Elevational zonation of birds,insectivores, rodents and primates on the slopes of the Andringitra Massif,Madagascar

A review is presented of the birds, lipotyphlans, rodents and lemurs occurring across an elevational transect from 720 to 2450 m within the 31160ha Parc National (PN) d'Andringitra in south-central Madagascar. The broad range of habitats within this reserve consists of lowland forest, montane forest, sclerophyllous forest, montane thicket, to open areas of bare rocks covered by geophytes. Eight different zones were surveyed across this elevational range for most of these four vertebrate orders. On the basis of these surveys and other sources of information, 106 species of birds, 16 species of Lipotyphla, 11 species of rodents (including two introduced species) and 13 species of primates are documented within the reserve. Surveys of the carnivores are incomplete, although eight species, three of which are introduced, have been recorded in the reserve. Forty-eight species of non-volant mammals are known from the Andringitra Massif, 43 of which are endemic to Madagascar. The highest species richness for birds was 85 species in the disturbed lowland forest at 720m zone and there was a subsequent reduction in the number of species at each site with increasing elevation. The two zones at 1210 and 1625 m with montane and mixed montane/sclerophyllous forest had the greatest species richness of non-volant mammals with 26 species (25 non-introduced). Lemurs showed decreasing species richness with increasing elevation. Small mammals showed broad elevational ranges and high species diversity in the middle to upper portion of the forest zone, with lipotyphlans peaking at 1990 m and rodents between 1625 and 1960 m. About 88 species of extant native rodents, carnivores, lipotyphlans and primates are currently recognized to occur on Madagascar. Thus, the PN d'Andringitra holds nearly 50% of the total known fauna of these groups from the island. This relatively small reserve plays a major role in safe-guarding a large proportion of the non-volant mammal fauna of Madagascar.     

Habitat affinities of rodents in northeastern Nevada rangeland communities

From May 1978 through September 1980, baseline data for rodent populations were collected by livetrapping in the Saval Ranch area of northeastern Nevada. The objectives of this study were to determine species composition and relative abundance of rodents for the various range sites. The 3 most abundant and uniformly distributed species were deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), Great Basin pocket mice ( Perognathus parvus ), and least chipmunks ( Neotamias minimus ). Relative abundance indices and densities reported for most species were similar to those reported in other multiyear studies at similar sites. The composition and relative abundance / density of rodent species was variable among habitats and over time. Diverse rodent species within the sagebrush ecosystem have commensurately diverse habitat requirements that should be considered when vegetation management is planned. Annual population fluctuations and differences among similar habitats should be considered when researchers propose to test rodent population responses to livestock grazing or other habitat treatments.     

Food of cougars in the Cascade Range of Oregon

Animal and nonanimal items were identified in the digestive tracts of 61 cougars ( Felis concolor ) collected between 1978 and 1984 from the western slopes of the Cascade Range in Oregon. Forty - two (69%) of the cougars were taken by hunters in December and January, 18 (30%) were killed at other times of the year because of their proximity to livestock, and one animal was illegally killed in November. Black-tailed deer ( Odocoileus hemionus columbianus ) was the most common prey item, although domestic sheep ( Ovis airies ), porcupines ( Erethizon dorsatum ), and a variety of small mammals were also recorded. Masticated grass was the most common nonanimal item.      

Extended embryo retention,caecilian oviparity and amniote origins

A recent discussion of the evolution of the amniotic egg (Laurin and Reisz, 1997) was criticized by Wilkinson and Nussbaum (1998), and these criticisms provoked a rebuttal (Laurin et al., 2000). Here we show that the objections raised by Laurin et al. (2000) do not substantiate the conclusions of Laurin and Reisz (1997). Wealso discuss additional evidence on the ancestral ontogeny of caecilians from the literature. This evidence is inconsistent with the view that extended embryo retention is the ancestral condition for caecilians and that it is a parsimonious interpretation of the condition of the ancestral amniote as argued by Laurin and Reisz (1997) and by Laurin et al. (2000). The available data are more consistent with the traditional hypothesis that the amniotic egg originated as an adaptation of eggs to the terrestrial environment. We also discuss problems in the definition of ontogenetic characters reflecting variation with respect to extended embryo retention, and we present new observations on the early development of the caecilian Gegeneophis ramaswamii Taylor.     

