Hyemoschus Research Articles

Status and ecology of forest ungulates in the Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon

Abstract Ungulates have undergone major declines in Central and West African forests as a result of bushmeat trade and habitat loss. Monitoring forest ungulate status is a critical conservation need. We undertook a systematic camera-trap survey of the 5260 km2 Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon’s largest protected area. We deployed cameras at 305 sites in eight grids across the reserve over 28,277 camera-trap days. We recorded 30,601 independent detections of 12 species of forest ungulate. The blue and Peters’ duikers were the most abundant, accounting for 82% of all ungulate detections, both with occupancy >85% in all survey grids. The black-fronted duiker was relatively widespread but rare. The white-bellied duiker and water chevrotain were found mostly in the southern part of the reserve. There were very few detections of sitatunga, forest buffalo and bongo. Our results suggest ecological partitioning among the more abundant duikers based on activity pattern and body size. The reserve faces many pressures including illegal subsistence and commercial hunting. Community surveillance and partnerships, with improved law enforcement are among measures being implemented by the Cameroon government to enhance security and ensure retention of the reserve’s World Heritage status.

Medium‐to‐large mammal diversity and status of forest antelopes in the Sapo National Park, Liberia

AbstractSapo National Park, Liberia's largest protected area, comprises an area of 1804 km2 within the Upper Guinea forest ecosystem, a global biodiversity hot spot. Our baseline camera‐trap study revealed 32 medium‐to‐large mammal species, including ten Upper Guinea forest endemics, within the park. Results show important populations of threatened antelopes, particularly zebra duiker and Jentink's duiker, along with bay duiker, black duiker, Ogilby's duiker and Maxwell's duiker. Water chevrotain and lowland bongo were also recorded. Camera‐trap images of giant and white‐bellied pangolins, western chimpanzee, pygmy hippopotamus and forest elephant collected during this study further confirm the high conservation value of the site. The ecology of the antelope community is investigated, noting the diurnal activity pattern of zebra duiker and the nocturnal activity of Jentink's duiker, in contrast to previous studies. Both species preferred lower altitude primary forest. Ogilby's duiker was the only antelope that showed a preference for higher altitude forest and was found to be more common than the similar‐sized black duiker and bay duiker. Sapo National Park faces many threats including habitat degradation, poaching for bushmeat and animal parts, and illicit gold mining. Commercial logging and agriculture in the buffer and surrounding forested areas threatens connectivity and increases human–wildlife conflict.

Drawn out of the shadows: Surveying secretive forest species with camera trap distance sampling

Abstract With animal species disappearing at unprecedented rates, we need an efficient monitoring method providing reliable estimates of population density and abundance, critical for the assessment of population status and trend. We deployed 160 camera traps (CTs) systematically over 743 locations covering 17,127 km2 of evergreen lowland rainforest of Salonga National Park, block South, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We evaluated the applicability of CT distance sampling (CTDS) to species different in size and behaviour. To improve precision of estimates, we evaluated two methods estimating species' availability (‘A’) for detection by CTs. We recorded 16,700 video clips, revealing 43 different animal taxa. We estimated densities of 14 species differing in physical, behavioural and ecological traits, and extracted species‐specific availability from available video footage using two methods (a) ‘ACa’ (Cappelle et al. [2019] Am. J. Primatol., 81, e22962) and (b) ‘ARo’ (Rowcliffe et al. [2014] Methods Ecol. Evol. 5, 1170). With sample sizes being large enough, we found minor differences between ACa and ARo in estimated densities. In contrast, low detectability and reactivity to the camera were main sources of bias. CTDS proved efficient for estimating density of homogenously rather than patchily distributed species. Synthesis and applications. Our application of camera trap distance sampling (CTDS) to a diverse vertebrate community demonstrates the enormous potential of this methodology for surveys of terrestrial wildlife, allowing rapid assessments of species' status and trends that can translate into effective conservation strategies. By providing the first estimates of understudied species such as the Congo peafowl, the giant ground pangolin and the cusimanses, CTDS may be used as a tool to revise these species' conservation status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Based on the constraints we encountered, we identify improvements to the current application, enhancing the general applicability of this method.

