DOCSLIB.ORG

Review of the Status and Conservation of Tenrecs (Mammalia: Afrotheria: Tenrecidae)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Review of the Status and Conservation of Tenrecs (Mammalia: Afrotheria: Tenrecidae) Review of the status and conservation of tenrecs (Mammalia: Afrotheria: Tenrecidae) P. J. STEPHENSON,VOAHANGY S OARIMALALA,STEVEN M. GOODMAN M ARTIN E. NICOLL,VONJY A NDRIANJAKARIVELO,KATHRYN M. EVERSON M ICHAEL H OFFMANN,PAULINA D. JENKINS,LINK E. OLSON M ARTIN R AHERIARISENA,FELIX R AKOTONDRAPARANY D ANIEL R AKOTONDRAVONY,VOLOLOMBOAHANGY R ANDRIANJAFY N ANIE R ATSIFANDRIHAMANANA and A NDREW T AYLOR Abstract The mammal family Tenrecidae (Afrotheria: and-burn agriculture, but some species are also threatened Afrosoricida) is endemic to Madagascar. Here we present by hunting and incidental capture in fishing traps. In the the conservation priorities for the species of tenrec that longer term, climate change is expected to alter tenrec habi- were assessed or reassessed in – for the IUCN tats and ranges. However, the lack of data for most tenrecs Red List of Threatened Species. Six species (.%) were on population size, ecology and distribution, together with found to be threatened ( Vulnerable, Endangered) and frequent changes in taxonomy (with many cryptic species one species was categorized as Data Deficient. The primary being discovered based on genetic analyses) and the poorly threat to tenrecs is habitat loss, mostly as a result of slash- understood impact of bushmeat hunting on spiny species (Tenrecinae), hinders conservation planning. Priority con- servation actions are presented for Madagascar’s tenrecs for the first time since and focus on conserving forest habi- P. J. STEPHENSON* (Corresponding author, orcid.org/0000-0002-0087-466X) tat (especially through improved management of protected IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group, c/o Ecosystem Management areas) and filling essential knowledge gaps. Tenrec research, Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. E-mail [email protected] monitoring and conservation should be integrated into broader sustainable development objectives and pro- VOAHANGY SOARIMALALA† ( orcid.org/0000-0002-2455-2956) and STEVEN M. GOODMAN‡ ( orcid.org/0000-0001-9318-0570) Association Vahatra, grammes targeting higher profile species, such as lemurs, Antananarivo, Madagascar if we are to see an improvement in the conservation status MARTIN E. NICOLL ( orcid.org/0000-0003-2647-5808) Conservation of tenrecs in the near future. Programme, WWF-Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar Keywords VONJY ANDRIANJAKARIVELO ( orcid.org/0000-0001-9025-073X) Madagascar Afrotheria, conservation, IUCN Red List of Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Maroantsetra, Madagascar Threatened Species, Madagascar, Microgale, Oryzorictes, KATHRYN M. EVERSON ( orcid.org/0000-0003-1495-7076) and LINK E. OLSON Tenrecidae, threats ( orcid.org/0000-0002-2481-5701) Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA MICHAEL HOFFMANN ( orcid.org/0000-0003-4785-2254) Global Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, London, UK PAULINA D. JENKINS ( orcid.org/0000-0002-8250-0601) Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum, London, UK Introduction MARTIN RAHERIARISENA,FELIX RAKOTONDRAPARANY and DANIEL RAKOTONDRAVONY ’ Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Université d Antananarivo, he mammal family Tenrecidae (Supercohort Afrotheria: Antananarivo, Madagascar Order Afrosoricida), endemic to the Indian Ocean is- OLOLOMBOAHANGY ANDRIANJAFY T V R Faculté des Sciences, de Technologie et de l’Environnement, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar land of Madagascar, contains currently recognized extant species in three subfamilies: the Geogalinae ( species), NANIE RATSIFANDRIHAMANANA WWF-Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar Oryzorictinae () and Tenrecinae (). The tailless tenrec ANDREW TAYLOR ( orcid.org/0000-0002-2896-5168) Wildlife in Trade Programme, The Endangered Wildlife Trust, Johannesburg, South Africa Tenrec ecaudatus has been introduced by humans to neigh- *Also at: Science & Knowledge