Native wild mammals as Escherichia albertii carriers in the Chugoku and Kinki regions of western Japan

Private property is increasingly important for nature conservation, and exurbia an increasingly prominent form of private land use. There have been very few studies of the attitudes of exurban landowners to nature, all of which indicate a high degree of biophilia, and no studies of the effect of variation in the attitudes and actions of these landowners on wild mammal assemblages on their properties. A questionnaire survey of landowners was combined with spotlight observations of fauna on their properties to test the attitudes of the landowners to nature and the null hypothesis that syndromes of landowner attitudes to nature, and actions in relation to nature, have no effect on wild mammals at the property scale. All respondents were positive about native wild animals and trees. Four groups of landowners (biophiles, autocrats, idealists and utilitarians) derived by a classification of ordination scores based on attitude and action question responses, were different in their attitudes towards native wild mammals, exotic wild mammals and trees. However, their properties did not differ in the presence or frequency of any native wild mammal species. There were statistical relationships between the presence/absence of native wild animal species and indices related to intervention, fondness of trees, aversion to trees, fondness of native animals, and fondness of exotic animals. However, with the possible exception of the tendency of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) to be absent from properties owned by the people who least liked wild animals, the association of native animals with attitude or action indices appeared to be coincidental. It therefore seems that programs directed towards influencing the attitudes of landowners to wildlife may be ineffective in conserving wildlife in exurbia.

Prevalence, genetic diversity and potential clinical impact of blood-borne and enteric protozoan parasites in native mammals from northern Australia

A lack of engagement with the natural environment can reduce awareness of issues surrounding environmental and biodiversity conservation. Therefore, to increase students’ awareness, science teachers should develop activities related to biodiversity, bringing students into closer connection with the natural environment. This study evaluated the ability of 115 Brazilian university students’ to identify native and alien wild mammals. Patterns in university students’ ability to identify species were predicted by a combination of variables (university-level, age, gender, experience linked to countryside, family farming, fishing, and hunting). Students correctly identified alien mammals more frequently than native mammals. We found distinct groups of species in function of students’ experience (university-level, age group, fishing, and hunting). In addition, we found that the correct identification of native species was mainly associated with older male students who go regularly to the countryside, and participate in activities linked to farming, fishing, and hunting. Our findings support those from previous studies that show fieldwork classes are essential to increase the contact of an increasingly urbanized society with the local natural environment. We suggest that inclusion of fieldwork is necessary for the development of university students’ awareness regarding the richness of native mammal species and consequently, the importance of their conservation.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to estimate an index of the relative biomass per species, in a medium to large-sized mammal community, as well as to determine how the introduced wild boar (Sus scrofa) fits into this index, and to verify if the occupancy of sites by domestic dogs interferes with those of wild boars and how much the periods of dogs’ activity overlap those of wild boars. The biomass/effort index was measured for each native mammal species and for the introduced wild boar, in two surveyed farms in Brazil’s Western Atlantic Forest range, through the use of camera trappings that were also used to verify if dogs and wild boar overlap in space and activity time. Wild boars seem to dominate the community, just a few years after their presence was first recorded in the region. Surprisingly, several native endangered mammal species persist in the highly modified landscape of the studied areas, but their population trends are still unknown. Wild boars and dogs generally occupy the same areas; however, they do not overlap in activity time, which is an indicative that it is unlikely that the dogs can effectively protect the crops.

There is evidence that both domestic and wild animals are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19 in humans. However, the extent of infection in native wild mammals and the most susceptible species to SARS-CoV-2 remain unclear. We assessed SARS-CoV-2 exposure in native wild mammals from the Misiones region, a subtropical area in northeastern Argentina, within the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was designed using serum samples from wild mammals that entered the Centro de Rescate, Rehabilitación y Recría de Fauna Silvestre Güirá Oga for veterinary care between December 2019 and March 2022. Epidemiological data were obtained from veterinary records, and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected using a novel bridge multispecies ELISA. A total of 115 serum samples from 26 wild mammal species were analyzed, revealing antibodies in 20 samples and a seroprevalence of 17.4% (95% confidence interval 11.5-25.3%). Antibodies were detected in 13 species, including native wild mammals in Argentina. These findings indicate that certain wildlife species may be infected by this virus, but do not provide evidence that any of the tested animals are reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2, as the study only addressed exposure. The results underscore the importance of continued surveillance to understand the ecological impacts of SARS-CoV-2, prevent zoonotic transmission, and protect both wildlife and human health.

