Variety Of Mammalian Species Research Articles

On the Doorstep, Rodents in Homesteads and Kitchen Gardens.

Simple SummarySeven species were recorded during a pilot study of small mammals in commensal habitats (homesteads and kitchen gardens) in Lithuania. Homestead gardens and outbuildings without food availability were dominated by yellow-necked mice, while buildings where food was available were dominated by bank voles. The body condition of rodents in these commensal habitats, being highest in the homestead gardens, was worse than that in rodents found in other agricultural habitats. Breeding failures in the form of disrupted pregnancies were recorded in all of the most numerous species of rodents.Scarcely investigated in terms of small mammals, kitchen gardens and homesteads form a subset of environments. Using results of snap trapping, we present the first data on small mammal species diversity, gender and age structure, relative abundance, body fitness, and reproduction parameters in these commensal habitats (kitchen gardens, homestead gardens, houses, and outbuildings). We expected that (i) house mice should be the dominant species in buildings, while striped field mice should be dominant in gardens, (ii) body condition should be the highest in buildings, (iii) body condition should increase in the autumn, irrespective of the habitat, and (iv) breeding failures in the form of disrupted pregnancies should be observed. Not all of the predictions were confirmed. From the seven recorded species, gardens and outbuildings were dominated by yellow-necked mice, while bank voles dominated in buildings where food was available. The number of recorded species and diversity index increased during the autumn months. The body condition was highest in rodents that were trapped in gardens. It decreased towards winter, with the exception of the striped field mouse. Breeding disturbances were recorded in all of the most numerous species, comprising 16.7–100% of all observed pregnancies.

How land fire impacts mammal diversity after several years: A study in Waimusi Agroindah Oil Palm Plantation, South Sumatra

Forest and land fire are one of the global disaster that raging every year. Most of the time, fire from concession and oil palm plantation area are accused to be the main factor that caused degradation of natural habitat and the biodiversity, including mammals. Mammals have important roles in sustaining a balanced ecosystem. However, the study of the impacts and mammals response to forest and land fires is yet to be fathomed. To provide more understanding in the impacts of fire on mammals a study was conducted at Waimusi Agroindah Oil Palm Plantation, South Sumatera, in two different periods, which are two years and four years after the fire to identify and comparing the diversity of mammal species. The data was collected with strip transect method, parallel in post-burned area and in unburned area with total four repetitions in each areas. The estimation of the impact is obtained by calculating the loss and gain of mammals from the unburned area and post-burned area, the level of species richness, evenness, also the similarity. Result shows that two years after fire, the habitat are already recovering, the number of species, species richness and evenness index was increased 2, 0.19, and 0.1. There was one species lost and two species gained. In the time of four years after the fire, opposite was resulted, all the parameters were decreased, species number decreased one species, richness and evenness number each decreased 0.42 and 0.32 and there was one species lost, but no species gained. This study indicates that land fire impacted mammal diversity, not only caused a degradation, but also an increase on the diversity.

The occurrence of Alaria alata mesocercariae in wild boars (Sus scrofa) in north-eastern Poland.

Various species of mammals, including humans and wild boars, can serve as paratenic hosts of Alaria alata mesocercariae – Distomum musculorum suis (DMS). Cases of DMS can be reliably detected by the recent introduction of the A. alata mesocercariae migration technique (AMT). The aim of this study is to present current data on the occurrence of DMS in wild boars in north-eastern Poland, and to compare the findings with those obtained in other European countries. A. alata was identified in 98 of 221 (44.3%) tissue samples of wild boar taken from five provinces in north-eastern Poland during the hunting seasons 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 based on AMT analysis. Positive results were found in all studied regions, but the percentage of infected individuals ranged from 26.3% in the Pomorskie province to 65.5% in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie province. The mean number of larvae exceeded seven larvae per 30 g sample for three provinces: Pomorskie, Mazowieckie and Lubelskie. In turn, lower values were found in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie province (3.3 larvae per 30 g), and the lowest in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie province (1.8 larvae per 30 g). The occurrence and intensity of A. alata infestation in wild boars was found to depend on the environment in which they live. Neither the sex or the age of the wild boar appeared to influence the occurrence nor the intensity of infestation.