Unit, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland bouring archipelagos. Tenrecs exhibit a diverse array of †Also at: Institut des Sciences et Techniques de l’Environnement, Université de body sizes and morphological, behavioural, physiological Fianarantsoa, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar and ecological specializations, representing an adaptive ‡Also at: Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA radiation that is a model for evolutionary research Received May . Revision requested July . (e.g. Eisenberg & Gould, ; Stephenson & Racey, ; Accepted September . First published online April . Olson & Goodman, ; Everson et al., ). This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, Downloadeddistribution, from https://www.cambridge.org/core and reproduction in any medium,. IP address: provided 170.106.202.8 the original work, onis 30 properly Sep 2021 cited. at 22:09:45, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/termsOryx, 2021, 55(1), 13–22 © The. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605318001205 Author(s), 2019. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605318001205 14 P. J. Stephenson et al. Most tenrecs are dependent on forest habitats, and, with can also be considered Data Deficient ‘when there is inad- Madagascar having lost c. % of its forests in the last equate information to make a direct or indirect assessment years (Harper et al., ), the conservation status of of its risk of extinction’ (IUCN, ). During the second many species is of concern. If the biodiversity of the country stage of the review, a workshop was held in April is to be conserved, its fauna and flora need to be assessed by the Tenrec Section of the IUCN Species Survival regularly and relevant conservation strategies must be Commission (SSC) Afrotheria Specialist Group, associated developed. with the th African Small Mammals Symposium in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, ; Mantasoa, Madagascar, to review the data collected and hereafter the IUCN Red List) is the most widely used tool the draft assessments. At that time, we also developed for assessing the conservation status of species. Any new conservation priorities based on identified threats (as per data for the IUCN Red List not only advances the knowl- the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation; edge needed to define conservation action but also pro- Conservation Measures Partnership, ). During the vides countries with data against which to report on their third stage, we conducted a literature review on broader environmental goals, such as those defined in the Aichi conservation issues in Madagascar, to refine and finalize Targets and Sustainable Development Goals (Brooks the priorities. et al., ). There is ongoing discussion about tenrec systematics Here we review the current conservation status of the (e.g. Poux et al., ; Asher & Helgen, ; Everson Tenrecidae, as defined in the last species assessments con- et al., ). To ensure we consider the latest recognized ducted for the IUCN Red List in –,withtheaimof taxonomies, here we treat the three species of otter-shrew identifying trends in extinction risk, habitat needs and on mainland Africa (once considered tenrecs) as a separate threats. We also identify conservation priorities to ensure family, the Potamogalidae (following Everson et al., ). a future for these poorly known small mammals. This is We similarly follow those authors’ synonymization of the the first time the conservation needs of tenrecs have genus Limnogale with Microgale (see also Asher & Helgen, been compiled for almost decades (Nicoll & Rathbun, ) and placement of the large-bodied shrew tenrecs ). Microgale dobsoni and Microgale talazaci in the genus Nesogale. Methods Extinction risk We conducted this review in three stages. Firstly, during –, we reassessed the status of all species in the Of the species assessed, (.%) were categorized as Tenrecidae for the IUCN Red List (IUCN, ). Least Concern, one species (.%) as Data Deficient Grandidier’s shrew tenrec Microgale grandidieri had not (Oryzorictes tetradactylus), four species (.