The annual cycles of true subarctic birds and those of more southern origins are compared. In western Siberia, subarctic birds such as the Horned lark, the Red-throated pipit, the Redpoll, the Lapland longspur, and the Snow bunting, as well as the widespread White wagtail and the Northern wheatear, are found to occur up to the northern tip of the continent. These birds must be highly adapted to high latitudes, as their annual cycles consist of a complete set of seasonal phenomena. The emergence of a species in the Subarctic or the colonization of the northern Subarctic has led to neither reduction of phenomena nor the structuring of the summer part of the annual cycle. There are no significant changes in the annual cycles of migratory species, whose northern expansion is limited to shrubby tundra. The structure of the annual cycles of near-migratory species and those that winter in the southern Subarctic has been simplified. The adaptations of Subarctic and non-Subarctic species to the photoperiodic, climatic, and geographical conditions of high latitudes are being discussed.
The covering epithelium of acanthocephalans and likely also rotifers, both grouped within the taxon Syndermata, has been shown to represent not a syncytium, as previously believed, but a symplast. This feature must be taken into account when analyzing the morphology of organisms within Syndermata.
The northeast of European Russia is the northern periphery of the harvest mouse's range. To date, 24 localities have been identified where this species has been recorded. Its primary distribution area is south of the Vychegda River. In the flat part of the Komi Republic, it extends north to the Izhma village (65.0206 degrees N, 53.9336 degrees E). In the east, it is found in the upper reaches of the Pechora River from the Yaksha village to the mouth of the Yelima River. Harvest mouse is absent in the Northern Ural Mountains. It is a rare species everywhere.
The appearance of colonies of the Dalmatian and White Pelicans (Pelecanus crispus and P. onocrotalus) in the man-made artificial ponds in the Volgograd Region and at the Tsimlyansk Reservoir is associated with an increase in the overall numbers of these birds in their main breeding areas in the South of Russia and with their range expansion into new territories where human activity has created favorable conditions for their breeding, feeding, and resting. Conservation efforts (the establishment of special protection for rare species, the creation of nature reserves and other protected areas in colonial breeding places of pelicans, and public education) have played significant roles in the increase in pelican populations, as has likely been the recent warming of the climate, which has allowed pelicans to expand their range northward. At the same time, the expansion of pelicans to artificial reservoirs, including those in the Volgograd Region, is significantly limited by the small size and poor protection of their nesting sites, which are highly dependent on the hydrological conditions of the reservoirs used by the pelicans. Disturbance of birds, especially the autumn hunting of waterfowl, also has a very significant negative impact. Therefore, pelicans are forced to prematurely leave favorable nesting and feeding sites and seek new shelters, which are not always suitable for finding food and resting. These circumstances indicate the need to organize stricter territorial protection of pelican colonies at their permanent breeding sites in the man-made artificial ponds of JSC "KAUSTIK" in the Volgograd Region. It would be appropriate to recreate a bird nature sanctuary (zakaznik) that existed in the late 20th century and to limit the start of autumn waterfowl hunting to the last ten days of October, when the pelicans migrate and complete their wintering flight. To preserve the pelican colonies, it would also be important to construct artificial nesting platforms (rafts) in the reed beds on the ponds, which would increase the capacity of nesting stations there. To determine the future dynamics of pelican populations at the northern border of their range, it is necessary to continue monitoring their new nesting colonies, completely excluding people from visiting these areas during the incubation period.
The new species Ditrigoniophthalmus ridderi sp. n. from Western Altai is most closely related to D. ongudaensis Kaplin, 2023 and D. charyshensis Kaplin, 2024 from adjacent regions of Altai in the structure of the labial palps, transversely club-shaped paired ocelli, and the ratio of the distance between them to the total eyes width. Their main differences include the relative length of the cerci, the color of the eyes and paired ocelli, the ratio of the distance between the outer lateral margins of the paired ocelli to the total eyes width, the length of the ventral styli to the length of the coxites, the structure of the female ovipositor, and the number and distribution of digging spines on the distal segments of the ovipositor.
