latter is evidenced by descriptions of species in the fauna in general, which are currently more southern, and descrip-tions of winter finds of those species that in the last period of research (second half of the 20th century) were considered migratory and distant migrants. The main body of data by Petrusky, as follows from his text, dates from 1830–1850, and this corresponds to the period of climatic optimum reconstructed for Poland, where the period 1820–1850 was characterised by warm late winters and early springs. Apparently, the same period extended to Galicia, and later descriptions of ‘warm fauna’ in Ukraine are known for the period of the 1920–1930s and the modern period (1990–2020). The phenomenon of constant cycle of fauna and its regular changes due to climate fluctuations is considered.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48460300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monitoring of the mammal fauna by studying owl pellets: a case of small mammals in protected areas of Podillia","authors":"Mykhailo Drebet","doi":"10.15407/tu2404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2404","url":null,"abstract":"Using owl pellets analysis to monitor mammals in protected areas makes it possible to accumulate a unique material to study the distribution and relative abundance of both common and rare species. Due to the ease of collecting and accumulating of pellets, this method helps to quickly obtain a large amount of material to monitor the changes in natural areas and objects during certain time intervals without interfering with the course of natural processes. The proportions of small-mammal species in the diet of most owls are representative of the proportions of species in their groups. Therefore, the pellet method can be used to organise monitoring of mammal species of natural regions. We analysed nearly 2000 pellets of several species of owls collected in Podillia in the course of the study. Pellets are mostly collected within protected areas. Small mammals form the basis of the diet of the studied species of owls. The diet of the short-eared owl is the most diverse, and it includes 18 species of small mammals. The common vole occurs the most often. The diet of other owl species is also diverse, in particular of the little owl, tawny owl, and eagle owl. As in the case of the short-eared owl, the main prey of the barn owl and grey owl is a common species—the common vole. The diet of the eagle owl, unlike others, is dominated by larger small-mammal species—brown rat, white-breasted hedgehog, and European hamster. In addition to common species, the analysis of owl pellets allows us to identify not only the most common, but also rare species, such as the European hamster, bicoloured shrew, lesser white-toothed shrew, and various bats. Therefore, the pellet method of research is highly effective in analysing the composition of the fauna and the structure of communities, of both prey and predator species. Owl pellet analysis is a valuable asset during small-mammal monitoring studies, and is especially useful for sampling of indicator small-mammal species during environmental impact assessments in protected areas. The method has considerable advantages compared to standard survey methods of small mammals— it does not require the removal of animals from the natural environment, which makes it relevant for use in protected areas.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45482325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Memories of the life and creative path of Academician Vadym Topachevsky","authors":"L. Rekovets","doi":"10.15407/tu2419","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2419","url":null,"abstract":"The article presents an analytical summary of the memories about Academician Vadym Oleksandrovych Topachevsky, a palaeomammalogist, whose creative path covers the second half of the 20th century. His contribution to the development of zoological science is highlighted and the qualities of his character are noted. The professor’s achievements in the field of palaeomammalogy, biostratigraphy, and palaeoecology, as well as palaeogeography are discussed. His role as a scientist in the formation of a holistic scientific direction of research—palaeomammalogy— in Ukraine and abroad is emphasized and substantiated. This was facilitated by his many years of activity as the director of the Institute of Zoology and the head of the Palaeontological Museum and the Theriological Society of Ukraine. Topachevsky substantiated morpho-functional dependencies in evolutionary morphology and defended the approach of Darwin’s theory. He asserted the relationship between morphology, function, and environment as the basis of the process of adaptation in his writings. He is author of new taxa of insectivorans (Lypotyphla), lagomorphs, and rodents (Rodentia). He presented revisions of the taxonomy and systematics of these groups, substantiated phylogenetic relationships in separate lines of Spalacidae, Cricetidae, Ellobius, Allophaiomys, and others. Topachevsky initiated innovative approaches to assess the role of mammalian assemblages in the dynamics of biocoenotic groups over time. He substantiated their chronological sequence depending on palaeoclimatic conditions and the manifestation of geological processes. His data formed the basis for the construction of the modern biostratigraphic scheme of the late Neogene and Pleistocene of Eastern Europe, which is successfully used today by practicing geologists. The main milestones of the social and personal life of the academician are also highlighted and the importance of his work in the formation of modern mammalogy in Ukraine and the training of zoologists is shown. The latter are today the basis of the Ukrainian Theriological Society, of which he was the president for many years. Under his leadership, palaeontological expeditions gathered notable collections of the mammal fauna, which are part of the National Heritage of Ukraine.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48149947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Ukrainian Polissia: a biogeographical analysis","authors":"I. Zagorodniuk, Elvira Rizun","doi":"10.15407/tu2410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2410","url":null,"abstract":"New and previous data on patterns of the geographical distribution of the Eurasian lynx in the Ukrainian part of Polissia is summarised with attention to the estimates of distribution limits of the species (the entire data set for 1847–2022 with attention to data after 2000). Inventory data for five groups of locations—Volyn–Rivne group, Zhytomyr Polissia, Chornobyl zone, Dniprо–Desna interfluve (Mizhrichia), and Chernihiv Polissia—are given, respectively 15, 25, 14, 12, and 13 records (80 in total). Important information, which does not contain accurate inventory data though characterises the distribution of the species, primarily in relation to the west of Polissia and the Chornobyl zone, for which there are many new publications, is also commented. The growth of the Polissian lynx population is naturally accompanied by the expansion of its distribution limits and, in fact, the restoration of the former Polissian range of the species in general. This process, however, significantly limits poaching—both because of the undesirability of living with a predator (i.e. persecution) and because of hunting (i.e. trophy hunting). A high rate of lynx deaths is shown, and in some regions a significant proportion of records (in particular, in the left-bank Polissia and throughout the southern distribution of the species in the region) are based on reports of animals caught by hunters (9 records). Taking into account the range of the species in the Polissia and the specifics of its current configuration, the article considers the importance of modern biogeographical coordinates in the distribution of the species, compares these boundaries with the previously established boundaries of the Polissia subprovince, and shows the growing significance of coordinates of anthropogenic origin, in particular large highways. In particular, the range limit of the species in the central part of the Polissia is determined by the highway M07, whereas in eastern Polissia by the M01+M02 routes, which generally outlines the Desna River. In all cases, we can talk about the process of restoration of the Polissian range of the lynx, but essentially all attempts of the species to ‘do so’ end in the death of colonist individuals. Practically being the last ‘indicative’ mammal species of the Polissia, the lynx has now actually lost this role and is unable to restore its former range; therefore, the current limits of its distribution are not natural.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67015468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}