Greater bilby burrows: important structures for a range of species in an arid environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Hofstede ◽  
Martin A. Dziminski
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Ecosystem Engineers ◽  
Gopher Tortoise ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Text Book ◽  
Invertebrate Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Remote Cameras ◽  
Kangaroo Rat

Greater bilbies (Macrotis lagotis) have been described as ecosystem engineers and their burrows are significant structures across an often featureless and harsh arid landscape. Remote cameras were deployed at bilby burrows to determine whether bilby burrows were important structures for other species. Cameras detected two mammal species, brush-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus blythi) and spinifex hopping mice (Notomys alexis), permanently occupying bilby burrows, and a further two species, short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus acanthion) and sand goannas (Varanus gouldii), regularly using bilby burrows for shelter. An additional suite of 16 mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate species were detected interacting with bilby burrows. There was no difference in the number of species using disused or occupied bilby burrows, indicating that even disused bilby burrows are important structures for other species. We show that bilby burrows are used by a range of species and are analogous to the traditional, mostly North American, and commonly provided text book examples of the gopher tortoise and kangaroo rat. The disappearance of bilbies across at least 80% of their former range and thus the disappearance of their burrows as important structural resources in a harsh, arid environment may have had important consequences for a range of species.

Comparisons of Community Structure Among Small Mammals of North-American and Australian Deserts

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
SR Morton ◽  
JH Brown ◽  
DA Kelt ◽  
JRW Reid
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
North America ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
North American ◽  
Median Number ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Structure Of Communities ◽  
Mammal Communities

Data on the presence of small mammal species at 201 sites in North American deserts and 245 in arid Australia were used to quantify similarities and differences in community structure between the two continents. In all, 41 species of rodents were sampled in North America and 26 species, both rodents and marsupials, in Australia. On both continents, each species occurred throughout its geographic range with many other species and as a member of many different combinations. The number of species with which each species coexisted was positively correlated with its area of geographic range, although most species occurred at less than half the sites within their ranges. The median number of species at a site was three in North America and two in Australia, but the numbers of species per site on the two continents were not significantly different. Despite the relatively small numbers of species per site, numerous different combinations of species were observed (North America, 158; Australia, 108). Communities in North America were dominated by granivores and in Australia by omnivores; insectivores were also prominent in Australia. These results support conclusions of an earlier study of granivorous rodents in North America, in suggesting that there is substantial spatial variation in the composition of small mammal communities. The magnitude of this variation indicates that species and communities tend to be individualistic in spatial distribution, such that communities are not tightly restricted to particular specific combinations. There is evidence from North America that deterministic processes play a limited role in determining community structure; no such analyses have yet been undertaken for communities in arid Australia. Trophic structure of communities is markedly different on the two continents. Not all trophic differences can presently be explained, but they may be due to differences between the continents in temporal patterns of food supply.

scholarly journals Of microbes and mange: consistent changes in the skin microbiome of three canid species infected with Sarcoptes scabiei mites

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. DeCandia ◽  
Kennedy N. Leverett ◽  
Bridgett M. vonHoldt
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Skin Barrier ◽  
Sarcoptes Scabiei ◽  
Sarcoptic Mange ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity

Abstract Background Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious skin disease caused by the ectoparasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Although it afflicts over 100 mammal species worldwide, sarcoptic mange remains a disease obscured by variability at the individual, population and species levels. Amid this variability, it is critical to identify consistent drivers of morbidity, particularly at the skin barrier. Methods Using culture-independent next generation sequencing, we characterized the skin microbiome of three species of North American canids: coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). We compared alpha and beta diversity between mange-infected and uninfected canids using the Kruskal–Wallis test and multivariate analysis of variance with permutation. We used analysis of composition of microbes and gneiss balances to perform differential abundance testing between infection groups. Results We found remarkably consistent signatures of microbial dysbiosis associated with mange infection. Across genera, mange-infected canids exhibited reduced microbial diversity, altered community composition and increased abundance of opportunistic pathogens. The primary bacteria comprising secondary infections were Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, previously associated with canid ear and skin infections, and Corynebacterium spp., previously found among the gut flora of S. scabiei mites and hematophagous arthropods. Conclusions This evidence suggests that sarcoptic mange infection consistently alters the canid skin microbiome and facilitates secondary bacterial infection, as seen in humans and other mammals infected with S. scabiei mites. These results provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of mange at the skin barrier of North American canids and can inspire novel treatment strategies. By adopting a “One Health” framework that considers mites, microbes and the potential for interspecies transmission, we can better elucidate the patterns and processes underlying this ubiquitous and enigmatic disease.

