Abstract. Livestock losses are often integral to human conflicts over carnivores; these conflicts threaten the livelihoods of many communities, as well as carnivore species survival. To begin assessing livestock depredation and conflict over carnivores in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, a farmers' union meeting was used to capture farmer (n = 22) perceptions of carnivores in 2017. Most farmers reported black-backed jackals and caracals (n = 11 and 10, respectively) as most frequently culpable for livestock losses. However, culpability and reported presence on farmlands by these and other carnivore species were not always aligned. Carnivores were generally perceived in a negative manner, with most respondents supporting livestock protection methods involving the removal or separation of carnivores from farmland, as opposed to those facilitating coexistence. Comprehensive socio-ecological investigation of factors relevant to improving human-carnivore coexistence of benefit to both farmers and wildlife is warranted in this region.
{"title":"Farmer perceptions of carnivores, their culpability for livestock losses, and the protective measures used in Northern Cape Province, South Africa","authors":"K. Whitehouse-Tedd, Mauritz Basson, D. Cilliers","doi":"10.25225/jvb.21010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.21010","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Livestock losses are often integral to human conflicts over carnivores; these conflicts threaten the livelihoods of many communities, as well as carnivore species survival. To begin assessing livestock depredation and conflict over carnivores in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, a farmers' union meeting was used to capture farmer (n = 22) perceptions of carnivores in 2017. Most farmers reported black-backed jackals and caracals (n = 11 and 10, respectively) as most frequently culpable for livestock losses. However, culpability and reported presence on farmlands by these and other carnivore species were not always aligned. Carnivores were generally perceived in a negative manner, with most respondents supporting livestock protection methods involving the removal or separation of carnivores from farmland, as opposed to those facilitating coexistence. Comprehensive socio-ecological investigation of factors relevant to improving human-carnivore coexistence of benefit to both farmers and wildlife is warranted in this region.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"21010.1 - 7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42633469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bárbara Bastos, N. Pradhan, P. Tarroso, J. Brito, Z. Boratyński
Abstract. Physiological regulation of body temperature, set at a high level, is one of the key features of endothermic homeotherms, such as birds and mammals. However, many mammals and some birds have evolved the ability for temporal down-regulation of core body temperature. We investigated how variation in environment temperature and habitat primary productivity determine variation in daily body temperature down-regulation among mammalian species. Nearly half of the variation in minimum daily body temperature among species was explained by variation in both primary productivity and environmental temperature. Mammals expressing low minimum body temperature inhabited regions of low annual temperature with wide daily and seasonal temperature variation. Simultaneously, those regions were characterized by low productivity and low seasonality in productivity. Furthermore, regions characterized by a high level of among-year variation in environmental temperature, but not in primary productivity, were inhabited by species with low minimum body temperature, but only by those adapted to relatively humid conditions. Our results suggest that daily heterothermy can be selectively advantageous in the environmental circumstances when high energetic demands for maintaining endothermic homeothermy, physiological regulation of a high and stable body temperature, cannot be supported. The results corroborate the hypothesis that mammals that have evolved daily down-regulation of body temperature may have higher chances of surviving extinction events caused by climatic changes. Therefore, daily heterothermy adaptation in contemporary mammals represents a mechanism for surviving the ongoing global warming.
