Mammal Research最新文献

{"title":"Population fluctuations of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) in a landscape with cumulative clearcutting","authors":"Thomas P. Sullivan, Druscilla S. Sullivan","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00746-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00746-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We investigated the responses of meadow vole (<i>Microtus pennsylvanicus</i>) populations to cumulative clearcutting of coniferous forests during four <i>Periods</i> over a 42-year span from 1979 to 2020 near Summerland, British Columbia, Canada. This vole is a common inhabitant of moist meadows, grasslands, and early successional sites after forest clearcutting and wildfire and may damage plantation trees on reforestation sites. We tested three hypotheses (H) that populations of <i>M. pennsylvanicus</i> would (H₁) increase in abundance and potentially fluctuate owing to the availability of early seral post-harvest habitats associated with cumulative clearcut harvesting; and (H₂) be positively associated with mean cover of herbaceous vegetation on clearcut sites; and (H₃) be at lower abundance when the long-tailed vole (<i>M. longicaudus</i>) is present at higher numbers. Overall, mean abundances of <i>M. pennsylvanicus</i> were generally low, and hence differences among <i>Periods</i> were not formally significant. Thus, H₁, that meadow voles would increase in abundance on new clearcuts was not supported, except for <i>Period 2</i> with the highest mean density recorded at 14.3 voles/ha. There was some evidence of a 4-year multi-annual fluctuation in 1998 and 2002 in <i>Period 2</i>. Mean ground cover of total herbs, grasses, and shrubs were similar in <i>Periods 2</i> and <i>3</i>. However, meadow vole populations were dramatically different in these two <i>Periods</i>, with few meadow voles captured in <i>Period 3</i> and then a decline to extirpation in <i>Period 4</i>. Thus, H₂ was supported for <i>Period 2</i>, but not <i>Period 3</i>. Both species of voles were present at similarly low numbers (&lt; 5/ha) with fewer meadow voles in the three years of peak numbers (22–33/ha) of long-tailed voles, and hence this pattern provided weak support for H₃. The lack of increases in meadow vole numbers post-cutting in <i>Periods 1</i>, <i>3</i>, and <i>4</i> may have been related to very high numbers of <i>M. longicaudus</i> in <i>Period </i><i>1</i> and possibly the advent of cattle grazing and drought conditions in <i>Periods 3</i> and <i>4</i>. Although the decline in <i>Microtus</i> on post-harvest forest sites may be beneficial for pest management and reforestation, such declines may have serious consequences for predator communities, biodiversity, and other ecological functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140580842","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":"Get out from my field! The role of agricultural crops in shaping the habitat selection by and suitability for the crested porcupine in Central Italy","authors":"Marcello Franchini, Lorenzo Frangini, Andrea Viviano, Stefano Filacorda, Giacomo Stokel, Emiliano Mori","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00744-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00744-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>‘Agricultural pests’ is a locution used to indicate those wild species considered as dangerous to crops. The crested porcupine <i>Hystrix cristata</i> is a semi–fossorial rodent considered as one of the main agricultural pests by farmers in Italy. Assessing the role of agriculture in shaping the porcupine’s space use is of great importance to develop proper management and conservation strategies. The goal of this study was to quantify the degree of habitat selection by and suitability for porcupines in Central Italy to assess the potential influence of agricultural fields on the ecology of this rodent. The habitat suitability analysis was realized using presence–only data implemented in the MAXENT Software, while the habitat selection analysis was carried out using the Jacobs’ selectivity index. Our research revealed that croplands have an important role in the overall habitat suitability for porcupines. However, during the warm period, all habitats were used according to their availability. Conversely, orchards, vineyards, and olive groves were preferred during the cold period. Our findings suggest that the use of agricultural crops in accordance with their availability during the warm season and the preference shown for orchards, vineyards, and olive groves during the cold one, highlight that porcupine–famer negative interactions may occur in the area. The implementation of proper prevention measures is therefore strongly suggested, especially during the cold period, to reduce the potential impacts on agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140156372","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":"Correction to: Do unpublished data help to redraw distributions? The case of the spectacled bear in Peru","authors":"Nereyda Falconi, John T. Finn, Todd K. Fuller, Stephen DeStefano, John