Abstract Son Tra Nature Reserve in Danang was established in 1992 to protect important habitats and wildlife in the central part of Vietnam. While Son Tra is known to harbor a significant population of the red-shanked douc, the status and presence of its other primates have remained uncertain. To provide updated data on the presence and distribution of the primates in Son Tra, we implemented a combined methodology of transect and camera trapping surveys. We conducted the transect survey along 12 parallel main transects and complementary routes between 12 April and 05 May 2024. Additionally, we deployed 19 systematic camera-trapping stations from 19 April to 14 August 2024. Our survey recorded the red-shanked douc ( Pygathrix nemaeus ), the southern pygmy loris ( Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus ), the stump-tailed macaque ( Macaca arctoides ), the long-tailed macaque ( Macaca fascicularis ), the pig-tailed macaque ( Macaca leonina ), and the rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta ). However, supporting evidence suggest it is likely that only three species (the red-shanked douc, the southern pygmy loris, and the rhesus macaque) naturally occur in Son Tra. The three remaining macaque species likely originated from illegal wildlife trades and improper releases. Our results will help conduct proper conservation measures to better protect the native primates in Son Tra.
This study investigated how mammal communities responded to crop type, crop development stage, and distance from forest fragments in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We examined mammal diversity in annual crops (corn and soybeans) in Southern Brazil, testing three hypotheses: (a) crop types support distinct mammal communities, (b) diversity decreases with distance from forest fragments, and (c) mammal presence varies across crop development stages. Camera traps and pitfall traps were deployed across seven sites during 2020-2021 to monitor small and medium-large mammals. Crop type significantly influenced mammal communities, with corn fields showing higher trapping efficiency than soybeans, particularly for medium-large mammals. Species richness and capture efficiency declined as distance from forest fragments increased, regardless of crop type. Temporal patterns differed between groups: small mammals were more prevalent during later crop stages, while medium-large mammals were more active during early development, especially in corn. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining vegetative fragments within agricultural matrices and accounting for temporal wildlife activity patterns. Results contribute to developing wildlife-friendly farming practices and conservation strategies in agricultural landscapes of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Julio R. Contreras (1933-2017) was an Argentinian naturalist who dedicated a great part of his life in the study of the genus Ctenomys (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae), particularly in Argentina and Paraguay, describing several new species. In this paper we complement the taxonomic work of Contreras, offering some corrections to the authorship of Ctenomys argentinus and Ctenomys paraguayensis. We restrict the type locality of the Paraguayan endemic Ctenomys dorsalis and provide the basis in the Code of Zoological Nomenclature that demonstrates the validity of the name Ctenomys pilarensis Contreras, 1993.
Bats of the monotypic family Rhinopomatidae occur in a belt of arid regions from Senegal to Bengal, and within this range, one to six species were recognised historically. The recent genetic analysis revealed within the single genus Rhinopoma five lineages and seven sublineages defined by the analysis of nuclear markers and six lineages and ten sublineages by the analysis of mitochondrial markers. Our aim was an analysis of morphologic variation of the genus and the synthesis of its results with a molecular genetic evidence. Our morphometric comparison revealed seven basic morphotypes; five of them corresponded with the genetic partitioning of the genus, being associated with five species, plus two additional morphotypes were separated. The revised taxonomic arrangement of Rhinopomatidae here suggested contains six species, comparing the last review, the existence of one species is rejected and one species is newly described. Most of the species represent well defined morphotypes that correspond to the nuclear DNA, just one morphotype remains defined only morphologically. Three species are considered monotypic and three polytypic with two to three subspecies recognised. The subspecies of two species are defined both morphologically and genetically, while in Rhinopoma cystops morphological evidence did not reveal marked geographical variation.
This study documents the first camera-trap photographic evidence of the Four-horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), classified as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN, in and around Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, India. Camera traps (n = 12) were deployed to study the ecology of the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and Ratel (Mellivora capensis) in the region, totalling 58 camera trap nights, recorded detection of the species. This detection marks a significant extension of its known distribution in the state, and it also enriches the documented biodiversity of Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary. Further monitoring is crucial which could help assess a deeper understanding of the ecological dynamics of T. quadricornis in this region.