{"title":"Environmental determinants of minimum body temperature in mammals","authors":"Bárbara Bastos, N. Pradhan, P. Tarroso, J. Brito, Z. Boratyński","doi":"10.25225/jvb.21004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.21004","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Physiological regulation of body temperature, set at a high level, is one of the key features of endothermic homeotherms, such as birds and mammals. However, many mammals and some birds have evolved the ability for temporal down-regulation of core body temperature. We investigated how variation in environment temperature and habitat primary productivity determine variation in daily body temperature down-regulation among mammalian species. Nearly half of the variation in minimum daily body temperature among species was explained by variation in both primary productivity and environmental temperature. Mammals expressing low minimum body temperature inhabited regions of low annual temperature with wide daily and seasonal temperature variation. Simultaneously, those regions were characterized by low productivity and low seasonality in productivity. Furthermore, regions characterized by a high level of among-year variation in environmental temperature, but not in primary productivity, were inhabited by species with low minimum body temperature, but only by those adapted to relatively humid conditions. Our results suggest that daily heterothermy can be selectively advantageous in the environmental circumstances when high energetic demands for maintaining endothermic homeothermy, physiological regulation of a high and stable body temperature, cannot be supported. The results corroborate the hypothesis that mammals that have evolved daily down-regulation of body temperature may have higher chances of surviving extinction events caused by climatic changes. Therefore, daily heterothermy adaptation in contemporary mammals represents a mechanism for surviving the ongoing global warming.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"21004.1 - 12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44983612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Sexual reproduction imposes risks on participating adults through increased probability of injury, predation pressure, or parasite exposure. Evolutionary theory predicts that animals will tolerate parasite infection during reproduction at the expense of increased parasite load, resulting in individual trade-offs between the temporary costs of current reproduction against the long-term evolutionary benefits in the form of life-long production of viable offspring. We tested this hypothesis, predicting that participation in sexual reproduction increases parasite exposure by investigating ectoparasite load on sand lizards (Lacerta agilis). Using generalized additive models to correct for bimodal seasonal dynamics of ectoparasite activity, site and year, we found that ectoparasite load is higher in adults (animals that overwintered at least twice) than in subadults that overwintered once only. Between sexes of adult sand lizards, males had a higher number of blood-sucking ectoparasites than females. Our results indicate that both sexually-motivated extensive locomotion associated with territory defence and mate search in males, and increased energy uptake during gestation in females, contribute to elevated ectoparasite exposure. Increased host mobility associated with increased ectoparasite exposure leads to collateral burden of reproduction on sand lizard populations.
{"title":"Ectoparasite load increase in reproductively active sand lizards","authors":"R. Smolinský, Z. Hiadlovská, N. Martínková","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20128","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Sexual reproduction imposes risks on participating adults through increased probability of injury, predation pressure, or parasite exposure. Evolutionary theory predicts that animals will tolerate parasite infection during reproduction at the expense of increased parasite load, resulting in individual trade-offs between the temporary costs of current reproduction against the long-term evolutionary benefits in the form of life-long production of viable offspring. We tested this hypothesis, predicting that participation in sexual reproduction increases parasite exposure by investigating ectoparasite load on sand lizards (Lacerta agilis). Using generalized additive models to correct for bimodal seasonal dynamics of ectoparasite activity, site and year, we found that ectoparasite load is higher in adults (animals that overwintered at least twice) than in subadults that overwintered once only. Between sexes of adult sand lizards, males had a higher number of blood-sucking ectoparasites than females. Our results indicate that both sexually-motivated extensive locomotion associated with territory defence and mate search in males, and increased energy uptake during gestation in females, contribute to elevated ectoparasite exposure. Increased host mobility associated with increased ectoparasite exposure leads to collateral burden of reproduction on sand lizard populations.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"20128.1 - 9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43208573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. The Ionian Island of Corfu is rich in both species and habitats, but is also under pressure from heavy tourism, substantial water abstraction, and increased development, all of which have caused both loss and fragmentation of habitats. In addition, invasive alien species (IAS) constitute a global problem and may cause substantial problems for indigenous wildlife, especially on islands. To be able to successfully control IAS it is important to identify them, report their status, and raise awareness as early as possible. Here we present the status of ten alien species reported from Corfu, four of which are considered as invasive, the coypu (Myocastor coypus), the raccoon (Procyon lotor), the Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), and the American pond slider (Trachemys scripta). Measures required as outlined by the EU Working Group on Invasive Alien Species are briefly discussed.
