Tropical Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Blessing the rains down in Africa: spatiotemporal behaviour of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the rainy and dry seasons, in the African savannah","authors":"A. Viviano, G. Amori, L. Luiselli, H. Oebel, Farid Bahleman, E. Mori","doi":"10.4081/TZ.2020.80","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/TZ.2020.80","url":null,"abstract":"The assessment of habitat selection and temporal patterns of activity rhythms is paramount for wildlife conservation. Studies on behavioural ecology of wild mammals are particularly challenging in tropical areas, mostly when involving rare or elusive species. Despite being a common species in Italy, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is threatened of extinction throughout most of its sub-Saharan range. All available information on the ecology of this species has been collected in Italy, whereas no data is present in the scientific literature on spatiotemporal behaviour of this large rodent in Africa. In this work, we attempted to determine habitat selection and temporal patterns of activity rhythms of the crested porcupine in northern Benin and neighbouring countries, through intensive camera-trapping. We collected a total of 146 records of crested porcupine, 91 in the dry season (October-March) and 55 in the rainy season (April-September). Porcupines used most habitats in proportion to their local availability, while selecting rock outcrop formations (possibly used as shelter sites) and avoiding open areas, wetlands and gallery forests. A mostly nocturnal behaviour was confirmed throughout the year, with some diurnal activity at the start and at the end of the rainy season. The importance of rains in determining birth peak has been also showed, with juvenile individuals always observed at the start and at the end of the rainy season. Full moon always inhibited activity of this large rodent, most likely evolved as an antipredatory behaviour to limit encounters with potential predators (common leopard Panthera pardus, spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta and honey badger Mellivora capensis) and humans. Poaching pressure towards porcupines in West Africa is strong. Porcupines are killed for the traditional medicine, for their meat and because they are widely considered as a crop pest. This assessment should therefore be used as a basic tool to design conservation plans to preserve this rodent species in its native range.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44547124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New species and records of Exalloniscus Stebbing, 1911 from southern Asia (Malacostraca, Isopoda, Oniscidea)","authors":"S. Taiti, Giovanna Monticelli Cardoso","doi":"10.4081/TZ.2020.83","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/TZ.2020.83","url":null,"abstract":"The genus Exalloniscus is widely distributed in southern and eastern Asia. In this contribution, eight species are described as new: Exalloniscus schmalfussi from Nepal; E. siamensis from Thailand; E. kampucheaensis from Cambodia; E. tortilis and E. deharvengi from Vietnam; E. stilifer from southern China; E. burmaensis from Myanmar; and E. convexus from Laos. Ten more species are recorded: E. nepalensis from Nepal; E. coecus, E. brincki, E. bicoloratus, E. caudatus and E. maschwitzi from West Malaysia; E. sumatranus from Sumatra, Indonesia, and Singapore; E. papillosus from West Malaysia and Vietnam; and E. thailandensis from Laos. Exalloniscus bessoni Dalens, 1992 and E. yinae Nunomura and Xie, 2000 are considered to be junior synonyms of E. thailandensis Dalens, 1987. A map with the recorded distributions of all the 28 species of Exalloniscus is provided and their habitat is discussed.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45228115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphology, development and reproduction of Atractomorpha acutipennis (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae)","authors":"S. Kekeunou, Marcelle Mbadjoun-Nziké, Alain Christel Wandji, Steve Bernard Soh-Baleba, Alfiery Laurel Djomnang-Nkwala, Alain Simeu-Noutchom, Charly Oumarou‐Ngoute, Philene Corine Aude Um-Nyobe, Linda Gaelle Guiadem-Simo, P. N. Akono","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.81","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.81","url":null,"abstract":"For a better knowledge of Atractomorpha acutipennis bio-ecology and to facilitate its identification, we studied the morphology, development and reproduction of this grasshopper on Manihot esculenta under laboratory conditions. Five hundred and fifty-one first nymphal stages obtained in the laboratory were reared in cages. Some body parts allowed a clear identification of different nymphal instars. Post-embryonic development passed through six stages (males) and seven stages (females). Mean nymphal development time was 17.14 ± 0.62, 12.91 ± 0.62, 13.45 ± 0.69, 13.80 ± 0.68, 15.23 ± 0.55 days respectively in males nymphal instars 1 to 5 and 16.18 ± 0.54, 13.13 ± 0.59, 12.49 ± 0.42, 13.19 ± 0.58, 14.58 ± 0.61, 16.57 ± 0.68 days respectively, in females nymphal instars 1 to 6. Adult females deposited an average of 3.67 ± 2 egg pods each comprising 30.77 ± 10.5 eggs. First mating was observed 18 ± 15.42 days after the last moult. Oviposition occured on average 19.33± 5.33 days after the first mating. This study provides important information about the biology of A. acutipennis, which could help in developing control methods against this grasshopper in southern Cameroon.