Differences of terrestrial mammal species diversity between natural forest and edge forest areas in Batutegi Protected Forest, Lampung, Indonesia

This research is an explorative quantitative survey by testing differences in species of terrestrial mammals found in natural forest (core) and edge forest (ecoton) areas. The data collection was obtained by using camera traps installed for 3 months based on a grid cell 2 x 2 km, with a total of 16 camera traps placed in core area and another 17 were in ecotone. The object of this research was medium (0.3 kg) to large terrestrial mammals. The t test was used to determine the differences the species diversity of mammals between two research areas. The study shows that there are 22 species of terrestrial mammals with a total of 552 individuals, which is distributed in both research areas. In the core area there are 18 species with 237 individuals, while in the ecotone there are 18 species with 315 individuals. Analyses the species richness index was 17.8171 for the core area while 17.8262 for the ecotone area. Similarity index in both study areas ranged from 0.7106 to 1. While the value of diversity index (Shannon-Wiener) in the core area H '= 2.2038 and in the ecotone area H' = 2.0541. Three species with the greatest relative abundance values are Porcupine (Hystrix brachyura), Barking Deer (Muntiacus muntjak), and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa). Based on the t tests of the two research areas, which are core area and ecotone, obtained tcount 0.41365 (p 0.05), it can be interpreted that the diversity of terrestrial mammals species in the core and ecotone areas is not the same.Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif survei eksploratif dengan melakukan pengujian perbedaan terhadap jenis mamalia teresterial yang ditemukan di wilayah hutan alam (inti) dan wilayah hutan tepi (ekoton). Pendataan mamalia teresterial menggunakan camera trap yang dipasang selama 3 bulan berdasarkan grid cell 2 x 2 km, dengan 16 camera trap dipasang di areal inti dan 17 lainnya di ekoton. Objek penelitian adalah mamalia teresterial berukuran sedang (0,3 kg) hingga mamalia besar. Uji t digunakan untuk menentukan perbadaan keragaman jenis mamalia teresterial pada dua areal penelitian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat 22 jenis mamalia teresterial dengan total 552 individu, yang tersebar di kedua areal penelitian. Pada areal inti terdapat 18 jenis dengan 237 individu, sedangkan pada areal ekoton ditemukan 18 jenis dengan 315 individu. Analisis indeks kekayaaan jenis menunjukkan nilai 17,8171 untuk areal inti dan 17,8262 untuk areal ekoton. Indeks kemerataan pada kedua areal penelitian berkisar antara 0,7106 hingga 1. Sedangkan nilai indeks keragaman (Shannon-Wiener) pada areal inti H’ = 2,2038 dan pada areal ekoton H’= 2,0541. Tiga jenis mamalia teresterial dengan kelimpahan relatif terbesar yaitu Landak (Hystrix brachyura), Kijang (Muntiacus muntjak), dan Babi hutan (Sus scrofa). Berdasarkan uji beda terhadap dua areal penelitian yaitu areal hutan alam (areal inti) dan areal tepi hutan (ekoton) didapatkan thitung 0,41365 (p 0,05), maka dapat diartikan bahwa keragaman jenis mamalia teresterial di areal inti dan ekoton tidak sama.

Camera trapping of medium and large-sized mammals in western Black Sea deciduous forests in Turkey

Camera trapping is one of the most effective methods for mammal inventories in most habitats and conditions. This study is based on the mammal records of a camera trap study in Northwest Anatolia. The study area was about 3500 km2 , and the study was carried out between May 2014 and May 2015. A total of 62 sites were surveyed, resulting in 3653 records of 16 mammal species Sciurus anomalus, Erinaceus concolor, Felis silvestris, Canis lupus, Canis aureus, Vulpes vulpes, Ursus arctos, Meles meles, Martes foina, Martes martes, Mustela nivalis, Lutra lutra, Sus scrofa, Capreolus capreolus, Lepus europaeus, Cervus elaphus in 11,868 camera trapping days. The highest detection rate among the species was that of Sus scrofa 36.57% , followed by Martes spp. 20.35% and Canis aureus 19.44% . Overall trap success for all species detected was 30.78% recorded number/100 camera trapping days . It was detected that mammal species diversity was higher in natural forested lands than in human-affected areas. Species diversity in the study area was recorded to be significantly higher than the results of other studies from different parts of Turkey. We present here a detailed inventory, distribution data, and contemporary diversity data for the study area, and comparative data for further studies.

