Dasypus Novemcinctus Research Articles

AN UPDATED SPECIES LIST OF MEDIUM AND LARGE-SIZED MAMMALS OF THE AUGUSTO RUSCHI BIOLOGICAL RESERVE, USING A NOVEL SAMPLING DESIGN

Monitoring biological communities through time helps reveal the state of habitat conservation. We performed a new inventory of the medium and large-sized mammals in the Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve, southeastern Brazil. Our assessment was based on a new camera-trapping sampling design that incorporates a one-year Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) to characterize environmental heterogeneity across the study area. We selected sampling locations in different microhabitats to conduct a 90-day camera trap monitoring. Our sampling effort was 28,704 hours, resulting in 755 photographic records, from which we identified 15 native medium and large-sized mammals, one small-sized mammal ( Guerlinguetus brasiliensis ), and one exotic species ( Canis familiaris ). The native mammals included four species not listed in the last inventory carried out in the study area: Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo), Tamandua tetradactyla (collared anteater), Herpailurus yagouaroundi (jaguarundi), and Cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox). This outcome may indicate the efficiency of our sampling design, which represents an innovative approach to characterizing local mammal communities across an environmental gradient, ensuring broad representation of different resources and habitat characteristics. Consequently, our approach may ensure the recording of the local mammal assemblage and is an appropriate option for inventorying and monitoring medium to large-sized mammals.

Commonality in Pelvic Anatomy among Three Fossorial, Scratch-Digging, Mammalian Species

This study tests whether three species of fossorial, scratch-digging mammals – Dasypus novemcinctus, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus, and Taxidea taxus – show commonality in pelvic anatomies inferred to be adaptive for this behavior and, correspondingly, divergence in these anatomies from nonfossorial species. The fossorial and nonfossorial species are in the same superorder or family; the comparative sets of species are D. novemcinctus with Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni, I. tridecemlineatus with Sciurus carolinensis, and Ta. taxus with Gulo gulo, Martes americana, and Neovison vison. Fossorial species are hypothesized to show higher prevalence of fusion of sacroiliac and sacroischial (if present) joints, reduction in size or loss of pelvic symphysis, greater number of sacral vertebrae, greater number of vertebrae in articulation with ilium and ischium, and longer ischium. Only males were used in the study; total sample size was 318 adults and 135 subadults. Results show commonality among fossorial species in greater number of sacral vertebrae and rigidity of the pelvis. One inconsistency with expectations is that the pelvic symphysis in fossorial species is as sturdy as in nonfossorial species, based on prevalence of symphyseal fusion and relative length and breadth of pelvic symphysis. Greater number of sacral vertebrae may be due to assimilation of a lumbar vertebra(−e) with the sacrum in fossorial species associated with their slow running speed. A rigid pelvis, due to fusion of pelvic joints and relatively longer or broader pelvic symphysis, effectively transfers forces between vertebral column and hind limb.

Uso da caça de subsistência no assentamento santa luzia, Cruzeiro do sul, Acre

In Amazon, native fauna is considered the major source of animal protein consumed by rural populations and traditional people. The main cinegetic species used by these communities stand out: large mammals (ungulates: white-lipped peccary, deer and tapir; primates and rodents such as pacas and agoutis), avifauna (curassows, jacamins, jacus and nambus) and the reptiles (chelonians). The present study characterizes the use of subsistence hunting by rural dwellers at Santa Luzia settlement, in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. The data collection was made by semi-structured questionnaire, composed of closed and open-ended questions, a total of 101 families were interviewed. About 163 animals where slaughtered each month at the study area, totaling approximately 1.400 animals slaughtered annually. Were pointed out 11 species of cinegetic use, among them, the armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), jacu (Opisthocomus hoazin), paca (Cuniculus paca) and the deer (Mazama sp.) are the most targeted for hunting in the locality, having the major acceptance by hunters. The technique of hunting on the spot is the most used by hunters followed by hunting with dogs. Nowadays, the time spent in the hunt is around 6 to 16 hours to obtain an animal. Deeper studies about understanding the pressure of hunting over these species become highly important to their maintenance and conservation on site.

Leprosy survey among rural communities and wild armadillos from Amazonas state, Northern Brazil.

