Non-volant Small Mammals Research Articles

Species composition, relative abundance and habitat association of non-volant small mammals in Menz Guassa Community Conservation Area, central Ethiopia

Small mammals are a diverse group of animals and studying such group is vital. This study documents species composition, relative abundance and habitat association of non-volant small mammals in Menz Guassa Community Conservation Area, central Ethiopia. Data were collected using capture mark-release technique in different habitats of the study area from October 2019 to August 2020 and analysed by descriptive statistics and Shannon-Wiener diversity index. A total of 724 individuals of rodents and insectivores were sampled over 1176 trap nights. Of these 418 individuals were newly captured while the remaining 306 were recaptured with an overall trap success of 35.5 %. Five species of rodents namely Lophuromys flavopunctatus, Stenocephalemys griseicauda, Otomys typu s, Arvicanthis blicki and Dendromus lovati , and two species of insectivores, Crocidura baileyi and C. thalia were sampled. The most abundant species identified in the study was L. flavopunctatus followed by S. griseicauda , while the least was D. lovati with relative abundances of 66.7 %, 14.8 % and 0.2 %, respectively. The rodent and insectivore species were statistically significantly associated with their habitats (χ 2 = 10.44, df = 3, p < 0.05) with high association recorded in Euryops habitat 128 (30.6 %). High diversity of small mammals was recorded in Erica-Festuca dominated habitat (H’ = 1.176) followed by Festuca-Euryops habitat (H’= 1.114) and the least was recorded in Festuca habitats (H’= 0.977). Small mammals showed variation in abundance across habitats between seasons but the difference was not statistically significant (F (1, 6) = 0.017, p > 0.05). Most of the rodents and insectivores were sampled during the night. Stenocephalemys griseicauda , D. lovati and C. baileyi were exclusively nocturnal while O. typus and L. flavopunctatus were predominantly diurnal in activity. There was relatively higher small mammal diversity in Menz Guassa Community Conservation Area. Further molecular study needs to be conducted to identify more non-volant small mammals in the area, more especially cryptic species.

The macroecology of community energy use in terrestrial vertebrates

Energy is a fundamental macroecological property as it governs all ecological processes and interactions. Understanding variation in community energy use and its correlations is crucial to knowing how communities function across the globe. As an organism’s metabolic rate equates to its rate of energy flow, individual rates can predict community-level functioning. Here, daily rates of community energy flow are calculated for 118 bat, 109 bird, and 196 non-volant small mammal inventories from around the world. These were scaled up from individual metabolic rates that were obtained for the 416 bat, 1880 bird, and 562 small mammal species present in the samples. While controlling for spatial autocorrelation, rates were contrasted and compared to various ecological, environmental, geographic, and anthropogenic variables, using a method of sequential regression that renders the variables orthogonal to each other, thus addressing the issue of collinearity. In all groups, there is a strong positive correlation between community energy use and community mass, with biomass being the primary determinant of community energy flow. More surprisingly, there are strong biogeographic differences within and between groups. Bat communities have consistently higher rates of energy flow in the Neotropics, while small mammal communities have higher rates relative to mass in Holarctic realms. Investigations of individual-level patterns reveal that these differences are a direct result of contrasting patterns of abundance, average individual mass, and metabolic rates. These results indicate that community energy use is strongly linked to differences in ecology and evolutionary history within and among groups.

Emergent properties of species-habitat networks in an insular forest landscape.

Deforestation and fragmentation are pervasive drivers of biodiversity loss, but how they scale up to entire landscapes remains poorly understood. Here, we apply species-habitat networks based on species co-occurrences to test the effects of insular fragmentation on multiple taxa—medium-large mammals, small nonvolant mammals, lizards, understory birds, frogs, dung beetles, orchid bees, and trees—across 22 forest islands and three continuous forest sites within a river-damming quasi-experimental landscape in Central Amazonia. Widespread, nonrandom local species extinctions were translated into highly nested networks of low connectance and modularity. Networks’ robustness considering the sequential removal of large-to-small sites was generally low; between 5% (dung beetles) and 50% (orchid bees) of species persisted when retaining only <10 ha of islands. In turn, larger sites and body size were the main attributes structuring the networks. Our results raise the prospects that insular forest fragmentation results in simplified species-habitat networks, with distinct taxa persistence to habitat loss.