Occupancy and habitat use by six species of forest ungulates on Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone

Forest ungulates in West Africa are common bushmeat species and are subject to habitat degradation through deforestation. Based on historical data, there are possibly 12 species of forest Bovidae and Tragulidae found in eastern Sierra Leone. We used camera trapping to assess occupancy by forest ungulates on and around a small protected area, Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone. We then assessed habitat over two field seasons during 2008–2011 for those species where we had sufficient numbers of detections. We detected 6 of 12 potential species and obtained enough data to further assess the habitat of two species. Species detected included the black duiker (Cephalophus niger), bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), Maxwell’s duiker (Philantomba maxwellii), water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus) and yellow-backed duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor). Among detected species, the bongo is considered near threatened. Several of the species not detected might be extirpated from the region, but for several species we found no records of them in the area. For the two species with sufficient detections for analysis, we found that Maxwell’s duikers were common throughout woody and swamp habitat and yellow-backed duikers preferred old growth forests with open understory. Despite widespread deforestation in Sierra Leone, a recent civil war and continued bushmeat trade, it appears that small wildlife refuges such as Tiwai Island continue to provide sanctuary for many of the forest ungulates of the region.Conservation implications: The Guinea Rainforest ecosystem of West Africa has undergone significant human impact and deforestation, negatively impacting all aspects of the biodiversity of the region. In addition, a long-standing civil war in Sierra Leone further exacerbated conservation concerns of many wildlife species. There are some recognised reserves in Sierra Leone, but small reserves managed by local people and conservation organisations have a role to play. Our work on Tiwai Island, along the Moa River in Sierra Leone, demonstrated that a significant proportion of the forest dwelling ungulate biodiversity of the region has been maintained in a small reserve despite isolation and effects of the war. Our work also suggests that Tiwai Island continues to have significant ecological value for ungulate conservation in the region and should be considered a model for establishment of other small reserves to help maintain the region’s biodiversity.

Encephalic xanthomas in a large malayan chevrotain ( Tragulus napu )

An adult water chevrotain was euthanized due to severe non-responsive pododermatitis. Incidentally, multiple to coalescing cholesterol granulomas were identified within the right diencephalon, characterized by the presence of foamy macrophages and cholesterol clefts consistent with encephalic xanthomas. No clinical signs or predisposing conditions associated with this finding were identified. This is the first known report of encephalic xanthomas in this species.

Convergence characteristics between a rodent, the South American lowland paca, and a ruminant, the African water chevrotain: An exemplary case study

The level of convergence between a rodent, the South American lowland paca Cuniculus paca, and a ruminant, the African water chevrotain Hyemoschus aquaticus, is analysed using 231 characteristics belonging to different biological sectors. A convergence index is established based on the degree of rarity of each characteristic in each species compared to other members of its zoological group. Although the divergent characteristics are as numerous as the convergent ones, the two species are globally similar. Convergent characteristics occur in all biological categories, but their rate varies a great deal among them. From internal anatomy and osteology, through behaviour and ecology to the external appearance of the body, convergent characteristics are all the more frequent since the biological category is directly implicated in the adaptation of animals to their external environment (lowland rainforest). However, only the individuals’ characteristics are concerned and not those of their population or social organisation. This could be due to differences between the communities of terrestrial mammals to which they belong.

A Dorcatherium (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Middle Miocene) petrosal bone and the tragulid ear region

ABSTRACTA petrosal bone from the French Middle Miocene locality Sansan is described. It belongs to the tragulid species Dorcatherium crassum. Using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography, we scanned this petrosal bone and segmented its embedded bony labyrinth. We compared the morphological data with those of three living Tragulidae: Tragulus javanicus, Hyemoschus aquaticus, and Moschiola meminna. We ran a phylogenetic analysis where fossil and extant pecoran ruminants were included to understand the distribution of characters of the petrosal bone and bony labyrinth within ruminants. We propose a set of new synapomorphies for the Tragulidae among the Ruminantia, including the absence of the basicapsular groove, a knob-shaped mastoid region, a knob anterior to the subarcuate fossa on the petrosal bone, a high number of cochlea turns, the dorsal insertion of the posterior limb of the lateral semicircular canal, the extension of the lateral semicircular canal beyond the plane of the posterior semicircular canal in dorsal view, and a pouch-like endolymphatic sac on the bony labyrinth. The clade constituted by Tragulus and Moschiola is confirmed by new synapomorphies such as a double convexity of the promontorium and a large pouch-like endolymphatic sac that covers the common crus. We demonstrate the potential of characters of the bony labyrinth for the phylogeny of ruminants.SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVPCitation for this article: Mennecart, B., and L. Costeur. 2016. A Dorcatherium (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Middle Miocene) petrosal bone and the tragulid ear region. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1211665.

