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The Western polecat Mustela putorius has a widespread European distribution and is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Reports are increasing of polecat population declines in several countries, although a paucity of data means population trends are poorly understood. This paper reviews and summarises information on the polecat's status and range-wide population trends. Information and opinion were gathered for 34 countries, from individuals and organisations studying polecats and from reviewing the literature and national Red Lists. Where trends were identified, the polecat population is known or suspected to be declining in 20 countries, reported to be stable in five countries, stable or increasing in one country, and increasing in two countries. For many countries, data are so limited in quantity or spatial scale, or at risk of bias, that trends could not be identified or confidence in trend assessments is low. The main drivers of polecat decline are poorly understood, but might include habitat degradation; changes in prey availability; competition with invasive carnivores; poisoning; conflict with human interests; harvesting and killing of polecats; and hybridisation. Robust survey methods and systematic monitoring programmes are urgently needed to gather up-to-date data on polecat population trends across the species' range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andean swamp rat Neotomys ebriosus is a sigmodontine rodent restricted to the Central Andes of South America. A distribution map of the species in Peru have been previously drawn based on few of the localities where the species has been captured and collected. I update the distribution of the species in Peru based on new records from three different areas surveyed by the author, specimens at Museum collections in the United States and France from VertNet webpage, localities from the collection at the Natural History Museum of Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, and localities from the collection at the Natural History Museum of the Universidad Nacional San Agustín. The northern limit of the species distribution is increased based on new localities with collected individuals. Habitat used by N. ebriosus is mainly high Andean bogs; most individuals caught adjacent to the borders of Andean bogs and along streams near the bogs. Collected individuals leave unclear subspecies division and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides novel data on the recent incursion and presence of the common genet (Genetta genetta) in the Ebro Delta (NE Iberian Peninsula), an atypical habitat for the species, and on its diet in this region, determined by scat analysis. The species was first detected in the delta region in 2005 that colonised through the woodlands on the banks of the Ebro River. The high trophic diversity index points out to a highly-diversified diet, and the results obtained highlight feeding habits towards particular food items. Rodents (mainly Rattus sp. and Mus sp.) were the most frequent food item and made up the largest portion of consumed biomass. Birds, red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and fruits were also consumed. However, although the genet was detected in this region, it cannot be considered to have spread and settle significantly: there are few signs of its presence and there has been no record so far of breeding, probably due the scarce availability of favourable habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an example of the niche overlap theories this paper reports grouping pattern, habitat use and overlap by four sympatric ungulate species, Chital ( Axis axis), Sambar ( Rusa unicolor), Nilgai ( Boselaphus tragocamelus) and Goral ( Naemorhedus goral) in Pathri Rao Watershed within Shivalik Ecosystem, India. A length of 384 km of trail walk and 125 permanent circular plots of 10 m radius were used to collect data on group size, age, sex composition and various ecological and topographical factors governing presence/absence of species within the study area. Chital had the highest mean group size (7.74±1.19), followed by Nilgai (5.40±0.88), Goral (2.50±0.54) and Sambar (1.56±0.18). Group size of Chital varied significantly across seasons in comparison to the other sympatric ungulates. Chital used all the available habitat types with significant differential use (F=3.35, p<0.04). Goral and Sambar only used three habitat types with significant differences (Goral F=4.49, p<0.001; Sambar F=10.17, p<0.001). Nilgai used preferentially flat areas. Discriminant functions exceeded the classification accuracy expected by chance at a significant level of 0.01 (Press's Q=131.90>6.63) with overall 52.3% of cases classified correctly. This analysis indicated clear segregation of the four species along the three discriminant functions with total isolation between Nilgai and Goral along the first axis. Niche overlap analysis predicted segregation of habitat use by sympatric species along one or other niche axis which governs continued existence of the sympatric species in the study area. Locations of artificial water holes determine grouping pattern, habitat use and habitat segregation, as expected by other ecological correlates in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The white-lipped peccary (WLP; Tayassu pecari) and the collared peccary (CP; Pecari tajacu) are social ungulates of huge ecological and economic importance. We determined the habitat occupancy for peccaries in a rural community bordering the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico. Twenty-eight stratified sampling points were randomly placed in the study area during a rainy and a dry season, where the presence of both peccary species was measured in relation to three ecological variables (habitat type, presence of natural predators, and water availability) and one anthropogenic variable (hunting). Ten sampling points were established with camera traps (total days/camera traps = 2268), and 18 sampling points were plots of 20 m2 to detect feces and/or footprints. To assess the relationship between both species' presence and the selected variables, models of habitat occupancy were constructed using a binary matrix of detection/non-detection using the PRESENCE program. For WLP and CP, the respective estimated occupancy probabilities were 30 and 40% in the rainy season and 88 and 44% in the dry season. Our results suggest that occupancy by WLP is affected by habitat type and predators in the rainy season and by water availability and hunting in the dry season. Conversely, for CP, occupancy is affected by water availability and hunting in the rainy season, and by habitat type and predators in the dry season. Thus, hunting negatively affects the way that WLP occupy specific habitats, such as floodplain forest and medium sub-deciduous forest, particularly during periods of water scarcity when the species is more vulnerable to hunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ungulates have undergone major declines in Central and West African forests as a result of bushmeat trade and habitat loss. Monitoring forest ungulate status is a critical conservation need. We undertook a systematic camera-trap survey of the 5260 km2 Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon's largest protected area. We deployed cameras at 305 sites in eight grids across the reserve over 28,277 camera-trap days. We recorded 30,601 independent detections of 12 species of forest ungulate. The blue and Peters' duikers were the most abundant, accounting for 82% of all ungulate detections, both with occupancy >85% in all survey grids. The black-fronted duiker was relatively widespread but rare. The white-bellied duiker and water chevrotain were found mostly in the southern part of the reserve. There were very few detections of sitatunga, forest buffalo and bongo. Our results suggest ecological partitioning among the more abundant duikers based on activity pattern and body size. The reserve faces many pressures including illegal subsistence and commercial hunting. Community surveillance and partnerships, with improved law enforcement are among measures being implemented by the Cameroon government to enhance security and ensure retention of the reserve's World Heritage status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding species distribution to target biodiversity conservation actions in countries with high biodiversity, scarce data availability and low study sites accessibility is very challenging. These issues limit management and conservation actions even on charismatic and potentially conflictive species like large carnivores. We developed a geographic assessment of the potential distribution, core patches and connectivity areas for Puma concolor in the Colombian Llanos (Orinoco region). To create this geographic representation, we used methodological approaches that work with scarce information and still provide a spatially-explicit distribution that could be used by stakeholders. Our results show the importance that the Llanos region has for the conservation of the species and the potential role that can have to ensure a resident long-term population. Based on our approach, more than 50,000 km2 (near to 30% of the study area) can be still considered as core habitats for the species, and most of them are still connected, with spatial gaps lower than the estimated dispersal distance of the species and several remaining steppingstones. Further research is required to validate our analysis and we expect our results can target research and conservation priorities within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the habitat association of the diversity and abundance of small mammals in the Ukaguru Mountains within the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. An estimation of the vegetation parameters and live-trapping of small mammals for three consecutive nights per month for 21 months were carried out in farmland, disturbed and intact forests. A total of 1196 individual small mammals comprising 13 species were captured. Species diversity and evenness in intact forest were much higher compared to disturbed forest. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 87.7% of the variance with two factors. The study suggests vegetation and habitat disturbances are factors responsible for the observed diversity of small mammals in the Ukaguru Mountains. Mastomys natalensis, Mus triton and Praomys delectorum accounted for 90.0% of total captures. M. triton and M. natalensis were the most abundant in farmland with 46.8 and 42.8% of total captures respectively and associated with the herbaceous vegetation. P. delectorum correlated with litter depth and trees and accounted for 90.0 and 80.0% total captures in disturbed and intact forests respectively but the mean abundances in both habitats were not significantly different (p = 0.72). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We do not have a complete knowledge of the bat species presence in West Central Brazil domain and still do not understand how bats respond to the ecosystems rapid vanishing. We quantified bat diversity in the Parque Estadual de Terra Ronca (PETER), a Cerrado protected area. Additionally, we report an extension of the Hsunycteris thomasi distribution known only in the Amazon and the western portion of Brazil. Over 1.440 m2 h of mist netting and five nights of automatic recording, we recorded five families and 38 species, while the Jackknife first-order estimator predicted the occurrence of 25 species. Besides the register of species for the area, the novelty is the increase in the potential distribution area of H. thomasi in Norwest's and north of the Midwest of Brazil. We also report the presence of at least one Lonchophylla dekeyseri population, an endemic to Cerrado. The lack of bat captures within the cotton plantation suggests the impoverishment of the bat assemblages due to the extensive loss of native habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atlas Barbary sheep, Ammotragus lervia lervia, are the only wild caprinid of Northwest Africa. Some studies have investigated their feeding ecology, but there is no information on intraspecific dietary variation. Therefore, we determined the spring diet and its variation between age-sex classes in Atlas Barbary sheep within a fenced nature reserve in the Western High Atlas mountain range, Morocco. We used faecal microhistological analysis to assess diet composition based on a reference epidermis catalogue. The habitat was a highly diversified open mixed forest with 61 identified species (55 genera; 24 families). The herbaceous layer was dominated by grasses, mainly Stipa capensis. Atlas Barbary sheep revealed to be opportunistic grazers, consuming 44 forage species; grasses and forbs constituted 87% of the overall diet. There were significant intraspecific dietary differences. Rams showed a more diverse (42 species) and distinct diet compared to those of ewes (22 species) and juveniles (lambs + yearlings) (only 10 species). All sex-age classes were mostly grazers, adults feeding on grasses and forbs in similar proportions, whereas juveniles feeding basically on grasses (more than 70% of their diet) and almost no forbs. Ewes and juveniles feed on browse at a higher proportion than rams do. Our findings would be useful for the restoration and management of the habitat and food resources within the reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small mammal communities in the Neotropics are composed largely of sigmodontine rodents. However, many questions regarding these communities remain unanswered, especially those pertaining to fine-scale sympatry and habitat selection. To address this, we examined sigmodontine community structure and vegetation in the western margin of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest and the southwestern-most extent of the Cerrado (CE) (an extensive South American savanna ecoregion) of Paraguay. Vegetation classifications were derived from satellite imagery combined with maps based on extensive ground-based surveys. The three most abundant species (Akodon montensis, Hylaeamys megacephalus, and Oligoryzomys nigripes) were found most often in microsympatry with conspecifics, and were negatively associated with other species. Akodon montensis was associated with high forest (HF), and H. megacephalus with bamboo understory (BU), whereas O. nigripes did not exhibit a habitat preference. The first two species' distributions within the landscape were found to be driven primarily by habitat selection, and O. nigripes by a behavioral response (avoidance) to the presence of the other two species. Moreover, habitat influences whether or not a particular species associates with, or avoids, conspecifics or other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apparent density [determined as kilometric index of abundance (KIA), by direct sightings and by droppings along line transects] and habitat use of some species of carnivore mammals were studied in two protected areas of Burkina Faso (Comoé-Leraba and Nazinga). Despite the fact that the dataset was collected throughout several years and with a very high field effort, the amount of data collected was relatively small, and confined just to a few species. There was no effect of the year on the average KIA estimates of the carnivores at this study area, and data from direct sightings along transects estimated lower densities than those coming from droppings collected along the same transects. In terms of habitat type, shrub savannah represented the best habitat type for carnivores, despite being relatively scarcely available along the line transects when compared with woody savannah (especially for Canis adustus and Civettictis civetta). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the success of a European badger reintroduction after 10 years, we monitored the reintroduction area (Regional Park of Montevecchia and Curone Valley, N Italy) using camera-trapping. Badgers were recorded 94 times by 20 camera-traps, spread over 12 out of the 15 1 km² grid-squares totally or partially surveyed. Eighteen videoclips recorded cubs, providing evidence of the occurrence of at least two litters. The occurrence of five badger social groups could be assessed, corresponding to 0.9-1.15 individual/km². All suitable habitats of the reintroduction area have been currently colonised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food consumed by brown bears in the Golestan National Park in Iran was analyzed during autumn 2011. We identified 22 food items in 61 scats, with the most important food items being hawthorn fruit, cherry plum fruit and chestnut-leaved oak hard mast, based on importance value (IV) estimates of 26.4%, 18.1% and 12.9%, respectively. The overall bear diet (percent digestible dry matter) was composed of 77.9% soft mast (i.e. fruit), 21.3% hard mast and small proportions of other vegetation (0.3%) or animal matter (0.4%). One anthropogenic food was identified (vine grape) and was of minor importance (IV = 0.2%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains provide important habitats for many species and often have high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Habitat associations of terrestrial small mammals were investigated at Wakefield Farm at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa from July 2015 to January 2016. Sherman live traps were used to capture small mammals on 35 grids in six different habitats. A total of 472 individuals, from 14 species, were recorded, comprising: 10 rodents, three shrews and one golden mole. Species diversity differed across habitats and seasons. The riparian habitat had the highest species richness, diversity and abundance of small mammals. Species composition also differed across habitats with the indigenous forest and rocky outcrops supporting the most distinct assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are prolific herbivores, affecting natural and agricultural ecosystems. We installed 10 experimental units, each consisting of two fenced plots, one excluding all herbivores and one allowing rabbit access only, to estimate the impact of rabbit grazing in three vegetation types occurring in two dominant habitat types on Lemnos Island, Greece. Plant productivity was significantly higher in barley crops than on both fallow land and Mediterranean scrublands. Rabbit grazing caused significant reduction of productivity in barley crops and Mediterranean scrublands, but not on fallow land. Selective feeding and seasonal food availability may have shaped patterns of rabbit impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveying and monitoring bat populations by recording their calls with stationary detectors has become increasingly popular. This study tested the hypothesis that placing stationary detectors at water bodies yielded more species than in other habitat types in a temperate landscape (settlement, forest, open land). The number of species was significantly affected by habitat type, and sampling at water bodies yielded approximately 50% more species than in open land, the habitat type which was second in species richness. In contrast, bat calling activity was not significantly related to habitat type. With the exception of the northern bat Eptesicus nilssoni, the incidence of species was higher at the water bodies than in other habitat types. Calling activity and the number of recorded species did not correlate among habitat types, and I did not find evidence that the determinability of bat calls was related to habitat type. This indicated that the higher richness at water bodies was a result of short-term visitors that significantly enhanced species counts but not total activity. For surveys and monitorings, these results imply that sampling at water bodies may be preferred especially if resources for field work are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mountain ungulates, antipredator behaviour is one of the main constraints on foraging behaviour and habitat selection, especially when newborn, vulnerable offspring are present. Golden eagles have been known to prey on ungulates successfully, but predation may be relatively rare on chamois. Here, we report an unsuccessful predation attempt by a golden eagle on a kid of Apennine chamois. The kid was grazing in a female kid mixed herd, and the attack by the eagle was deterred by cooperative defence of females. Chamois are a social species: defending other females' fawns may be consistent with the importance of cooperative maternal behaviour in kin groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himalayan grey goral (Naemorhedus goral bedfordi) occurs in Pakistan and India, and is classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. This subspecies is threatened primarily by illegal hunting and competition with livestock, resulting in small and fragmented populations. The present study provides information on habitat use by grey goral at two locations in Machiara National Park (MNP), Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, from 2012 to 2013. One location had low grazing pressure from livestock (Machiara), whereas the other had intensive livestock grazing (Serli Sacha). We determined the distribution of grey goral through direct observations of the animals and by the presence of