{"title":"Alien and invasive terrestrial vertebrate species on Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece","authors":"M. Stille, I. Gasteratos, B. Stille","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20126","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The Ionian Island of Corfu is rich in both species and habitats, but is also under pressure from heavy tourism, substantial water abstraction, and increased development, all of which have caused both loss and fragmentation of habitats. In addition, invasive alien species (IAS) constitute a global problem and may cause substantial problems for indigenous wildlife, especially on islands. To be able to successfully control IAS it is important to identify them, report their status, and raise awareness as early as possible. Here we present the status of ten alien species reported from Corfu, four of which are considered as invasive, the coypu (Myocastor coypus), the raccoon (Procyon lotor), the Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), and the American pond slider (Trachemys scripta). Measures required as outlined by the EU Working Group on Invasive Alien Species are briefly discussed.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"20126.1 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43864636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. The morphology and morphometry of the micropyle of two Korean rice fishes, Oryzias latipes and O. sinensis, were investigated by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Obtained from adult gravid females during the spawning season, the full-grown eggs of each species have a single micropyle at the animal pole. For the two species, the micropyles are similar in appearance, but there exist some differences in detail. The egg is larger in O. latipes than in O. sinensis (1,123.3-1,465.5 µm vs. 823.1-1,152.1 µm in diameter), and the outer diameter of a single micropyle for O. latipes is nearly two times larger than that of O. sinensis (18.5-22.4 µm vs. 10.0-12.5 µm). The micropylar diameter to egg diameter ratio (1.6 ± 0.1% vs. 1.0 ± 0.1%) is also larger in O. latipes than O. sinensis. In regard to micropyle structure, the two showed distinguishing characteristics: O. latipes has a funnel-shaped micropyle consisting of two regions, an outer gradual pit and an inner narrow canal, while O. sinensis has a conical-shaped micropyle having only a deep narrow canal. Consequently, these differences in micropylar structure between the two Korean rice-fishes may be considered as a useful taxonomic characteristic in closely related taxa and seem to be structural adaptations to shape and control entry velocity of spermatozoa into the micropyle.
{"title":"Comparative morphology and morphometry of the micropyle of two Korean rice-fishes, Oryzias latipes and Oryzias sinensis (Pisces, Adrianichthyidae)","authors":"H. T. Kim, J. Park","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20130","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The morphology and morphometry of the micropyle of two Korean rice fishes, Oryzias latipes and O. sinensis, were investigated by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Obtained from adult gravid females during the spawning season, the full-grown eggs of each species have a single micropyle at the animal pole. For the two species, the micropyles are similar in appearance, but there exist some differences in detail. The egg is larger in O. latipes than in O. sinensis (1,123.3-1,465.5 µm vs. 823.1-1,152.1 µm in diameter), and the outer diameter of a single micropyle for O. latipes is nearly two times larger than that of O. sinensis (18.5-22.4 µm vs. 10.0-12.5 µm). The micropylar diameter to egg diameter ratio (1.6 ± 0.1% vs. 1.0 ± 0.1%) is also larger in O. latipes than O. sinensis. In regard to micropyle structure, the two showed distinguishing characteristics: O. latipes has a funnel-shaped micropyle consisting of two regions, an outer gradual pit and an inner narrow canal, while O. sinensis has a conical-shaped micropyle having only a deep narrow canal. Consequently, these differences in micropylar structure between the two Korean rice-fishes may be considered as a useful taxonomic characteristic in closely related taxa and seem to be structural adaptations to shape and control entry velocity of spermatozoa into the micropyle.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"20130.1 - 8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43826831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. This article analyses the factors underlying the spatial distribution of a rodent community in the arid conditions of the Caspian Lowland. Based on a habitat selection model, we hypothesized that sympatric species would occupy and utilize species-specific environmental habitats and resources in common spaces and that niche overlap between species would be low. Thirteen environmental parameters were chosen for study. Nine parameters significantly discriminated interspecies differences (Meriones meridianus occurred in dry microhabitats, Meriones tamariscinus occurred in wetter microhabitats, and Apodemus witherbyi and Cricetulus migratorius showed eurybiotic spatial patterns). Mus musculus was predominantly found in wet environmental conditions. Thus, A. witherbyi and C. migratorius were characterized by the greatest range of spatial niches in the community, and M. musculus was characterized by the narrowest range of spatial niches. Pairwise comparisons of rodent spatial niches revealed low overlap values.