Bats in Three Protected Areas of The Central Amazon Ecological Corridor in Brazil

Bats have the second highest mammalian species richness globally, and account for about half of the mammal species diversity in tropical forests. In the Neotropical region, Brazil is the second most bat species-rich country, and the Brazilian Amazonia harbours most of the Brazilian bat diversity. However, many areas of the Amazon have sampling gaps in biodiversity inventories, and this is the situation of most Protected Areas (PAs) of the Central Amazon Ecological Corridor (CAEC) of Brazil. In the CAEC, there are PAs that are relatively intact, globally relevant for biodiversity, having high priority for conservation at the regional scale, but are greatly deficient in faunal inventories. In this sense, species inventories are the first step to consolidate management plans for PAs, as well as the conservation of the species occurring there. Thus, in this study we survey the bat assemblages in three PAs in the CAEC of Brazil: Jutai River Extractive Reserve (JRER), Jutai-Solimoes Ecological Station (JSES) and Auati-Parana Extractive Reserve (APER). In addition, we compared the bat diversity of these three areas with a compilation of data from 44 localities in the Amazon biome in two different biogeographic contexts. The first involves three geographic regions separated by large Amazonian rivers (Eastern Amazonia, Western Amazonia and the Guiana Shield) and the second based on three biogeographic dominions (Boreal Brazilian, Southeastern Amazonia and South Brazilian). We recorded 36 species at JRER in ten nights of sampling, 33 species at JSES in nine nights, and 55 species at APER in 17 nights. Of the total number of species, 20 were captured exclusively at APER, seven at JSES and only four at JRER, with 21 species being common to the three PAs. One species (Artibeus bogotensis) was recorded for the first time in Brazil. In a biogeographic context, species composition differed among biogeographic regions. This suggests that when designing strategies of conservation to protect the rich diversity of the large-scale bat fauna of the Amazon, considering the location of PAs, as well as the biogeographic regions is key. Although there have been major efforts in Brazil to identify priority conservation areas, for most priority areas of Amazon, bat surveys have not been performed, highlighting the urgent need for further studies.

KEANEKARAGAMAN JENIS MAMALIA DIURNAL DI BEBERAPA TIPE HUTAN PADA AREAL IUPHHK-HT PT. HUTAN KETAPANG INDUSTRI KABUPATEN KETAPANG

Mammals are wild animals that are often considered as pests by the community, even though the existence of mammals has an important role in the preservation of forest ecosystem as soil fertilizers, pollinators, seed dispersers, and biological bugs control. Forest is habitat for flora and fauna, but now the forests in Kalimantan are starting to be degraded caused by land clearing of plantations, illegal logging and infrastructure development. Forest degradation is very influential on forest cover, especially mammals. Land clearing by plantation companies has an impact on the survival of animals and vegetation in the plantation area. Food sources and shelter for mammals is reduced. That makes mammals move to habitats that are good vegetation and ecosystems. This study aims to record the diurnal mammal species and find out the diversity of species of mammals diumal in several forest types in the IUPHHK-HT area of PT. Hutan Ketapang Industri district Ketapang. This research was conducted on 25 February 2019 until 23 March 2019 to obtain data on species of mammals diumal in a number of forest types in the IUPHHK-HT area of PT. Hutan Ketapang Industri district Ketapang. The results of this study are expected to provide data and information on the types of diurnal mammals and the diversity of diurnal mammal species in several forest types in the IUPHHK-HT area of PT. Hutan Ketapang Industri district Ketapang The results of observations in five habitat types were found as many as 8 species belonging to 6 families. In Kerangas forest 2 species were found with 7 individuals, Peat Swamp forest was found 5 species with 15 individuals, Lowland Dipterocarpa forest was found 7 species with 19 individuals, Riparian forest was found 3 species with 9 individuals. and Open Wetlands / Flood Plains are found 3 species with a number of individuals 11.Keywords: Mammals Diumal, Diversity, Five Habitat Types