Andean non-volant small mammals: A dataset of community assemblages of non-volant small mammals from the high Andes.

Information from diversity inventories was used to study patterns of biodiversity and species distribution, to identify potential priority areas for conservation, and to guide future sampling efforts. In this context, we compiled information on non-volant small mammal communities from the high Andes (>2000 m). Here, we present an open source dataset containing information on diversity (species composition, number of individuals captured), inventory design (type of traps, sampling efforts), and environment (habitat) for both unpublished and published information. This study covers 630 mammalian communities, geographically distributed throughout the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. We compiled a total of 26,412 individual records belonging to 240 species; the order with greatest number of records was Rodentia (n=25,319, 96.06%), followed by Didelphimorphia (n=373, 1.42%), Eulipotyphla (n=358, 1.36%) and Paucituberculata, (n=307, 1.16%). Andean non-volant small mammal communities harbor a range from 1 to 17 species, with 93.06% of sites being composed of one to five species, 27.78% of sites with species richness varying from 6 to 10 species, and 4.17% sites composed of more than 10 species. Multiple sampling methods were used to survey non-volant small mammals; the most representative methods were snap-traps and Sherman traps, or a combination of both, in more than 81% of the studies. This data paper represents the first large dataset of faunal species inventories for the Andes. There are no copyright restrictions associated with the use of this dataset. Please cite this data paper when its data are used total or partially in research or teaching.

Diversity of small non-volant mammals of Lita, northwestern Imbabura, Ecuador

The subtropical forests of the Pacific slope of Ecuador lie within a region of wide biodiversity due to the biogeographic influence of Choc&amp;oacute;. However, the diversity of small non-volant mammals in these forests is poorly understood. We conducted surveys at seven localities in 2020 and 2021 in Lita, northwestern Imbabura province, Ecuador. Sampling was done on an altitudinal range of 1,314&amp;ndash;1,812 m. We used a combination of techniques (Sherman, Tomahawk, and pitfall traps) to capture non-volant small mammals. Our accumulated trapping effort was 2,724 trap/nights. We recorded 180 individuals of 23 species, of which rodents were the most diverse with 17 species, representing 73.9% of the composition. The record of Pattonimus musseri Brito et al. (2020) stands out, representing both latitudinal and elevational altitudinal range extensions. Finally, our results indicate that Lita is a natural area with a high concentration of non-volant mammals in the northwestern Ecuadorian subtropics.

A Decade-Long Change in the Elevational Distribution of Non-Volant Small Mammals on Mount Meru, Tanzania

Understanding species distribution across elevational gradients is crucial for developing conservation strategies for montane biotic systems. A survey of small mammals was conducted on Mount Meru at six elevations, ranging between 1500 m and 3650 m. A total of 803 small mammal individuals, including 2 shrew species and 13 rodent species, were documented. Of these, Crocidura newmarki and Lophuromys verhageni were endemic on Mount Meru. Species richness was highest at mid–elevations, which is in line with the global pattern for small mammals. Prior to our study, the most complete data on small mammals on Mount Meru was collected in 2009. Our study provides an opportunity to show how small mammal elevational distribution has changed, over the last decade. We found six species (Arvicanthis niloticus, Mastomys natalensis, Lemniscomys striatus, Dasymys incomtus, Cricetomys ansorgei, and Montemys delectorum), which were not documented in 2009, but did not find Otomys tropicalis. Interestingly, the community composition at higher elevations in 2021 resembles that at lower elevations in 2009, suggesting that small mammal species have moved their range upward over time. Climate change could be a factor associated with the distributional shift found.