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46905447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological characteristics of a recently described, critically endangered gecko species, endemic to Central Highland, Vietnam","authors":"V. Q. Luu, O. Van, Tuoi Thi Hoang, Thong Pham Van, Olivier Le Duc, Cédric Bordes, B. Leprince, G. Amori, L. Luiselli","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.71","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.71","url":null,"abstract":"Gia Lai bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus gialaiensis) was firstly described in 2017, and is an endemic species with very restricted distributional range, estimated to be less than 10 km2 in coffee plantation in Gia Lai province, Central Highland of Vietnam. This species is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List. To date, the natural history of this species is totally unknown. In this paper, we provide the first-of-ever natural history data on this highly threatened gecko species, with emphasis on morphometrics, habitat preferences, thermal ecology, and activity patterns. In 23 days of surveys, we captured 42 C. gialaiensis individuals and recaptured 4 of them. Sex ratio was not skewed from equality and juveniles accounted for 23.8% of the observed individuals. The two sexes did not differ in terms of mean Snout-to-Vent Length, Tail Length and weight, but the adult females had longer head than adult males. Geckos were observed at a mean substratum temperature of 24.2±1°C (n=14), and exhibited a mean body temperature of 29.5±2.5°C (n=14). There was no significant correlation between substratum and body temperatures. Body temperatures were significantly higher than substratum temperatures. The study species exhibited a clearly nocturnal above-ground activity, with main peak occurring between 20:00-21:30 h.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45840456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The first detection of a population of Aedes aegypti in the Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil","authors":"J. Alencar, Cecilia Ferreira de Mello, A. Guimarães, D. A. Maia, V. Balbino, M. Freitas, C. B. Marcondes","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.70","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.70","url":null,"abstract":"Aedes aegypti is almost completely restricted to human-modified environments, especially urban areas, and rarely invades forests. Ovitraps were utilized in a reserve (Bom Retiro) in Rio de Janeiro state. Eggs of A. aegypti, genetically not differentiable from those of urban mosquitoes, were obtained at a location more than 700 m inside the border of the forest and 900 m away from a trail at the entrance to the forest. The presence of A. aegypti in a primary forest indicates its ability to adapt to sylvatic environments in Brazil, suggesting great potential for the transmission of several arboviruses due to the difficulty in controlling these mosquitoes.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70310784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unravelling taxonomic ambiguity of the Mastacembelidae in the Mekong Delta (Vietnam) through DNA barcoding and morphological approaches","authors":"Thuy‐Yen Duong, Liem Tran, N. Nguyen, J. Jamaluddin, M. N. S. Azizah","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.72","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.72","url":null,"abstract":"Morphological-based species identification can be problematic for a comparative worldwide survey if taxonomic keys are limited and inconsistent, as illustrated in the family Mastacembelidae. This study combined DNA barcoding and morphological methods to test species identification of Mastacembelidae in the Mekong Delta with emphasis on taxonomic ambiguity of the precise identification of the fish locally known as chach bong. Fish specimens were collected from fishermen in different regions of the delta. Five presumed species within two genera were recorded. Samples were morphologically measured for morphometric and meristic traits. Representative samples of each species were sequenced at the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The number of dorsal fin spines and general morphological appearance are distinguishable among the five presumed species. However, morphometric measurements overlapped between Macrognathus semiocellatus and Macrognathus siamensis. K2P distances based on COI sequences among species were high, ranging from 12.4% to 18.7%. All individuals were separated into monophyletic groups of species, clustered into Mastacembelus and two Macrognathus lineages. Chach bong should be recognized as Mastacembelus favus and not Mastacembelus armatus as previously classified. No Mastacembelus armatus was recorded in the Mekong Delta. GenBank sequences of Mastacembelus armatus formed a sister relationship to Mastacembelus favus although both have the same range of number of dorsal fin spines and similar reticulated patterns on the body. Misidentification between these two species has been widely recorded in international databases of species taxonomy and DNA barcodes. Nonetheless, their genetic distance (12.4%) is higher than conspecific distances of samples from other regions, indicating the two species can be differentiated by DNA barcoding.