Role of three rodents in forest nitrogen fixation in western Oregon: another aspect of mammal-mycorrhizal fungus-tree mutualism

To determine the role of the California red-backed vole ( Clethrionomys califonicus ), the northern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys sabrinus ), and the deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) in the nitrogen cycle of forest stands in western Oregon, bacterial colonies were isolated and purified from feces, and their nitrogen-fixing ability measured by acetylene-reduction assay. The ability of the bacterial species Azospirillum   sp. to withstand freezing was also tested. Fecal extracts were used to test whether fecal pellets can provide the nutrients necessary for growth of the bacteria. All the feces tested contained viable nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and both species can survive drying and one can survive freezing. Azospirillum colonies grew well on liquid medium but required yeast extract for growth and nitrogenase activity. Fecal extracts from flying squirrels and chickarees ( Tamiasciurus douglasi ) were as effective as the yeast. The results suggest another link in the chain of mutualism that unites small mammals, mycorrhizal fungi, and forest trees.     

Space use by two arboreal rodent species in a Neotropical cloud forest

Studying animal space use patterns can help increase our understating of ecological processes such as competition and community dynamics. To quantify space and habitat use in an isolated and patchy cloud forest community in Mexico, we evaluate the vertical stratification, home range and habitat selection of two arboreal rodents: Habromys schmidlyi and Reithrodontomys microdon. Using live-traps at ground level and different forest strata, we radio-equipped nine individuals of H. schmidlyi and seven of R. microdon, and evaluated fine-scale space use and broad-scale habitat selection between cloud forest and oak forest. We found an average home range of 0.24 ha for R. microdon males and 0.72 ha for females, with a preference for higher canopy in the cloud forest. For H. schmidlyi the home range was 0.83 ha for males and 0.29 ha for females, with a preference for the understory level in the cloud forest. Home range is three-dimensional for these rodents, so we estimate that on average, individuals of both species used eight trees in the time they were tracked. We characterised the vegetation at the trap sites, and used recursive partitioning to relate the presence of different plants with the probability of finding these two species and Peromyscus aztecus, a third rodent species also present in the area and considered in our analysis of habitat use. The highest probability of finding R. microdon (96%) was related to the presence of Brachythecium occidentale and Renauldia mexicana, while H. schmidlyi (95%) was found in close proximity to Fabronia ciliaris and Everniastrum. We highlight the importance of arboreal trapping in biodiversity assessments, and the role of arboreal rodents in maintaining tropical forest ecosystems. We suggest that these rodent species could avoid or reduce competition by using the vertical strata differentially, and that H. schmidlyi and R. microdon can be biological indicators for cloud forest management and conservation.     

Summer food habits of a small mammal community in the pinyon-juniper ecosystem

Summer food habits of a small mammal community in the Piceance Basin of Colorado were investigated during 1977 and 1978 using a combination of fecal and stomach content analyses. Three species, deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), least chipmunks ( Eutamias minimus ), and plains pocket mice ( Perognathus flavescens ) consumed arthropods as the majority of their diets. Bushy-tailed woodrats ( Neotoma cinerea ) consumed predominantly woody vegetation, and the diet of golden-mantled ground squirrels ( Spermophilus lateralis ) consisted primarily of forbs and fungi. Mountain cottontails ( Sylvilagus nuttalli ) depended heavily on grasses, with a mix of woody vegetation and forbs composing the remainder of their diet. Most of the species investigated selected different foods and thus avoided competition for food. Plains pocket mice may have competed with deer mice for arthropods in 1977.     

Nomenclatural changes and new species in Platypodidae and Scolytidae (Coleoptera)

New names are presented to replace junior homonyms as follows in Platypodidae: Platypus acuticornifer for Platypus acuticornis Schedl, 1975 (nec Schedl, 1973), Platypus tuberculifer for Platypus bituberculatus Schedl, 1975 (nec Nunberg, 1967), Platypus obliquus for Platypus obliquesectus Schedl, 1975 (nec Schedl, 1973); and in Scolytidae: Amphicranus electus for Amphicranus elegantulus Schedl, 1978 (nec Schedl, 1963), Araptus crassulus for Araptus crassus Wood (nec Schedl, 1966), Corthycyclon tardulus for Corthycyclon tardus Schedl, 1976 (nec Wood, 1974), Corthylus brunnescens for Corthylus brunneus Wood, December 1974 (nec Schedl, November 1974), Monarthrum denticulatum for Monarthrum (= Pterocyclon ) dentatum Eggers, 1941 (nec Eggers, 1935), Monarthrum peruvianum for Monarthrum peruvianum Schedl, 1978 (nec Schedl, 1950), Scolytodes eximius for Scolytodes grandis Schedl, 1978 (nec Schedl, 1962), Scolytodes minutus for Scolytodes (= Hexacolus) minutissimus Schedl, 1978 (nec Schedl, 1952). New synonymy is proposed in Platypodidae for Genyocerus albipennis Motschulsky ( = Diacavus irregularis Browne). The emendation in Scolytidae of Cnemonyx vismiacolens is presented to correct the lapsis calami Cnemonyx visimiacolens Wood, 1979. The following species of Scolytidae are named as new to science: Chramesus atkinsoni, Liparthrum thevetiae, Microborus mexicanus, Phloeocleptus ardis, Phloeocleptus atkinsoni, Phloecleptus cristatus, Phloeocleptus spicatus, Pseudothysanoes perseae (Mexico), Scolytodes anceps, Scolytodes pusillimus, Scolytodes tardus, Scolytodes vesculus (Colombia), Scolytodes ficicolens, Scolytodes naevius (Venezuela).     

