Studies on activity rhythms are pivotal for the management of invasive alien species, as they provide basic insights into species basic ecology and may increase the success of control programs. The coypu Myocastor coypus, introduced from South America for fur farms, has become one of the most invasive rodents in Europe. Introduced coypus may affect crop productions, as well as natural vegetation and

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The thin-spined porcupine (Chaetomys subspinosus Olfers, 1818) is an endemic and threatened rodent from the Atlantic Forest biological hotspot. Previous studies have demonstrated it follows a strictly leaf-based diet, limited to a few tree species, although such information is derived from few individuals (n = 7) resident in small forest fragments. We aimed to evaluate whether such dietary specialization

Phylogeographic patterns in the Horn of Africa have recently attracted researchers searching for hidden diversity and explaining the evolutionary history of this region. In this paper, we focus on spiny mouse Acomys louisae. We examined 88 samples from 13 localities across Somaliland and sequenced CYTB, control region and IRBP genes. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed clear distinctness of A. louisae

The European polecat (Mustela putorius) almost became extinct in Britain in the early twentieth century, but populations are now recovering. As seen in other endangered carnivore populations, disease is one potential threat to recovery. This study assessed exposure of wild polecats (n = 149) to three, multi-host pathogens which could limit reproduction and/or cause morbidity and mortality. Serum, lung

A small population of Asiatic black bear—known as the Baluchistan black bear—survives in the western limit of the species’ range in Iran, where the species is rare, difficult to monitor and occupy an atypical habitat with extreme environmental conditions. Through the use of noninvasively collected samples, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships

Previous studies exploring the rhythmic activity of sloths of the Bradypus genus in undisturbed forests revealed cathemeral patterns of activity. In the current study we wished to examine sloth behavior in a highly disturbed secondary forest habitat. We evaluated activity pattern, time budget and rhythmic activities of brown-throated three-toed sloths (B. variegatus) living in the border of a highly

This study reassesses the taxonomic status of the Malayan water shrew, Chimarrogale hantu Harrison 1958 as a distinct species and reclassifies it as the genus Crossogale through genetic and morphological analyses. We construct phylogenetic trees using both mitochondrial (cyt b) and nuclear markers (ApoB and RAG2). Chimarrogale hantu formed a distinct clade that diverged from other Chimarrogale species

The Vietnamese pygmy dormouse is a small, arboreal, nocturnal, blind rodent that uses incipient echolocation to navigate in tree canopies. In order to assess its arboreal faculties in relation to echolocative capacity, the present study investigated the locomotor and postural behavior of the species in a simulated arboreal environment within an enclosure. The study subjects were intensively video and

In many parts of South and Southeast Asia, rural farmers living at the borders of protected areas frequently encounter Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) raiding their crops and threatening farmers lives and livelihoods. Traditional deterrent methods often have limited success as elephants become habituated or alternate their movement and behavior. While African bees (Apis mellifera scutellate) have

Understanding reproductive physiology of a species is important to assess their potential to respond to environmental variation and perturbation of their social system during the mating or pre-mating seasons. We report 175 parturition dates from wild Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Scandinavia. Most lynx birth dates were highly synchronised around a mean of 30th May (SD = 9 days) with 173 of the 175 births

Black and white face markings in Artiodactyls are thought to be broadly associated with intraspecific communication. Evidence-based studies on the fine-scale mechanisms of signaling, however, are scant. The occurrence of black and white face markings is one of the most distinctive features of the Northern chamois Rupicapra rupicapra. Although their function is unknown, they might possibly signal fighting

Habitat structure and population density have long been considered key factors in determining intraspecific variation in the group size of social ungulates. However, the effect of interaction between habitat structure and population density on group size is poorly understood, and whether the underlying causes of these relationships are biological adaptation, emergent properties, or both is still debated

The Laotian rock rat or Kha nyou (Laonastes aenigmamus) is a small mammal species that was discovered in Central Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in 1996. After this discovery, the Laotian rock rat was recognized as a living fossil of the family Diatomyidae, other members of which have been extinct more than 11 million years. Previous studies have been limited to the taxonomy of the species

