Nonprofit scientific societies hope that their activities advance their particular mission and impact their profession and, in the broadest sense, humanity in positive ways. The digital age has provided unprecedented mechanisms to enhance the delivery of science to the world. The marketplace of scientific publishing is a rapidly shifting mosaic of challenges and opportunities, and the responses of nonprofit and commercial publishers vary widely, but their outcomes are still uncertain. The response of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) provides an example of how a relatively small society has altered its scientific delivery to enhance member benefits while attempting to sustain its economic viability. Since 2000, ASM has moved from a self-publishing, break-even, print-only model to a copublishing agreement with a commercial publisher (Alliance Communications Group, a division of Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas), which now offers members various print and electronic options and generates a shared royalty. Although it is too early to gauge the economic impact of these changes, the ASM leadership clearly attempted to signal its desire for members to view their society as a package of opportunities for edification and involvement rather than just a provider of serial subscriptions. Future challenges facing nonprofit scientific societies include open access, fiscal realities, archiving of publications, and scientific and societal impact; future opportunities include a strengthening of member responsibilities and professionalism, development of data registries to enhance scientific progress, and bundling of like societies. The manner in which nonprofit scientific societies respond to these challenges and opportunities will no doubt affect their sustainability and future impact.

Rhynchomys belongs to a unique assemblage of Philippine rodents that exhibit a combination of primitive features as well as unique morphological specializations. These nocturnal “shrew-rats,” with highly specialized vermivorous and insectivorous food habits, are endemic to Luzon Island. Analyses of external, cranial, and dental features support the recognition of 4 species, 2 of which are described in this paper. All are restricted to high-elevation habitats, about 1,100 m and above, in montane and mossy forest on northern, western, and southeastern Luzon. Habitat vicariance and subsequent divergence in isolation is the probable mode of diversification in Rhynchomys as well as in other murid clades whose members are restricted to high-elevation habitats. The discovery of locally endemic species of Rhynchomys both confirms the existence of multiple centers of endemism on Luzon and underscores the need to establish and maintain additional protected areas on the island.

The pteropodid genus Dyacopterus Andersen, 1912, comprises several medium-sized fruit-bat species endemic to forested areas of Sundaland and the Philippines. Specimens of Dyacopterus are sparsely represented in collections of world museums, which has hindered resolution of species limits within the genus. Based on our studies of most available museum material, we review the infrageneric taxonomy of Dyacopterus using craniometric and other comparisons. In the past, 2 species have been described—D. spadiceus (Thomas, 1890), described from Borneo and later recorded from the Malay Peninsula, and D. brooksi Thomas, 1920, described from Sumatra. These 2 nominal taxa are often recognized as species or conspecific subspecies representing these respective populations. Our examinations instead suggest that both previously described species of Dyacopterus co-occur on the Sunda Shelf—the smaller-skulled D. spadiceus in peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo, and the larger-skulled D. brooksi in Sumatra and Borneo. We further identify specimens of Dyacopterus from the large islands of Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippines as representatives of a distinctive new species, Dyacopterus rickarti. This new species differs from the Sundaic taxa in its much larger size, unique palatal ridge formula, and in qualitative craniodental features. The natural history of each species, so far as it is known, is briefly reviewed.

Monodelphis (short-tailed opossums) is the most diverse genus in the family Didelphidae, including at least 20 recognized species. This paper describes a new species of short-tailed opossum from the lowland forests of Loreto, northeastern Peru. The new species is intermediate in size and coloration between M. ronaldi, a species recently described on the basis of 1 specimen from southeastern Peru, and M. adusta, a more common species distributed across western Amazonia. However, the new species is sympatric only with M. emiliae. Diagnostic characters include overall large size, conspicuously wide buffy stripe on the venter, wide rostrum, narrow postorbital constriction, rounded posterior border of the infraorbital foramen, small and well-separated tympanic processes of alisphenoid, conspicuous posttympanic processes, enlarged canines, small 1st upper premolars, and enlarged cingula on premolars and molars. Whereas morphologically the new species closely resembles M. ronaldi and M. adusta, a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences (which did not include M. ronaldi) indicates M. osgoodi as its sister taxon. Examination of molecular data also indicates that M. adusta is paraphyletic relative to M. osgoodi and the new species, and that populations currently referred to M. a. adusta and to M. a. peruviana each represent 2 distantly related and clearly distinct species.