Microhabitat, altitude and seasonal influence on the abundance of non-volant small mammals in Mount Rungwe forest nature reserve

A study on microhabitat, altitudinal and seasonal influences on small mammal abundance in Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania was carried out from March 2019 to February 2020 during the wet and dry seasons. Live traps were used in six grids and six transect lines for capturing small mammals at the low, mid, and high elevations (1700–2600 m.a.s.l.). Generalized linear models were used to examine the effects of microhabitat characteristics, altitude, and seasons on the relative abundance of small mammals. A total of 444 rodents and shrews were recorded on 4320 trap nights. Rodent species recorded included Beamys hindei, Cricetomys ansorgei, Dendromus insignis, Grammomys ibeanus, Graphiurus murinus, Lophuromys machangui, Praomys delectorum, and one shrew, Crocidura sp . Overall, P. delectorum was the most dominant species in all elevations, with 68.9% of all captures. Mid elevation had a higher abundance of small mammals (Estimate ± SE = 1.17 ± 0.49, Z = 2.37, p = 0.0176). Species abundance was influenced differently by elevation. While P. delectorum decreases with increasing elevation, L. machangui increases with an increase in elevation. Although overall small mammal abundance was not affected by microhabitat variables (Estimate ± SE = −0.08 ± 0.13, Z = −0.67, p = 0.5050), individual species ( P. delectorum and L. machangui ; Estimate ± SE = 0.13 ± 0.06, Z = 1.95, p = 0.05 and −0.31 ± 0.09, Z = 3.34, p = 0.0008 respectively) were affected differently. While P. delectorum abundance showed a positive correlation and increased with an increase in PCA1 in GLM, L. machangui had a negative trend that shows they were affected differently. Small mammal abundance, on the other hand, was affected by season and, in particular, rain, with low abundance during heavy rains and dry cold periods (Estimate ± SE = 0.51 ± 0.14, Z = 3.6, p = 0.0003 and 0.3 ± 0.15, Z = 2.08 p = 0.04 respectively). In general, the results show that microhabitat parameters, elevation, and season influenced small mammals’ abundance in MRFNR. This outcome indicates that altering the microhabitat could have an impact on the small mammal assemblage and particularly their abundance. Thus, microhabitat, elevation, and season influence small mammal abundance and can be used as a proxy for evaluating the biodiversity of montane tropical small mammal communities.

Dormouse acoustics: The use of artificial intelligence to detect and identify European dormouse species

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is becoming increasingly popular for wildlife surveying due to the benefits it offers in terms of non-invasiveness, reduced field time and spatial scalabilty. Acoustic surveying protocols are well established for bat species, but the use of PAM for non-volant small mammals has been largely unexplored. Some dormouse species are highly vocal and are therefore potentially good candidates for acoustic surveying. A landscape-scale acoustic survey is currently being carried out in Polesia, a vast lowland region in Eastern Europe. Three dormouse species have been recorded in this region: Dryomys nitedula, Glis glis and Muscardinus avellanrius, with a fourth species Eliomys quercinus considered rare or locally extinct. Acoustic surveys at this scale generate may hours of recordings, however data analysis can be automated using species classifiers. Classifiers have achieved varying levels of accuracy, but recent advances in artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning has led to the development of acoustic classifiers with high levels of accuracy. In this study, a convolutional neural network classifier was developed to identify D. nitedula, M. avellanarius and nine additional small mammal species. Overall, the classifier achieved 0.944 training accuracy and 0.943 test accuracy. During testing, the classifier achieved D. nitedula and M. avellanarius identification accuracies of 100% and 98% respectively. These preliminary results suggest that PAM could provide an effective, non-invasive method to survey dormice in large geographic areas. Further work will include expansion of the classifier to include G. glis and E. quercinus when sufficient acoustic data are obtained.

