Five years on the road

Abstract

We have reached our fifth edition, marking five years of disseminating information about the mammals of Ecuador. The cover of this edition portrays the long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), one of the smallest carnivores of the continent and a little-known species in Ecuador. The cover symbolizes our central theme, as we include three publications related to this species in this edition. The first is the report of a confirmed record in the southern region of the province of Esmeraldas, which opens the debate on whether this species, which is typically Andean in this country, may naturally inhabit the humid forests of the Chocó. This hypothesis had been mentioned previously (Parker III & Carr, 1992) but had not been confirmed. To complement this topic, we add two scientific notes that contribute to our knowledge of the natural history of Neogale frenata. One deals with its swimming ability, a behavior that had only been documented in the northern part of its distribution, in North America (Sheffield & Thomas, 1997); the other provides details of an attack on a poultry farm, a behavior previously attributed to this species but poorly documented in the scientific literature. This edition also brings two contributions to the little-known natural history of the country's bats. One is the first catalog of ectoparasites (Diptera: Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) found on 22 bat species in coastal Ecuador. The other is a note on the capture of a sucker bat (Thyroptera tricolor) in a web of Eriophora sp. (Araneae: Araneidae) in Yasuní National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We also include an article on research trips designed for listening to humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southeastern Pacific region and two articles that contribute to the knowledge of the species richness of two little-studied areas: the Cordillera Chongón Colonche, in the central-coastal region of the country, and the Reserva Biológica Tapichalaca, in the province of Zamora Chinchipe, in southeastern Ecuador. This fifth issue of Mammalia aequatorialis is the most extensive that we have published since the birth of the journal, motivating us to continue with the belief that we will be able to publish two issues per year in a short time. Thank you very much for joining us during these first five years. Diego G. Tirira Editor-in-chief