In 2004, we collected 211 specimens of European field mice (genus Apodemus; subgenus Sylvaemus) from 16 localities in northern, western, central, and southern Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula. We used cytochrome-b mitochondrial DNA sequence data to investigate species diversity, distributional patterns, and taxonomy of Apodemus in Ukraine. Sequence data proved useful for species-level discrimination, because the 11 species examined were defined by low levels of intraspecific variation (mean range, 0.00–3.35%) and by high levels of interspecific variation (mean range, 5.37–18.9%). We identified the 211 specimens to 1 of 4 species: A. flavicollis (n = 121), A. sylvaticus (n = 34), A. uralensis (n = 16), and A. witherbyi (n = 40). Although all 4 species are known from Ukraine, this study provides new information about the ranges and population identity for these species in southeastern Europe. For example, our analyses substantiate the marked genetic structure reported for A. sylvaticus and document the presence of northern and southern continental lineages of this species in Ukraine that are hypothesized to have been isolated from each other in glacial refugia approximately 1.5 million years ago (>5% genetic divergence). Banks of the Dneiper River in northern Ukraine represent an area of secondary contact for the 2 lineages. Additionally, although application of A. witherbyi as a species-level name is debatable, examination of our genetic and morphological data supports its validity and priority over junior synonyms A. hermonensis and A. iconicus.

The populations of Thomomys bottae in the southern part of the Baja California peninsula have been assigned to several subspecies, mainly because they are isolated and show some morphological differences. In order to assess the status of T. bottae in Baja California, we conducted a survey in all the possible habitats in lowlands of the southern part of the peninsula by collecting specimens and obtaining tissues for genetic analyses. From the 6 subspecies of T. bottae present in Baja California Sur, 560 specimens were collected from 42 localities. A continuous geographical distribution among all the previously described isolate subspecies was confirmed and analysis of variance, analysis of molecular variance, and phylogentic analyses do not show morphologic or genetic differences among groups of the subspecies T. b. anitae, T. b. imitabilis, T. b. incomptus, T. b. litoris, and T. b. magdalenae from the lowlands south of the Vizcaino Desert. Thus, we conclude that these are junior synonyms of T. b. anitae. T. bottae russeolus in the Vizcaino Desert is sufficiently morphologically, morphometrically, and genetically different to be considered as a distinct subspecies.

Sigmodon hispidus, the hispid cotton rat, has a wide geographic distribution and has been the focus of numerous ecological studies; however, patterns of genetic divergence within this species remain largely unknown. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and mitochondrial cytochrome-b DNA sequence analyses were employed to document patterns of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divergence within this species. AFLP analysis of specimens from Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arizona demonstrated that the previously recognized genetic discontinuity dividing S. hispidus into eastern and western mtDNA lineages also was evident in the nuclear genome. The contact zone between these 2 lineages was located in eastern Texas and hybridization was confirmed. The width of the hybrid zone was found to be 3 orders of magnitude greater than the estimated dispersal distance. This, in combination with an absence of linkage disequilibrium within the hybrid zone and its unimodality, suggests that selection is not a strong factor in the maintenance of the hybrid zone.

Nucleotide sequences from the mitochondrial control region and genotypes from 5 nuclear microsatellite loci were used to examine genetic structure and infer recent (within approximately the last 3,000 years) evolutionary history of a population (549 individuals) of the southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus). Observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.61 to 0.89 across microsatellite loci and systematically were lower than expected heterozygosity values (0.66–0.95). Probability of unique identity using microsatellite data was high (1 individual in 66,005,424). Fifty-three mitochondrial haplotypes were obtained from 150 individuals. F_ST values estimated from sequence and microsatellite data were 0.061 and 0.011, respectively, and the R_ST for microsatellite data was 0.007. Within-group genetic variation ranged from 93.90% to 99.99% depending on whether sequence or microsatellite data were examined. Analyses of microsatellite data suggested that all sampled individuals belonged to a single population, albeit genetically diverse. However, combined data analyses suggested the presence of low levels of substructure attributable to maternal lineages within the population. Low nucleotide-diversity values (0.007–0.010) in addition to high haplotype-diversity values (0.915–0.933) indicate a high number of closely related haplotypes, and suggest that this population may have undergone a recent expansion. However, Fu's F_S statistic did not fully support this finding, because it did not reveal a significant excess of recent mutations. A phylogenetic approach using the haplotype sequence data and a combined set including both haplotype and genotype data was used to test for evolutionary patterns and history.

The sea mink (Neovison macrodon (Prentiss, 1903): Mustelinae) was an unusual late-Cenozoic example of an organism that had rapidly evolved toward a marine niche. Except for the otters, it was probably the most aquatic member of the Musteloidea. Its status as a separate species has not been resolved. A larger relative of the American mink (N. vison), it inhabited the shores of New England and possibly the Canadian Maritime Provinces until it was hunted to extinction in the 19th century. Skeletal and skin specimens were not collected by zoologists, but the former are known from Native American archaeological sites. The hypothesis that the sea mink showed dental divergence from N. vison, an indication of systematic and ecological distinctness, was tested on 111 dentally mature mink specimens originally collected from the Turner Farm archaeological site (Penobscot Bay, Maine). These teeth, dating from about 5,000 to 250 years ago, were compared with 158 other specimens measured for this study and published data from 78 individuals, representing 4 subspecies of N. vison and 22 additional musteloid genera. Thirteen dental measurements were taken on all species and studied using regressions, principal component analysis, and significance testing. Based on comparisons with American mink, it appears likely that the archaeological specimens included primarily N. macrodon but also N. vison. Although pairs of species within the Lutrinae and genus Mustela showed divergence comparable to that of N. vison and N. macrodon, the dental proportions of male and female N. vison and of the several N. vison subspecies were nearly identical. These analyses suggest that N. macrodon was sufficiently distinct from N. vison to support its recognition as a separate species.