Parasite association in non-volant small mammals in Brazil

Parasite association in non-volant small mammals in Brazil

Habitat Heterogeneity and Geographic Location as Major Drivers of Cerrado Small Mammal Diversity Across Multiple Spatial Scales

The Cerrado biome is one of the global hotspots of biodiversity, and non-volant small mammals represent a significant portion of Cerrado species richness (45%) and endemism (86%). Nevertheless, we still lack a comprehensive picture of small mammal diversity patterns and drivers throughout the Cerrado. Here we surveyed small mammals across 45 sites to address species richness, abundance, and composition patterns and their drivers within and across sites, habitats, and localities at the world’s most diverse tropical savanna. As hypothesized, we found: (1) rich assemblages (12–21 species) characterized by few abundant and several intermediate-level and rare species; dominated by oryzomyine and akodontine cricetid rodents, and thylamyine and marmosine within marsupials, each tribe showing distinct habitat requirements; (2) strong habitat selectivity, with assemblages composed of forest dwellers, savanna specialists, and grassland inhabitants; and (3) similar species richness (α-diversity) but high species turnover (β-diversity) across sites, habitats, and localities, suggesting that horizontal stratification (within localities) and geographic location (across the Cerrado) are key drivers of small mammal diversity in tropical savannas. Thus, habitat heterogeneity and geographic location can be inferred as the main factors shaping species richness, abundance, and composition across the analyzed multiple spatial scales. Moreover, we found that geographical distance as well as the distance to neighbor biomes better explained species turnover, indicating landscape history and phylogenetic constraints as the major determinants of Cerrado small mammal diversity, as also evidenced for plants and other animal groups. These data highlight the need to preserve the mosaic of habitats across the different regions of the biome to conserve most of the Cerrado biodiversity.

Biogeographical Importance of the Livingstone Mountains in Southern Tanzania: Comparative Genetic Structure of Small Non-volant Mammals

The Livingstone Mountains (LM; also known as the Kipengere Range) found in south-western Tanzania at the northern end of Lake Nyasa are an important region for understanding the biogeography of Eastern Africa. The two branches of the East African Rift Valley meet here and the mountains might represent stepping stones for colonization and migration between different parts of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (especially the link between the Eastern Arc Mountains, EAM, and the Southern Rift Mountains, SRM), as well as an efficient barrier to gene flow for taxa living in drier savannahs in lower elevations. Here we combine new mitochondrial sequence data from 610 recently sampled rodents and shrews with available georeferenced genetic data (3538 specimens) from southern Tanzania, northern Malawi/Zambia and northern Mozambique and compare the spatial genetic structure among different taxa. There is no universal phylogeographic pattern in taxa preferring humid montane habitats. For some of them, the Makambako Gap acts as a barrier between the SRM and the EAM, but other taxa can bridge this gap. Barriers within the EAM (frequently) and within the SRM (sometimes) appear more important. The Rukwa rift between the SRM and the ARM is an important barrier that perhaps can only be crossed by taxa that are not that strictly tied to humid montane environments. For mammals living in lower-elevation savannah-like habitats, the LM can act as a strict barrier to gene flow, and together with the Ufipa Plateau, Lake Nyasa and the EAM create a very similar phylogeographic pattern with three recognizable genetic groups in most savannah-dwellers. The Livingstone Mountains thus appear to be one of the most important biogeographic crossroads in Eastern Africa.

Diversity and inventory of non-volant small mammals in southern Anhui

Diversity and inventory of non-volant small mammals in southern Anhui

Comparative biogeography of volant and nonvolant mammals in a temperate island archipelago

AbstractIsland biogeography theory is a foundational ecological concept that describes how island or habitat patch size and isolation predict biodiversity, but few have studied how the effects of island biogeography vary with life history characteristics of temperate mammal communities. From 2014 to 2020, we surveyed volant and nonvolant mammals within the Apostle Islands archipelago (Wisconsin, USA) using camera trapping, live trapping, and acoustic monitoring. We used linear regression and information‐theoretic model selection to evaluate the effects of island size and isolation on indices of biodiversity. We also examined the effects of life history characteristics (i.e., body mass, winter inactivity) on the relative abundance and distribution of each species on the islands and the mainland. For volant mammals, island size and isolation were not associated with any metrics of diversity. We found island size was positively associated with nonvolant mammal species richness and diversity, but not species evenness. Island isolation was not a significant predictor for small nonvolant mammal diversity, although both size and isolation appeared to influence island biogeography of medium‐large nonvolant mammals. We also found that the interaction between winter inactivity and body mass influenced the vagility of nonvolant mammals in the archipelago. Our results suggest that life history characteristics are important in mediating species responses to biogeography, supporting the dispersal‐limitation nonequilibrium view of island biogeography theory, particularly for nonvolant mammals.