The effects of roads on natural environments have been studied in many places around the world. The presence of roads can be considered for native animals as a disturbance stimulus. Besides, roads can facilitate arrival and entry of alien species, such as domestic and feral ungulates, which sometimes compete with native species. Due to this, we assessed if the presence of roads affect directly or indirectly

Animal mating systems provide key insights into the relationship between evolutionary processes and ecological factors such as the spatio-temporal fluctuation of resource abundance. Characteristics of mating systems can be inferred from the spatial distribution of conspecifics and the arrangement of reproductive pairs. Here we used home-range size and overlap for Thrichomys fosteri in the Brazilian

The mitigation of ecological/economic impacts of wild boar Sus scrofa is one of the most challenging issues in wildlife management worldwide. Monitoring population density and impact of wild boar is crucial to plan appropriate management actions to reduce its density, environmental impact and epidemiological risk, as well as to evaluate control effectiveness. In 2018–2019, we used plot-based faeces

There is an increased interest in the possibility to use large animals in the restoration of degraded ecosystems and to increase the capacity of natural areas to sustain richer biodiversity. We quantify the dietary differences and similarities between five moose and 22 red deer introduced in a 2100 ha fenced area under restoration (Lille Vildmose, Denmark) and their potential in the restoration process

Determining the contexts of emission and information content of vocal signals can yield insights into the function of different call types, and remains an important step towards understanding the diversification of mammalian vocal repertoires. In this study, we used infra-red video cameras and remote audio recorders to document seasonal and contextual variation in male European badger (Meles meles)

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Invasive alien species pose one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. In parts of Europe, introduced eastern grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) have caused regional extinctions of the native red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). However, exposure to pine martens (Martes martes) has been demonstrated to reverse the competitive outcome between red and grey squirrels. The mechanism whereby this

Animal behaviour can affect individual fitness and is influenced by exogenous and endogenous factors. Here, we investigated how light (daylight length and moonlight), weather (precipitation and temperature), age, sex and social status affected activity and movement of a semiaquatic mammal, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), using GPS relocation data from 47 individuals in south-eastern Norway. Independent

Dipodomys gravipes is distributed only in the San Quintin plains, in the northwest of the peninsula of Baja California, México; this species is known to prefer flat areas and undisturbed sites. The San Quintin region has experienced accelerated agricultural development over the past 20 years, diminishing the populations of D. gravipes, which is listed as possibly extinct in its environment. In 2017

The spatial ecology of the Herpestidae family has remained poorly studied across Africa. The behavioural plasticity and generalist nature of members of the family could be facilitating their expansion in anthropogenically transformed landscapes. Given the current paucity of information on their spatial ecology, knowledge of their spatial movement is important ecological information for the species

The mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), the smallest of the three American tapirs, is the least studied species of the family Tapiridae and is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Globally Threatened Species. It plays a critical role in the functioning of ecosystems throughout the northern Andes as a seed predator and disperser of a wide diversity of plant species. Despite the ecological

Anthropogenic habitat disturbances are causing large-scale declines in animal abundance. For many species, information on the drivers of decline is lacking or restricted to single sites, despite calls for regional approaches. In this study, we determined the effect of different types of habitat disturbance (natural or anthropogenic) and ecological factors on Geoffroy’s spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

In the southwestern United States, climate change and climate–fire dynamics are affecting the distribution of natural and managed ecosystems. Forest obligate species on sky islands can experience a restriction in range with the increase of destructive forest fires. Using presence/absence data collected by hair tubes, we identified key habitat features that determine the western gray squirrel (Sciurus

The role of intraspecific karyotype variability in reproductive isolation and speciation has been widely studied. Among the 26 genera of Palaearctic mammals, the blind mole rats genus Nannospalax has the highest karyotype variability with 74 chromosomal forms (CFs). Although these CFs have been described in detail, taxonomic effects of chromosomal rearrangements are still lacking, especially among

