Evaluating trap performance and volunteers’ experience in small mammal monitoring programs based on citizen science: the SEMICE case study
Publication date: Available online 17 January 2019Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Ignasi Torre, Alfons Raspall, Antoni Arrizabalaga, Mario DíazAbstractCitizen science projects have proliferated in the last decades, becoming a critical form of public engagement in science. However, monitoring based on citizen science must take special care on the analyses and/or standardization of volunteer’s variation in sampling and identification skills. Key aspects such as detectability of species and ability to determine individual traits (i.e., sex and reproductive state) are expected to vary with observer’s experience. We an...
Source: Mammalian Biology - January 17, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research
The importance of lagomorphs for the Eurasian lynx in Western Asia: results from a large scale camera-trapping survey in Turkey
This study explores the spatial and temporal relationship of the Eurasian lynx with its two main preys, roe deer and the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in north-western Anatolia using long-term camera-trapping data. Camera-trapping surveys were held with 173 systematic camera-trap stations at 10 study sites between November 2007 and July 2016, and reached to 53,995 trap-nights in total. To analyse the camera-trap data, we used a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) assuming binomial error distribution for presence/absence data and general linear mixed model (LMM) for the relative abundance data. In both modelling approaches...
Source: Mammalian Biology - January 13, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Bats use larval galleries of the endangered beetle Cerambyx cerdo as hibernation sites
Publication date: Available online 11 January 2019Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Iwona Gottfried, Tomasz Gottfried, Krzysztof ZającAbstractBats use a variety of tree-related microhabitats, however, only a few species inhabiting temperate regions use trees as roosts during winter. Our paper presents the first evidences of the use of cavities created by the longhorn beetles Cerambyx cerdo as hibernation sites in Central Europe. During research conducted in 2017-2018 in SW Poland bats hibernating in Cerambyx cavities were noted in 52.6% of the monitored trees (n = 19). All bats belonged to the genus Pipistrellus, and in...
Source: Mammalian Biology - January 12, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Elephant body mass cyclicity suggests effect of molar progression on chewing efficiency
Publication date: Available online 9 January 2019Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Christian Schiffmann, Jean-Michel Hatt, Stefan Hoby, Daryl Codron, Marcus ClaussAbstractElephants do not replace deciduous teeth once with permanent teeth as most mammals, but replace a single cheek tooth per jaw-side five times in their lives in a process called molar progression. While this gradual process has been well-documented for the purpose of age determination, a less-considered possible side effect of this progression is that functional chewing surface fluctuates, being larger when two cheek teeth are both partially in use and sm...
Source: Mammalian Biology - January 9, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Rapid descent flight by a molossid bat (Chaerephon plicatus) returning to its cave
Publication date: Available online 3 January 2019Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Christian C. Voigt, Sara Bumrungsri, Manuel RoelekeAbstractIn Southeast Asia, wrinkle-lipped bats (Chaerephon plicatus) roost in colonies that may count several million individuals. Birds of prey frequently hunt these bats when they emerge from or return to their colonies. Here, we report on an extreme anti-predator behavior of this species during return flights at dawn. Based on data logger, we documented that bats may ascent to several hundred meters altitude above the cave shortly before diving at high speeds (maximum 20 m/s) towards ...
Source: Mammalian Biology - January 4, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research
How giant are giant armadillos? The morphometry of giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus Kerr, 1792) in the Pantanal of Brazil
Publication date: Available online 21 December 2018Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Arnaud Leonard Jean Desbiez, Gabriel Favero Massocato, Danilo Kluyber, Camila Do Nascimento, Nina AttiasAbstractMorphometrics is the quantitative study of organisms shape and size. Intrinsic (e.g. age and sex) and extrinsic (e.g. abiotic conditions) factors can be related to morphological diversity and can aid in the study of species biology and ecology. Giant armadillos have rarely been captured in the wild and very little is known about the species. Here we aimed to characterize body measurements of free-living giant armadillos (Priodo...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 22, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
The effect of oil palm agricultural expansion on group size of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Peninsular Malaysia
In this study, we investigate the group size of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in four habitat types: unlogged forest, logged forest, large-scale oil palm plantations, and smallholdings. Field censuses were conducted in 2015 and 2016 to determine the group size of M. fascicularis in large-scale oil palm plantations and oil palm smallholdings. These data from oil palm plantations were compared to surveys conducted on a logged lowland forest reserve and a previous study in an unlogged lowland forest. We found that group size of M. fascicularis in large-scale plantations was lower compared to smallholdings, logged...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 19, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Temporal and dietary segregation in a Neotropical small-felid assemblage and its relation to prey activity
