Isolated by dry lands: integrative analyses unveil the existence of a new species and a previously unknown evolutionary lineage of Brazilian Lanceheads (Serpentes: Viperidae: Bothrops) from a Caatinga moist-forest enclave
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Here we describe a new species of Lancehead (Bothrops jabrensis sp. nov.) based on three individuals sampled from a previously unknown population from Pico do Jabre, an isolated and small Caatinga moist-forest enclave (CMFE) located in northeastern Brazil. Although this new species has an external morphology resembling those found in representatives of the Bothrops jararaca (Wied-Neuwied, 1824) species group, B. jabrensis can be diagnosed by a combination of meristic and color characters. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates the new species represents a unique and highly di...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 19, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: Fausto E. Barbo Felipe G. Grazziotin Gentil A. Pereira-Filho Marco A. Freitas Stephenson H.F. Abrantes Marcelo N. de C. Kokubum Source Type: research

Island biogeography theory and the urban landscape: stopover site selection by the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Many migratory bats require forested sites for roosting and foraging along their migration path, but increased urbanization and intensive agricultural practices may reduce the availability of stopover sites. Urban forests may provide important stopover habitat, maintaining landscape connectivity in regions where the majority of natural habitat has been cleared for development. Island biogeography theory can be applied to urbanized temperate forest biomes where small urban forests represent islands separated from the larger “mainland” forest. We used acoustic monitoring durin...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 14, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: Hannah Adams Liam P. McGuire Source Type: research

An observational analysis of Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) foraging and caching ecology in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Arctic and subarctic wildlife are among the most vulnerable species to climate change. Canada Jays (Perisoreus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1776)) are generalist residents of northern boreal forests and scatter-hoard food to insulate against food scarcity during winter. Unlike most scatter-hoarders, however, Canada Jays primarily cache perishable food, rendering their caches more susceptible to climate change induced degradation and loss. Here we use a mostly noninvasive approach to document Canada Jay foraging ecology among a population in interior Alaska, USA, including the types of ...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 13, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: K.N. Swift E.J. Williams J.M. Marzluff Source Type: research

Microanatomy and ultrastructure of kidney interstitial cells and nephron in brown trout (Salmo trutta) at different stages of the life cycle
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. The study focuses on the microanatomy and ultrastructural changes in the trunk kidney interstitium cells and nephrons in parr, smolt, and spawning brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) sampled in Luga River and Solka River, the tributaries of the Baltic Sea. Regardless of the type of cells or their structure, there were changes in their areas and in the number and structure of organelles responsible for the transport, synthetic, and energetic functions of cells. Our data on the morphology of the nephron combined with data on its physiology suggest a fundamental change in kid...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 11, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: Ekaterina A. Flerova Victoria V. Yurchenko Yulia P. Sapozhnikova Dmitry S. Sendek Sergey F. Titov Alexey A. Morozov Source Type: research

Nesting in close quarters: causes and benefits of high-density nesting behaviour in Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Many oviparous reptiles nest in aggregations and with temporal synchrony. We hypothesized that these traits reflect attraction by conspecifics rather than limiting suitable habitat. We quantified whether Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta (Schneider, 1783)) in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada, were nesting communally, identified cues females used to select nest sites, and tested whether hatching success was higher in spatially clustered nests. We found that nests were closer to one another than expected by chance (i.e., were clustered), but that individual nest-site selection was o...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 9, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: S.J. Kell N. Rollinson R.J. Brooks J.D. Litzgus Source Type: research

Skull morphological variation in a British stranded population of false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens): a three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach
This study confirms the absence of sexual shape dimorphism and the presence of a sexual size dimorphism in this false killer whale population. (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology)
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 7, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: Deborah Vicari Richard C. Sabin Richard P. Brown Olivier Lambert Giovanni Bianucci Carlo Meloro Source Type: research

What do caribou eat? A review of the literature on caribou diet
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Historically, the study of caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1788)) diet has been specific to herds and few comprehensive circumpolar analyses of Rangifer diet exist. As a result, certain diet items may play an outsized role in the caribou diet Zeitgeist, e.g., lichen. We challenge this notion and test the relevant importance of various diet items within the context of prevailing hypotheses. We provide a systematic overview of 30 caribou studies reporting caribou diet and test biologically relevant hypotheses about spatial and temporal dietary variation. Our res...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 5, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: Quinn M.R. Webber Kristy M. Ferraro Jack G. Hendrix Eric Vander Wal Source Type: research