Reproductive characteristics of the water chevrotain, Hyemoschus aquaticus

AbstractThe anatomy of the reproductive organs, sexual maturation, oestrous cycle, mating, gestation and suckling were studied in the water chevrotain,

English

A hunting survey was conducted in the Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary and support zones to estimate bushmeat off-take as a means to understand the current conservation status of protected species in that important area of biodiversity in Cameroon. A total of 756 protected animal carcasses with a total biomass of 6,815 kg, in six taxonomic groups constituted 24% of the total off-take of animals killed or captured by two adjacent ethnic groups of Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary. Hunters caught more than 30 individuals of each of the red eared monkey (Cercopithecus erythrotis camerunensis), squirrel sp. (Protexerus stangeri, Funisciurus pyrropus), brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus), Water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus) African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), red river hog (Potamoschus porcus) and bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis) which together accounted for 75% of all protected species captures and 89% of the biomass. There was significant variation in the number of protected species exploited with the most captured taxonomic group, the rodents, comprising 37% of the kills or captures and 13% of the total biomass. The ungulates followed with 28% of the captures and 68% of total biomass. Proportionately, the much larger-bodied ungulates contributed more to biomass off-take than the comparatively smaller primates, reptiles and rodents. Carnivores and birds were least harvested taxonomic groups of protected species accounting for 9 and 4% of total protected species off-take respectively. Final results indicate that threatened animals do not have enough protection within BMWS and the conservation value of the sanctuary is highly compromised. Key words: Threatened species, off-take, conservation status, Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary, Cameroon.

Middle Miocene tragulid remains from Abocador de Can Mata: The earliest record of Dorcatherium naui from Western Europe

In the past, the tragulid species Dorcatherium crassum has been considered a synonym of Dorcatherium naui, although they are currently considered distinct species. The former has an exclusively Aragonian (MN4 to MN6) stratigraphic range, whereas D. naui is considered a typically Vallesian species (MN9 and MN10) that survives until the Turolian (MN11). There are only a few previous citations of Dorcatherium from the European latest Aragonian (MN7+8), and only that of Przeworno (Poland) can be securely attributed to D. naui. Here we describe dentognathic and postcranial remains of Dorcatherium from several localities from the stratigraphic series of the Abocador de Can Mata (ACM), in els Hostalets de Pierola (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Catalonia, Spain). These Dorcatherium remains, from both the lower (ca. 11.9-12.5 Ma, MN7) and upper (ca. 11.6 Ma, MN8) portions of the ACM series, constitute the earliest record of D. naui from the Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe. They most closely resemble D. naui from the Vallesian, but still share several features with D. crassum. On the basis of the unique combination of features displayed by the ACM material, a new subspecies, D. naui meini is erected. Its distinct status from the nominotypical subspecies, D. naui naui, is reinforced by the chronological differences between the two taxa. The morphological similarities between Dorcatherium and the extant water chevrotain ( Hyemoschus aquaticus) tentatively suggest the presence of forested and humid paleoenvironments in this area of the Vallès-Penedès Basin during the latest Aragonian. Nevertheless, Dorcatherium is very rare in ACM and displays a very patchy chronological distribution. Together with the similarly spotty distribution of both primates and castorids along the ACM series, this suggests that very humid conditions might have been only intermittently present in this area throughout the latest Aragonian.

The impact of civil war on forest wildlife in West Africa: mammals in Gola Forest, Sierra Leone

AbstractHuman conflicts may sometimes benefit wildlife by depopulating wilderness areas but there is evidence from Africa that the impacts tend to be negative. The forested states of West Africa have experienced much recent human conflict but there have been no assessments of impacts on the wildlife. We conducted surveys of mammals in the 710-km2Gola Forest reserves to assess the impact of the 1991–2001 civil war in Sierra Leone. Gola is the most important remaining tract of lowland forest in the country and a key site for the conservation of the highly threatened forests of the Upper Guinea region. We found that Gola has survived well despite being in the heart of the area occupied by the rebels. We recorded 44 species of larger mammal, including 18 threatened, near-threatened and endemic species, accounting for all species recorded in pre-war surveys and adding several more (African buffaloSyncerus caffer nanusand water chevrotainHyemoschus aquaticus). Populations of primates were healthy with little evidence of decline. Duiker detection rates were low and further work is required to confirm their numbers as they include five species endemic (or near endemic) to the Upper Guinea region, three of which are threatened. However, the population of African forest elephantsLoxodonta cyclotishas collapsed, with only a few individuals remaining from c. 110 in the mid 1980s. We conclude that peacetime pressures from the bushmeat trade, clearance for agriculture, logging and mining are likely to be far greater for Gola than the pressures from the civil war.