Seasonal variation of non-volant small mammals in Gibe Sheleko national park, Southwestern Ethiopia

The species composition and abundance of small mammals can vary within space and time. The main objective of this study was to assess seasonal variation of non-volant small mammals from randomly selected Acacia woodland, bushland, farmland, grassland, riverine forest and wooded grassland habitats in Gibe Sheleko National Park, southwestern Ethiopia. Data were collected using 49 Sharman live traps in 70 x 70 m sized square girds from December, 2018 to August, 2020. Capture mark recapture technique was applied to estimate population size of the existing small mammals and the data were analyzed using a chi-square test. A total of 1160 individual small mammals belonging to 10 species and 2 families were recorded. Three non-captured species: Hystrix cristata, Xerus rutilus and Tachyoryctes splendens were also identified. There was a significant (χ2= 31.12, df = 1, P &lt; 0.05) difference in the total abundance of small mammals between seasons. Of the total individuals captured, 675(58.19%) were trapped during the wet season while 485(41.81%) individuals were during the dry season. Significant seasonal variation was also observed in the total abundance of both sexes, i e. males (χ2= 11.99, df = 1, P &lt; 0.05) and females (χ2= 20.24, df = 1, P &lt; 0.05). Among age groups, significant statistical seasonal variation was shown in adults (χ2=15.14, df = 1, P &lt; 0.05) and young (χ2=44.61, df = 1, P &lt; 0.05) but not significant in sub-adults (χ2=0.75, df = 1, P &gt;0.05). The identified small mammals exhibited seasonal changes in their abundance associated with changes in climatic and environmental conditions. However, a long-term and annual based study is required to see the overall dynamics of existing small mammals.

Small non-volant mammals from Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco, a fragment of tropical dry forest in western Ecuador

Basic diversity studies of small non-volant mammals are scarce in western Ecuador, evidencing a knowledge gap regarding the mammalian fauna in the region. These organisms play key roles in important ecological processes and may be affected by several anthropogenic factors. Herein we report the results of a rapid assessment of marsupials and rodents of Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco (Guayas province), a fragment of dry forest surrounded by urban development. Between October 2016 and March 2017, we trapped rodents and marsupials with Sherman and Tomahawk live traps; also, we conducted direct observations and searched for skeletal remains. We recorded nine species of small non-volant mammals, seven native and two invasive. The marsupial Marmosa simonsi was the most frequently captured species. We reported three previously unrecorded species for this reserve: Sigmodon peruanus, Aegialomys baroni, and Rhipidomys latimanus. We recommend continued monitoring of the mammalian fauna of Cerro Blanco using alternative techniques such as pitfall traps, canopy live traps, and analysis of owl pellets. These efforts will permit a better understanding of the marsupial and rodent assemblage in this important site for biodiversity conservation in coastal Ecuador, a region that unfortunately faces intense human pressure.

Species Diversity of Non-Volant Small Mammals Between Lowland and Highland of Gunung Serapi, Kubah National Park, Sarawak

The study of non-volant small mammals was conducted at Kubah National Park (KNP), Sarawak for eight days between November 2018 until February 2019. The objective of this study was to determine the species diversity of non-volant small mammals at the highland (&gt;750 – 805 m a.s.l.) and lowland (&lt;200 m a.s.l.) at KNP. The elevation of Gunung Serapi is 911 m a.s.l. but the highest accessible area is at 805 m a.s.l. The distance between two sampling sites is approximately 4.5 km. Humidity and temperature measurement were also recorded at both sites. A total of 50 cage traps were set up at the highland and 50 cage traps at the lowland. The baits that were used in this study were oil palm and banana. A total of 26 individuals from 11 species, eight genera and four families were captured. However, there is no significant difference in species diversity between low and high elevations because the elevation of KNP was not high enough to distinguish species that are highland or lowland specialist.