{"title":"Microhabitat partitioning in a rodent community in the arid conditions of the South-western Caspian Lowland","authors":"M. Magomedov","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20091","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. This article analyses the factors underlying the spatial distribution of a rodent community in the arid conditions of the Caspian Lowland. Based on a habitat selection model, we hypothesized that sympatric species would occupy and utilize species-specific environmental habitats and resources in common spaces and that niche overlap between species would be low. Thirteen environmental parameters were chosen for study. Nine parameters significantly discriminated interspecies differences (Meriones meridianus occurred in dry microhabitats, Meriones tamariscinus occurred in wetter microhabitats, and Apodemus witherbyi and Cricetulus migratorius showed eurybiotic spatial patterns). Mus musculus was predominantly found in wet environmental conditions. Thus, A. witherbyi and C. migratorius were characterized by the greatest range of spatial niches in the community, and M. musculus was characterized by the narrowest range of spatial niches. Pairwise comparisons of rodent spatial niches revealed low overlap values.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"20091.1 - 11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46710382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Pretorius, W. Markotter, T. Kearney, E. Seamark, H. Broders, M. Keith
Abstract. Migration and hibernation are survival strategies that require physiological preparation using fattening. Bats employ both strategies in times of resource shortages. However, because males and females vary seasonally in their reproductive physiological needs, they may employ different fattening patterns. Whilst fattening, migration and hibernation are common in temperate bats, little is known about subtropical migratory insectivores. This study investigated seasonal variation in body mass of the regionally migrating Natal long-fingered bat Miniopterus natalensis to determine if males and females show fattening in preparation for migration/hibernation. Seasonal change best explained the variation observed in overall body mass, whilst sex and forearm length explained the variation to a lesser extent. Body mass between males and females differed significantly by reproductive category among the four seasons. Forearm length was a significant predictor of the body mass of males. Scrotal males had a higher body mass in summer compared to autumn. This pattern of mass gain was not observed in non-scrotal males. The summer body mass of nonpregnant and post-lactating females was not significantly higher than the autumn body mass of nonpregnant females, which did not support the hypothesis that females would exhibit fattening during summer before migration. Results suggest that males and females employ different mass-gain strategies related to reproductive investment rather than fattening preparation for migration or hibernation.
{"title":"No Evidence of Pre-Hibernation or Pre-Migratory Body Mass Gain in Miniopterus natalensis in North-Eastern South Africa","authors":"M. Pretorius, W. Markotter, T. Kearney, E. Seamark, H. Broders, M. Keith","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20088","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Migration and hibernation are survival strategies that require physiological preparation using fattening. Bats employ both strategies in times of resource shortages. However, because males and females vary seasonally in their reproductive physiological needs, they may employ different fattening patterns. Whilst fattening, migration and hibernation are common in temperate bats, little is known about subtropical migratory insectivores. This study investigated seasonal variation in body mass of the regionally migrating Natal long-fingered bat Miniopterus natalensis to determine if males and females show fattening in preparation for migration/hibernation. Seasonal change best explained the variation observed in overall body mass, whilst sex and forearm length explained the variation to a lesser extent. Body mass between males and females differed significantly by reproductive category among the four seasons. Forearm length was a significant predictor of the body mass of males. Scrotal males had a higher body mass in summer compared to autumn. This pattern of mass gain was not observed in non-scrotal males. The summer body mass of nonpregnant and post-lactating females was not significantly higher than the autumn body mass of nonpregnant females, which did not support the hypothesis that females would exhibit fattening during summer before migration. Results suggest that males and females employ different mass-gain strategies related to reproductive investment rather than fattening preparation for migration or hibernation.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"70 1","pages":"20088.1 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49026946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
assisted people with a multitude of practical tasks for millennia (Parker et al. 2017). Alongside the > 470 million dogs considered family members (Bedford 2020), many others are actively employed in applications including agriculture, combat and law enforcement, medical detection and therapy provision. Dogs are also increasingly used to help conservation partners tackle poaching and the illegal trade in flora and fauna, gather ecological data about imperilled and invasive species and/ or their habitats, detect illegally used poisons and their animal victims, and as alternatives to lethal control of wildlife. However, their use in fragile or disturbed environments and ecosystems may unintentionally have detrimental consequences. For example, dog faeces may introduce (sometimes non-native) parasites or pathogens, and behavioural changes may arise in free-living wildlife as a result of dog presence. Potential direct consequences via wildlife mortality have even been highlighted for separate discussion at the IUCN HWI working group meeting of the International Congress of Conservation Biology (Owens et al. 2019). To more fully examine the implications of using dogs in conservation efforts, we invited manuscripts for a special issue (SI) of Journal of Vertebrate Biology from researchers and professionals working with dogs in conservation capacities to explore the following themes: a) evidence of efficacy, or lack thereof, when using dogs in these roles; b) advances in our understanding of related canine biological adaptations, c) novel insights into the behavioural and welfare considerations; d) emerging or reevaluated sustainability considerations; or e) novel or developing conflicts of interest.