Large Mammals Diversity Assessment in Chilalo-Galema National Park, Ethiopia

A study on the assessment of species diversity of large mammals was conducted in Chilalo Galema Mountain in east Arsi administrative zone from February 2019 to September 2019. The aim of this study was to assess large mammalian species diversity and human-wildlife conflict in Chilalo-Galema Mountain National Park. Line transects and observation methods were used to collect data. Twenty six transect lines were laid, varied in length from 1.41km to 4.34km. Transect width ranged from 200m to 400m. In this study both primary and secondary data were used. Direct observation, body parts, vocalization and indirect evidences such as footprints, burrowing and droppings were used to collect data on diversity of large mammals. Observation and direct count of animals were made during 6:00-10:00 a.m. in the morning and 3:00-6:00 p.m. in the late afternoon when most mammals were active. Species diversity of large mammals was calculated using the Shannon-Weaver index of diversity. The evenness of mammalian species was calculated as J=H’/H’max where H’max=ln(s). 28 species that belong to seven Orders (Primates, Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Hyracoidea, Tubulidentata, Rodentia and Lagomorpha) were identified and recorded during the study. Out of the 252 recorded mammals 26 (10.08%) were order primates, 50 (19.38%) were order carnivora, 1 (0.39%) were order hyracoidea, 6 (2.33%) were order tubulidentata, 164 (63.57%) were artiodactyla, 8 (3.10%) were rodentia and 2 (0.78%) were lagomorpha. Mammalian fauna of the Chilalo Galema Mountain was dominated by two groups of orders, the most abundant orders; namely, order artiodactyla and order carnivora, which contain 164 (63.57%) and 50 (19.38%) mammals respectively. The least abundant was order hyracoidean with 1 (0.39%) recorded mammal. So, Chilalo-Galema is rich in mammalian species diversity and needs conservation measures.

COVID-19 Solution.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are RNA viruses that cause endemic infections in various species of mammals and avian birds. There are seven known human CoVs, each of which causes respiratory diseases: together account for about one third of common colds. Some CoVs have recently entered humans from infected animals and lastly we have SARS COVID-19, (CoV), which causes severe acute, often fatal respiratory syndromes. The prevalence of CoV, the easy zoonotic transmission and the potential to cause serious respiratory diseases, lead to urgent research to discover the mechanisms of CoV infection. Our study has identified a possible way to eliminate the danger of this virus by analyzing the structures by which it enters the host cell. This study indicates that the neuroaminidase interrupts the infection.

Home Point Study of Birds and Mammals Diversity Allied to Humans in Lockdown of COVID-19 at Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal

The birds and mammals are nature gifted gene banks which differ greatly with variation in altitudes, climates, landscapes, vegetation and availability of food and water. The altitudinal variation in Nepal is 60 m to 8,848 m which affects climatic conditions and habitat types within short distance that influence species diversity of wild animals. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to reveal species richness, behaviors and luring factors for birds and mammals to attract to an urban area of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, the South-central lowland of Nepal. The methods applied to record species diversity of birds and mammals were made from a home point (a point of study made at the North-west corner of verandah in first floor of my home) located in Bharatpur-9, Saradpur, Sitalpath, in the coordinates of 27˚39'55"N and 84˚26'08"E. The animal species were observed thrice daily (at 7 AM, 10 AM and 2 PM) for 2 months beginning from 24 March to 23 May 2020 during the period of lockdown of COVID-19 and were listed in “Observation Data Sheet”. The photographs and/or videos were taken except one of the species of bats (i.e. Myotis formosus) and six species of birds which were flying swiftly over the sky in 70 m in diameter (i.e. 7,436 square meters or 22 kattha in area) of the home point. The results obtained from my study were; 83 species, 53 genera and 37 families of wild birds; and 6 species, 5 genera and 3 families of wild mammals. Among birds, Dicrurus and Ploceus were recorded the highest 7.54% (4/53); followed by Acridotheres, Megalaima, Merops, Oriolus, Psittacula and Streptopelia with 5.66% (3/53), and remaining twelve genera were found 3.77% (2/53), and thirty three genera were 1.88% (1/53). Similarly, 33.33% (2/6) of Herpestes; and 16.66% (1/6) of each Canis, Vulpes, Pipistrellus and Myotis were recorded among mammals. Conclusively, I found that the species of birds and mammals were lured to human settlement area due to availability of food (i.e. small in/vertebrates, kitchen garbage etc.); crops (i.e. maize, sesame etc.); vegetables (i.e. bean); fruits (litchi, mango, berries etc.); nesting places and healthy environment. However, there is great chance of transmission of viral (rabies, foot-mouth disease etc.), bacterial (tuberculosis) and parasitic zoonoses (echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, helminthiasis etc.) to humans and domesticated animals through feces and saliva droppings in addition to the poultry raiding, biting to people and damage of fruits, vegetables and crops creating conflicts.