F. Organ","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00743-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00743-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140006952","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":"Some like it burnt: species differences in small mammal assemblage in a Mediterranean basin nearly 3 years after a major fire","authors":"Orlando Tomassini, Anna Aghemo, Benedetta Baldeschi, Gianni Bedini, Giulio Petroni, Dimitri Giunchi, Alessandro Massolo","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00742-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00742-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The habitat accommodation model (HAM) is a theoretical framework that predicts wildlife community recovery based on their habitat requirements. While post-fire habitat-related research is well documented in the Mediterranean basin, studies specifically focusing on HAM are scarce. Here, we described the small mammal assemblage in a Mediterranean area ~3 years after a fire, specifically examining three functional small mammalian categories: ground-foraging insectivorous, ground-foraging herbivorous/granivorous, and arboreal-foraging species. The study was conducted in Monte Pisano (Italy), where fire burnt ~12 km² in September 2018. A stratified random sampling was adopted, basing on burnt status and forest type. In each of the 50 sites, during late spring-summer 2021, 12 hair-tubes were deployed, and collected hairs were taxa-attributed based on morphology. A presence/absence dataset was built, and db-RDA was used to explore assemblage composition, and single-species occupancy models to test specific hypotheses. The relative abundance of ground-foraging herbivorous/granivorous was higher in the burnt area, characterised by a dense undergrowth, which could be related to anti-predatory strategies and food opportunities. Insectivorous could be in a recolonisation phase, masking their earlier absence, which could explain why their abundance was not associated with any factor tested. Arboreal-foraging species were associated with forest type, indicating a primary role for tree cover and other factors such as rocky cover and likely <i>in situ</i> survival. The HAM was overall confirmed also in Mediterranean basin ecosystems. This may facilitate predictions about post-fire animal successions, which in turn may provide valuable insights into post-fire management practices and biodiversity conservation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140007350","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":"Drivers of functional diversity in small-bodied mammals across a deforestation frontier in the Southern Brazilian Amazon","authors":"Manoel Santos-Filho, Thalita Ribeiro, Dionei José da Silva, Juliano A. Bogoni, Ana Filipa Palmeirim","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00740-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00740-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Deforestation remains the most pervasive driver of biodiversity erosion across tropical forests. Understanding how species can cope with such habitat changes is particularly important along the rapidly expanding agricultural frontiers. To do so, we used a functional perspective examining small mammal responses to habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation across the ‘Arc of Deforestation’ in the Southern Brazilian Amazon. Small mammals were surveyed using a combination of conventional and pitfall traps across 20 forest fragments—ranging from 42 to 4743 ha—in addition to two relatively continuous forest sites (&gt; 7000 ha). These fragments lie isolated by a cattle pasture matrix of varying grazing intensity. We then analysed taxonomic and functional diversity patterns—represented by Simpson Diversity and Rao Quadratic entropy indices—in Generalised Linear Models containing local- to landscape-scale predictors of variation. Further, we used a functional trait composition approach based on community-weighted mean trait values to depict and predict small mammal functional variations across this degradation gradient. From a total of 847 individuals recorded belonging to 24 taxa, functional responses tended to follow the taxonomic diversity, both increasing with fragment area. The functional dimension further was promoted by low fire-related disturbance. Functional trait composition was mainly driven by habitat quality, represented by tree density, arthropod biomass, and fire-related disturbance. Our results reinforce that small forest fragments sustain depauperate small mammal assemblages both taxonomically and functionally. Accounting for habitat quality further allows for boosting the persistence across functional groups. Our findings can be used to improve the efficiency of management practices thereby maximising the multiple dimensions of small mammal diversity and their associated ecosystem services across tropical deforestation frontiers.