Fungi associated with soils collected beneath and between pinyon and juniper canopies in New Mexico

The soil fungal community beneath pinyon ( Pinus edulis Engelm.) and one-seeded juniper ( Juniperus monosperma [Engelm.] Sar.) tree canopies is described and compared with fungi from adjacent interspace soils dominated by blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis [H. B. K.] Lag.). Significantly higher organic matter contents and fungal propagule levels were found in soils beneath pinyon and juniper trees than in interspace soils. Soils under pinyon and juniper trees contained similar chemical, physical, and biological properties and, consequently, many groups of fungi in common (64% of the species isolated were common to both). In contrast soil fungi in adjacent interspace soils were vastly different from those collected in soils beneath pinyon and juniper canopies (44% and 48% species in common, respectively). Soil fungi that were isolated more often from pinyon-juniper soils than from interspace soils included Absidia sspp., Beauvaria spp., Gliocladium spp., Mucor spp., Penicillium cyclopium , P. fasciculata , P. frequentans , P. restrictum , Thamnidium spp., and Trichoderma spp. Soil fungi that were isolated more often in interspace soils than in pinyon or juniper soils included Aspergillus alutaceus spp., A. fumigatus , some Fusarium spp., Penicillium luteum , and P. talaromyces .     

Influence of yellow starthistle ( Centaurea solstitialis ) on small mammals in central California

Yellow starthistle ( Centaurea solstitialis ) is native to Europe and Asia and has quickly invaded disturbed grasslands and rangelands in the western United States. The purpose of our study was to determine the effects of starthistle on rodents at Beale Air Force Base, Yuba County, California, by examining rodent species diversity, species abundance, age structure, and reproductive condition among locations with low, medium, and high percent cover and height of starthistle. Listed in decreasing order of abundance, the rodents were house mouse ( Mus musculus ), California vole ( Microtus californicus ), deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), western harvest mouse ( Reithrodontomys megalotis ), and roof rat ( Rattus rattus ). Indices of diversity did not differ among starthistle cover categories. Regression analyses showed that Reithrodontomys megalotis was more abundant in high-cover starthistle plots, with 90.5% of captures occurring in at least 40% starthistle cover. Significant differences were found in capture rates, reproduction, and age between season only. To manage for all rodent species, an area with medium percent cover and height of starthistle will likely provide adequate protective cover.     

Desert rodents reduce seedling recruitment of Salsola paulsenii

Heteromyid rodents in the deserts of North America have been shown to harvest large quantities of seeds of both native and introduced plants from soil seed banks, but rarely has the impact of this seed removal been demonstrated experimentally. I used a series of fenced plots (some of which excluded rodents) to demonstrate that heteromyids at a western Nevada study site can measurably reduce seed banks and subsequent seedling establishment of Salsola paulsenii , an introduced invasive weed that has become a significant problem over much of the desert Southwest. The frequency of S. paulsenii seedlings in both 2004 and 2005 was significantly greater around the interior perimeters of plots that permitted access by rodents than in plots that excluded rodents. Density of S. paulsenii seedlings was significantly greater inside than outside rodent exclusion plots, but there was no such difference in seedling density inside versus outside plots that permitted rodent access. Salsola paulsenii has such a conspicuous presence in many desert environments that the effect of rodents in reducing its abundance may not be visually apparent; however, rodents may still ameliorate competitive effects of this weed on coexisting plants. Heteromyid rodents disperse seeds through caching, and they also consume them. Caching may enhance establishment of native plant seedlings, but is unlikely to benefit exotics such as S. paulsenii .     