Species diversity and community composition of non-volant small mammals in Heizhugou region, Sichuan Province

Species diversity and community composition of non-volant small mammals in Heizhugou region, Sichuan Province

Mammal species composition and diversity of the Nyae Nyae Communal Conservancy, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

The emergence of the communal conservancies in Namibia contributed to community-based conservation approach outside protected areas. This study was conducted to establish the status of biodiversity conservation of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy by analysing the mammal species composition and diversity changes for 13 years. The long-term wildlife count data were obtained from the conservancy in Tsumkwe, Otjozondjupa region. A total of 20 mammal species, comprising of ungulates and predators, were recorded from 2001 through 2013. The overall trend of the mammal species population sizes was positive, though not statistically significant (r = 0.477; t10 = 1.574; P = 0.145). In addition to the stable species composition over the years, the mammal species diversity in Nyae Nyae conservancy was high (Simpson Index of Diversity, SID = 0.81). However, a significant decline in the diversity of mammal species (SID = 0.72) was detected in 2013 evident from the low species count data. This low diversity may be attributable to many factors including but not limited to the effects of severe drought which may have led to the emigration of some species, reduction in the abundance of some species due to deaths from drought and low reproductive output. Hence Nyae Nyae Conservancy, though an open unfenced system, serves as a good example in which a community-based natural management program outside protected areas contributes not only to the conservation of natural resources including wildlife but also utilisation of these resources for the benefit of local community members.

Mamíferos terrestres de médio e grande porte em uma área de reserva legal na região centro-oeste de Minas Gerais, Brasil

As Reservas Legais (RL) são áreas localizadas dentro de propriedades rurais e contribuem para manutenção da diversidade de espécies de mamíferos, bem como para a movimentação de espécies entre os fragmentos de vegetação. Este trabalho teve como objetivo quantificar a riqueza e analisar a frequência de ocorrência de mamíferos terrestres de médio e grande porte em uma área de RL de 76,5 ha, no município de Pedra do Indaiá, Minas Gerais, Brasil. O período de amostragem foi de 28 meses, com a utilização dos seguintes métodos de coleta: observação direta, indireta e armadilha fotográfica. Foram registradas 25 espécies, distribuídas em sete ordens e 14 famílias. As ordens mais representativas foram Carnivora, Cingulata e Rodentia, e as menos representativas foram Lagomorpha e Didelphimorphia. Das 25 espécies registradas, seis encontram-se ameaçadas de extinção na lista de espécies da fauna ameaçada no estado de Minas Gerais e, quatro na lista de espécies da fauna ameaçada de extinção no Brasil. A presença de animais em alguma categoria de ameaça sugere a necessidade de manutenção da RL, bem como de remanescentes de vegetação nativa na região a fim de manter a qualidade do habitat necessária à persistência das populações e os serviços ecossistêmicos prestados por ela.

Osmotic regulation of UT-B urea transporters in the RT4 human urothelial cell line.