their faecal pellets. We assessed habitat preferences using Ivlev's electivity index (IEI) by comparing vegetation and topography at used and unused quadrats along nine monitoring lines. Grey gorals strongly avoided areas with high livestock numbers, particularly grazers (cattle Bos taurus and sheep Ovis aries). Grey gorals were most commonly observed on south-facing slopes between 1970 and 2900 m a.s.l. during all seasons. Grey gorals preferred herbs and grasses (IEI = 0.14), used shrubby vegetation in proportion to its availability (IEI = 0.03), and avoided densely treed areas (IEI = -0.54). Our study suggests that a comprehensive livestock grazing strategy needs to be developed for the conservation of habitat suitable for grey goral in MNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of Marmosa ( Micoureus) have been documented from Paraguay. Based, in part, on a recently collected series of Marmosa constantiae, we review the morphometric relationships, distributions, and habitat associations of the two species in Paraguay. Marmosa paraguayana is documented from nine localities, all in eastern Paraguay, in the region originally covered by Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest (UPAF). Marmosa constantiae is documented from five localities, all of which are forested areas (generally gallery forest) embedded within Cerrado patches bordering UPAF, or within the Humid Chaco or Dry Chaco ecoregions. Specimens of M. constantiae from the Dry Chaco locality Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco are morphometrically distinct from both M. paraguayana and other M. constantiae specimens and may represent an unrecognized taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raphia taedigera is a wetland palm species that occurs in monospecific stands in Central and South America, Africa, and Madagascar. Use of this ecosystem by wildlife is largely unknown. We surveyed R. taedigera stands at the Osa Biological Corridor in Costa Rica using 26 camera traps to identify which large (>1 kg) mammal species use this habitat and the distance each species will travel into it from the surrounding habitats. We conclude that R. taedigera provides habitat and a connectivity function in the Osa region for coati ( Nasua narica), raccoon ( Procyon sp.), collared peccary ( Pecari tajacu), white-faced capuchin ( Cebus capucinus), ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis), northern tamandua ( Tamandua mexicana), and paca ( Cuniculus paca). Other species were detected only on the edges of stands or not at all. On the basis of literature review, interviews with farmers, frequent detections of collared peccary, and detection in adjacent habitat, the jaguar ( Panthera onca) is also expected to traverse R. taedigera stands. Raphia taedigera stands can be considered an important habitat for maintaining connectivity across the Osa Biological Corridor and potentially provide a similar function in other Neotropical landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in mammalian auditory bulla size has been linked to environmental conditions, and has even been claimed to provide a habitat-specific survival value. Enlarged bullae are typically shared among species adapted to living in arid habitats. Previous studies suggest that jirds also exhibit this adaptive enlargement of the bulla. However, such claims are based on the observation on a limited number of specimens, and thus they provide no quantitative support for this hypothesis. Therefore, we tested this hypothesis using a combination of geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistical techniques on a large sample of two jird species that exhibit a wide and partially overlapping geographical (and hence climatic) range, i.e., Meriones crassus (Sundevall, 1842) and M. libycus (Lichtenstein, 1823). A total of 485 intact skulls of populations originating from Africa to the eastern Iranian Plateau were analysed. The covariation between auditory bulla shape and several geoclimatic variables was explored using the two-block partial least-squares method. To some degree, the results seem to support the hypothesis that morphological variation in the auditory bulla is, indeed, correlated with geoclimatic variation. However, this finding cannot be generalised at several levels, hence refuting the hypothesis of convergent correlations between geoclimatic conditions and bulla morphology. Species-specific differences were found at different levels, suggesting that if local responses are present, they may reflect interactions with phylogenetic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reviewed case studies in female Japanese macaques engaged in social and spatial emigration. In such instances, animals leave their natal group and remain alone or in a small group, transfer to another group, or join extra-group males to establish a new group. Since 1953, at least 34 emigration cases (and at least 78 females) have been reported from eight study sites of five provisioned and three wild populations in Japan. In most cases, female emigration occurred 1) when food conditions warranted the move due to either a decrease in the artificial feeding of provisioned populations or to a seasonal deterioration in the food environment of wild populations and/or 2) when group structure was disturbed via a drastic change in size or the