The oribatid mite Scheloribates (Scheloribates) milleri Jacot, 1936 (Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) is distributed in the eastern U.S.A. and the northern Neotropical Region. It is an easily cultured species with a short development of juvenile instars: duration from larva to adult (egg not found) is 19-25 days at 24-25 degrees C while feeding on algae (Pleurococcus sp.), fungi (Alternaria sp.), and lichen (Cladonia sp.). The adult is redescribed, including the first information about the gnathosoma and legs, and juvenile instars are described for the first time. The duration of development and the morphology of juveniles of S. (S.) milleri are compared to those of other Scheloribates (Scheloribates) species for which ontogenetic data are available.
The object of the study was the spatial breeding complex of lemming-eating birds of tundra: rough-legged buzzards, snowy owls and pomarine skuas. Such kind of combined breeding settlements usually occurs in the tundra in the seasons of the good lemming abundance. The article considers characteristics of settlements of these three species in years when they breed together. Rough-legged buzzards are capable to breed in years with low lemming numbers. For that reason we compared structures of rough-legged buzzard settlements in seasons when snowy owls and pomarine skuas bred or did not breed. Data was collected in 1996-2007, 2012 and 2014-2020 in the vicinities of the Medusa Bay (73 degrees 21 ' N, 80 degrees 32 ' E), north-west of the Taimyr Peninsula. Minimal inter-species distances between nests of the considered species turned out to be less than intra-species distances in each species separately. Differences between intra-species and inter-species distances at different phases of the lemming cycles witnesses that all these three species choose their nesting sites independently of each other. We found no mutual influence among these species. In seasons with high lemming abundance snowy owls and rough-legged buzzards do not affect the nesting success of each other. A competition for food between these two species arouse in the conditions of the threshold lemming numbers for the snowy owl breeding possibility. This competition involves negative influence to the rough-legged buzzard breeding success. Since 2016 the area of the study started (or increased) to suffer from misbalance in the evolved prey-predator system.
This study examined how temperature and light affect the hatching performance of giant African snail (Achatina fulica) eggs. In the temperature experiment, eggs were incubated at 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 degrees C for 14 days. Temperature strongly affected hatchability (Pear son's chi-square test, chi(2)(4) = 82.92, P < 0.001): hatchability peaked at 30-35 degrees C (93.33%, 28/30), decreased at 25 degrees C (73.33%, 22/30) and 20 degrees C (33.33%, 10/30), and no eggs hatched at 40 degrees C. Higher temperatures also accelerated hatching; the first hatch occurred on days 3-4 at 35 degrees C (maximum 5.33 hatchlings/day), whereas hatching was delayed to days 10-13 at 20 degrees C. In the light experiment at 25 degrees C, continuous light produced a slightly higher hatchability than continuous darkness (33.33% vs 26.67%), but the difference was not significant (chi(2)(1) = 0.08, P = 0.78). Overall, the results identify a suitable incubation temperature range for A. fulica eggs and suggest that the effect of light is modest compared with temperature.
The composition and structure of helminth communities in birds with widespread distribution and varying degrees of dietary plasticity (Brinnich's guillemots, kittiwakes and glaucous gulls) in the Arctic (Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, and Novaya Zemlya archipelagos) and Subarctic (Murman coast and Pechora Sea) zones of the Barents Sea were analyzed. Ubiquitous distributions are revealed to be primarily typical of parasites that circulate in pelagic ecosystems, have no free-living larval stages, and show broad host specificity ranges. No helminthes endemic to the Arctic zone have been found, although in some species the values of quantitative parameters of invasion were higher than in the Subarctic. In the Subarctic zone, species that complete their life cycles in marine coastal areas and freshwater biocenoses contribute significantly to the diversity of communities. In the values of the basic indices of infracommunities and component communities, statistically significant differences between the Arctic and Subarctic zones have been noted only for kittiwakes. One difference was found in other bird species: a higher Shannon index value for the component communities of Brinnich's guillemots in the Subarctic zone. An assessment of the species diversity of component helminth communities using the ANOSIM test revealed no significant differences in any bird species. The key factor for the formation of stable associative links between helminth species in communities has been shown to be the division econiches in the final host's body and the weakening of competition for space and resources.
