Published by De Gruyter

Volume 82 Issue 6

Issue of Mammalia

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Contents
Journal Overview

Publicly Available November 3, 2018

Obituary

Publicly Available October 1, 2018

In memoriam Jamshid Darvish

Christiane Denys, François Bonhomme, Boris Kryštufek, Marjan Mashkour, Jean Denis Vigne, Roohollah Siahsarvie

Page range: 521-528

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Museology/history of sciences

Publicly Available February 13, 2018

On the shoulders of giants: Reginald Innes Pocock and integrative mammal research in museums and zoos

Spartaco Gippoliti, Tommaso De Francesco, Jan Robovský

Page range: 529-539

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Abstract

Seventy years after his death, Reginald Innes Pocock’s prominence in mammalogy is demonstrated by the continuing amount of citations in recent works and the final acceptance of some of his systematic proposals at generic and suprageneric levels. Pocock’s ability to synthesize and integrate classical taxonomy with the then dominant polytypic species concept, utilizing both skull and external characters, of zoo and museum animals as unique opportunities for the advancement of mammal comparative biology – including the study of several extinct taxa – are an enduring legacy for mammalogy that deserves to be better appreciated especially among European zoologists.

Ecology

Publicly Available February 24, 2018

Space use and movement of jaguar (Panthera onca) in western Paraguay

Roy T. McBride, Jeffrey J. Thompson

Page range: 540-549

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Abstract

Home range and core area size were estimated for jaguar ( Panthera onca ) in western Paraguay in the Dry Chaco, Humid Chaco and Pantanal using an autocorrelated kernel density estimator. Mean home range size was 818 km 2 (95% confidence interval: 425–1981) in the Dry Chaco and 237 km 2 (95% confidence interval: 90–427) in the Humid Chaco/Pantanal. Core areas, defined as the home range area where use was equal to expected use, was consistent across sexes and systems represented on average by the 59% home range isopleth (range: 56–64%). Males had a higher probability of larger home ranges and more directional and greater daily movements than females collectively and within systems. The large home ranges in the Dry Chaco are attributable to the relatively low productivity of that semi-arid ecosystem and high heterogeneity in resource distribution while larger than expected home ranges in the Humid Chaco/Pantanal compared to home range estimates from the Brazilian Pantanal may be due to differences in geomorphology and hydrological cycle. The large home ranges of jaguars in western Paraguay and a low proportional area of protected areas in the region demonstrate the importance of private ranchland for the long-term conservation of the species.

February 19, 2018

A review of the status of the Western polecat Mustela putorius: a neglected and declining species?

Elizabeth Croose, J.W. Duckworth, Sandrine Ruette, Dmitry V. Skumatov, Vyacheslav V. Kolesnikov, Alexander P. Saveljev

Page range: 550-564

Abstract

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.

June 8, 2018

Diversity of primates and other mammals in the middle Purus basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Ricardo Sampaio, Fábio Röhe, Anthony B. Rylands

Page range: 565-579

Abstract

Information on the wildlife of the middle and upper reaches of the Purus in Brazil is scarce, and this region is one of the major remaining gaps in our understanding of the distributions and population status of mammals in the Brazilian Amazon. In this paper, we present information on the diversity of mammals of the middle Purus, in the south of Amazonas State, Brazil. Based on rapid inventories in four protected areas, and line-transect censuses in one of them, we provide locality records that indicate expansions of the known range of six primate species and a squirrel. Species more frequently seen during censuses were small and mid-sized primates and rodents, while records of larger mammals, which are more sensitive to subsistence hunting, were infrequent or lacking. Deforestation in the area is relatively low, but the area is close to the so-called “arc of deforestation” that is moving north and west from the north of the state of Mato Grosso into the states of Acre and Amazonas. The middle and upper Purus basin has been little explored, but is far from pristine, and populations of most of the species that are vulnerable to forest degradation and hunting are already reduced, especially close to the major rivers.

February 6, 2018

Rapid expansion of the American mink poses a serious threat to the European mink in Spain

Madis Põdra, Asunción Gómez

Page range: 580-588

Abstract

The American mink ( Neovison vison ) was introduced in Europe for fur farming in the 1920s and feral populations were formed due to escapes or intentional releases to the wild thereafter. Nowadays, the species is widely distributed across much of the continent, and is considered the main cause of extinction of the European mink ( Mustela lutreola ). In Spain, the first populations of the American mink were formed in the 1980s and since then a continuous expansion in their range has been observed. We describe the expansion process of the American mink based on reports of its distribution in the literature, focusing particularly on its increasing overlap with the distribution of the native, endangered European mink. Over the 27 years (1985–2012), the distribution area of non-native mink in Spain increased by 17 times, with an average annual increment of 16.5% and no significant variation among populations. By 2012, a quarter of continental Spain was occupied by the American mink and its presence was confirmed in one-third of the distribution area of the European mink. The status of native mink has worsened drastically in Spain over the last years and urgent conservation measures are required to stop further spread of the American mink.

