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Mammals of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve Holger Meinig, Dr Meheretu Yonas, Ondřej Mikula, Mengistu Wale and Abiyu Tadele

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Mammals of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve Holger Meinig, Dr Meheretu Yonas, Ondřej Mikula, Mengistu Wale and Abiyu Tadele NABU’s Follow-up BiodiversityAssessmentBiosphereEthiopia Reserve, Follow-up NABU’s Kafa the at NABU’s Follow-up Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia Small- and medium-sized mammals of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve Holger Meinig, Dr Meheretu Yonas, Ondřej Mikula, Mengistu Wale and Abiyu Tadele Table of Contents Small- and medium-sized mammals of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve 130 1. Introduction 132 2. Materials and methods 133 2.1 Study area 133 2.2 Sampling methods 133 2.3 Data analysis 133 3. Results and discussion 134 3.1 Soricomorpha 134 3.2 Rodentia 134 3.3 Records of mammal species other than Soricomorpha or Rodentia 140 4. Evaluation of survey results 143 5. Conclusions and recommendations for conservation and monitoring 143 6. Acknowledgements 143 7. References 144 8. Annex 147 8.1 Tables 147 8.2 Photos 152 NABU’s Follow-up Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia Small- and medium-sized mammals of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve Holger Meinig, Dr Meheretu Yonas, Ondřej Mikula, Mengistu Wale and Abiyu Tadele 130 SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MAMMALS Highlights ´ Eight species of rodents and one species of Soricomorpha were found. ´ Five of the rodent species (Tachyoryctes sp.3 sensu (Sumbera et al., 2018)), Lophuromys chrysopus and L. brunneus, Mus (Nannomys) mahomet and Desmomys harringtoni) are Ethiopian endemics. ´ The Ethiopian White-footed Mouse (Stenocephalemys albipes) is nearly endemic; it also occurs in Eritrea. ´ Together with the Ethiopian Vlei Rat (Otomys fortior) and the African Marsh Rat (Dasymys griseifrons) that were collected only during the 2014 survey, seven endemic rodent species are known to occur in the Kafa region, which supports 12% of the known endemic species of the country. ´ The occurrence of the widespread Lesser Cane Rat (Thryonomys gregorianus) for the Kafa region was confirmed. For Ethiopia there are only very few records for this species. ´ The Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus gambianus pousarguesi) was found for the first time at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve. 131 -> back to content NABU’s Follow-up Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia 1. Introduction Ethiopia’s geographical location, altitude range, rain- The first assessment of small mammals at the Kafa BR fall patterns and soil variability have resulted in im- was carried out during the dry season, between 3 De- mense ecological diversity and a huge wealth of biolog- cember and 12 December 2014, in different types of ical resources (Kassa & Bekele, 2008). Ethiopia is also habitats and altitudinal ranges. We expected differ- notable for containing 50% of the Afrotropical region’s ent species compositions in different kinds of habitats land above 2,000 m a.s.l. (Yalden, 1983). This unique (different types of forests, arable land, moister and situation is due to repeated glaciations and tectonic drier stands). The short study period resulted in an events. In eastern Africa, rodents account for 28% of incomplete species list for each sampling site, making the total mammalian fauna (Kingdon, 1989). The in- comparisons with long-term studies of other small ge- sectivore fauna, particularly shrews, is also incredibly ographical areas (e.g., Habtamu & Bekele, 2008; Kassa diverse, with 140 species (Hutterer & Yalden, 1990). & Bekele, 2008; Yonas et al., 2014) impossible. Ethiopia’s fauna and flora include many species en- The follow-up biodiversity assessment was carried out demic to the country and there are probably also many between 30 July and 13 August 2019 during the wet sea- species yet to be described. The real wealth of species son. Again, different types of habitats were sampled, in Ethiopia has not yet been fully assessed, due to a but predominantly forest stands were investigated. lack of studies in many regions. For example, the Kafa region in south-western Ethiopia has seen very few Since the first assessment in 2014 (Meinig et al., 2017) studies providing reliable data on small mammals a lot of systematic and taxonomic work concerning (summarised in Berhan, 2008). Ethiopian small mammals has been done, based mostly on genetic methods. Most prominent in this Most small mammal species are only rarely observed, field are the working groups of Josef Bryja (Institute but they play a crucial role in their ecosystems. They of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences), are the base of food chains for small- and medium-sized Leonid Lavrenchenko (Severtsov Institute of Ecology carnivores, as well as birds of prey such as raptors and and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences), and Me- owls. They are responsible, to a certain degree, for the heretu Yonas (Department of Biology and Institute of dispersal of plant species through selective feeding, Mountain Research and Development, Mekelle