Urbanisation is rapidly transforming and fragmenting natural habitats, disrupting ecosystems and negatively impacting biodiversity. The City of Cape Town (CoCT) is situated in a global biodiversity hotspot, but sustained anthropogenic activities have resulted in the local extirpation of most medium and large mammals. A recent survey of mammals within urban protected areas of CoCT revealed that a few, mostly medium-sized generalist species, persist. It is uncertain which native mammal species, if any, inhabit the unprotected green belts and parks in suburban and urban areas of the city. A total of 37 camera trap sites were established along four transects for a period of four months between 31 January and 31 May 2022. A total of 12 terrestrial mammal species were detected, nine of which were wild native mammals and three domestic species. Most detections were in natural habitat followed by suburban, with urban areas having the lowest detection rate of wildlife. Single season hierarchical multi-species occupancy models revealed that tree cover had a significant positive effect on both community and individual species occupancy. Contrary to our predictions, neither human population density nor the extent of the impervious surface at sites significantly affected occupancy. Cape grysbok (Raphicerus melanotis) were significantly more likely to occur at sites with a higher proportion of impervious surfaces supporting other recent research, which showed this species together with water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) and Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) are one of only a few native mammals that appear to persist and may even thrive in human-modified landscapes. Our findings underscore the complexity of urban biodiversity conservation and the species-specific responses to environmental factors, emphasising the importance of tree cover in urban wildlife management.

BackgroundSetting large- and medium-sized wild mammal (≥ 2 kg) restoration goals is important due to their role as ecosystem engineers and generalized numeric reductions. However, determining wild mammal restoration goals is very challenging due to difficulties in obtaining data on current mammal density and due to unclear information on what mammal density values should be used as a reference. Here we chose a 154 ha conservation area within one of the last remnants of the mountainous Chaco from central Argentina. We suspected that extensive and unreported defaunation had occurred due to past human pressure and the introduction of non-native mammals. To conduct the analyses, we used a simplified technique that integrates methods used in rangeland and ecological sciences.ResultsEight native mammal species including only one herbivore species, and four non-native mammal species including three herbivore species were detected during 6113 camera trap days. We used known cattle densities as estimated by droppings and direct counts, together with the relative abundance indexes obtained from camera trap photos to calculate the densities of the other species, correcting for mammal size. Densities for the least and most abundant native species were 0.2 and 1.33 individuals km−2, respectively; and for non-native species, 0.03 and 5.00 individuals km−2, respectively. Native and non-native species represented 0.8% and 99.2%, respectively, of the biomass estimates. Reference values for native herbivore biomass, as estimated from net primary productivity, were 68 times higher than values estimated for the study area (3179 vs. 46.5 kg km−2).ConclusionsThere is an urgent need to increase native mammals, with special emphasis on herbivore biomass and richness, while non-native mammal numbers must be reduced. As cattle are widespread in large portions of the globe and there is a lot of experience estimating their abundances, the ratio method we used extrapolating from cattle to other large- and medium-sized mammals could facilitate estimating mammal restoration goals in other small and defaunated areas, where traditional methods are not feasible when target mammal densities get very low.

Oceanic islands are usually difficult for mammals to colonize; consequently, the native mammal fauna is typically species-poor, often consisting of just a few species of bats. The oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea are no exception to this pattern. Still, the known mammal richness is relatively high for the small size of the islands. Out of a total of 13 native species, including 11 bats and 2 shrews, at least 7 species and 3 subspecies are single-island endemics. In addition to native species, at least 6 other wild mammals have been introduced to the islands purposely or accidentally by humans. Some of these are among the world’s most notorious invasive species and cause damage to native species, ecosystems, and humans. Predation by exotic species can threaten native island mammals, which are especially sensitive due to their small populations and limited ranges. These impacts are likely worsened by other threats, such as forest degradation and climate change, and a general lack of knowledge about the natural history of most species also hampers the implementation of conservation measures. Therefore, fostering further research on the endemic-rich mammal fauna of these islands is vital to ensure their persistence.