Potentially harmful reactions to the body are controlled by the antioxidant system, the main function of which is to protect tissues against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant system of small mammals inhabiting the taiga Northwest of Russia. Five species from the order Eulipotyphla and four species from the order Rodentia were caught in the summer-autumn period in Karelia. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes (AE) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, as well as the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione and vitamins A and E) were determined in the liver, kidneys, heart, and skeletal muscle. The study revealed tissue-and species-specificity of the antioxidant levels in the small mammals. The smallest number of interspecies differences in AE activity was found in the liver, as there were no differences in SOD activity between species in this organ. In the skeletal muscle of the European mole (Talpa europaea, Talpidae, Eulipotyphla), the highest activity of AE was found compared to other species. Relatively low vitamin E levels were found in the tissues (excluding skeletal muscle) of the Pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus, Soricidae, Eulipotyphla). The features of the antioxidant levels observed in the insectivores and rodents studied are due to the ecological specialization of the species and are probably associated with the specific regulatory mechanisms aimed at maintaining an internal redox homeostasis in the body under changing environmental conditions in representatives of different ecological groups. Moreover, effective protection of tissues is achieved through varying ratios of enzymatic and low-molecular-weight antioxidants.
Publications on pinniped rabies and pinniped bites in humans and companion animals. are briefly reviewed. The review focuses on the 2022-2025 rabies outbreak in southern Africa among Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) and suspected cases in the Northern Hemisphere. Two possible scenarios are discussed: occasional spill over cases in pinnipeds from terrestrial Carnivora without further spread, and adaptations of the rabies virus to new hosts after shifting to a new host with further independent virus circulation. In either case, mass mortality of pinnipeds is unlikely. Sporadic cases of unprovoked aggression and localized outbreaks of seal deaths with signs of paralysis or unusual behavior should raise awareness. Although there are no data on human rabies following pinniped bites, there are grounds for post-exposure prophylaxis, like after bites from other wild mammals.
The morphology of unencysted metacercariae of Amblosoma exile Pojmanska, 1972 from Viviparus contectus snails was studied using light, scanning (SEM), and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. This is the first record of A. exile from Russia. SEM study of A. exile metacercariae revealed signs of morphogenesis of body tegument, as observed during the transformation of leucochloridiomorphic metacercariae into an adult in the final host, which, along with the development and size of the larval reproductive organs, may indicate the progenetic development of Amblosoma in mollusks. The distribution of sensory papillae in A. exile metacercariae was studied and the similarities and differences in their distribution in Amblosoma and Leucochloridiomorpha were shown. Species of the genus Amblosoma are characterized by zonation in the distribution of tegmental bodies in the distal tegmental cytoplasm. Homogeneous teardrop-shaped formations were found on the surface of the Amblosoma body, which we consider to be derivatives of molluscan hemocytes, whereas the developed surface layer of glycocalyx is characteristic of the previously studied Leucochloridiomorpha and Leucochloridium.