Facilitative UT‐B urea transporters play important physiological roles in numerous tissues, including the urino‐genital tract. Previous studies have shown that urothelial UT‐B transporters are crucial to bladder function in a variety of mammalian species. Using the RT4 bladder urothelial cell line, this study investigated the potential osmotic regulation of human UT‐B transporters. Initial end‐point PCR experiments confirmed expression of both UT‐B1 and UT‐B2 transcripts in RT4 cells. Western blotting analysis revealed glycosylated UT‐B protein to be highly abundant and immunolocalization experiments showed it was predominantly located on the plasma membrane. Further PCR experiments suggested that a 48 hr, NaCl‐induced raise in external osmolality increased expression of UT‐B transcripts. Importantly, these NaCl‐induced changes also significantly increased UT‐B protein abundance (p < .01, n = 7, ANOVA), whereas mannitol‐induced changes in external osmolality had no effect (NS, n = 4, ANOVA). Finally, similar increases in both UT‐B RNA expression and protein abundance were observed with urea‐induced changes to external osmolality (p < .05, n = 4, ANOVA). In conclusion, these findings strongly suggest that increases in external osmolality, via either NaCl or urea, can regulate human urothelial UT‐B transporters.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provide unprecedented resolution of species boundaries, phylogenetic relationships, and genetic diversity in the mastiff bats (Molossus)

Mammals are one of the better known groups of animals, and in the Neotropics bats typically comprise about half of the mammalian species diversity. But, well resolved species-level phylogenies are still lacking for most taxa of bats. One broadly distributed genus is the mastiff bats, Molossus. Species within this genus are morphologically very similar, which results in a confusing and unstable taxonomy. In addition, low levels of genetic divergence among some clades make resolution of phylogenetic relationships difficult. Most authors recognize Molossus as being monophyletic, however, phylogenetic relationships within the genus remain poorly understood based on traditional Sanger sequencing of individual genes. We propose a more comprehensive framework based on large-scale genomic data derived from Next Generation Sequencing techniques to better understand evolutionary relationships within a group of closely related species with a rich taxonomic history. In this study, we utilized the NGS method of Genotype by Sequencing (GBS) to test the monophyly of the genus, understand evolutionary relationships within Molossus and investigate the genetic integrity of currently recognized species. Given that both de novo and reference genome pipelines are often used in the assembly of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism data from GBS, and that several tree inference methodologies have been proposed for SNP data, we test whether different alignments and phylogenetic approaches produce similar results. We also examined how the process of SNP identification and mapping can affect the consistency of the analyses. Our data provide the first high resolution phylogeny for the genus Molossus, bringing new insights into recognition of species boundaries and relationships among taxa. This study clarifies the taxonomy of Molossus and elevates the number of species in the genus from 11 to 14. We suggest the revalidation of the names M. nigricans, and M. fluminensis, which were synonymized under the name M. rufus; and M. bondae, previously synonymized under the name M. currentium. Different alignments and phylogenetic inferences produce consistent results, supporting use of SNP approach in addressing evolutionary questions on a macroevolutionary scale where the genetic distance among clades is low.

L-Serine Lowers the Inflammatory Responses during Pasteurella multocida Infection.

Pasteurella multocida causes a variety of infectious diseases in various species of mammals and birds, resulting in enormous economic loss to the modern livestock and poultry industry. However, the mechanism of host-pathogen interaction is unclear. Here, we found that l-serine levels were significantly decreased in murine lungs infected with P. multocida Exogenous l-serine supplementation significantly increased the survival rate of mice and decreased the colonization of P. multocida in the lungs of mice. Notably, l-serine decreased the macrophage- and neutrophil-mediated inflammatory responses in mice during P. multocida infection.

Diversity in the Altai Republic Diversity of Mammal Communities and Its Correlation with Stability of Natural Complexes of the South Eastern Altai

Studies of ecology and fauna are still important for studies of animal communities, important components of ecosystems of various levels. The article analyses the spatial distribution and diversity of communities and individual mammal species in the South Eastern Altai. The characteristics of land habitats and the integral ecosystem stability factor are compared to assess the consistency of their territorial changes. The contribution of various natural complexes to the maintenance and preservation of mammal diversity in the South-Eastern Altai is shown. It has been shown that the highest diversity of mammal species is commonly found in landscapes with medium classes of the stability range. It has been shown that the prerequisite for the sustainable development of the region is the preservation and restoration of natural complexes both with relatively low environmental stability and increased level of diversity of biological components.