There is evidence that in southern US, leprosy is a zoonosis infecting wild Dasypus novemcinctus armadillos but the extent of this finding is unknown. This ecological study investigated leprosy in rural communities and in wild armadillos from the Brazilian Amazon. The study area was the Mamiá Lake of Coari municipality, Amazonas State, Northern region, a hyper endemic leprosy area where residents live on subsistence farming, fishing and armadillo hunting and its meat intake are frequent. The leprosy survey was conducted in sixteen communities by a visiting team of specialists. Local partakers provided wild armadillos to investigate M. leprae infection. Volunteers had complete dermato-neurological examination by a dermatologist with expertise in leprosy diagnosis, suspect skin lesions were biopsied for histopathology (Hematoxylin-eosin/HE, Fite-Faraco/FF staining); slit skin smears were collected. Armadillos’ tissue fragments (skins, spleens, livers, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, others) were prepared for histopathology (HE/FF) and for M. leprae repetitive element-RLEP-qPCR. Among 176 volunteers, six new indeterminate leprosy cases were identified (incidence = 3.4%). Suspect skin sections and slit skin smears were negative for bacilli. Twelve wild D. novemcinctus were investigated (48 specimens/96 slides) and histopathological features of M. leprae infection were not found, except for one skin presenting unspecific inflammatory infiltrate suggestive of indeterminate leprosy. Possible traumatic neuroma, granuloma with epithelioid and Langhans cells, foreign-body granuloma were also identified. Granulomatous/non-granulomatous dermatitides were periodic-acid-Schiff/PAS negative for fungus. M. leprae-RLEP-qPCR was negative in all armadillos’ tissues; no bacillus was found in histopathology. Our survey in rural communities confirmed the high endemicity for leprosy while one armadillo was compatible with paucibacillary M. leprae infection. At least in the highly endemic rural area of Coari, in the Brazilian Amazon region where infectious sources from untreated multibacillary leprosy are abundant, M. leprae infected armadillos may not represent a major source of infection nor a significant public health concern.

Perceptions and Attitudes of Urucum Settlement Residents about Local Wildlife

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to evaluate perceptions and attitudes of local people about wild fauna and was carried out in the Urucum settlement, in the Brazilian Pantanal. We sought to: (1) identify which species of wild animals were most frequently chosen by residents of the Urucum settlement based on their familiarity; (2) identify the values associated with this fauna and the implications for conservation; and (3) test the effect of gender, age, and level of education of the residents on their attitudes. We used a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions to interview the residents. Distributions of responses about perceptions were analyzed using the chi-square test, and differences between the values associated with each species were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effect of gender, age, and level of education on attitudes toward the most chosen species was tested using generalized linear models (GLM). Among 61 residents interviewed, we found that the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), toucan (Ramphastos toco), monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), rhea (Rhea Americana), and rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) were the most frequently chosen species. These species were followed by tropical freshwater fish (a fish of the genus Astyanax sp.) and the blue morpho butterfly (Morpho sp.), both chosen with equal frequency. Most perceptions and attitudes were positive apart from those for the rattlesnake. Attitudes toward the rattlesnake were associated with the age of respondents, and the most common value associated with conserving the selected animals was “Anthropocentric.” As demonstrated by other studies, contact with environmental education activities could help to promote tolerance to rattlesnakes. Likewise, this tool can also broaden our understanding of the ecological importance of wild species, facilitating their conservation.

Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live by Lita Judge

Reviewed by: Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live by Lita Judge Deborah Stevenson, Editor Judge, Lita Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live; written and illus. by Lita Judge. Roaring Brook, 20119 [48p] ISBN 978-1-62672-724-3 $18.99 Reviewed from galleys R 5-8 yrs Following on her Born in the Wild (BCCB 1/15), Judge now turns her attention to the dwellings of many wild-born critters. Sections start with a general precept ("A home can be underground") and then offer examples with explanations in more detailed, smaller-print text (coyotes like to nest in abandoned dens, a longeared jerboa digs a burrow under the desert, and each nine-banded armadillo may excavate up to twelve burrows "as if building several weekend cottages"). There are a few bobbles in the text (for instance, the closing statement that "all baby animals need a home where they and their families are safe and sheltered" ignores a lot of the animal kingdom), but it's a pleasing intro to some animal—though actually only mammal—habitats. The cuddly watercolor art is robust in texture, and audiences won't mind the unscientific seasoning of anthropomorphism in the animals' expressions. This could be a useful, if more narrowly focused, complement to Jenkins' I See a Kookaburra (BCCB 5/05); advanced young readers will appreciate the combination of adorable animals and sophisticated text, while others will enjoy having the details read aloud as they look at endearing kits and pups. End matter includes more information about the featured animals, including their habitat and litter sizes, plus a short glossary, a list of sources, and a collection of relevant websites. Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Roadkilled mammals in the northern Amazon region and comparisons with roadways in other regions of Brazil