Attempts to infect native Panamanian mammals with culture forms of local human strains of Leishmania braziliensis produced cutaneous infections for the first time in the spiny rat (Proechimys semispinosus), white-tailed tree rat (Tylomys panamensis), kinkajou (Potos flavus), and olingo (Bassaricyon gabbii). While infections of hamsters and cotton rats have usually lasted throughout the life of the animals, the parasites disappeared from the spiny rat and tree rat lesions within a month, but persisted in the kinkajous for at least 2 and 3 months. For a number of years we have attempted, at this laboratory, to infect native mammals with human strains of Leishmania braziliensis, sensu lato, in order to discover potential reservoir hosts of leishmaniasis. Early attempts here to infect wild mammals met with failure, but the routine inoculation of golden hamsters and occasional trials with cotton rats from our breeding colonies have shown that these rodents can be readily infected. Although cotton rats of the same species, Sigmodon hispidus, occur in Panama they are not primarily forest animals and so their susceptibility can have only limited significance in the epidemiology of this forest disease. The present paper reports the results of inoculation experiments conducted between June 1963 and September 1964. Lainson and Strangways-Dixon (1964) carried out inoculations of wild animals with Leishmania mexicana in British Honduras. They obtained infections in cotton rats, but of 41 specimens of other wild mammals, representing 11 species, only a single common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) gave positive results. No lesion was produced at the site of inoculation and the infection was demonstrated only by culture from the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS There is always the possibility that wild-caught mammals are already immune as a result of natural exposure in the forest. To avoid this difficulty, animals born or reared in the laboratory were used whenever available. In 1963 the breeding of the Received for publication 2 April 1965. * The work reported here was supported in part by a research grant (AI-01251) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, USPHS. 842 arboreal white-tailed rat (Tylomys panamensis) was initiated at this laboratory. Although the average litter size was found to be only two, and the gestation period about 35 days, it has now been possible to build up the colony to about 130 individuals. Most of the Tylomys used in this study were laboratory-bred from wild-caught parents. The spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus) were born in the laboratory from wild-caught gravid females. The woolly opossums (Caluromys derbianus) were laboratory-reared, but were brought into the animal room in the marsupia of wildcaught females. The cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) were from our colony established several years ago with stock from commercial sources in the U. S. The other animal species were wildcaught. Most of the live-trapped mammals were obtained near the town of Achiote, Province of Colon, Panama, where human cutaneous leishmaniasis has been known to be endemic for many years. The two strains of Leishmania used in the present study were isolated in Senekjie's modification of NNN culture medium from the cutaneous lesions of patients. The first of these isolates (Mstrain) was obtained in December 1960 from a patient having multiple lesions. The patient was a 48-year-old male who came to the laboratory for treatment. He had spent most of his life near Concepcion, in Chiriqui Province, but had developed the lesions while on the Changuinola River in Bocas del Toro Province, a known endemic area. The patient reported that the first lesion had started on the back of his hand in October 1960, and that about 3 weeks later others began to appear. When seen at the laboratory, the patient had an ulcer of from 1 to 3 cm in diameter in each of the following locations: hand, arm, tip of nose, thigh, neck, and left ear. This strain has been maintained in culture and in hamsters. The other strain used in this study (VH-strain) is of more recent origin. In April 1964 one of our fieldmen developed a large lesion on his upper left arm while engaged in trapping mammals in the Achiote area. This man has worked in the field for the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory for 28 years, and had been exposed in endemic areas many times w thout previously contracting leishmaniasis. Treatment was initiated as soon as the condition This content downloaded from 157.55.39.166 on Wed, 24 May 2017 20:53:57 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THATCHER ET AL.-EXPERIMENTAL LEISHMANIASIS IN PANAMANIAN MAMMALS 843 TABLE I. Inoculations of Panamanian mammals with two human strains of L. braziliensis.