Uni- spreading of seeds and concentration of nutrients by versity, Ethiopia). Many new insights concerning the using latrines. They also promote ventilation and bio- borders of species that formerly were lumped into turbation of soil and drainage after rainfall. On a more species complexes were gathered (e.g. Lavrenchenko negative note, they are important vectors for diseases & Bekele, 2017). In 1996, Yalden et al. counted 277 and can become pests in agriculture. mammal species in Ethiopia. In 2017, 311 species were recognized (Lavrenchenko & Bekele, 2017), 57 of which The diversity of small mammals depends on the habi- are endemic (Lavrenchenko, 2019). These new findings tat type (Glennon & Porter, 2007; Garratt et al., 2012), also make it necessary to re-evaluate the findings of where habitats with higher floral diversity and ground the first assessment in 2014 taxonomically. cover support more diversity than those with lower floral diversity and ground cover (Mulungu et al., 2008; Pearson et al., 2001). Hence, the assessment of small mammals is an important component of broader as- sessments of ecosystem diversity because mammals are strong indicators of habitat conditions. 132 SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED MAMMALS 2. Materials and methods 2.1 Study area 2.3 Data analysis Systematic trapping was conducted in the Komba Before skinning, the standard external morphological Forest near Wushwush, near Boginda (edge of prima- measurements (body mass, head-body, tail, hind foot ry forest), in the Masho Malo Forest, near Alemgono and ear lengths) were recorded for each specimen and (forest patch, edge of cropland, and wetland), in the the reproductive status of the animals determined (see forest around God’s Bridge near Bonga, in Shera vil- Table 1). The carcasses were then preserved in alcohol lage near Bonga (forest and private gardens) and in for a later skin and skull/skeleton study. Spleen and the area around the KDA Guesthouse in Bonga. Locals kidney samples as well as other organs were taken from near the village Gono (Ufdo Kebele) brought two and preserved in 96% ethanol for genetic analyses, animals of Tachyoryctes. In addition, members of oth- and blood samples were collected on calibrated, pre- er teams of the biodiversity assessment accidentally punched filter paper (LDA 22, Ploufragan, France) for found animals which were also collected and obser- later serological and/or molecular screening for RNA vations were registered. viruses. 2.2 Sampling methods Following the national regulations of the Ethiopian Small mammals were sampled using mouse- and rat- Biodiversity Institute (EBI), samples were properly pre- sized snap traps and Sherman LFA live traps (7.5 x pared and exported to Germany (Material Transfer 9.0 x 23.0 cm, H.B. Sherman Traps, Inc., Tallahassee, Agreement from 9 August 2019), with the objective of USA) baited with peanut butter mixed with canned further identifying the species and completing the spe- fish. Sampling was performed in two to three lines per cies list. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome locality; in each line the three types of trap were set b (CYTB) gene were obtained from a representative by alternating one after the other in lines up to 400 m selection of the captured specimens in the laboratory long. A variety of traps was used following the sugges- of J. Bryja (Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech tion that trap type and size can determine the types Republic). of small mammals captured (Thompson & Macauley, 1987; Slade et al., 1993; Lee, 1997). Each trapping line To maximise the information gathered, skulls and held 50-75 traps (depending upon the habitat condi- skeletons will be cleaned using the larvae of dermestid tion), each five metres apart. Traps were set before beetles (Dermestidae) to prevent damage of delicate dusk (between 5 and 6 pm) and inspected early in the structures that might occur through using faster but morning (between 7 and 8 am) to prevent ant damage. rougher cleaning methods (procedure ongoing). We were supported by Rainer Hutterer, the retired former head of the mammal collections at the Al- exander Koenig Research Museum (Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig ZFMK), Bonn during the first steps of species determination, who also provided us with new and rare literature. Tax- onomy follows Wilson et al. (2009-2018) and Bryja et al. (2019). 133 -> back to content NABU’s Follow-up Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia 3. Results and discussion The taxonomic status and ecological requirements of the species recorded during the survey in 2019 are Spain Turkey Syria described below. Morocco Tunisia Iraq Algeria Libyen 3.1 Soricomorpha Egyppt Saudi Arabia African Giant Shrew (Crocidura olivieri) Mauritania Six individuals from a single shrew species were col- Mali Niger Chad Sudan lected in Alemgono Wetland. No shrews were obtained Yemen at any other sampling site. The species is a dark brown GuGuineG a NiNiggeeriaria SoutSouthh colour morph of the widespread African Giant Shrew, GhaGhanaanaanna SudaSudann Ethiopia which occurs in almost every part of sub-Saharan Af- Somalia Gabonaabon KenKenyya rica and the Upper Nile Valley in Egypt, except in the DDRR CCongongo very South of the continent.
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