ABSTRACT Roadways and road traffic modify landscapes, posing a threat to the conservation of species in different biomes. The aim of the present study was to analyze roadkill records of wild mammals and to compare the results to findings from 37 other studies conducted in Brazil, to evaluate the richness and diversity of threatened species in different eco-regions of the country. This study was conducted between June 2007 and June 2008, along 60 km of the inter-state highway BR-364, which connects the municipalities of Ouro Preto d’Oeste and Presidente Médici in the state of Rondônia (northern Brazil). Two hundred twenty roadkills were recorded involving 13 species of mammals. Cingualata, Pilosa and Carnivora were the most represented orders. The most represented were the generalist species Dasypus novemcinctus (56.7%), Tamandua tetradactyla (10.5%), and Cerdocyon thous (8.2%), reflecting the adaptability of these species to habitat changes and presence of humans. The number of roadkilled individuals and species indicated no significant differences between the dry and rainy seasons. The findings indicate a high index of roadkills (3.38 individuals/km/year) and moderate number of run over species (0.20 species/km/year) in the region in comparison to records from other roadways in Brazil, with 46% species having an endangered status. Roadways in the eco-regions of the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) accounted a significantly larger proportion of endangered species (mean: 52%) in comparison to the Pampa (lowlands of southern Brazil; 24%), but the differences in comparison to roadways in Amazonia (37%) and the Atlantic Forest (31%) were non-significant. The present findings underscore the need for emergency measures to minimize the impact of roadkills on mammals. Moreover, priority should be given to more impacted roadways and more threaten eco-regions.

Osteoderm microstructure of Riostegotherium yanei, the oldest Xenarthra.

Abstract: Riostegotherium yanei from the Itaboraí Basin, Brazil, is the oldest known Xenarthra. This paper aims to describe the internal morphology of the osteoderms of Riostegotherium yanei from the perspective of histology and micro-CT approaches, expanding the available data on cingulate osteoderm microstructure. Seven osteoderms of R. yanei were used for the internal microstructure description and eight of Dasypus novemcinctus for comparison. The osteoderms of Riostegotherium yanei lacks the diploë-like structure typical of glyptodonts but has a three-layered structure composed of two layers of non-Haversian compact bone enclosing a central layer of primary and secondary osteons. This internal organization is distinct from other Astegotheriini of comparable age, but similar to Dasypus. The 3D reconstruction of Riostegotherium yanei revealed two patterns of internal organization. Pattern 1 of movable osteoderm is composed of large remodeled areas at the base and a more compact bone at the tongue; in Pattern 2 (both movable and buckler), the internal cavities are much smaller, more numerous, and more interconnected to each other. In one buckler osteoderm, the cavities are organized somewhat radially with a compact central region (Pattern 1). Pattern 1 of both movable and buckler osteoderms resemble that of Dasypus.

Daily activity patterns of medium and large neotropical mammals in an area of Atlantic rain forest at altitude

Camera traps were used to study the daily activity patterns of medium and large mammals (> 1 kg) in an area of Mixed Rain Forest (High Altitude Atlantic Forest) in the South of Brazil. Species that exhibited diurnal tendencies were Dasyprocta azarae, Eira barbara, Nasua nasua and Puma yagouaroundi. The nocturnal species observed were Dasypus novemcinctus, Tamandua tetradactyla and Procyon cancrivorus. Didelphis aurita, Leopardus pardalis and L. wiedii exhibited nocturnal tendencies. Cerdocyon thous tended to be more crepuscular than nocturnal. Puma concolor exhibited a tendency to nocturnal and crepuscular activity, but diurnal activity was also observed. Finally, the species Mazama gouazoubira and Leopardus tigrinus were defined as cathemeral. While many species exhibited a tendency for the majority of their activity to be concentrated at certain times, there was no time during which medium and large mammal activity entirely ceased, demonstrating a balanced daily distribution of activity in a Mixed Rain Forest. There were differences in activity patterns between different seasons, especially between summer and winter, with nocturnal species exhibiting a tendency to more intense activity during the first half of the night during the winter and diurnal species tending to be more active at the end of the day during the same season.