June 29, 2018

New reports of the presence and ecology of the Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri) in South Sumatra

Arum Setiawan, Muhammad Iqbal, Komarudin, Rio Firman Saputra, Doni Setiawan, Indra Yustian

Page range: 589-591

Abstract

The Sumatran striped rabbit ( Nesolagus netscheri Schlegel 1880), endemic to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is one of the rarest and least known lagomorph in the World. On 2 February 2017, N. netscheri was sighted in the forested Gunung Raya Wildlife Reserve, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. An immediate follow up survey of local coffee farmers and hunters provided new data on the occurrence and ecology of N. netscheri.

February 19, 2018

Reproduction of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) outside current resident breeding populations in Europe: evidence from the Czech Republic

Miloslav Jirků, Dalibor Dostál, Jan Robovský, Martin Šálek

Page range: 592-595

Abstract

The golden jackal is a mesocarnivore with a rapidly expanding European range, where current resident breeding populations occupy much of the Balkans, Pannonian Basin and the Black and Caspian seas coasts. Despite numerous post-2000 records, breeding of this species in the newly colonized regions of Central and Northwestern Europe remained unconfirmed. Photography- and direct observation-based evidence obtained in 2017 from Central Bohemia, Czech Republic, indicates a north-western shift in the breeding range over 300 km from the closest known breeding jackal population in Pannonian Basin.

March 3, 2018

Dung-pile use by guanacos in eastern Patagonia

Andrea Marino

Page range: 596-599

Abstract

Previous studies on guanacos have reported that only territorial males create and maintain dung-piles. The aim of this analysis was to compare dung-pile use by territorial males with the use by females and young in family groups, and by bachelor males. Although territorial males showed the highest dung-pile use, all individuals dropped feces on piles frequently, in contrast to what was previously observed within other guanaco populations. Besides stressing the behavioral plasticity of guanacos, these results suggest an additional adaptive function of localized-defecation other than demarcating territory ownership by the territorial male.

Conservation

February 13, 2018

Stable isotope analysis as a minimal-invasive method for dietary studies on the highly endangered Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus)

Anna Roswag, Nina I. Becker, Eva Millesi, Matthias S. Otto, Sara Ruoss, Marco Sander, Carina Siutz, Ulrich Weinhold, Jorge A. Encarnação

Page range: 600-606

Abstract

This study applied the analysis of stable isotope ratios as a minimally-invasive tool to estimate the diet of Cricetus cricetus for the first time. We took hair and food samples of three different populations of C. cricetus and analyzed stable carbon and nitrogen ratios. The stable isotope ratios in hamster hairs differed significantly within and between populations according to different sampling seasons and animal ages. Additionally, the isotopic signatures of potential food samples differed between sampling sites and food categories. The isotopic mixing models illustrated that diet composition varied with season and food availability. During the summer season hamsters living in agricultural areas mainly fed on green and ripe crop. In contrast to this, during the winter season ripe crop was the main food component for hamsters in agricultural areas while hamsters living in urban areas fed almost exclusively on nuts. These are, despite a wide variety of available food sources, most suitable for hoarding in the burrow. We conclude that stable isotope analysis of hamster hairs is an appropriate minimal-invasive method to investigate correlations between available and consumed food sources throughout the overall distribution of this species.

July 5, 2018

New localities, an update on the conservation status and ethnographic notes for the dingiso tree kangaroo, Dendrolagus mbaiso Flannery, Boeadi et Szalay (Diprotodontia: Macropodidae)

Michael Wild, Michael Balke

Page range: 607-610

Abstract

Dendrolagus mbaiso is a very rare tree kangaroo (Macropodidae) that was previously only known from the high mountain moss forests of the southern and western slopes of the Sudirman Range of the Snow Mountains in Papua. Here, a northern range extension of D . mbaiso is reported from within the traditional area of the Wano people. It was found on elevations from 1500 m to 3600 m. We also provide ethnographic notes from the Wano people, notes on the sympatric occurrence of D. mbaiso with Dendrolagus dorianus and observations on the variation of the fur color.

Biogeography

June 28, 2018

First record of the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Pteropodidae), from Kastellorizo island, Greece

Ilias Strachinis, Konstantinos Kalaentzis, Philippos Katsiyiannis, Christos Kazilas

Page range: 611-613

Abstract

The Egyptian fruit bat ( Rousettus aegyptiacus ) is a pteropodid species with a large part of its range in the Palearctic region. It has a quite discontinuous range from sub-Saharan Africa to NW India, including SW Turkey. In this note we present the first record of the Egyptian fruit bat in Greek territory, observed during a zoological expedition on the island of Kastellorizo (Dodecanese, Greece). At least three specimens were observed foraging a white mulberry in the town of Megisti on May 4 2017, but no individual was spotted during a summer expedition in August 2017.

February 6, 2018

Recent records of dhole (Cuon alpinus, Pallas 1811) in Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya, India

Ranjana Pal, Shagun Thakur, Shashank Arya, Tapajit Bhattacharya, Sambandam Sathyakumar

Page range: 614-617

Abstract

Camera trap photographs of solitary individuals of Asiatic wild dog or dholes ( Cuon alpinus , Pallas 1811) have been recorded from Kheda Tal area in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. This is the first photographic confirmation of the presence of this species in the Himalayan habitats of Uttarakhand. The presence of dholes here seems to be confined to a relatively small area of unprotected habitats affected by various anthropogenic uses. The population of endangered dhole is rapidly declining especially in Himalayan region. Thus, it is imperative that local stakeholders are aware of their presence, and it is highly recommended that investigations of the ecological parameters of this population are continued.