Generic nomenclature of freshwater snails commonly classified in the genus Bulinus (Mollusca: Basommatophora)

Summary

Freshwater snails of the genus Bulinus Müller (Basommatophora: family Planorbidae) live mostly in Africa and many species serve as intermediate hosts in the life cycles of parasitic helminth worms which belong to the genus Schistosoma and cause the disease schistosomiasis in man and livestock. Consideration is given here to a recent proposal by Biocca et al. (1979) to subdivide Bulinus sensu lato into three genera, including Mandahlbarthia Biocca et al. for members of the B. truncatus/tropicus complex. This subdivision is undesirable, it is suggested here, for three main reasons: the proposed genus-groups lack clear diagnostic characters, the proportion of known species so far investigated in adequate detail is small, confusion would be caused in the field of applied malacology by changes in the nomenclature of species of medical and veterinary importance. Reasons are put forward to regard Mandahlbarthia as a junior synonym of Isidora Ehrenberg (1831).     

First records of the Glacuous-winged Gull in Utah

First occurrences of the Glaucous-winged Gull ( Larus glaucescens ), and hybrids between it and the Western ( L. occidentalis ) and Herring Gull ( L. argentatus ), in Utah are documented. Sightings of 14 individuals over two winters (1984-86) may represent an inland expansion of the winter range of this species.     

Three-year surveillance for cestode infections in sheep dogs in central Utah

During the summers of 1982, 1983, and 1984, 269 sheep dogs from an area endemic for hydatid disease were examined for cestodes ( Echinococcus granulosus and Taenia spp.). Each dog was given an oral purge of arecoline hydrobromide and then following purgation received a subcutaneous injection of praziquantel (Droncit ® ). During the three-year study period, 205 dogs were examined one time only, 48 dogs were examined two of the three years, and 16 dogs were examined each of the three years (= 349 separate examinations). In 1982, 45 of 91 dogs examined (49.5%) harbored at least one species of cestode. Those data for 1983 and 1984 were 55 positive of 141 examined (39.0%) and 34 positive of 117 examined (29.1%), respectively. The marked drop in dogs infected during the second and third year of the study suggests that many sheep ranchers were implementing some of the control measures recommended for prevention of E. granulosus infections. The numbers of separate purgations showing specific cestodes detected in all positive dogs (some dogs naturally with more than one species of cestode) were: E. granulosus, 16 (4.6%); T. hydatigena, 34 (9.7%); T. ovis krabbei, 46 (13.2%); T. pisiformis, 47 (13.5%); and T. serialis, 24 (6.9%).     

Road edge effects on litter invertebrate communities of subtropical forests

We assessed road edge effects on leaf-litter macroinvertebrates in laurel and pine forests in Tenerife (Canary Islands), studying composition, abundance, richness and diversity, and the role of environmental gradients. We sorted species to the finest taxonomic resolution possible and used a morphospecies approach when necessary. In all, 15,824 invertebrates were identified from 388 litter samples (from >500 species, five major phyla and 31 orders). Alien invasive species of Oligochaeta, Pulmonata, Isopoda, Diplopoda and Hymenoptera were frequent in both forests. Richness, diversity and rarefaction pointed to a disturbance threshold within the first 10 m off the road, and edge effects were steeper in laurel forest than in pine forest. Overabundant aliens were partially responsible for highly disturbed litter assemblages on this edge zone in both forests. Proximity to road edge caused gradients of disturbance of forest structure. Litter moisture, rock and litter cover in laurel forest, and grass and canopy cover in pine forest were the best predictors of community variation. Results seemed to give some empirical support to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. This altered road edge zone may accumulate regionally causing net reductions of ecosystem area and quality, impacting on its integrity and biodiversity.     

Current status and distribution of the Ciconiiforms nesting in Wyoming

Five species of Ciconiiforms breed in Wyoming: the American Bittern ( Botaurus lentiginosus ), Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias ), Snowy Egret ( Egretta thula ), Black-crowned Night-Heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax ), and White-faced Ibis ( Plegadis chihi ). Field surveys conducted from 1984 through 1986 indicate that at least 151 Great Blue Heron colony sites exist in Wyoming, making it the most abundant and widespread Ciconiiform in the state. Only small breeding populations have been discovered for the remaining species. Except for the Snowy Egret, where numbers of active nests have remained relatively stable, population trends are unknown for the other species. We believe most colonies have been found in Wyoming, but additional inventories may result in the discovery of other nesting areas, especially for the Great Blue Heron.     