The Non-Volant Terrestrial Small Mammals at Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, Kedah, Malaysia

An eight days survey of non-volant small mammals was conducted at the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. To sample the small mammals, we placed 100 cage traps and 50 bucket pitfall traps randomly along the existing man-made trails in four sampling sites within the study area. Total trapping effort for the cage traps was 796 trap nights, while the total trapping effort for the bucket pitfall traps was 400 trap nights. Overall, 24 non-volant small mammal individuals represented by seven species from the Family Muridae were captured. The Red spiny rat, Maxomys surifer, was the most dominant species accounting for 42% of the total individuals captured. We also caught the Chestnut white-bellied rat (Niviventer fulvescens) which is a new record for the study area. Although sampling was conducted only briefly, our study has demonstrated that Ulu Muda Forest Reserve still holds a high diversity of forest rat species, some of which are of international or regional conservation concern. Increasing the sampling effort, i.e., by surveying more areas over a longer period, would likely increase the possibility of capturing more small mammal species in this area.

Surveillance of the rabies-related lyssavirus, Mokola in non-volant small mammals in South Africa.

The reservoir host of Mokola virus (MOKV), a rabies-related lyssavirus species endemic to Africa, remains unknown. Only sporadic cases of MOKV have been reported since its first discovery in the late 1960s, which subsequently gave rise to various reservoir host hypotheses. One particular hypothesis focusing on non-volant small mammals (e.g. shrews, sengis and rodents) is buttressed by previous MOKV isolations from shrews (Crocidura sp.) and a single rodent (Lophuromys sikapusi). Although these cases were only once-off detections, it provided evidence of the first known lyssavirus species has an association with non-volant small mammals. To investigate further, retrospective surveillance was conducted in 575 small mammals collected from South Africa. Nucleic acid surveillance using a pan-lyssavirus quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay of 329 brain samples did not detect any lyssavirus ribonucleic acid (RNA). Serological surveillance using a micro-neutralisation test of 246 serum samples identified 36 serum samples that were positive for the presence of MOKV neutralising antibodies (VNAs). These serum samples were all collected from Gerbilliscus leucogaster (Bushveld gerbils) rodents from Meletse in Limpopo province (South Africa). Mokola virus infections in Limpopo province have never been reported before, and the high MOKV seropositivity of 87.80% in these gerbils may indicate a potential rodent reservoir.

Notes on small mammals diversity at Perlis State Parks, Wang Kelian, Perlis, Malaysia

Three surveys were conducted to document diversity on small mammals at Perlis State Park, Wang Kelian, Perlis, Malaysia from 2019 until 2020. For each survey, a total of 50 cage traps, 10 mist-nets and two four-bank harp traps were set up for three-trapping nights along a 500 m transect line to sample small mammals. The opportunistic observation was also applying to record the incidence of small mammals. In total, 17 species of small mammals were documented during these surveys. Of these, seven species are volant small mammals, and ten species are non-volant small mammals. The family with the most diverse species was Pteropodidae with five species and Cynopterus brachyotis being the most dominant species (n = 46). Interestingly, these surveys report new distributional records for three small mammal species in Perlis State Park, though several studies have been conducted previously. This information demonstrates that there may be more species yet to be recorded from this study site. Comparing the species similarity between our study site and several state parks in Peninsular Malaysia shows that Perlis State Parks also holds a relatively high diversity of small mammals. Therefore, adequate conservation measures such as recognizing this state park as an important conservation area are needed to ensure valuable small mammals’ sustainability.

Checklist on small vertebrates at Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve, Selangor, Malaysia

A survey was conducted in Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve, Selangor from 24 to 28 February 2020. The main objective of this survey is to document the small vertebrates information from this area. There were two harps and 10 mist nets deployed to capture the bats, with an addition of 50 collapsible cage traps placed along the transect line of 500 metres for the trapping of non-volant small mammals. The collapsible cage traps were baited with oil palm seed. The observation of avifauna and active searches for herpetofauna were also carried out. A total of eight small mammal species from four families, 19 species of avifauna from 13 families, and eight species of the herpetofauna from five families were documented. There is not much information on small vertebrates at Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve that has been recorded. With this information, it is hoped that a long-term study can be carried out and an effective management plan can be formulated to conserve this forest reserve.