The gullet worms, classical Gongylonema pulchrum and newly differentiated Gongylonema nepalensis, are prevalent in various mammals in Japan and Sardinia, Italy, respectively. The former species is cosmopolitan in distribution, dwelling in the mucosa of the upper digestive tract of a variety of domestic and wild mammals, and also humans. At present, the geographical distribution of G. nepalensis is known in Nepal and Sardinia, with the nematode having been recorded from the oesophagus of water buffaloes (Nepal), cattle, sheep, goats and wild mouflon (Sardinia). To clarify their natural transmission cycles among domestic and wild mammals, the present study analysed the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) of worms of various origins: G. pulchrum worms from sika deer, wild boars, Japanese macaques, and feral alien Reeves's muntjacs in Japan, and G. nepalensis worms from a red fox and a wild boar in Sardinia. Although the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA and partial cox1 nucleotide sequences of G. pulchrum from native wild mammals in Japan were distinct from those of the worms in cattle, the worms from feral alien Reeves's muntjacs showed the cattle-type ITS genotype and cox1 cattle-I and II haplotypes. The rDNA and cox1 nucleotide sequences of G. nepalensis from a red fox in Sardinia were almost identical to those of the worms from domestic and wild ruminants on the island. The ecological interaction between domestic and wild mammals and their susceptibility to different Gongylonema spp. must be considered when trying to elucidate this spirurid's transmission dynamics in nature.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a harsh environment characterized by low temperature, high altitude and hypoxia, although some native mammals may adapt well to the extreme climate. However, how animal gut microbial community structure and function adapt to extreme cold climates is not well understood. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is an ideal animal model with which to study the effects of climate change on host adaptation by studing intestinal microorganisms. Here, we used 16S rRNA sequencing technology combined with physiological methods to investigate plateau pika gut microbiota in summer and winter. Due to limited diet resources, the pikas in winter have a lower ability of degradation and fermentation for plant-based food (reduced cellulase activity and total short-chain fatty acids) by decreasing gut microbial diversity and some functional microbes, such as fiber-degrading bacteria Oscillospira and Treponema. Metagenomic prediction showed that most of those gene functions associated with metabolism (e.g. energy metabolism and lipid metabolism) were less abundant in winter, implying that the plateau pika slows diet fermentation and weakens energy requirements in the cold season. Our results have significance for explaining the mechanism of wild plateau mammals adapting to a high-altitude cold environment from the perspective of gut microbiome.

Context Feral cats are a significant threat to native wildlife and broad-scale control is required to reduce their impacts. Two toxic baits developed for feral cats, Curiosity® and Hisstory®, have been designed to reduce the risk of baiting to certain non-target species. These baits involve encapsulating the toxin within a hard-shelled delivery vehicle (HSDV) and placing it within a meat attractant. Native animals that chew their food more thoroughly are predicted to avoid poisoning by eating around the HSDV. This prediction has not been tested on wild native mammals in the monsoonal wet–dry tropics of the Northern Territory. Aim The aim of this research was to determine whether northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) and northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) would take feral cat baits and ingest the HSDV under natural conditions on Groote Eylandt. Methods We hand-deployed 120 non-toxic baits with a HSDV that contained a biomarker, Rhodamine B, which stains animal whiskers when ingested. The species responsible for bait removal was determined with camera traps, and HSDV ingestion was measured by evaluating Rhodamine B in whiskers removed from animals trapped after baiting. Key results During field trials, 95% of baits were removed within 5 days. Using camera-trap images, we identified the species responsible for taking baits on 65 occasions. All 65 confirmed takes were by native species, with northern quolls taking 42 baits and northern brown bandicoots taking 17. No quolls and only one bandicoot ingested the HSDV. Conclusion The use of the HSDV reduces the potential for quolls and bandicoots to ingest a toxin when they consume feral cat baits. However, high bait uptake by non-target species may reduce the efficacy of cat baiting in some areas. Implications The present study highlighted that in the monsoonal wet–dry tropics, encapsulated baits are likely to minimise poisoning risk to certain native species that would otherwise eat meat baits. However, further research may be required to evaluate risks to other non-target species. Given the threat to biodiversity from feral cats, we see it as critical to continue testing Hisstory® and Curiosity® in live-baiting trials in northern Australia.