%) as Vulner- been assessed before as it was described only in able (Microgale dryas, Microgale mergulus, Microgale mon- (Olson et al., ), subsequent to the last comprehensive ticola, Microgale nasoloi) and two (.%) as Endangered assessment of all mammals (Schipper et al., ). Using (Microgale jenkinsae, Microgale jobihely; Table ). In this information available for each species from the literature, assessment, all species were placed in the same Red List such as the latest georeferenced distribution data collated category as in previous assessments in and by Goodman et al. () and past and recent assessments (Hoffmann et al., ). The status of some species has re- of threats to and conservation priorities for tenrecs (e.g. mained constant for much longer. For example, the aquatic Nicoll & Rathbun, ; Stephenson, a,b, , a; tenrec M. mergulus was also considered Vulnerable years Stephenson et al., ; Jenkins et al., ; Nicoll & ago when it was first assessed. This consistency across as- Ratsifandrihamanana, ), and based on the assessors’ sessments probably reflects the lack of concrete data on knowledge, we collated data on geographical range (includ- the impact of continued forest loss on population numbers. ing area of occupancy or extent of occurrence), estimated Grandidier’s shrew
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Dating Placentalia: Morphological Clocks Fail to Close the Molecular-Fossil Gap
    Puttick, M. N., Thomas, G. H., & Benton, M. J. (2016). Dating placentalia: Morphological clocks fail to close the molecular-fossil gap. Evolution, 70(4), 873-886. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12907 Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record License (if available): CC BY Link to published version (if available): 10.1111/evo.12907 Link to publication record in Explore Bristol Research PDF-document © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. University of Bristol - Explore Bristol Research General rights This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/red/research-policy/pure/user-guides/ebr-terms/ ORIGINAL ARTICLE doi:10.1111/evo.12907 Dating placentalia: Morphological clocks fail to close the molecular fossil gap Mark N. Puttick,1,2 Gavin H. Thomas,3 and Michael J. Benton1 1School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom 2E-mail: [email protected] 3Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom Received January 31, 2015 Accepted March 7, 2016 Dating the origin of Placentalia has been a contentious issue for biologists and paleontologists.
    [Show full text]
  • Lemur News 7 (2002).Pdf
    Lemur News Vol. 7, 2002 Page 1 Conservation International’s President EDITORIAL Awarded Brazil’s Highest Honor In recognition of his years of conservation work in Brazil, CI President Russell Mittermeier was awarded the National Are you in favor of conservation? Do you know how conser- Order of the Southern Cross by the Brazilian government. vation is viewed by the academic world? I raise these ques- Dr. Mittermeier received the award on August 29, 2001 at tions because they are central to current issues facing pri- the Brazilian Ambassador's residence in Washington, DC. matology in general and prosimians specifically. The National Order of the Southern Cross was created in The Duke University Primate Center is in danger of being 1922 to recognize the merits of individuals who have helped closed because it is associated with conservation. An inter- to strengthen Brazil's relations with the international com- nal university review in 2001 stated that the Center was too munity. The award is the highest given to a foreign national focused on conservation and not enough on research. The re- for service in Brazil. viewers were all researchers from the "hard" sciences, but For the past three decades, Mittermeier has been a leader in they perceived conservation to be a negative. The Duke ad- promoting biodiversity conservation in Brazil and has con- ministration had similar views and wanted more emphasis ducted numerous studies on primates and other fauna in the on research and less on conservation. The new Director has country. During his time with the World Wildlife Fund three years to make that happen.