Key to Adults of North American Genera of the Subfamily Cecidomyiinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4392 (3) ◽  
pp. 401 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAYMOND J. GAGNÉ
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
General Distribution ◽  
Number Of Species

Keys to the subfamilies of Cecidomyiidae and to the 150 genera of Cecidomyiinae known to occur in North America are presented. Information is given within the key for each of the genera on distribution, number of species and habits. Patterns of general distribution for the subfamily are discussed. A glossary to anatomical terms is included. 

scholarly journals Biospeleological notes on fauna in an artificial cave in Përmet (Albania) importance of former military installations for biodiversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (30) ◽  
pp. 57-62
Author(s):  
Maria Naumova
Keyword(s):  
Species Group ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Military Installations ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Rhinolophus Ferrumequinum ◽  
Invertebrate Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Myotis Myotis ◽  
Horseshoe Bat

The subterranean fauna of both natural and artificial caves in Albania remains poorly studied. Cave colonisation can be clarified by investigating the same process in artificial underground sites. The existence of such a process can be judged by the composition of specific vertebrate and invertebrate species in every site. The biospeleological study carried out in an artificial cave in Përmet in June 2019 provided the following results: two bat species, i.e. Greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Schreber, 1774) and Mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis species group, probably M. blythii (Tomes, 1857) were observed, a specimen of the Balkan stream frog Rana graeca Boulenger, 1891, representing the first amphibian record for the Albanian cave, was discovered deep inside the cave, nine invertebrate species were found (7 spiders, 1 harvestman and 1 moth), with three of the spider species, i.e. Ceratinella brevis (Wider, 1834), Hogna radiata (Latreille, 1817) and Trachyzelotes barbatus (L. Koch, 1866), being the first records for Balkan caves. All recorded species, except Myotis blythii/myotis (both were previously known), are new to the study area. The total number of species recorded in this site, including the data available in literature, has increased to 29. This high number of species shows that artificial caves, including military installations, represent biodiversity hotspots, comparable to natural underground sites and demand much more attention and further investigations.

scholarly journals Biogeography of Mammals in Rocky Mountain National Parks

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Susan Glenn ◽  
Brian Chapman ◽  
Rebecca Rudman ◽  
Ian Butler
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Effective Area ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Local Extinctions ◽  
Equilibrium Number

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography proposes that on an island of a given area, there exists an equilibrium number of species when the rates of immigration and local extinction of species are equal (MacArthur and Wilson 1967). This theory has been applied to park systems because parks may act as functional islands when surrounding unprotected land is cleared of natural vegetation. Alteration of these surrounding habitats isolates these parks and reduces the effective area, causing a decrease in the equilibrium number of species. In animal communities, this process is called faunal collapse (Soule et al. 1979).The effects of park isolation and faunal collapse have been studied for mammals in Rocky Mountain parks (Picton 1979, Newmark 1986, Glenn and Nudds 1989). In western U.S. parks, extinctions were more numerous in smaller or older parks (Newmark 1987). Area, topographic diversity, and habitat diversity have been correlated with mammal species richness in western North American parks (Picton 1979, Newmark 1986). Initial population size was also related to the extinction probability of a species (Newmark 1986). It has been proposed that all parks in a region are subject to similar factors influencing local extinctions, and therefore a similar suite of species should become locally extinct in all parks (Patterson and Atmar 1986, Patterson 1987). This means that a nested subset pattern is produced, where parks with low species richness contain mainly species already present in parks with high species richness. This pattern was not found for Canadian parks, where even small parks contained different species assemblages (Glenn 1990). The objectives of this three-year study are to: (i) identify mammal species that have become locally extinct in each of the Rocky Mountain National Parks; (ii) distinguish between hypotheses regarding the causes of these local extinctions in National Parks; (iii) determine if the same species become locally extinct in all parks; and (iv) identify potential sites for future protection of species prone to extinction.

scholarly journals Status, distribution and research gaps of rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) in North-Eastern States of India

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-277
Author(s):  
Paromit Chatterjee ◽  
Debashree Dam ◽  
Basudev Tripathy ◽  
Kailash Chandra
Keyword(s):  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Arunachal Pradesh ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Ne India ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Data Deficient