Behavioural microclimate selection and physiological responses to environmental conditions in a hibernating bat
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Hibernators adjust the expression of torpor behaviourally and physiologically to balance the benefits of energy conservation in hibernation against the physiological and ecological costs. Small fat-storing species, like many cave-hibernating bats, have long been thought to be highly constrained in their expression of hibernation because they must survive winter relying only on endogenous energy stores. We evaluated behavioural microclimate selection in tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832)) across a 3-month hibernation experiment under laboratory conditions. W...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - January 4, 2022 Category: Zoology Authors: Justin G. Boyles Emily M. Johnson Nathan W. Fuller Kirk A. Silas Lily Hou Winifred F. Frick Liam P. McGuire Source Type: research

Taxonomy, allometry, sexual dimorphism, and conservation of the trans-Andean watersnake Helicops danieli Amaral, 1937 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Hydropsini)
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. The extensive lack of knowledge on the morphological aspects of South American watersnakes includes a poor understanding of phenotypic parameters, intraspecific variation, and conservation of the trans-Andean Helicops species, Daniel ’s Keelback (Helicops danieli Amaral, 1937). For the first time, we provide a multidisciplinary view using key features (e.g., morphology and niche modeling) to improve the taxonomic recognition of this species, as well as describing ontogenetic color changes, allometry, sexual dimorphism, and the conservation status of this poorly studied snake. ...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - December 22, 2021 Category: Zoology Authors: Nathalie Citeli Julia Klaczko Anderson Kennedy Soares De-Lima Mariana de-Carvalho Pedro M. Sales Nunes Paulo Passos Reuber Albuquerque Brand ão Source Type: research

Variation in age of primiparity in mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) estimated from horn growth increments
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Variation in age of primiparity is important for population dynamics and wildlife management because it can affect population growth. Using a novel technique based on the trade-off between annual horn growth and reproduction, we estimated the age of primiparity for 2274 female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) harvested across British Columbia, Canada, from 1976 to 2019. We then investigated spatio-temporal variation in the probability that harvested females were primiparous when aged 3, 4, or 5 years and older using Bayesian ordinal regressions. We found t...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - December 22, 2021 Category: Zoology Authors: Chad Rice Benjamin Larue Marco Festa-Bianchet Source Type: research

Note of appreciation
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology)
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - December 7, 2021 Category: Zoology Source Type: research

Where s the best supermarket deal? Female Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) show variable foraging areas during the guard stage at Isla de los Estados, Argentina
Canadian Journal of Zoology,Volume 100, Issue 1, Page 46-55, January 2022. Understanding the spatial distribution of seabirds contributes to comprehending their ecological requirements and dispersion patterns. We studied the at-sea distribution of female Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome (J.R. Forster, 1781)) at Isla de los Estados colony during the early chick-rearing period. We used a clustering analysis approach to identify different groups according to the foraging trip (tracking and diving data from GPS and temperature and depth data loggers) and diet ( ?15N composition on blood samples) characteristic...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - December 1, 2021 Category: Zoology Authors: Natalia G. Rosciano Klemens P tz Michael J. Polito Andrea Raya Rey Source Type: research

Where ’s the best supermarket deal? Female Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) show variable foraging areas during the guard stage at Isla de los Estados, Argentina
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Understanding the spatial distribution of seabirds contributes to comprehending their ecological requirements and dispersion patterns. We studied the at-sea distribution of female Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome (J.R. Forster, 1781)) at Isla de los Estados colony during the early chick-rearing period. We used a clustering analysis approach to identify different groups according to the foraging trip (tracking and diving data from GPS and temperature and depth data loggers) and diet ( δ15N composition on blood samples) characteristics. Foraging trips differed in...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - December 1, 2021 Category: Zoology Authors: Natalia G. Rosciano Klemens P ütz Michael J. Polito Andrea Raya Rey Source Type: research

Effects of parasitism on antipredatory responses and defensive behaviors in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys  talarum
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Predation represents an important evolutionary force shaping specific adaptations. Prey organisms present behavioral adaptations that allow them to recognize, avoid, and defend themselves from their predators. In addition to predation, there is a growing consensus about the role of parasitism in the structuring of biological communities. In vertebrates, the effects on hosts include changes in daily activity, feeding, mate selection, reproduction, and modifications in responses to environmental stimuli. These behavioral variations can benefit the parasite (parasitic manipulation)...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - November 23, 2021 Category: Zoology Authors: V. Brachetta C.E. Schleich R.R. Zenuto Source Type: research

Diet reveals potential for competition and coexistence among coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Ahead of Print. Species can alleviate competition by reducing diet overlap. Non-native coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and historically native gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775)) have expanded their ranges and may compete with native red foxes (Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)). To examine potential competition among canids in Maine, USA, we compared δ13C and δ15N from muscle and hair samples to assess relative resource use, and we compared frequency of occurrence of prey items from stomach contents to assess diets. For these species, red foxes consumed anthropogenically ba...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - November 23, 2021 Category: Zoology Authors: Henry M. Masters Christine R. Maher Source Type: research