Information on the registration of rare nesting and vagrant bird species on the Putorana Plateau is analyzed. The route counting method on transects of unlimited width is used. From 1958 to 2023, 172 encounters of 64 rare and vagrant species were recorded at 21 locations on the Putorana Plateau. The locations ranged from 100 to 1900 km from the known northern boundaries of their ranges, with an average distance (n = 58) of 600 km. Vagrant bird visits by 25 species are also known north of the Putorana Plateau-in the forest-tundra and tundra of Taimyr and the Anabar Plateau. Passeriformes and Charadriiformes predominate by number of species, together accounting for 58%. The vast majority of encounters were recorded from June 1 to August 31. The most significant are widespread and boreal species, together accounting for 74%. The role of boreal-hypoarctic, nemoral, nemoral-steppe, forest-forest-steppe, steppe-forest-steppe and alpine species is secondary, their combined share being 26%. Of the species found outside the known boundaries of their nesting ranges, 1-13 encounters were recorded, with an average of 3 (n = 64). Species were recorded at 1-9, with an average of 3 (n = 64) points. At various points on the Putorana Plateau, 1-17 species were noted, with an average of 7 (n = 21), and 1-21, with an average of 8 (n = 21) registrations, were recorded. The number of rare and vagrant species decreases from west to east by 2.2 times, while the number of their registrations decreases by 2.5 times. In the western half of the region, the number of rare and vagrant species decreases by a factor of five from south to north, while the number of their registrations decreases by a factor of four. Birds vagrant are an integral component of the formation of biodiversity in the mountainous regions of the northern Central Palearctic and the transformation of avifauna in the face of environmental change.
The morphotypic features of the occlusal surface of the first lower molar (m1) in the modern Maximowicz's vole (Alexandromys maximowiczii) from the Amur Region (395 specimens), as well as 620 specimens of the modern Eastern vole (Alexandromys fortis) from the southern parts of Primorsky Krai, were studied. The study included a traditional analysis of variations in the lingual and buccal sides of the anterior unpaired loop of the tooth and the structure of the fourth lingual reentrant angle. Based on the morphological classification table constructed, 72 morphotypes were identified for A. maximowiczii. Among the study samples of Maximowicz's vole, ten m1 with fusion of the anterior unpaired loop and the fifth triangular dentinal loop, similar to A. oeconomus, were recorded, as well as eleven m1 with a closed sixth triangular dentinal loop. Since the occlusal surface of m1 in A. maximowiczii shows structural variations identical to those of A. fortis, a comparative analysis of the variability of m1 in these two species was conducted. As a result, 15 morphotypes with identical structures were found in both A. fortis and A. maximowiczii. When identifying fossil m1 specimens, the dimensional characteristics of their chewing surfaces must be considered first of all. m1 specimens with similar morphotypes and overlapping dimensional characteristics fall into a "grey zone".
During a nonbreeding season, common toads, Bufo bufo, primarily use local cues to navigate while moving in the vicinity of their home ranges. The relative importance of proximal and distant local landmarks in learning the location of the goal in the environment differs greatly in mammals, but remains completely unstudied in amphibians. We tested adult individuals of the common toad in a rectangular maze with a central compartment and 4 peripheral rooms. Proximal visual landmarks were positioned on the floor of the central compartment. Distant visual landmarks were also available outside the maze. In the 1(st) trial, toads explored the maze and had an opportunity to find the room with resources (water, moving prey and shelter). In the 2(nd) trial, 30 min later, the resources were removed from the maze in order to test the ability of toads to memorize the location of the room that previously contained the resources. Group 1 (11 males and 11 females) was tested in the second trial without any changes in the position of local visual landmarks on the floor of the maze. For Group 2 (14 males and 17 females) the position of proximal visual landmarks on the floor of the central compartment was rotated 180n in the second trial. Distant visual landmarks were not altered in any of the trials. The route length and the time spent in each room of the maze showed that in both trials the toads more often visited the room that contained or previously contained the resources. The changes in the position of proximal landmarks did not alter the room preference. The only sex differences in behaviour were found in increased exploratory activity in males as compared to females. Thus, common toads could learn the location of the room with resources during exploratory learning, and proximal visual landmarks were either not used or could not be crucial for finding the location of the goal. We also showed that during the summer period learning did not stimulate common toads to reach the goal more quickly, but rather it made them periodically monitor the location of the goal.