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46772133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vertical distribution and daily patterns of birds in the dry deciduous forests of central western Madagascar","authors":"J. A. Rajaonarivelo, A. Andrianarimisa, M. J. Raherilalao, S. Goodman","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.66","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.66","url":null,"abstract":"Data on the vertical distribution and ecological requirements of forest birds in western Madagascar are poorly documented. Strata use of forest-dwelling birds associated with vegetation structure and daily temperature patterns was examined in the dry deciduous forest of Kirindy. Six line transects of 1000 m each were used to survey birds and linear sampling to quantify vegetation structure. Data loggers were employed to record differences in temperature across vertical forest strata. A total of 3468 observations of 37 bird species were recorded. In the early morning, birds called frequently and used the canopy, at mid-day, when temperature in the upper strata increased on average around 7oC, they tended to descend along a vertical gradient to the denser vegetation of the understory, presumably to avoid heat stress. In the case of largerbodied canopy birds, they occupied the mid-story during the heat of the day. Regardless of the time of the day, the mid-story was widely used by forest birds for feeding, roosting, and preening. These results demonstrate the sensitivity and vertical movements of birds to varying environmental conditions and provide new information on the ecology of Malagasy dry forest-dwelling birds.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43467681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Timing of emergence and cave return, and duration of nocturnal activity in an endemic Malagasy fruit bat","authors":"Riana V. Ramanantsalama, S. Goodman","doi":"10.4081/TZ.2020.68","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/TZ.2020.68","url":null,"abstract":"Bats emerge from their day roost after dusk and different factors can affect the timing of departure, return, and duration of nocturnal activities. This study provides information on the time of emergence and return of an endemic Malagasy fruit bat, Rousettus madagascariensis, in a cave located in the Réserve Spéciale d’Ankarana, northern Madagascar. Individuals were captured in a narrow passage between the roost and cave exit and capture time for each individual was noted. Variation according to sex, age, and body condition, as well as the influence of season, and the sunset and sunrise time were analyzed. During the dry season, individuals started to emerge at 1913 hours and returned to the cave generally by 0505 hours; the duration of time outside the cave during the dry season was higher in adult females (0952 hours) followed by subadult males (0937 hours), sub-adult females (0931 hours), and adult males (0910 hours). During the wet season, individuals exited at 1926 hours and returned at 0351 hours; as in the dry season, adult females spent more time outside the cave (0833 hours), than sub-adult females (0800 hours), and adult males (0752 hours). The period of emergence varied according to the age and sex classes, and time of predawn return associated with the previous nocturnal activity. The period of return was influenced by season, and age and sex classes. Such information is useful to quantify shifts in bat ecology, especially for endemic species with limited distribution or those playing an important role in ecosystem services.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45004895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Line-transect data may not produce reliable estimates of interannual sex-ratio and age structure variation in West African savannah ungulates","authors":"E. Hema, Yaya Ouattara, Maomarco Abdoul Ismael Tou, G. Amori, Mamadou Karama, L. Luiselli","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.67","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.67","url":null,"abstract":"Adult sex ratios and age structures are important wildlife population parameters, but they have been poorly investigated in ungulate species in West African savannahs. We used line transects to investigate these parameters in 11 ungulates from a protected area in south-western Burkina Faso during the period 2010-2018. We created an empirical model of “detectability” for each species based on its main ecological characteristics (habitat and group size) and body size, and then compared the observed interannual inconsistency in sex ratios and age structures with the a priori detectability score. Six out of 11 species showed low interannual inconsistency in sex ratio and age structure. In 82% of the study species, however, the predicted detectability score matched the observed score, with two exceptions being Tragelaphus scriptus and Sincerus caffer.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4081/tz.2020.67","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41563749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new species of the catfish genus Cambeva from the Paranapanema river drainage, southeastern Brazil (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae)","authors":"A. Katz, W. Costa","doi":"10.4081/tz.2020.63","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.63","url":null,"abstract":"The recently described catfish trichomycterid genus Cambeva comprises about 25 valid species, occurring mostly in river basins of south-eastern and southern Brazil. Fifteen species are endemic to the Parana river basin, of which three are endemic to the Paranapanema river drainage. Herein we describe a fourth new species, Cambeva guareiensis n. sp., known only from the Guarei river. Cambeva guareiensis is similar to C. brachykechenos, C. cubataonis, C. diabola, C. davisi, C. diatropoporos, C. pascuali, C. poikilos and C. stawiarski by having a colour pattern consisting of dark brown spots scattered on the flank and can be differentiated by an exclusive combination of characters, including: the shape of the autopalatine; number of branchiostegal, anal-fin, dorsal-fin, dorsal and ventral caudal procurrent, and pectoral-fin rays; number of interopercular and opercular odontodes; number of vertebrae; and, insertion of anal fin, pelvic fin and urogenital papillae. This study indicates the potential for discovering a greater still unknown trichomycterid species diversity in the Parana river basin.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4081/tz.2020.63","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47778605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}