{"title":"Dogs and Conservation: emerging themes and considerations","authors":"K. Whitehouse-Tedd, N. Richards, M. Parker","doi":"10.25225/jvb.E2004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.E2004","url":null,"abstract":"assisted people with a multitude of practical tasks for millennia (Parker et al. 2017). Alongside the > 470 million dogs considered family members (Bedford 2020), many others are actively employed in applications including agriculture, combat and law enforcement, medical detection and therapy provision. Dogs are also increasingly used to help conservation partners tackle poaching and the illegal trade in flora and fauna, gather ecological data about imperilled and invasive species and/ or their habitats, detect illegally used poisons and their animal victims, and as alternatives to lethal control of wildlife. However, their use in fragile or disturbed environments and ecosystems may unintentionally have detrimental consequences. For example, dog faeces may introduce (sometimes non-native) parasites or pathogens, and behavioural changes may arise in free-living wildlife as a result of dog presence. Potential direct consequences via wildlife mortality have even been highlighted for separate discussion at the IUCN HWI working group meeting of the International Congress of Conservation Biology (Owens et al. 2019). To more fully examine the implications of using dogs in conservation efforts, we invited manuscripts for a special issue (SI) of Journal of Vertebrate Biology from researchers and professionals working with dogs in conservation capacities to explore the following themes: a) evidence of efficacy, or lack thereof, when using dogs in these roles; b) advances in our understanding of related canine biological adaptations, c) novel insights into the behavioural and welfare considerations; d) emerging or reevaluated sustainability considerations; or e) novel or developing conflicts of interest.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"69 1","pages":"E2004.1 - 4"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44607972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. In the Pyrenees, brown bear population abundance is estimated from non-invasive genetic analyses of scat and hair samples. Although such analyses are highly beneficial for population monitoring and research, it can be especially difficult for humans to locate bear scats in the field. To address this, we have incorporated a dog (trained from an early age to detect bear scats) into these efforts since 2014. Here, we compared the effectiveness of the scat-detection dog/handler and human-only teams to locate bear scats using our work in the Pyrenees as a case study. A species validation was systematically carried out, either genetically or visually using a microscope, based on the presence of bear hair, for all scats collected from 2010 to 2019. From 2014 to 2019, the use of the dog/handler team in addition to human-only teams increased the average number of bear scats collected annually by four times in comparison with the 2010-2013 period when only humans were searching for scats. This temporal augmentation could not be explained by the increase in bear population size. From 2014 to 2019, the annual percentage of outings during which at least one bear scat was found was 17 times higher for the dog than for humans. The use of the dog also resulted indirectly in a better genotyping success and genetic identification of more individuals due to a larger choice of viable samples that could be sent to the molecular laboratory, as well as a larger number of cub scats detected by the dog. We found that even the use of a single scat-detection dog can greatly improve the efficiency of detecting target scats in challenging monitoring conditions.