Social organization in the Chinese water deer, Hydropotes inermis

The social organization of Chinese water deer was studied in a zoological park. Most adults lived together in the mixed zone, although other habitats were available. The overlap between individual areas was largest in females. In the mating season alone, less than half of the males established territories which overlapped in small spots where most encounters occurred. Females travelled freely throughout the entire available area, but non-territorial males stayed between the territories. Except in males during mating season, very few physical contacts other than sniffing took place between individuals regardless of age, sex or status. Each animal lived alone and did not show attraction or aggressiveness towards congeners. Grouping was temporary with no durable link between individuals, not even between mothers and daughters older than 5 months. The solitary life of individuals on a common ground and the establishment of seasonal territories make the water deer unique among ruminants. The species appears to be no more social than the water chevrotain, an “ancient” species. This fits well with other characteristics of the species.

Le comportement du Chevrotain africain, Hyemoschus aquaticus Ogilby (Artiodactyla, Ruminantia)

Zeitschrift für TierpsychologieVolume 37, Issue 5 p. 449-501 Le comportement du Chevrotain africain, Hyemoschus aquaticus Ogilby (Artiodactyla, Ruminantia) Sa signification écologique et phylogénétique Gérard Dubost, Corresponding Author Gérard Dubost Laboratoire d'Ecologie Générale du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Brunoy, FranceLaboratoire d'Ecologie Générale, 4 Avenue du Petit Châateau, 91.800 Brunoy, France.Search for more papers by this author Gérard Dubost, Corresponding Author Gérard Dubost Laboratoire d'Ecologie Générale du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Brunoy, FranceLaboratoire d'Ecologie Générale, 4 Avenue du Petit Châateau, 91.800 Brunoy, France.Search for more papers by this author First published: January‐December 1975 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1975.tb00890.xCitations: 4AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume37, Issue5January‐December 1975Pages 449-501 RelatedInformation

Early Pliocene Tragulidae and peafowls in the Rift Valley, Kenya: evidence for rainforest in East Africa

The Early Pliocene Mabaget Formation (5.3–4.5 Ma), Tugen Hills, Kenya, has yielded remains of the African tragulid Hyemoschus aquaticus, which is today confined to rainforests of West Africa and the Congo Basin as far east as western Uganda. The same unit has also yielded a peafowl, Pavo sp. The Mabaget Formation has yielded early hominid fossils variously attributed to Australopithecus praegens or Ardipithecus ramidus. This sedimentary deposit joins the list of very early hominid units that preserve evidence of forest in the vicinity of the basin at the time of deposition. This discovery adds weight to the suggestion that the earliest hominids inhabited well wooded to forested regions rather than open country. It now seems more likely that bipedalism evolved in wooded to forested ecosystems and was, for several million years, linked to arborealism and that only after it was perfected did hominids spread into more open environments as fully functional bipeds. If so, then there is no reason to postulate a quadrupedal ‘knuckle-walking’ stage in the evolution of hominids. To cite this article: M. Pickford et al., C. R. Palevol (2004).

FIGHTING BEHAVIOR OF MUNTJAC AND THE EVOLUTION OF ANTLERS.

Phylogenetically and morphologically, the Miocene Muntiacinae, represented today by the Asian Muntiacus and Elaphodus fit between the Oligocene tusk bearer antlerless cervids and tragulids, and the Pliocene and living tuskless antlered deer (Romer, 1966). In addition to being intermediate in size and phylogenetic age, the muntjacs are among the first Cervidae to have acquired antlers and still have preserved upper canine tusks (Fig. 1). Antlers and tusks are two different kinds of weapon. Tusks are a strictly offensive weapon (Geist, 1966a). Antlers however serve two kinds of functions. First, they serve as visual social rank symbols (Geist, 1966a; Henshaw, 1971; Lincoln, 1972) and second, in combat, they have the dual function of a weapon and a shield (Geist, 1966a). Muntjacs' antlers have an additional role: they are a necessary instrument permitting the tusks to be put to use in intra-specific combats. The available literature on the fighting behavior of muntjacs is rare and imprecise (Aitchison, 1946; Antonius, 1939; Dubost, 1971; Scherpe, 1971). Until recently, the same was true for other tusk bearers, but antlerless cervids and tragulids (Aitchison, 1946; Dubost, 1965; Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1957; Fradrich, 1966; Kirchshofer, 1961; Scherpe, 1971). Recently, Dubost (1975) and Ralls et al. (1975) have described the fighting behavior of male Hyemoschus aquaticus and Tragulus napu respectively. From the shape of tusks, the location of wounds on adult males, and direct observa-