    [Show full text]
  • Interglacial Refugia Preserved High Genetic Diversity of the Chinese Mole Shrew in the Mountains of Southwest China
    Heredity (2016) 116, 23–32 & 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0018-067X/16 www.nature.com/hdy ORIGINAL ARTICLE Interglacial refugia preserved high genetic diversity of the Chinese mole shrew in the mountains of southwest China KHe1,2, N-Q Hu1,3, X Chen4,5, J-T Li6 and X-L Jiang1 The mountains of southwest China (MSC) harbor extremely high species diversity; however, the mechanism behind this diversity is unknown. We investigated to what degree the topography and climate change shaped the genetic diversity and diversification in these mountains, and we also sought to identify the locations of microrefugia areas in these mountains. For these purposes, we sampled extensively to estimate the intraspecific phylogenetic pattern of the Chinese mole shrew (Anourosorex squamipes)in southwest China throughout its range of distribution. Two mitochondrial genes, namely, cytochrome b (CYT B) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2), from 383 archived specimens from 43 localities were determined for phylogeographic and demographic analyses. We used the continuous-diffusion phylogeographic model, extensive Bayesian skyline plot species distribution modeling (SDM) and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) to explore the changes in population size and distribution through time of the species. Two phylogenetic clades were identified, and significantly higher genetic diversity was preserved in the southern subregion of the mountains. The results of the SDM, continuous-diffusion phylogeographic model, extensive Bayesian skyline plot and ABC analyses were congruent and supported that the Last Interglacial Maximum (LIG) was an unfavorable period for the mole shrews because of a high degree of seasonality; A. squamipes survived in isolated interglacial refugia mainly located in the southern subregion during the LIG and rapidly expanded during the last glacial period.
    [Show full text]
  • Controlling the Eastern Mole
    Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA9095 Controlling the Eastern Mole Dustin Blakey Introduction known about the Eastern Mole, and County Extension Agent ­ successful control in landscapes Agriculture Few things in this world are requires a basic understanding of more frustrating than spending valu­ their biology. able time and money on a landscape Rebecca McPeake only to have it torn up by wildlife. Mole Biology Associate Professor and Moles’ underground habits aerate the Extension Wildlife soil and reduce grubs, but their Moles spend most of their lives Specialist digging is cause for homeowner underground feeding on invertebrate complaints, making them one of the animals living in the soil. A mole’s most destructive mammals that can diet sharply reflects the diversity of inhabit our landscapes. the fauna found in its environment. In Arkansas, moles primarily feed on earthworms, grubs and other inverte­ brates. Moles lack the dental struc­ ture to chew plant material (seeds, roots, etc.) for food and, as a result, subsist strictly as carnivores. Occasionally moles will cut surface vegetation and bring it down to their nest, as bedding, but this is not eaten. Figure 1. Rarely seen on the surface, moles are uniquely designed for their underground existence. Photo printed with permission by Ann and Rob Simpson. Contrary to popular belief, moles are not rodents. Mice, squirrels and gophers are all rodents. Moles are insectivores in the family Talpidae. Figure 2. Moles lack the dental structure This animal family survives by to chew plant material and subsist feeding on invertebrate prey. There mostly on earthworms and other invertebrates. are seven species of moles in North America, but the Eastern Mole Moles are well-adapted to living (Scalopus aquaticus L.) is the species underground.
    [Show full text]
  • Strengthening Protection of Marojejy National Park
    SPECIAL POINTS DECEMBER 2016 OF INTEREST: Vol. 5, No. 2 ñ Workshop for Forest GuiDes ñ Brief but Meaningful Conservaton news from the Sambava-Andapa-Vohemar-Antalaha region of NE Madagascar ñ WorlD Lemur Festival Strengthening Protecton of Marojejy Natonal Park INSIDE THIS by Charlie Welch ISSUE: Earlier this year DLC- Strengthening Protec- 1 tion of Marojejy Na- SAVA was fortunate to tional Park receive a grant from Workshop for Forest 3 Save Our Species (SOS) Guides to increase the Brief but Meaningful 4 protecton of Marojejy Natonal Park, in World Lemur Festival 8 collaboraton with “Climate Change and 9 Madagascar Natonal Lemurs” Workshop Parks (MNP). The grant Environmental Educa- 12 supports clearly tion Teacher Training establishing and marking DLC-SAVA “Lamba” 13 the boundary with Now Available! metallic signs to prevent First CURSA Gradua- 14 both intentonal and unintentonal intrusion into the park. Although DLC-SAVA had already tion includes Sylvio sponsored delineaton of certain priority sectons of the park boundary, extensive areas in Exploring Human and 15 remote parts of Marojejy remained unmarked. There was no way for local people to know Environmental Health exactly where the boundary was supposed to be. Agricultural land ofen extends right up to in the SAVA Region the boundary around much of the park, and if Duke Engineers in 18 the limit is not clear, burning and cultvaton SAVA can actually extend into the park. A clear Closing Comments 20 boundary also discourages other illegal actvites in the park, such as wood collecton and huntng. Teams of local people, organized by MNP, installed the signs, which were made in Andapa.