Publication date: Available online 17 December 2018Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Mariana B. Nagy-Reis, Victor H.S. Iwakami, Cesar A. Estevo, Eleonore Z.F. SetzAbstractMechanisms that decrease niche overlap in at least one of its dimensions (i.e., spatial, temporal, or dietary) tend to facilitate coexistence of similar, sympatric species. We investigated whether temporal or dietary segregation plays a significant role in the coexistence of Neotropical small felids. In addition, we examined the role of prey activity in shaping their time use. We compared the activity and diet of four felids (oncilla - Leopardus gutullu...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 18, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Activity patterns of African elephants in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor savannas
Publication date: January 2019Source: Mammalian Biology, Volume 94Author(s): Rosemary Peter Mramba, Harry P. Andreassen, Valeri Mlingi, Christina SkarpeAbstractThe Jarman-Bell principle states that small herbivores feed on the high quality forage in nutrient-rich, eutrophic savannas, whereas large herbivores tolerate the lower quality forage in nutrient poor, dystrophic, savannas. The African elephant, Loxodonta africana, is a large herbivore occurring in both savanna types, where it meets different quality and quantity of forage and different competition from small herbivores. Activities of elephants are comparatively wel...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 12, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Spatial organization and habitat selection of Geoffroy’s cat in the Espinal of central Argentina
We report data on the spatial ecology and habitat selection of eight adult Geoffroy’s cat Leopardus geoffroyi (five males and three females) that were radiotracked in an area of the central Argentine Espinal. Mean home range size varied from 2.2 ± 1.9 km2 (Kernel95%) to 2.8 ± 2.4 km2 (MCP100%), with male home ranges 4.1 larger than those of females. Core areas (Kernel50%) averaged 0.7 ± 0.7 km2 and were 3 times smaller for females. Daily movement patterns were consistent with the variations in home range sizes being greater in males (590.2 m ± 476.6) than females (413.5 m ± 288.1). Home range...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 10, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Short-term thermal responses after exposure to predator odor (TMT) in the house mouse
In conclusion, this study stresses the need for a deeper exploration of the behavioral and physiological response to predator odors to better understand the emotional responses they induce. (Source: Mammalian Biology)
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 10, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Activity patterns of African elephant in nutrient rich and nutrient poor savannas
Publication date: Available online 4 December 2018Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Rosemary Peter Mramba, Harry P. Andreassen, Valeri Mlingi, Christina SkarpeAbstractThe Jarman-Bell principle states that small herbivores feed on the high quality forage in nutrient-rich, eutrophic savannas, whereas large herbivores tolerate the lower quality forage in nutrient poor, dystrophic, savannas. The African elephant, Loxodonta africana, is a large herbivore occurring in both savanna types, where it meets different quality and quantity of forage and different competition from small herbivores. Activities of elephants are comparat...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 5, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Two major clades of blind mole rats (Nannospalax sp.) revealed by mtDNA and microsatellite genotyping in Western and Central Turkey
Publication date: Available online 3 December 2018Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Ferhat Matur, Alexey Yanchukov, Faruk Çolak, Mustafa SözenAbstractThe Anatolian and the Lesser blind mole rats (Nannospalax xanthodon and N. leucodon) are widely distributed in Anatolia and Thrace and feature remarkable diversity of chromosomal races. The evolutionary relationship among various cytotypes has not been fully resolved, and little is known about the genetic diversity at the population level. Traditionally, N. xanthodon is divided into Western and Central Anatolian phylogenetic clades, but the inclusion of particular cytotyp...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 4, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Additional row of outer hair cells – The unique pattern of the Corti organ in a subterranean rodent, the Gansu zokor (Eospalax cansus)
Publication date: January 2019Source: Mammalian Biology, Volume 94Author(s): Lucie Pleštilová, Ema Hrouzková, Hynek Burda, Limin Hua, Radim ŠumberaAbstractAcoustic conditions in burrows are different from those aboveground and restrict hearing of subterranean mammals to low frequencies, which is reflected in the ear morphology. While low-frequency adaptations of the middle ear attracted more attention of researches, the inner ear remained rather understudied. Here, we examined the cochlea of the inner ear of the Gansu zokor (Eospalax cansus), a subterranean rodent from the Tibetan Plateau. We focused on the quantitativ...
Source: Mammalian Biology - December 1, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 8. Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, D. E. Wilson and R. A. Mittermeier (chief editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona (2018). 709 pp., 28 colour plates, 480 colour photographs, 685 distribution maps. Hardback. €160, ISBN: 978-84-16728-08-4.
Publication date: Available online 23 November 2018Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Frank E. Zachos (Source: Mammalian Biology)
Source: Mammalian Biology - November 24, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research