<b>Diversity of medium and large neotropical mammals in an area of mixed rain forest

Medium and large mammals (> 1 kg) were studied using camera traps with active sensors in a Conservation Unit located in an area of Mixed Rain Forest or Araucaria Forest (Atlantic Forest at altitude) in the South of Brazil, as a method for investigating the area’s conservation status and enabling comparison with other types of environments in which these mammals occur in the Neotropical region. From June 2005 to December 2010, a sampling effort of 10,844 trap-days yielded records of 21 species. A minimum sampling effort of 3000 trap-days was necessary to obtain records of all of these species. The species with the greatest frequency of photocaptures was Dasyprocta azarae (agouti), followed by Leopardus pardalis (ocelot) , Leopardus guttulus (southern oncilla or little spotted cat) and Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo). The species with the lowest numbers of records were Pecari tajacu (collared peccary) and Chrysocyon brachyurus (maned wolf). Although the Conservation Unit studied has small physical dimensions, the diversity of species of medium and large mammals was comparable with what has been observed in other types of forests, in particular because there are still effective biological corridors in the area.

Interannual and daily activity patterns of mid-sized mammals in Maracaibo Lake Basin, Venezuela

Despite its biogeographic importance, the mammals of Maracaibo lake basin have been poorly studied. The objectives of this study were to: 1) provide a list of the mammal species detected by combining information from camera traps and other sources, and 2) describe diurnal and annual activity patterns for some of the species detected. Camera-trapping was carried out for one year in five localities within the Burro Negro Protection Zone (Spanish acronym ZPBN). Records of terrestrial mammals (excluding Chiroptera) were compiled from: 1) direct and indirect opportunistic records during field visits, 2) informal interviews with local inhabitants, 3) three national natural history collections, and 4) scientific literature. The complementarity between sources, similarity with other localities within the region, and temporal changes in composition were evaluated with the Sorensen Similarity Index (RS), and annual differences in the number of detections per sampling effort were evaluated using a X 2 test. Sampling effort was 1,799 camera days, resulting in 569 events of mammal detection recorded and 20 species from 17 families in 9 orders identified. Four species ( Dasypus novemcinctus, Dasyprocta leporina, Cerdocyon thous and Leopardus pardalis ) were captured all year round. Camera traps detected half of the non-flying mammal species in the area , including five that had not been previously reported by other sources ( Cuniculus paca, Coendou prehensilis, Sylvilagus floridanus, Procyon cancrivorus and Puma yagouaroundi ). At least three species ( Panthera onca , Odocoileus virginianus , and Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) had been reported as historically abundant, but were not detected during the year of camera trapping, which could be due to recent declines in their populations. Camera trapping provides reliable records on the presence of four species with data gaps in their distribution ranges ( Myrmecophaga tetradactyla, Coendou prehensilis, Cerdocyon thous and Procyon cancrivorus ), as well as baseline data for evaluating the distribution overlap between pairs of species, such as Tamandua mexicana and T. tetradactyla , and Dasyprocta leporina and D. punctata . A higher species richness was observed between June and August, in the rainy season.

Using Camera Traps to Assess Mammal and Bird Assemblages in a Midwestern Forest

Abstract Ecologists are increasing the use of remote technologies in their research, as these methods are less labor intensive than traditional methods and oftentimes minimize the number of human errors. Camera traps can be used to remotely measure abundance and community composition and offer the potential to measure some phenotypic traits, such as body size. We designed a camera-trap setup that enabled us to capture images of both large and small animals and used our camera-trap design to investigate the community composition of mammals and birds and to estimate the biomass of mammals along two transects in a conservation reserve in Missouri. One transect ran from the edge of an agricultural field to an upland forest, and the other transect ran from the edge of a wetland to an upland forest. Over the 4.5-wk study, our cameras recorded 2,245 images that comprised 483 individuals of 16 species of mammals and birds. Coyotes Canis latrans and nine-banded armadillos Dasypus novemcinctus were unique to the riparian transect, as were several bird species. Fewer species used the forest immediately adjacent to the agricultural field, but more species used the forest immediately adjacent to the wetland. Biomass estimates from our camera-trap images were similar to those of published accounts. This is the first study to use camera traps to successfully estimate biomass. We showed that the value and utility of camera traps in wildlife studies and monitoring can be expanded by 1) using multiple cameras at different heights from the ground so as to capture different-sized animals and 2) obtaining phenotypic information of the captured animals.