    [Show full text]
  • Structure of the Ovaries of the Nimba Otter Shrew, Micropotamogale Lamottei , and the Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec, Echinops Telfairi
    Original Paper Cells Tissues Organs 2005;179:179–191 Accepted after revision: March 7, 2005 DOI: 10.1159/000085953 Structure of the Ovaries of the Nimba Otter Shrew, Micropotamogale lamottei , and the Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec, Echinops telfairi a b c d A.C. Enders A.M. Carter H. Künzle P. Vogel a Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, Calif. , USA; b Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense , Denmark; c d Department of Anatomy, University of Munich, München , Germany, and Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne , Switzerland Key Words es between the more peripheral granulosa cells. It is sug- Corpora lutea Non-antral follicles Ovarian gested that this fl uid could aid in separation of the cu- lobulation Afrotheria mulus from the remaining granulosa at ovulation. The protruding follicles in lobules and absence of a tunica albuginea might also facilitate ovulation of non-antral Abstract follicles. Ovaries with a thin-absent tunica albuginea and The otter shrews are members of the subfamily Potamo- follicles with small-absent antra are widespread within galinae within the family Tenrecidae. No description of both the Eulipotyphla and in the Afrosoricida, suggest- the ovaries of any member of this subfamily has been ing that such features may represent a primitive condi- published previously. The lesser hedgehog tenrec, Echi- tion in ovarian development. Lobulated and deeply nops telfairi, is a member of the subfamily Tenrecinae of crypted ovaries are found in both groups but are not as the same family and, although its ovaries have not been common in the Eulipotyphla making inclusion of this fea- described, other members of this subfamily have been ture as primitive more speculative.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecosystem Profile Madagascar and Indian
    ECOSYSTEM PROFILE MADAGASCAR AND INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS FINAL VERSION DECEMBER 2014 This version of the Ecosystem Profile, based on the draft approved by the Donor Council of CEPF was finalized in December 2014 to include clearer maps and correct minor errors in Chapter 12 and Annexes Page i Prepared by: Conservation International - Madagascar Under the supervision of: Pierre Carret (CEPF) With technical support from: Moore Center for Science and Oceans - Conservation International Missouri Botanical Garden And support from the Regional Advisory Committee Léon Rajaobelina, Conservation International - Madagascar Richard Hughes, WWF – Western Indian Ocean Edmond Roger, Université d‘Antananarivo, Département de Biologie et Ecologie Végétales Christopher Holmes, WCS – Wildlife Conservation Society Steve Goodman, Vahatra Will Turner, Moore Center for Science and Oceans, Conservation International Ali Mohamed Soilihi, Point focal du FEM, Comores Xavier Luc Duval, Point focal du FEM, Maurice Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Point focal du FEM, Seychelles Edmée Ralalaharisoa, Point focal du FEM, Madagascar Vikash Tatayah, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Nirmal Jivan Shah, Nature Seychelles Andry Ralamboson Andriamanga, Alliance Voahary Gasy Idaroussi Hamadi, CNDD- Comores Luc Gigord - Conservatoire botanique du Mascarin, Réunion Claude-Anne Gauthier, Muséum National d‘Histoire Naturelle, Paris Jean-Paul Gaudechoux, Commission de l‘Océan Indien Drafted by the Ecosystem Profiling Team: Pierre Carret (CEPF) Harison Rabarison, Nirhy Rabibisoa, Setra Andriamanaitra,
    [Show full text]
  • Amblysomus Robustus – Robust Golden Mole
    Amblysomus robustus – Robust Golden Mole continuing decline and possible severe fragmentation of habitat. Currently known from only five locations but probably more widespread. Further field surveys and molecular data are needed to accurately delimit its range. The Highveld grasslands favoured by this species are being degraded by mining for shallow coal deposits to fuel numerous power stations that occur in the preferred high-altitude grassland habitats of this species, which is an inferred major threat. Rehabilitation attempts at these sites appear to have been largely ineffective. These power stations form the backbone of South Africa's electricity network, and disturbance is likely