{"title":"Benefits of incorporating a scat-detection dog into wildlife monitoring: a case study of Pyrenean brown bear","authors":"Jérôme Sentilles, C. Vanpé, P. Quenette","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20096","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In the Pyrenees, brown bear population abundance is estimated from non-invasive genetic analyses of scat and hair samples. Although such analyses are highly beneficial for population monitoring and research, it can be especially difficult for humans to locate bear scats in the field. To address this, we have incorporated a dog (trained from an early age to detect bear scats) into these efforts since 2014. Here, we compared the effectiveness of the scat-detection dog/handler and human-only teams to locate bear scats using our work in the Pyrenees as a case study. A species validation was systematically carried out, either genetically or visually using a microscope, based on the presence of bear hair, for all scats collected from 2010 to 2019. From 2014 to 2019, the use of the dog/handler team in addition to human-only teams increased the average number of bear scats collected annually by four times in comparison with the 2010-2013 period when only humans were searching for scats. This temporal augmentation could not be explained by the increase in bear population size. From 2014 to 2019, the annual percentage of outings during which at least one bear scat was found was 17 times higher for the dog than for humans. The use of the dog also resulted indirectly in a better genotyping success and genetic identification of more individuals due to a larger choice of viable samples that could be sent to the molecular laboratory, as well as a larger number of cub scats detected by the dog. We found that even the use of a single scat-detection dog can greatly improve the efficiency of detecting target scats in challenging monitoring conditions.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"69 1","pages":"20096.1 - 11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45402606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Roda, Jérôme Sentilles, C. Molins, C. Duchamp, Eric C. Hansen, Nicolas Jean
Abstract. A detection dog and handler team were used to recover scats in areas newly colonized by wolves outside the Alpine mountains of France between October 2018 and May 2019. Survey areas were classified as occupied by a resident wolf pack (WP) or dispersers (no-WP). The efficiency of monitoring by a targeted dog-handler team was compared to opportunistic monitoring by trained observers. Use of the detection dog allowed up to 99.6% time savings relative to monitoring by trained observers. Wolf scats found by the dog represented 82.1% of genetically confirmed samples in the 12 sample units (each being 10 × 10 km) monitored by both trained observers and the dog-handler team. Occupancy modelling was used to estimate wolf detection probabilities. Ten kilometres of survey with the dog were required to reach a 98% detection probability in WP territories and 20 km to reach 96% in no-WP areas. By contrast, two years of opportunistic monitoring by trained observers were required to obtain a 90% and 76% probability of detecting wolves in WP and no-WP areas, respectively. The use of the detection dog via dog-team surveys greatly increased the collection of viable samples for genetic analysis and individual genotype identification. Our study offers further confirmation that dog-handler teams can be very effective at locating scats from target carnivores, to supplement or complement human search efforts.
{"title":"Wolf scat detection dog improves wolf genetic monitoring in new French colonized areas","authors":"F. Roda, Jérôme Sentilles, C. Molins, C. Duchamp, Eric C. Hansen, Nicolas Jean","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20102","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. A detection dog and handler team were used to recover scats in areas newly colonized by wolves outside the Alpine mountains of France between October 2018 and May 2019. Survey areas were classified as occupied by a resident wolf pack (WP) or dispersers (no-WP). The efficiency of monitoring by a targeted dog-handler team was compared to opportunistic monitoring by trained observers. Use of the detection dog allowed up to 99.6% time savings relative to monitoring by trained observers. Wolf scats found by the dog represented 82.1% of genetically confirmed samples in the 12 sample units (each being 10 × 10 km) monitored by both trained observers and the dog-handler team. Occupancy modelling was used to estimate wolf detection probabilities. Ten kilometres of survey with the dog were required to reach a 98% detection probability in WP territories and 20 km to reach 96% in no-WP areas. By contrast, two years of opportunistic monitoring by trained observers were required to obtain a 90% and 76% probability of detecting wolves in WP and no-WP areas, respectively. The use of the detection dog via dog-team surveys greatly increased the collection of viable samples for genetic analysis and individual genotype identification. Our study offers further confirmation that dog-handler teams can be very effective at locating scats from target carnivores, to supplement or complement human search efforts.","PeriodicalId":48482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vertebrate Biology","volume":"69 1","pages":"20102.1 - 14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47560572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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