The only representative of the scallop family in the Black Sea, Flexopecten glaber, is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea and in the Red Book of the city of Sevastopol as a species declining in numbers. According to modern data, the F. glaber population is in the process of recovery, this increasing the ecological importance of the species in the Black Sea and warranting the need in studying its biocenotic relationships. Using the scallop local populations of Donuzlav Bay, Kazachya Bay, and Yashmovaya Bay on the Crimean Peninsula as examples, the key features of the biocenotic relationships of F. glaber are examined, and a list of its symbionts is provided. A quantitative assessment of symbiont development indicators was conducted using 100 scallop specimens from each study area, collected in June-July 2023. Information on Cyanobacteria, algal fouling and mobile forms of zoobenthos of the F. glaber epibiosis is presented for the first time. The list of the main epiphytic algae of the scallop includes 25 species (Chlorophyta-6, Ochrophyta-8, Rhodophyta-11). Thirty-nine species of zoobenthos, representing 7 biological phyla, were found on the shells of F. glaber: 3 species of Porifera, 1 species of Cnidaria, 2 species of Bryozoa, 7 species of Annelida, 19 species of Mollusca, 6 species of Arthropoda, and 1 species of Chordata. The scallop is considered the core of a consortium of associated organisms.
Four species of the genus Helcystogramma Zeller, 1877 are described from the Philippines (Luzon and Mindanao Islands): H. connexa sp. n., H. bataanensis sp. n., H. zonatopalpa sp. n., and H. sororia sp. n. The new species are assigned to the trijunctum, the perelegans, and the hibisci species groups, based on the species-group classification of Helcystogramma proposed for the Chinese fauna. The new species H. connexa sp. n. (the trijunctum species group) is externally indistinguishable from H. delocosma (Meyrick, 1936), from Java and Borneo, and from H. similigena M. Omelko et N. Omelko, 2021, from Laos, but it differs well by the teardrop-shaped valvellae and the small conical branches of the sacculi bearing a tooth-like process. The new species H. sororia sp. n. (the hibisci species group) is closely related to H. ornata M. Omelko et N. Omelko, 2021, from Borneo, being similar to the latter species both in external morphology and male genitalia, but it can be distinguished by the broadly conical apex of the aedeagus, which is neither pointed nor curved hook-like. The forewings of H. bataanensis sp. n. and H. zonatopalpa sp. n. from the perelegans group are dark colored, in contrast to all previously known species of this group, whose forewing pattern is formed by silvery and orange bands and spots.
This study examines the cyclical changes in serum progesterone and estradiol concentrations in female white-breasted hedgehogs (Erinaceus roumanicus). Nine female hedgehogs were used, and blood samples were collected after the emergence from hibernation. The concentration of progesterone and estradiol in the blood serum was determined using the enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). We identified a 12-day cyclicity of the increase in the level of progesterone concentration, which may be the result of spontaneous ovulation in female hedgehogs. The concentrations of progesterone and estradiol in the blood serum of female hedgehogs with pronounced cyclicity had a reciprocal ratio. The estrous cycle of the white-breasted hedgehog is not manifested by external signs, namely, different types of cells and horny scales characteristic of different phases of the estrous cycle, in a smear taken from the hedgehog's cloaca.
The skulls of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides Gray, 1834) (n = 523) from the Tver (n = 452), Pskov (n = 27), and Vologda (n = 44) regions of Russia were examined. Of these skulls, 18.1% showed cranial trauma. Taking into account the complicated dental fractures (25.4%), the overall injury rate was 43.5%. Among 100 first cervical vertebrae (atlases) examined, 10% had injuries. The pattern and location of these traumas suggest they were inflicted by badgers (Meles meles L., 1758) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes L., 1758). Such skull and dental injuries reduce the viability and lifespan of raccoon dogs. Only 9% individuals live beyond three years.
A new species, Planeustomus assingi sp. n., is described from Cambodia. The new species is reliably distinguished from all known species from the Oriental Biogeographic Region in its three-segmented antennal club and body size, the latter being significantly smaller than in Planeustomus bengalensis Champion, 1919, P. longiceps Champion, 1919, and P. indicus Fauvel, 1904, but larger than in P. subcarinatus Champion, 1919.