disappearance of adults. In most cases, subordinates were the ones who emigrated. Unlike the case in other primate species, an influx of extra-group males never led to female emigration to avoid infanticide. These suggest that decreases in per capita foraging success within the group and loss of support from kin and group males were probably principle factors motivating emigration by females. In response to environmental deterioration, females emigrate and settle within new location/range within same habitat type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ranging behavior and habitat utilization are important indicators of ecological influences on individual behavior. We collected data on the ranging behavior and habitat use of two groups of Assamese macaques ( Macaca assamensis) between September 2005 and August 2006 in a limestone habitat within Nonggang Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China. We evaluated the influences of spatial and temporal distribution of food resources on ranging behavior and habitat utilization. During the study period, total home range sizes for the two focus groups were 53 ha and 65 ha; mean daily path lengths were 590 m and 782 m, much smaller than those observed in other species of macaques. Assamese macaques did not use their home ranges uniformly. Fifty percent of location records occurred within 11% (group 1) and 13% (group 2) of their respective home ranges. A significant and positive correlation was found between the intensity of site use and the distribution of group feeding for both study groups. Macaques spent 71.1% of the daytime hours on cliffs during maintenance activities, including feeding. The differential utilization of the group's home range and more intense occupation of cliffs can be related to the spatial distribution of their staple food resources, the leaves of Indocalamus calcicolus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sergey I. Ognev (1886-1951), one of Russia's most famous biologists, was both a theoretical scientist and a great field researcher. Ognev's 'Fauna Mosquensis' (1913) is the most comprehensive study of the mammals of European Russia after Pallas. Throughout his life, Ognev's work involved two important components: biological observation in nature and study of geographical distribution. His combination of excellent knowledge of natural habitats and morphology created a unique insight. This effort resulted in seven volumes of 'Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia' and 'Mammals of the USSR and Adjacent Countries,' published from 1928 to 1950. This work included comprehensive taxonomic accounts, detailed morphological descriptions, geographical ranges and natural history data for 264 mammalian species and 635 forms. 4879 pages were illustrated, including almost 2000 photographs and drawings of skulls and dentition, a huge number of distributional maps made by the author and 56 color figures drawn by famous animal painters. The taxonomic position of a surprisingly large portion of forms classified by Ognev have been confirmed by modern molecular genetic approaches. Ognev also authored significant books on ecology and field photography. It is impossible to overestimate the significance of Ognev's contribution to mammal studies; his 'Mammals of the USSR...' volumes remain one of the most cited works in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No recent attempt has been made to survey dhole distribution, or to estimate remaining population numbers. We surveyed 15 protected areas in Thailand with camera traps from 1996 to 2010. We used the photo locations of dholes (n=96) in the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model along with six environmental variables to model current dhole distribution, as well as species predictive occurrence layers for sambar, red muntjac, wild boar, tiger, and leopard. The MaxEnt model identified the predicted probability of the presence of leopards and sambar as positive and the most important variables in modeling dhole presence, indicating that maintaining a sufficient prey base may be the most important factor determining continued survival of dholes. Roughly 7% of the total land area in Thailand is potentially suitable for dholes. However, surveys to date have focused on protected areas, which make up just a third of the potential suitable areas for dholes. Only in four protected areas do they occur across the entire landscape, suggesting that in the majority of places where they occur, habitats are not uniformly suitable. Using the model, we identified several potential areas where dholes have not been reported, and therefore status surveys are needed, and where future research of the species might be focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Felovia vae is an endemic rodent from West Africa with special conservation concern. Although the global range is relatively well known, the lack of knowledge on its local distribution patterns and ecological parameters resulted in the IUCN category of Data Deficient. This study identifies environmental factors related to the occurrence of Felovia vae, quantifies suitable areas of occurrence, and evaluates its conservation status. High-resolution presence data (1×1 km) were combined with environmental factors to derive ecological niche-based models of species occurrence. Ecological