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139756608","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 camera-trapping device, the Campascope, to study feeding behaviour of subterranean rodents","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00741-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00741-6","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Rodents are significant animals in the field of science and serve as common study models in several disciplines. However, their behaviours are challenging to observe in the wild due to their anti-predator behaviour, especially regarding feeding behaviour for subterranean species (voles, naked mole-rat). Nevertheless, feeding behaviour is crucial for the study of rodent ecology, including applied research on pest control, habitat management of endangered species, or more fundamental research on cyclical population dynamics. To address this issue, a tool was developed to test how wild voles interact with food. This novel camera trapping device was named the Campascope. Its utilisation enables the avoidance of captive conditions that could introduce biases and facilitates the testing of exogenous factors that may modify animals’ feeding behaviour, such as the floral composition of a meadow, distance from a landscape feature, or altitude. These exogenous factors are not easily testable in captivity. In this study, we successfully captured high-quality observations of the behaviour of the fossorial form of water voles, using the Campascope device. In this article, we present the features and application of the device on <em>Arvicola amphibius</em>, which may also be used for studying other small mammal species.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139756704","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":"Size does not matter: natural history and sexual dimorphism of the striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus amazonicus) in Central Brazil","authors":"Giulianny A. Machado, Fernanda C. Azevedo, Mozart C. Freitas-Junior, Caio F. M. Lima, Gitana N. Cavalcanti, André A. Cunha, Kátia G. Facure, Frederico G. Lemos","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00738-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00738-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Expanding knowledge on natural history of carnivores allows to understand mechanisms species developed for survival and improve decision-making aiming conservation. Studies on eco-morphological aspects of skunks, such <i>Conepatus amazonicus</i>, are scarce and usually based on small sampling size. We assessed roadkill individuals, camera trap records, and biometric data to describe the feeding ecology, activity period, and morphology of striped hog-nosed skunk in agroecosystems and protected areas in Central Brazil. Invertebrates represented critical items in the diet in agroecosystems, and due to an intermediate niche breadth (0.545), skunks could not be classified as specialists or generalists. Males and females have total niche overlap (0.94), and the diversity of items was not affected by proximity to urban centres. Animals develop their activities during the night, with 93% (<i>n</i> = 71) of records from sunset to sunrise. There were significant sex differences in the body masses (<span>(t)</span> = − 3.7151; d.f. = 29; <i>P</i> &lt; 0.0001). Males (mean = 2.56 kg) were 30% heavier than females (mean = 1.96 kg), allowing us to infer the existence of sexual dimorphism in <i>C. amazonicus</i>. Foot size and dentition were also larger in males, corroborating the sexual selection hypothesis. Behavioural and morphological adaptations favour predation on insects, prey of low physical resistance, which are also available in agroecosystems. This is the first study to report sexual dimorphism in <i>C. amazonicus</i>. Our results fill a gap in the knowledge of a species that plays a unique role for ecosystem functioning, suggesting that skunks represent the primary medium-sized omnivorous-insectivorous organism occupying the Brazilian Savanna.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139507440","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":"Relationships among North American deer based on mitochondrial DNA and ultraconserved elements, with comments on mito-nuclear discordance","authors":"Lukas B. Klicka, Nadje Najar, Hernan Vázquez-Miranda, Robert M. Zink","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00739-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00739-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite their economic, cultural, and ecological significance, the phylogenetic relationships among North American deer remain uncertain, due in part to discordance between phylogenies built from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear markers. Nuclear markers resolve mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) and white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) as reciprocally monophyletic, but mtDNA results in a mixed topology. These two genomic regions have heretofore been analyzed in isolation. We compared phylogenies built from mtDNA cytochrome <i>b</i> and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the mitogenome and nuclear (ultraconserved elements, UCEs) markers from the same individuals to investigate mito-nuclear discordance within and between taxa in the genus <i>Odocoileus</i>. A Cyt <i>b</i> tree shows haplotype sharing between <i>O</i>. <i>hemionus</i> and <i>O</i>. <i>virginianus</i>. Mitochondrial DNA SNPs separated only <i>O</i>. <i>hemionus</i> and <i>O</i>. <i>virginianus</i>, whereas