In North Eastern states of India (NE India) there are almost 65% of mammal species of the country but baseline information on small mammals, particularly rodents, for the region is scanty. Present study recorded a total of 59 species of rodents from the NE India out of 100 species reported from Indian Subcontinent. The list contains all the valid taxonomic names and their distribution in the states of NE India. Additionally, five species has been added to the checklist of rodents in India. The list provided 59 species belonging to 30 genera under 5 families of 7 subfamilies. Among them Muridae was recorded to be with highest number of species (31 species), followed by Sciuridae with 22 species, Cricetidae with three species, while Spalacidae and Hystricidae have recorded only two species in each group. Among the eight states of NE India the highest number of species was recorded from Arunachal Pradesh (76 %) and the lowest, from Tripura (22%). Two Threatened, three Near Threatened, two Not Listed and six Data Deficient species have been listed from the present work with four endemic species from this region. The findings of this study indicated the requirements for intensive and extensive surveys in the north-eastern States of India and taxonomic revisions of many species.

scholarly journals NONVOLANT MAMMALS IN A FRAGMENT OF ARBOREAL CAATINGA IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (04) ◽  
pp. 894-903
Author(s):  
Izar Aximoff ◽  
◽  
John Philip Medcraft ◽  
Anthony Caravaggi ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
The State ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Sheep Breeding ◽  
Active Search ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

The state of Paraiba is one of those with the most degraded Caatinga that presents the large gap of knowledge concerning the mammal fauna. Mammals are among the taxa most affected by this. In this sense, we evaluated non-volant mammals’ richness and composition between March 2013 and February 2020 in a Caatinga fragment (121 ha). We used active search (336 hours) and camera traps (1,200 night traps). We recorded 20 species, including four threatened ones. Carnivora was the most representative order (7 species), followed by Rodentia (4 species). The richness of non-volant mammals found represents 35.6 % of the total number of such species in the Caatinga. This species richness is greater than that found in other studies in the state. The presence of these mammal species was mainly due to the recovering vegetation that resulted from the great planting effort and also due to cessation of hunt, cattle and sheep breeding that had existed on the farm for over thirty years. Our findings highlight the importance of this particular reserve due to the large number of species registered.

Winter activity patterns of the North American badger (Taxidea taxus) at its northwestern periphery

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-210
Author(s):  
Stephen A Symes ◽  
Richard Klafki ◽  
Roger Packham ◽  
Karl W Larsen
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Winter Climate ◽  
Taxidea Taxus ◽  
The North ◽  
Remote Cameras ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Winter Activity ◽  
Winter Foraging ◽  
American Badger

Abstract The North American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a nonhibernating carnivore that occurs in areas with highly seasonal climates, such as in Canada where the animal reaches its northern limits. There, winter climate is harsh and conventional habitat is limited and patchy, possibly leading to additional energetic constraints. Using radiotelemetry and remote cameras, we documented winter activities of 16 badgers (12 females, 4 males) between 2007 and 2011 in British Columbia, at the northwestern periphery of the species’ range. In comparison to their summer ecology, the animals reduced home range sizes by up to 98% and showed fidelity to particular burrows. Burrow fidelity was variable (mean 27 days; range 0–108) and coincided with reduction in body temperatures, suggesting the onset of torpor. Despite lengthy use of the same burrow, badgers emerged frequently and conducted excursions that appeared to represent foraging behavior. Burrow emergence was not related to ambient temperature or snow depth; rather, it was best explained by the amount of days elapsed since the start of winter. Despite these trends, winter activity also was variable among individual badgers. It may be that limited fat reserves and higher energetic costs in northwestern ranges require winter foraging activities.

Performance of North American and Australian lucernes in the Queensland subtropics. 3. Yield, plant survival and aphid populations in raingrown stands

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
DL Lloyd ◽  
D Gramshaw ◽  
TB Hilder ◽  
DH Ludke ◽  
JW Turner
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Plant Survival ◽  
Phytophthora Root Rot ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Plant Persistence ◽  
Dry Conditions

Twenty-three North American and up to five Australian lucerne lines were evaluated for dry matter yield, plant persistence and aphid resistance at three sites under raingrown conditions in southern Queensland. The experiment at Toowoomba was conducted over 3 years, but those at Mitchell and Biloela were terminated after 1 and 2 years, respectively, because of poor plant survival caused partly by dry conditions. In the subhumid environments at Toowoomba and Biloela, lucerne yield was strongly associated with lucerne population decline. At Toowomba, where there was least confounding with nonordered variation, yield was also positively associated with decreasing winter dormancy. There, persistence (and therefore yield) was associated with resistance to both anthracnose and Phytophthora root rot. No line possessed high levels of combined resistance to these diseases. In the semi-arid environment at Mitchell, the highest yields were obtained from non-dormant lines. Root canker reduced lucerne yield at this site. Large populations of spotted alfalfa aphid developed on susceptible lines and of blue-green aphid on all lines. However, no effects on the dry matter yield or persistence of any lines were measured.

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