Native forests within and outside protected areas are key for nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) occupancy in agricultural landscapes

Given the accelerating worldwide expansion of agriculture, biofuel production and managed forest plantations, the future of many tropical mammals depends on understanding why or when some species successfully survive in anthropogenically modified habitats, while others do not. Armadillos are potentially able to adapt to agricultural landscapes and play a key role as ecosystem engineers. However, it is not clear how dependent armadillos are on natural areas in agricultural landscapes and, more specifically, how or if armadillos can use sugar cane or managed forests as alternative habitats. Here, we assessed the relative effects of landscape features, composition and configuration, anthropogenic impacts and degree of protection, as potential predictors of landscape occupancy of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). We deployed 203 camera trap stations in three agricultural landscapes of the Brazilian Cerrado, where sugar cane or managed forest cover most (>50%) of the landscape. We found that cover by native forests and proximity to watercourses strongly and positively affect the occupancy of nine-banded armadillo. In contrast, managed forests mostly composed of Eucalyptus spp. had a negative effect on this armadillo’s landscape occupancy. We did not detect the effect of sugar cane, although this particular result might be biased due to our sampling design. Overall, our findings indicate that even disturbed native forest strips, particularly those close to watercourses, are important habitats for this armadillo in agricultural matrices, demonstrating the utmost importance of native forests existing both within and outside protected areas. The Brazilian Forest Code protects native vegetation existing in rural private properties in Brazil, but adherence to this law by rural owners is still weak. Therefore, our study supports the strategic role this law plays in conservation in Brazil. Although not endangered by extinction, maintaining the nine-banded armadillo is important for a broader biota because of its putative role as an ecosystem engineer. The effective implementation of the Forest Code is therefore key not only to maintain this armadillos’ populations but also to increase ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes.

An Evaluation of the Contemporary Uses and Cultural Significance of Mammals in Mexico

We evaluated current uses of wild mammals by indigenous and mestizo communities in Mexico by extracting data from 59 sources published or produced between 1987–2017, covering data from 240 localities and 3,905 questionnaires. We then calculated a Cultural Value Index (CVI) previously applied to plants to quantify resource use and assess the cultural significance of each mammal. A total of 82 species were reported, and the animals with the highest cultural importance according to their CVI (in brackets) were two species of deer (Odocoileus virginianus [18.32] and Mazama temama [10.04]), as well as the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus [14.18]), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica [14.75]), collared peccary (Pecari tajaccu [11.90]), northern raccoon (Procyon lotor [11.28]) and spotted paca (Cuniculus paca [9.84]). The most common uses were for food, to reduce the damage or harm they cause, and for medicinal purposes, with O. virginianus, P. lotor, N. narica, and D. novemcinctus frequently hunted for all these reasons. Our analysis also highlighted the hunting of rarer species of national conservation concern, including commercial trading of body parts of the felids Panthera onca, Leopardus pardalis, and Leopardus wiedii. By quantifying the ethnozoological significance of wildlife to indigenous communities, indices such as CVI provide a robust measure of the extent of use and preference for particular species or taxa. This adds to the body of evidence used to develop effective regulations and laws related to harvesting and hunting, and helps promote a more sustainable and long-term approach to the use of natural resources.

Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos.

Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) is a human pathogen and the causative agent for leprosy, a chronic disease characterized by lesions of the skin and peripheral nerve damage. Zoonotic transmission of M. leprae to humans by nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) has been shown to occur in the southern United States, mainly in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Nine-banded armadillos are also common in South America, and residents living in some areas in Brazil hunt and kill armadillos as a dietary source of protein. This study examines the extent of M. leprae infection in wild armadillos and whether these New World mammals may be a natural reservoir for leprosy transmission in Brazil, similar to the situation in the southern states of the U.S. The presence of the M. leprae-specific repetitive sequence RLEP was detected by PCR amplification in purified DNA extracted from armadillo spleen and liver tissue samples. A positive RLEP signal was confirmed in 62% of the armadillos (10/16), indicating high rates of infection with M. leprae. Immunohistochemistry of sections of infected armadillo spleens revealed mycobacterial DNA and cell wall constituents in situ detected by SYBR Gold and auramine/rhodamine staining techniques, respectively. The M. leprae-specific antigen, phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) was detected in spleen sections using a rabbit polyclonal antibody specific for PGL-I. Anti-PGL-I titers were assessed by ELISA in sera from 146 inhabitants of Belterra, a hyperendemic city located in western Pará state in Brazil. A positive anti-PGL-I titer is a known biomarker for M. leprae infection in both humans and armadillos. Individuals who consumed armadillo meat most frequently (more than once per month) showed a significantly higher anti-PGL-I titer than those who did not eat or ate less frequently than once per month. Armadillos infected with M. leprae represent a potential environmental reservoir. Consequently, people who hunt, kill, or process or eat armadillo meat are at a higher risk for infection with M. leprae from these animals.

Use of Animals for Communities of Small Farmers in the Réfugio de Vida Silvestre Matas do Sistema Gurjaú Northeast of Brazil

The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest tropical rainforests in the world and has a high degree of endemism, being one of the main targets of conservation actions in Brazil.The creation of protection areas (UC) is one of the strategies used to guarantee the conservation of this Biome. Ethnobiological and ethnoecological studies are important for understanding the relationships established between populations and ecosystems. Due to the ecological importance of the Atlantic Forest and the rich occurrence of wild fauna in its remnants, the present study aimed to characterize the use and knowledge of the farmers inserted inside and surrounds the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Matas do Sistemas Gurjaú (RVS Gurjaú) on local fauna. For this, semi-structured interviews were applied and the data obtained through the qualitative-quantitative analysis, using Local Value Index (IVL) and Value of Use (VU) indexes for men and women. The results obtained showed that the animals most used by RVS Gurjaú farmers' communities were mammals, being the Tatu (Dasypus novemcinctus) the species with the highest VU and higher IVL for men, followed by the Teju lizard (Salvator merianae), and for women the Teju lizard (Salvator merianae) presented the highest IVL followed by the Tatu (Dasypus novemcinctus) and reveals guiding strategies for the conservation of species by local populations. Most of the species mentioned are according to the IUCN in the category of Least Concern species, with only the Gato Maracajá (Leopardus wiedii) being Near Threatened species.

Diversidad y patrones de actividad de mamíferos medianos y grandes en la Reserva de la Biosfera La Encrucijada, Chiapas, México

Diversity and activity patterns of medium and large mammals in La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. In Mexico, wetlands occupy an important portion of the country, among them, mangroves are particularly diverse. La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve (ENBIRE) is a coastal ecosystem of mangrove located along the Pacific Coastal Plain in the Southwestern portion of Chiapas state. The ENBIRE mangroves are among the most important of the American Pacific Coast, highlighting the role they play in the maintenance of the community of mammals on the coast of the state. There are few studies in Mexico related to the mammals associated with these ecosystems, our aim was to estimate the diversity and activity patterns of medium and large mammals in the ENBIRE. Sampling was conducted from August 2015 to August 2016 using camera traps. We obteined 1 851 independent photographs records, with a total sampling effort of 5 400 trap-days. Nineteen species of mammals were registered belonging to 15 families and seven orders, and five species were new records to the area. Six species present are listed, two as endangered and four as threatened. Interpolation and extrapolation analyzes showed an asymptotic trend in the curves for the rainy and dry seasons. The coverage of the sample for both seasons was 99.9 % and 99.8 %, respectively, indicating that both cases were a representative sample. According to the relative abundance index obtained, the most abundant species were Procyon lotor (IAR = 4.35), Nasua narica (IAR = 3.91), Philander opossum (IAR = 2.04), Cuniculus paca (IAR = 1.89), Didelphis marsupialis (IAR = 1.67) and Dasypus novemcinctus (IAR = 1.02). In terms of patterns of activity C. paca, P. opossum, D. marsupialis and D. novemcinctus were primarily nocturnal; P. lotor showed a tendency towards nocturnal habits but was also recorded during the day; N. narica was mainly diurnal. This information can be useful to the creation of management programs and the conservation of medium and large mammals in the ENBIRE, especially for species at risk. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(2): 634-646. Epub 2018 June 01.