Impact of oil palm plantation on mammal and herpetofauna species diversity

Since 2008, Indonesia has succeeded in becoming the largest palm oil producer in the world. However, this success has drawn some accusations that oil palm plantations come causing deforestation and decreasing biodiversity. The research has been carried out in the topic of "the origin of the status and type of land cover and variations in the wildlife species diversity in oil palm plantations” in Province of Riau, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan. The results of the interpretation of Landsat imagery coverage of 1 year before being oil palm plantation and interviews with resource persons showed that the type of land cover of the 8 study locations was 5 in the form of secondary forest, 2 bushes and the rest in the form of rubber plantations. The status of the land as a whole APL or customary land. Furthermore, the results of the comparison of the number and composition of species of mammals and herpetofauna before and after being oil palm plantations show that the impact of oil palm plantations on these two variables of diversity species according to the origin of land cover types. For the origin of the type of land cover in the form of shrubs or rubber plantations, the impact of oil palm plantations is positive because it increases the number of species both mammals and herpetofauna (except the number of species of herpetofauna on KJNP estate plantations). As for the origin of the type of land cover in the form of secondary forest, the existence of oil palm plantations increase the number of mamalia in 2 locations and herpetofauna in 4 locations The presence of oil palm plantations is thought to have caused changes in the composition of species with a range of 50 to 100% for mammals and 23 to 76% for herpetofauna.

Investigation on Diet of Long-Eared Owl (Asio Otus) Inhabiting Fatih Natural Park (Turkey)

Pellet analyses were used to identify small mammal species in the diet of this owl species in order to reveal its ecological role. In this study, 706 pellets of Asio otus were collected from 3 different localities in Fatih Natural Park between February and March 2014. Pellets were dissolved by using 3% NaOH solution and then bones were dehydrated and identified. The aim of this study was to determine mammal composition in the diet of Asio otus inhabiting Fatih Natural Park of Yozgat Province, Turkey. Residues of bone from 1293 individuals/preys corresponding to 42377.41 g biomass in total were detected as the result of analysis. These individuals were identified to belonging to 12 mammal species ( Crocidura suaveolens , Suncus etruscus , Microtus hartingi/lydius , Microtus levis , Microtus sp., Cricetulus migratorius , Mesocricetus brandti , Apodemus sp., Apodemus sylvaticus , Apodemus whitherbyi , Mus macedonicus , and Meriones tristrami ) from 3 families and 8 genera. Microtus hartingi/lydius, which is known as agricultural pest, was dominant in the diet of Asio otus . When diversity of mammal species within the food composition was examined, Asio otus nesting in forest was found to primarily prefer agricultural and steppe areas, and was also found in woody and bushy areas. The use of Asio otus can be taken into consideration when dealing with rodent species known as agricultural pests.

Land Use Change Increases Wildlife Parasite Diversity in Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats, India

Anthropogenic landscape changes such as land use change and habitat fragmentation are known to alter wildlife diversity. Since host and parasite diversities are strongly connected, landscape changes are also likely to change wildlife parasite diversity with implication for wildlife health. However, research linking anthropogenic landscape change and wildlife parasite diversity is limited, especially comparing effects of land use change and habitat fragmentation, which often cooccur but may affect parasite diversity substantially differently. Here, we assessed how anthropogenic land use change (presence of plantation, livestock foraging and human settlement) and habitat fragmentation may change the gastrointestinal parasite diversity of wild mammalian host species (n = 23) in Anamalai hills, India. We found that presence of plantations, and potentially livestock, significantly increased parasite diversity due possibly to spillover of parasites from livestock to wildlife. However, effect of habitat fragmentation on parasite diversity was not significant. Together, our results showed how human activities may increase wildlife parasite diversity within human-dominated landscape and highlighted the complex pattern of parasite diversity distribution as a result of cooccurrence of multiple anthropogenic landscape changes.