Background and Aim:Wild mammals are among the most threatened species of the world in large part due to human activity. In this work, we used the method of partial least squares-path modeling associated with a geographic information system to analyze the impact of anthropogenic pressures on the mortality of wild mammals.Materials and Methods:We collected the data related to the cause of death of native wild mammals admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia in Northern Portugal, during 10 years (2008-2017).Results:A total of 359 animals from 42 municipalities (rural and urban areas) were included in the study. The main cause of death was of traumatic origin. From the anthropogenic pressures included in the study, water reservoirs, small companies, and residential buildings were the ones that contributed the most to increase the mortality of traumatic and non-traumatic origin. This relation of cause-effect (mortality-anthropogenic pressures) was supported by the high coefficients of determination obtained (R2 > 0.8).Conclusion:The present results allow a general view on the reality of mammal’s mortality in Northern Portugal. Furthermore, it could also constitute a valuable tool for the conservation of wild mammals in those areas.

SUMMARY Blood samples were obtained from native mammals and birds on a sheep range (Hopland Field Station) in northern California. Serums were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by the indirect hemagglutination test. Of 382 deer that were tested from 1964 to 1973, 77 (20%) were seropositive for T gondii. Among 36 serums representing 6 species of wild carnivores (badgers, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks), 18 (50%) were seropositive. All of the 5 bobcats tested were seropositive, with antibody titers ranging from 1:1,024 to 1:65,536. The testing of 175 serums from small wild mammals indicated antibody prevalence of 8% among jackrabbits, 6% among brush rabbits, and 2% among squirrels. None of the native mice tested was seropositive for T gondii. Of 120 native birds tested, 6 (5%) were seropositive. Of the resident domestic species of animals tested, antibodies were found in 1 of 7 domestic cats, 1 of 5 feral cats, 1 of 2 dogs, and 54 (13%) of 405 sheep.

In the south of the province of Santa Fe, the region presents a degree of subdivision and use of the ground that modified its original aspect, becoming a plain where the grain and oilseed crops predominate. The communities of wild mammals are increasingly threatened by this development, which is leading to the limit of fragmentation and loss of habitat. The objective of this work is to show the influence of the Carcarañá River on native mammals and its importance as a biological corridor. For this purpose, the area of study was the Carcarañá River basin in Santa Fe province. Within this area, five sampling zones were established (distant from each other by 50 km), both on the margin of the Carcarañá River and its tributaries. From this, three transects of 3 km in length were established in each study zone, taking into account that the first one is located on the margin of the river/tributary, while the remaining ones are parallel to it with a distance of 5 and 10 km respectively in order to generate a gradient. The field work was carried out during two consecutive years (2018-2019), in a seasonal manner. The methodology used was the collection of indirect evidence (footprints and faults) and the collection of information from direct evidence (sightings). The transect tours were carried out on foot, during the daytime hours and at an average speed of one km/h. To obtain complete parameters of the diversity of species in each transect, the number of species and their representativeness were quantified. For this purpose, it was established the specific richness (S) which refers to the number of species registered for each transect and its equity. The latter was calculated from the Shannon-Wiener function. With a sampling effort of 80 days of field work and 360 km of transects, it was possible to obtain a specific richness (S) of 12 species for the total of the transects located on the banks of the Carcarañá River ( Lutreolina crassicaudata, Didelphis albiventris, Chaetophractus villosus, Pseudalopex gymnocercus, Puma concolor, Puma yaguaroundi, Leopardus geoffroyi, Leopardus colocolo, Conepatus chinga, Galictis cuja, Hidrochoerus hydrochaeris and Myocastor coypus ) with a diversity index of H' = 2. 79. For the sum of the species registered in the transects located 5km from the river, the specific richness was 5 species ( D. albiventris, C. villosus, P. gymnocercus, C. chinga and G. cuja ) with a diversity index (H')= 0.94. Finally, the sum of species registered for the transects located 10km from the river was also 5 species with a somewhat lower diversity (H'= 0.63). Although incipient as a process and premature to test conclusive results, the evidence that biological corridors in areas widely disturbed by anthropogenic activity are a tool that contributes to the recovery of favorable environmental conditions for native mammals, is consolidated as the information generated ratifies the initial hypothesis about the value of biological corridors as a tool for biodiversity conservation.