models predicted that Felovia vae occurs more frequently in areas with high slope and close to gueltas, bare areas and rocky deserts. The fine-scaled ecological models suggest eight suitable habitat patches, representing fragmented subpopulations located in the Mauritanian mountains and in the Bafing, Felou, Nioro, and Yelimane regions of Mali. Fieldwork observations and predicted suitable areas were used to evaluate conservation status. Felovia vae was categorised as Least Concern, given that values for all parameters analysed were above the thresholds of Threatened classification. The species may be susceptible to human-induced habitat loss, global warming and natural disasters, such as drought, given its reliance on water availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The group size and composition of goitered gazelles were investigated over several years in Kazakhstan. Most gazelles formed groups of one to three individuals all year round. This small herd size recorded in our study area was probably a consequence of the feeding ecology of the goitered gazelle, which is a very selective ruminant of small body size. With respect to group composition, female and male groups were the most often noted (52.0% and 37.9%), while mixed herds and groups of yearlings were considerably rarer (4.6% and 5.5%). Moreover, mixed groups were the largest groups (mean±SE: 5.29±0.25 individuals per group), followed by female groups (2.40±0.03), male groups (2.14±0.05), and yearling herds (1.49±0.05). In addition, the grouping pattern varied seasonally and corresponded very closely to the yearly breeding cycle of the goitered gazelle. Nevertheless, it remains consistent with what is known of the grouping pattern of other gazelles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himalayan grey goral ( Naemorhedus goral bedfordi) is a Red List (Near Threatened) member of Caprinae endemic to Asia, occupying the south-facing slopes of the Himalaya Mountains. The species is listed as Vulnerable on the National Pakistan Red List, but the distribution and abundance of the species within the nation is poorly known. We conducted a national census of Himalayan grey goral in Pakistan during 2002-2004, with the objective of documenting the geographic locations of populations, estimating population size, and describing group sizes and sex ratios. We conducted a direct count census in 98 sites distributed over the 4839 km2 of suitable grey goral habitat. We counted 172 unique grey goral individuals: 143 adults and 29 subadults. We estimated a minimum of 370-1017 grey goral in Pakistan distributed in seven isolated populations. The adult sex ratio was female-biased nearly 2:1, and the mean size of social groups was 1.72±0.11 SE individuals. Our data support the National Red List status of Himalayan grey goral as Vulnerable, because no subpopulation probably contains >1000 individuals. We are unable to account for the sex ratio bias. Social group size is comparable with contemporary observations from India, but much lower than that reported a century ago. A national population viability analysis is needed for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of the ecological correlates of threatened endemic island rodents across 31 main islands/archipelagos worldwide are studied. Overall, there were 83 entirely endemic genera and 197 endemic species, with the number of both endemic genera and species positively correlating with (log) island size. Twenty-seven rodent genera, and 49 species, endemic to islands, are threatened with extinction, with the Oriental region housing the highest numbers of endemic threatened taxa. There was a significant positive relationship between (log) island size and number of threatened endemic species. The number of endemic species per island was also significantly positively correlated with the number of threatened species per island. A logit model revealed that the probability of the presence of at least one threatened endemic species was 0% for islands below 1560 km2, and 80% for islands sized about 3120 km2. The mean body weight of endemic threatened taxa increased significantly with increases of (log) island size (r=0.144, n=12, p=0.0096), and was particularly high in the Caribbean islands. Our study indirectly supported the notion that species linked to habitat fragments (=islands of remnant habitat) are more prone to extinction than species able to traverse suboptimal habitats (=seas of unsuitable habitat). Our results also demonstrated that the number of threatened endemic species per island was dependent on the total number of endemic species in each island, thus showing that tropical islands may be more prone to include assemblages of threatened endemic rodent species than temperate islands. Endemic species inhabiting islands of about 1500 km2are of immediate conservation concern because of their high probability of becoming extinct in the years to come, given that their counterparts from even smaller islands are already extinct since decades or hundreds of years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied habitat preferences of the only known population of Iranian jerboa in Iran. Binary logistic regression was used to identify habitat variables that might be important to Iranian jerboa. The number of candidate variables was reduced using logistic regression retaining