Patterns of mammal subsistence hunting in eastern Amazon, Brazil

ABSTRACTHunting affects many threatened mammal species in Brazil. We described subsistence hunting patterns for medium‐ (1.0–14.9 kg) and large‐sized (>15 kg) mammal species by a rural community in the eastern Amazon, Brazil. From April 2012 to November 2013, we observed hunts and conducted semistructured interviews with local hunters. We identified species of game mammals in the region, frequency of capture, capture techniques used for each species, yield of the hunt, and reasons that hunting is practiced in the region. We then performed a correlation analysis and multivariate analysis to determine similarities and differences of mammals hunted in each landscape. We recorded 18 species of harvested animals (n = 132) including common paca (Cuniculus paca), capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), southern naked‐tailed armadillo (Cabassous unicinctus), nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), and six‐banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus). Endangered species that were hunted included giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) and white‐lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari). The medium‐sized mammals comprised 75.7% of harvested mammals, whereas 24.2% were large‐sized mammals; however, the latter group represented 55.8% of the mass of harvested meat. Half of all biomass harvested was from rainforests that made up 2.2% of the region. Knowing what, how, why, and where certain species are hunted increases understanding of pressure local communities exert on wild animal populations. As the first study of its kind in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, our study is a basis for further work in relation to effect and sustainability of hunting wildlife, and conservation strategies for medium‐ and long‐term management programs for species conservation at the regional level. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Differential growth of Mycobacterium leprae strains (SNP genotypes) in armadillos

Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) has occurred throughout human history, and persists today at a low prevalence in most populations. Caused by Mycobacterium leprae, the infection primarily involves the skin, mucosa and peripheral nerves. The susceptible host range for Mycobacterium leprae is quite narrow. Besides humans, nine banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) and red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) are the only other natural hosts for M. leprae, but only armadillos recapitulate the disease as seen in humans. Armadillos across the Southern United States harbor a single predominant genotypic strain (SNP Type-3I) of M. leprae, which is also implicated in the zoonotic transmission of leprosy. We investigated, whether the zoonotic strain (3I) has any notable growth advantages in armadillos over another genetically distant strain-type (SNP Type-4P) of M. leprae, and if M. leprae strains manifest any notably different pathology among armadillos. We co-infected armadillos (n = 6) with 2 × 109 highly viable M. leprae of both strains and assessed the relative growth and dissemination of each strain in the animals. We also analyzed 12 additional armadillos, 6 each individually infected with the same quantity of either strain. The infections were allowed to fulminate and the clinical manifestations of the disease were noted. Animals were humanely sacrificed at the terminal stage of infection and the number of bacilli per gram of liver, spleen and lymph node tissue were enumerated by Q-PCR assay. The growth of M. leprae strain 4P was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than 3I when each strain was propagated individually in armadillos. Significantly (P < 0.0001) higher growth of the 4P strain also was confirmed among animals co-infected with both 3I and 4P strain types using whole genome sequencing. Interestingly, the zoonotic strain does not exhibit any growth advantage in these non-human hosts, but the varied proliferation of the two M. leprae strains within armadillos suggest there are notable pathological variations between M. leprae strain-types.

Behavioural ecology in a predator-prey system

Predator-prey systems are regulated by a behavioral response race, in which the predator develops adaptations that enhance its hunting success and its prey adopt anti-predator strategies. In the present study, we analyzed the activity patterns, the influence of moonlight, and the habitat use of Leopardus pardalis and Puma concolor in comparison with their potential prey, Dasypus novemcinctus, Mazama gouazoubira, Pecari tajacu, Sapajus libidinosus, Kerodon rupestris, Cuniculus paca and Dasyprocta prymnolopha, in the Serra das Almas Nature Reserve in northeastern Brazil. Leopardus pardalis was predominantly nocturnal, while P. concolor presented a cathemeral pattern, however, the overlap coefficient between these species was high. The activity of L. pardalis overlapped strongly with three typical nocturnal prey (D. novemcinctus, K. rupestris and C. paca). While P. concolor had considerable temporal overlap with all prey. Both predators were habitat generalists, in contrast, most prey species exhibited a significant association with a specific type of habitat. The phases of the moon did not influence the activity patterns of the different species, except for K. rupestris, which was more active on moonlit nights. Our findings indicate that the predators maximize the efficiency of their foraging behavior by using habitats and the circadian cycle in a more generalist manner.