to increase as human populations grow and the demand for power increases. While no mining sites and power generation plants occur at the five localities where this species has been collected, an environmental authorisation application to mine coal at a site near Belfast, close to where this species occurs, is Gary Bronner currently being assessed. Given the ubiquity of mines and power stations in the Mpumalanga grasslands, impacts on this species are likely if it is more widespread than current Regional Red List status (2016) Vulnerable B1ab(iii)* records indicate, which seems probable. Farming, tourism National Red List status (2004) Endangered resort developments and agro-forestry (exotic pine and B1,2ab(i-iv) eucalyptus plantations) have also transformed habitat, but less dramatically; these do not appear to pose a major Reasons for change Non-genuine: threat. More data is required on the distribution limits, New information ecology, densities and reproduction of this species. Global Red List status (2015) Vulnerable B1ab(iii) TOPS listing (NEMBA) None Distribution CITES listing None Endemic to South Africa, this species is known from only the Steenkampsberg Mountain Plateau and in the Endemic Yes Dullstroom and Belfast areas of Mpumalanga (Figure 1), extending eastwards to Lydenburg and possibly *Watch-list Data southwards towards the Ermelo district where A.
    [Show full text]
  • Mammalian Species 117
    MAMMALIANSPECIES No. 117, pp. 14, 5 figs. Rhynchocyon chrysopygus. BY Galen B. Rathbun Published 8 June 1979 by the American Society of Mammalogists Rhynchocyon Peters, 1847 cyon chrysopygus apparently does not occur in the gallery forests of the Tana River, in the ground-water forest at Witu, or in the Rhynchocyon Peters, 1W7:36, type species Rhynchocyon cirnei dry bushlands between the Galana and Tana rivers. This ele- Peters by monotypy. phant-shrew's habitat is being cleared for exotic forest plantations Rhir~onaxThomas, 1918:370, type species Rh~nchoc~onchr~so- and agriculture all along the coast, resulting in a discontinuous pygus Gunther. and reduced distribution. It will re-occupy fallow agricultural land that is allowed to become overgrown with dense bush (Rathbun, CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Macroscelidea, Fam- ily Macroscelididae, Subfamily Rhynch~c~oninae.Corbet and unpublished data)' Hanks (1968) recognized three allopatric species of Rhynchocyon FOSSIL RECORD. As far as is known, the Macrosceli- (figure 1) for which they wrote the following key: didae have always been endemic to Africa (Patterson, 1%5). But- ler and Hopwood (1957) described Rhynchocyon clarki from the 1 Rump straw-colored, contrasting sharply with surround- early Miocene beds of Songhor, Kenya (near Lake Victoria). Ad- ing rufous pelage ----------.-------.-------R. chrysopygus ditional Miocene material from Rusinga Island, Kenya, has been Rump not straw-colored ---------.------.-------------------2 referred to this extinct form (Patterson, 1%5), which was smaller 2(1) Rump and posterior half of back with a pattern of dark than the extant species of Rhynchocyon. R. clarki contributes lines or spots on a yellowish-brown or rufous ground; significantly to the forest related fossil mammal fauna from Ru- top of head without a rufous tinge ._._._....._._R.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology and Population Dynamics of Small Mammals in the Ankazomivady Forest, Madagascar
    Ecology and population dynamics of small mammals in the Ankazomivady Forest, Madagascar Voahangy Soarimalala Association Vahatra CRVOI Introduction • Madagascar: rich in endemic small mammal, 92% occuring species, but little known about their zoonoses, • The exception is plague transmitted by introduced species, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus, • Plague results in human epidemics and could contributed to the decline of endemic rodents. Endemic small mammals Tenrecidae 32 species Microgale dobsoni Hemicentetes nigriceps Nesomyinae Rodentia 27 species Eliurus minor Nesomys rufus Introduced small mammals Rattus rattus Suncus murinus Rodentia Soricomorpha High abundance of Transmission cycles of Rattus rattus in human various potential diseases disturbed forest areas to endemic species and at a range of human populations living elevations. near the forest area. Objectives Environmental contamination by other pathogens probably responsible for human and endemic mammal infections. CRVOI and Vahatra Association conducting inventory of small mammals : 1. To increase available information, 2. Provide biological samples for pathogen detection and identifying infectious agents, 3. Evaluation of the possible pathogen transmission routes between endemic and introduced small mammals. Study site • Ankazomivady, Ambositra • 1670 m • Central Highlands humid montane forest • Degraded, fragmented and isolated from other forest blocks Methods • Trapping sessions: December 2010 November 2011 March 2012 • Traps: 80 Shermans and 20 National traps x Sherman