Evolutionary biology

March 8, 2018

First records of hypopigmentation disorders in the Peters’ ghost-faced bat Mormoops megalophylla (Chiroptera, Mormoopidae)

Itandehui Hernández-Aguilar, Antonio Santos-Moreno

Page range: 618-621

Abstract

The pigmentation process can be affected throughout development and result in aberrant pigmentation. This can derive not only from genetic mutations, but also from other sources like infectious diseases that result in color patterns which are different from those characteristic of each species. In bats, most pigmentation abnormalities have been observed in the families Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae, probably because they are the largest families in number of species and have been exceptionally well studied. For the Mormoopidae family only two cases are known. This paper documents the first case of hypopigmentation disorder in the bat Mormoops megalophylla throughout its range, recorded in two specimens captured in the state of Oaxaca, México.

June 27, 2018

Historical record of Holochilus vulpinus (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) from northern Patagonia, Argentina

Federico L. Agnolin, Sergio O. Lucero, Julio Torres

Page range: 622-625

Abstract

Marsh rats of the species Holochilus vulpinus inhabit mesic and humid environments. For this reason, it is frequently used in paleoenviromental studies to infer past humid conditions. Holocene archeological record indicates that H. vulpinus had a wider geographical distribution than today. Its regional extinction in north Patagonia at the XIX century was attributed to the dry and cold Little Ice Age (LIA). Here we present the finding of a specimen of H. vulpinus from northeastern Patagonia (Valcheta stream, Río Negro province, Argentina), just at the end of LIA. Implications of this novel historical record are discussed.

Taxonomy/phylogeny

April 12, 2018

On the identity of Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus 1758

Cayo Augusto Rocha Dias, Guilherme Siniciato Terra Garbino, Fernando Araújo Perini

Page range: 626-631

Abstract

Given the confusion ensuing from a recent study suggesting that the name Didelphis marsupialis should be applied to white-eared opossums instead of the traditional view that it represents a black-eared opossum, we reviewed all the sources employed by Linnaeus to describe D. marsupialis and examined photographs of the putative type specimen, comparing them with specimens of black- and white-eared Didelphis . We conclude that the type specimen presents characters that would allow us to diagnose it as a black-eared opossum species. We believe that the proposed nomenclatural changes not only are unjustified but also disrupt the stability advocated by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).

Annual reviewer acknowledgement

Publicly Available October 25, 2018

Reviewer acknowledgement Mammalia volume 82 (2018)

Page range: 632-633

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About this journal

Objective
Mammalia is an international, multidisciplinary, bimonthly journal devoted to the inventory, analysis and interpretation of mammalian diversity. It publishes original results on all aspects of the systematics and biology of mammals with a strong focus on ecology, including biodiversity analyses, distribution habitats, diet, predator-prey relationships, competition, community analyses and conservation of mammals. The journal also accepts submissions on sub-fossil or recently extinct mammals.

Topics

Comparative, functional and evolutionary anatomy
Morphology
Classical and geometric morphometrics
Ecology
Evolutionary biology
Phylogeny and phylogeography
Biogeography
Taxonomy and nomenclature
Physiology
Behavior
Conservation

Article formats
Original Studies, Reviews, Short Notes

Volume 82 Issue 6

Issue of Mammalia

Frontmatter

In memoriam Jamshid Darvish

On the shoulders of giants: Reginald Innes Pocock and integrative mammal research in museums and zoos

Abstract

Space use and movement of jaguar (Panthera onca) in western Paraguay

Abstract

A review of the status of the Western polecat Mustela putorius: a neglected and declining species?

Abstract

Diversity of primates and other mammals in the middle Purus basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Rapid expansion of the American mink poses a serious threat to the European mink in Spain

Abstract

New reports of the presence and ecology of the Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri) in South Sumatra

Abstract

Reproduction of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) outside current resident breeding populations in Europe: evidence from the Czech Republic

Abstract

Dung-pile use by guanacos in eastern Patagonia

Abstract

Stable isotope analysis as a minimal-invasive method for dietary studies on the highly endangered Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus)

Abstract

New localities, an update on the conservation status and ethnographic notes for the dingiso tree kangaroo, Dendrolagus mbaiso Flannery, Boeadi et Szalay (Diprotodontia: Macropodidae)

Abstract

First record of the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Pteropodidae), from Kastellorizo island, Greece

Abstract

Recent records of dhole (Cuon alpinus, Pallas 1811) in Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya, India

Abstract

First records of hypopigmentation disorders in the Peters’ ghost-faced bat Mormoops megalophylla (Chiroptera, Mormoopidae)

Abstract

Historical record of Holochilus vulpinus (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) from northern Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract

On the identity of Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus 1758

Abstract

Reviewer acknowledgement Mammalia volume 82 (2018)