nuclear SNPs separated <i>O</i>. <i>hemionus</i>, O. <i>virginianus</i>, and the distinct subspecies Coues deer (<i>O</i>. <i>v</i>. <i>couesi</i>), Key deer (<i>O</i>. <i>v</i>. <i>clavium</i>), and Sitka black-tailed deer (<i>O. h. sitkensis</i>) plus Columbian black-tailed deer (<i>O. h. columbianus</i>). We found less support for <i>O. h. columbianus</i> as a distinct taxon, which had signs of introgression with nominate <i>O. h. hemionus</i>. The well-established paraphyly of mtDNA haplotypes from <i>O</i>. <i>virginianus</i> and <i>O</i>. <i>hemionus</i> is confirmed with comparisons of mtDNA and nuclear-encoded SNPs from the same individuals. Our attempts to explain mito-nuclear discordance among <i>Odocoileus</i> deer remain inconclusive. We suspect incomplete lineage sorting of a recent evolutionary split may explain this pattern, although mtDNA capture via ancient hybridization is also a possibility. Niche models suggested allopatric refugia at the Last Glacial Maximum for these taxa except for a parapatric or sympatric distribution estimated for O. <i>virginianus</i> and <i>O</i>. <i>v</i>. <i>clavium</i> and <i>O</i>. <i>hemionus</i> and <i>O. h. columbianus</i>, the latter of which might explain the modern hybrid zone.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139483803","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":"Interspecific social interaction between golden jackal (Canis aureus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes)","authors":"Felix Böcker, Hannah Weber, Janosch Arnold, Sebastian Collet, Jennifer Hatlauf","doi":"10.1007/s13364-024-00737-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-024-00737-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In south-western Germany, a territorial single male golden jackal (<i>Canis aureus</i>) was repeatedly photographed showing social interaction with a red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) female and her cubs. This unusual behaviour was documented in two subsequent years (August–September 2020 and May–August 2021). The interspecific actions are not limited to encounters of the two species but include interactions such as feeding and related sociopositive behaviours. Thirty-two observations with both species appearing together were recorded within the study period. The observed behaviour raises questions about the coexistence of both species and on interspecific behaviour of wild canids in general. Social isolation of the observed male golden jackal could be one of the potential drivers for the interaction, as Germany is at the current edge of golden jackal distribution in central Europe.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139483764","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":"Description of the echolocation pulses of insectivorous bats with new records for Southwest Colombia","authors":"Johana Arévalo-Cortés, John Tulcan-Flores, Danny Zurc, Silvia A. Montenegro-Muñoz, Jhon Jairo Calderón-Leytón, Ronald A. Fernández-Gómez","doi":"10.1007/s13364-023-00734-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-023-00734-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the high diversity of bats in neotropics, traditional methods such as mist nets, harp traps and roost detection have limitations in capturing that diversity in a landscape, with most detected species restricted to those that forage in the undergrowth or enclosed spaces. Therefore, acoustic records become a tool that complements and enhances the efforts to get more complete bat inventories while avoiding alterations in usual foraging activities and disruption in their life cycles. This study describes the acoustic parameters (spectral and temporal variables) of the echolocation pulses of insectivorous bats to characterise different species of bats in Southwest Colombia acoustically. We recorded echolocation calls between December 2017 and May 2020 in the Andean and Pacific regions of the Department of Nariño. We analysed 81 sequences of echolocation calls from eight bat species belonging to three families: Vespertilionidae, Molossidae and Emballonuridae. We perform recordings on free-flying bats with identity corroboration by capture for recording in flight rooms and examination in the hand. <i>Myotis riparius</i> and <i>Lasiurus blossevillii</i> were recorded for the first time in the Nariño Department. <i>M. albescens</i>, <i>M. keaysi</i>, <i>M. riparius</i> and <i>L. blossevillii</i> (Vespertilionidae) had pulses of frequency modulated (FM) with a quasi-constant frequency (QCF) ending; <i>Molossus molossus</i>, <i>Tadarida brasiliensis</i> and <i>Promops centralis</i> (Molossidae) had pulses with constant frequency (CF) and QCF; and <i>Saccopteryx bilineata</i> (Emballonuridae) had pulses with QCF. This study contributes to the efforts to facilitate the identification of insectivorous bats of the Neotropics using the acoustic monitoring approaches, represents a reference to compare the acoustic studies in Southwestern Colombia and contributes to increasing our knowledge of the bat diversity in the region.</p>","PeriodicalId":56073,"journal":{"name":"Mammal Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139414651","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}