    [Show full text]
  • AFROTHERIAN CONSERVATION Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group
    AFROTHERIAN CONSERVATION Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group Number 10 Edited by PJ Stephenson September 2014 Afrotherian Conservation is published annually by the Speaking of our website, it was over ten years old IUCN Species Survival Commission Afrotheria Specialist and suffering from outdated material and old technology, Group to promote the exchange of news and inform- making it very difficult to maintain. Charles Fox, who ation on the conservation of, and applied research into, does our web maintenance at a hugely discounted cost golden moles, sengis, hyraxes, tenrecs and the aardvark. (many thanks Charles), has reworked the site, especially the design of the home page and conservation page Published by IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. (thanks to Rob Asher for his past efforts with the latter © 2014 International Union for Conservation of Nature material, which is still the basis for the new conservation and Natural Resources page). Because some of the hyrax material was dated, Lee ISSN: 1664-6754 Koren and her colleagues completely updated the hyrax material, and we have now linked our websites. A similar Find out more about the Group on our website at update is being discussed by Tom Lehmann and his http://afrotheria.net/ASG.html and follow us on colleagues for the aardvark link. The sengi web material is Twitter @Tweeting_Tenrec largely unchanged, with the exception of updating various pages to accommodate the description of a new species from Namibia (go to the current topics tab in the Message from the Chair sengi section). Galen Rathbun Although a lot of effort has focused on our Chair, IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group group's education goals (logo, website, newsletter), it has not over-shadowed one of the other major functions that There has been a long time gap since our last newsletter our specialist group performs: the periodic update of the was produced in October 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Afrotherian Conservation – Number 16
    AFROTHERIAN CONSERVATION Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group Number 16 Edited by PJ Stephenson September 2020 Afrotherian Conservation is published annually by the measure the effectiveness of SSC’s actions on biodiversity IUCN Species Survival Commission Afrotheria Specialist conservation, identification of major new initiatives Group to promote the exchange of news and information needed to address critical conservation issues, on the conservation of, and applied research into, consultations on developing policies, guidelines and aardvarks, golden moles, hyraxes, otter shrews, sengis and standards, and increasing visibility and public awareness of tenrecs. the work of SSC, its network and key partners. Remarkably, 2020 marks the end of the current IUCN Published by IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. quadrennium, which means we will be dissolving the © 2020 International Union for Conservation of Nature membership once again in early 2021, then reassembling it and Natural Resources based on feedback from our members. I will be in touch ISSN: 1664-6754 with all members at the relevant time to find out who wishes to remain a member and whether there are any Find out more about the Group people you feel should be added to our group. No one is on our website at http://afrotheria.net/ASG.html automatically re-admitted, however, so you will all need to and on Twitter @Tweeting_Tenrec actively inform me of your wishes. We will very likely need to reassess the conservation status of all our species during the next quadrennium, so get ready for another round of Red Listing starting Message from the Chair sometime in the not too distant future.
    [Show full text]