The red brocket deer is the largest species in the genus Mazama and one of the most abundant and widely distributed cervid in the Neotropics. Yet it has been classified as data deficient by the IUCN, and the limited knowledge on its reproductive biology indicates that red brocket bucks do not possess an annual antler cycle and are capable of breeding during antler casting and growth. Here, in parallel

It is clear that ecosystems are devastated after a volcanic eruption coats the landscape with a layer of ash; however, the ecological recovery of mammalian communities after eruptions is poorly understood. Volcanic eruptions vary with magnitude and type and only a fraction of them have been analysed for effects on mammalian communities. To better understand mammalian community recovery, I investigated

Effective and easy-to-apply monitoring techniques are necessary to detect alien species at their first stage of invasion, allowing rapid removal or delimitation of the invaded range for eradication or control actions. Monitoring tools should be effective in detecting the target species, reduce false absences and allow an early detection. The coypu (Myocastor coypus) is a large semi-aquatic rodent native

Reliable estimates of population size and a knowledge of determinants of detectability and density estimates are crucial for effective conservation of species. Using Multiple Covariate Distance Sampling (MCDS), we modelled the influence of covariates on detection probability and density estimates of native blackbuck Antilope cervicapra and the invasive feral-horse Equus caballus at Point Calimere Wildlife

We investigated by snow tracking and GPS telemetry how wolves Canis lupus used a dense (4 km/km2) network of forest roads for travel and scent marking. Forty-six percent of wolf trails but only 4.6% of telemetry locations were on forest roads. Wolves used forest roads to travel fast and far across their home ranges but spent relatively little time on roads, especially on those with high traffic levels

The Neotropical bat genus Platyrrhinus is one of the most speciose genera in the family Phyllostomidae. It includes 20 species of frugivorous bats that are endemic to the Neotropics. Platyrrhinus chocoensis is a species distributed from southern Panama southward into northern Ecuador on the lowlands and mid elevations of the Pacific coast of northern South America, across the Chocó Biogeographic region

The maned wolf, the largest canid in South America, was originally distributed in areas with open natural vegetation in the Cerrado biome, Chaco and Pampas regions. The dynamics of its distribution are, however, in flux, with populations declining at the southern limit of its distribution, and areas of apparent range expansion in Brazil. Although the maned wolf’s overall distribution is well documented

In the northern hemisphere, the spatial structure of many taxa has been shaped by migration patterns after the last glaciation, and phylogeography based on mtDNA variation may reflect the post-glacial demography. The mtDNA lineages are expected to differ in their adaptations to local conditions but little is known about the impact of these conditions on functional genetic variation. Here, we answer

Photoperiodism has been shown to be an important synchronizer of seasonal reproduction in many rodent species in the wild; it is a reliable cue as in the southern hemisphere it coincides with the onset of rainfall and hence the availability of food resources for maximal reproductive success. The photoperiodic effect on the reproductive status of the Namibian gerbil, Gerbilliscus cf. leucogaster from

We reviewed the alpha taxonomy of the genus Ctenomys Blainville, 1826 in southernmost South America, with emphasis on those nominal forms previously associated with C. magellanicus Bennett, 1836. We integrate distinct lines of evidence, including variation of mtDNA sequences, and the assessment of quantitative and qualitative traits of skins and skulls; when available, karyotypic data was also considered

Wild mammals in ex situ captivity experience substantially different environmental conditions compared to free-ranging conspecifics, e.g., in terms of diet, climatic conditions, social factors, movement space, and direct anthropogenic disturbance. Moreover, animals in captivity frequently undergo management interventions such as medical treatments which may influence pathogen pressure. Captivity is

Taxonomic uncertainties in the Rattus genus persist due to among-species morphological conservatism coupled with within-species environmental variation in morphology. As a result, this genus contains a number of possible cryptic species. One important example can be found in R. praetor, where morphological studies indicate it is a possible species complex. Genetic studies of R. praetor (limited to

In this century, China has sustained unparalleled economic development, leading to exponentially growing investments in scientific research. Yet, the demand for research-funding is large and tracing the current knowledge is a key step to define priority research topics. In this same span, studies on bats in China have uncovered an overlooked diversity and revealed novelties in bats' evolutionary history