Dynamics of rodent populations in semiarid habitats in Lassen County, California

From 1996 to 2004, we studied population dynamics of a rodent assemblage in semiarid habitats in Lassen County, California. Abundances of rodents appeared affected by fluctuations in precipitation from a high in 1996 to average and slightly below-average levels in subsequent years; perhaps reflecting this, assemblage composition also changed dramatically during the study period. California kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys californicus ) declined from abundant to extremely rare, abundances of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) fluctuated greatly during the study period, and, perhaps most notably, populations of dusky-footed woodrats ( Neotoma fuscipes ) appeared to decline to local extinction, possibly allowing for the subsequent colonization of desert woodrats ( N. lepida ). These changes appeared to represent natural variation in numbers and composition in an ecologically dynamic ecotonal region in response to multiyear changes in precipitation.     

Pleioxenous host-restriction in fleas

A review of the pleioxenous genera of fleas, those genera whose species are confined to hosts of a single family, indicates that such a restriction results from one of several situations. Genera of 10 or more taxa (species and subspecies) were considered, so as to exclude very small genera that might be relicts. Polyxenous genera, whose species occur regularly on two or more families (and frequently on two or more orders) of hosts are far more numerous than pleioxenous genera.

Bat fleas (Ischnopsyllidae) are unique in that all genera are pleioxenous. This seems to reflect the fact that most bat fleas occur on cave-dwelling bats, and that the cave provides for larval development of bat fleas. Five pleioxenous genera occur on rodents in deserts or semiarid regions. The extreme climatic changes that have been concomitant with desertification from the Mid-Cenozoic, and especially in the Pleistocene, are paralleled by the proliferation of the mammalian hosts themselves in deserts. Three pleioxenous genera are found on fossorial rodents (Geomyidae). These rodents appear to have been isolated and rejoined during climatic changes in western North America; and rapid speciation of their fleas followed speciation of the hosts. One pleioxenous genus, and others that are nearly pleioxenous, parasitize cricetine mice in Central America. It is suggested that the Cenozoic archipelago which occupied this region provided an environment for rapid speciation of both hosts and their fleas. Two pleioxenous genera are found on tree squirrels in the tropics. Although fleas of mice occasionally make permanent transfers to squirrels, as the former occupy squirrel nests, reverse transfers (from tree squirrels to mice) are rare. Two genera of fleas are restricted to murid mice in Africa south of the Sahara; this is a region in which murid mice usually outnumber species of other rodent families. One pleioxenous genus occurs on Arvicolidae, possibly a result of rapid speciation of hosts during the extreme climatic changes in boreal habitats during late Cenozoic and Pleistocene.

There is a tendency for the apparently more ancient families of fleas (e.g. Stephanocircidae, Pygiopsyllidae and Hystrichopsyllidae) to have very few pleioxenous genera but many polyxenous genera. The more modern families of fleas (e.g. Leptopsyllidae and Ceratophyllidae) contain a higher percentage of pleioxenous genera.     

The Indo-Pacific Pilumnidae XII. On the familial placement of Chlorodiella bidentata (Nobili, 1901) and Tanaocheles stenochilus Kropp, 1984 using adult and larval characters with the establishment of a new subfamily,Tanaochelinae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura)

Within the Xanthoidea, Chlorodiella bidentata (Nobili, 1901) had been assigned to the Xanthidae MacLeay, 1838 and Tanaocheles stenochilus Kropp, 1984, to the Trapeziidae Miers, 1886. The adult characters of these two species are re-appraised and are considered to be congeneric. The familial position of Tanaocheles is reviewed and the genus does not conform to the diagnosis of the Xanthidae or Trapeziidae. The taxon is, therefore, placed in the Pilumnidae Samouelle, 1819, sensu Guinot, 1978, and assigned to a new subfamily. The first stage zoeal chaetotaxy of C. bidentata supports the adult revision at the family level.     

Effects of rotational grazing on rodents and raptors in a coastal grassland

We conducted a 4-year experiment to assess the impacts of rotational cattle grazing on rodents and raptors in a mesic coastal grassland in northwestern California. Live-trapping indicated that rodent abundance declined by 69% on the grazed area and increased by 14% on the ungrazed area. Raptor use of the grazed area declined by 15% and increased on the ungrazed area by 63%. Measures of giving-up density indicated that rodents perceived a 25% higher predation risk on grazed area than on ungrazed area, but raptor hunting surveys indicated that risk of depredation from raptors was 2.5 times lower in the grazed habitat, suggesting that rodents use indirect vegetative cues to assess risk.