variables that differed between occupied (presence) and non-used (absence) plots. Logistic regression model could successfully distinguish between used and non-used areas. Habitat use of Iranian Jerboa is mainly affected by vegetation type and percent cover of bare soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat use, abundance and population dynamics of the woolly hare ( Lepus oiostolus) were investigated in an alpine shrub-covering valley near Lhasa, Tibet. Counts of fecal pellets indicated that habitats outside the valley with heavily degraded shrub vegetation supported a small hare population, compared with habitats inside the valleys where vegetation was undisturbed, agricultural and hunting were lacking, and predators and herbivore competitors rare. Three types of shrub habitats with intermediate cover levels along with alpine meadow inside the valley were equally preferred by the hares, whereas willow-rhododendron, with the densest cover, was avoided. Transect surveys showed that the hare population density in the preferred habitats was 13 ind./km2 in spring and 27 ind./km2 in autumn. Out of seven years observations from 1995 to 2004, massive spring mortality of hares occurred only in 2000, leading to a marked population decline that year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the diet, habitat use and biology of Rousettus madagascariensis, a relatively small (∼55-77 g) fruit bat endemic to Madagascar, between July 2004 and May 2005. Faecal analysis revealed few seeds in the diet, suggesting that the bats either feed extensively on nectar, flowers and leaves or on fruits with seeds too large to ingest. However, bats were captured near fruiting Ficus sp. inside relatively intact forest and Ficus sp. seeds were found in the faeces during March and April. Defecated Ficus rubra seeds germinated significantly faster than seeds from ripe fruits under controlled conditions, but germination rates were similar. Radio tracking and observations of light-tagged individuals revealed that R. madagascariensis travelled a straight line distance of at least 8 km between the roost and feeding locations, with round trip foraging routes of up to 27 km. Most juveniles were trapped between March and July and we infer that weaning of young started before 8 weeks of age. The features used to distinguish juveniles from adults were no longer evident in December and it appears therefore that R. madagascariensis reaches somatic maturity within a single year. Pregnancy, lactation and weaning in this species coincide with the austral summer when food availability is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract available [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous, is a habitat generalist species relatively common throughout its range inhabiting most environments owing to its low habitat requirements. Because no information is available for anthropogenic habitats, this study aimed to describe the species occurrence in a highly fragmented and heterogeneous landscape in southeastern Brazil. C. thous was surveyed in 95 study sites in four main land covers (native forest, eucalyptus forest, sugar cane and pasture) from April to September 2006. Presence records (n=28) and landscape variables (land cover, heterogeneity, stream and forest fragment distance, elevation and slope) were used for modeling in Maxent. The bootstrapping method was used for sampling 70% of the dataset for training and 30% for testing models. The species was equally distributed in all types of land cover, although it was more frequent in the sugar cane areas and more associated with forest fragments and heterogeneous habitats. The potential distribution model predicted forest patches and its surroundings as highly suitable for the species. It also predicted part of the sugar cane matrix as highly suitable, probably related to prey availability. Results suggested that the anthropogenic landscape studied encompasses many suitable habitats for species occurrence, resulting in the necessity to assess its potential role in vertebrate communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of the first survey of the fruit bats of the Lesio-Louna Reserve in the Republic of Congo, an area representative of the larger Bateke Plateau region of the country. Mist-netting was conducted in 2002 during four seasonal sampling periods: late wet season, early dry season, late dry season and early wet season. Five species were recorded. Two were frequently trapped, Micropteropus pusillus (n=102 individuals) and Epomops franqueti (n=57). The remaining three were captured only occasionally, Myonycteris torquata (n=5), Hypsignathus monstrosus (n=2) and Megaloglossus woermanni (n=2). In agreement with studies of other fauna, our results confirm that the Bateke Plateau supports species associated with both forest and savanna habitats. However, species typical of forested habitats were also netted in forest edge and neighbouring savanna, suggesting that these species utilise surrounding habitat within the forest-savanna mosaic characteristic of the study area. We found statistically significant seasonal variation in juvenile body mass and forearm length in E. franqueti and in adult female nipple length in M. pusillus, suggesting breeding seasonality in both these species in the reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]