Data on the shape of teeth can be used to test hypotheses about the relationship between adaptive and stochastic processes involved in morphologic divergence between populations. We used 7 two-dimensional landmarks to quantify shape in the upper 1st molar of the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus, formerly Alopex lagopus) and tested for differences in molar shape between populations. The arctic fox is widely distributed throughout the Holarctic region, is found on several Bering Sea islands, and occurs in a range of habitats. This broad geographic and ecological distribution allowed for simultaneous testing of the relationship between molar shape and several factors including environmental parameters, geographic distances, and time since population divergence. We identified 11 populations for comparison, located from Siberia to Greenland, including 4 Bering Sea island populations. We found that shape differed only slightly among mainland populations, whereas island populations differed significantly from each other and from all mainland populations. Divergence in tooth shape was significantly correlated with geographic distance. Because differences in annual temperature and annual rainfall often underlie differences in local environmental conditions, we used these variables to test for differences in tooth shape resulting from local adaptation. Shape did not correlate significantly with either mean annual temperature or precipitation. Observed divergences in tooth shape between populations may be explained by local adaptation, allometry related to between-population size differences, and stochastic processes. The results are most consistent with a combination of allometry and stochastic processes, but local adaptation cannot be excluded.

Canids form the most widely distributed family within the order Carnivora, with members present in a multitude of different environments from cold arctic to hot, dry deserts. We reviewed the literature and compared 24 data sets available on the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of 12 canid species, accounting for body mass and climate, to examine inter- and intraspecific variations in mass-adjusted BMR between 2 extreme climates (arctic and hot desert). Using both conventional and phylogenetically independent analysis of covariance, we found that canids from the arctic climate zone had significantly higher mass-adjusted BMR than species from hot deserts. Canids not associated with either arctic or desert climates had an intermediate and more variable mass-adjusted BMR. The climate effect also was significant at the intraspecific level in species for which we had data in 2 different climates. Arctic and desert climates represent contrasting combinations of ambient temperatures and water accessibility that require opposite physiological adaptations in terms of metabolism. The fact that BMR varies within species when individuals are subjected to different climate regimes further suggests that climate is an important determinant of BMR.

The doubly labeled water (DLW) method for the measurement of the field metabolic rate (FMR) of free-ranging vertebrates has limitations that are most evident when dealing with very small mammals, such as the nectarivorous marsupial honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus), that exhibit high metabolic rates and elevated rates of water turnover. We tested the efficacy of the radioisotope rubidium-86 (⁸⁶Rb) as an alternative method for estimating FMR in this species in winter in Scott National Park in extreme southwestern Western Australia. We carried out a trial with 58 honey possums injected with a cocktail containing ⁸⁶Rb, tritium, and oxygen-18 and correlated estimates of the FMR using the DLW method with repetitive measurements of the biological elimination rate constant (k_b) of ⁸⁶Rb. The 2 variables were significantly correlated and a linear regression explained 86% of the variation, which increased to 91% with a power curve fit to the data. Successive measurements of k_b in individuals that were repeatedly recaptured over a 12-day period did not differ significantly, nor did the time interval between release and recapture affect the estimate of k_b. The mean error involved in predicting the FMR from the k_b for ⁸⁶Rb was less than 5% and of the same order of magnitude as for the error inherent in the DLW method itself. Although the basic mechanism is unknown, the major advantages of the ⁸⁶Rb method include the much longer time span over which animals may be recaptured and still provide reliable data, and the absence of the need to collect blood from the injected animals. We suggest that further research measuring the k_bs of radioisotopes such as ⁸⁶Rb in other species may lead to viable alternatives for the measurement of FMRs in very small mammals with high rates of metabolism and water turnover.

Pinniped blubber supports multiple functions including thermoregulation, reproduction, and buoyancy. Although blubber depth is frequently used as an indicator of health, the effect of sample site and seasonality are rarely taken into account. We monitored blubber depth via imaging ultrasound at 10 sites monthly for 1 year in 2 adult Steller's sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and 3 adult harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Blubber of harbor seals was thicker and more variable than blubber of sea lions, and was thickest in winter. Changes in harbor seal blubber at all sites tracked variation due to season and mass. Sea lion blubber changed with mass only at specific sites, with no seasonal effect. The differing effects of season, mass, and location on the body must be carefully considered in both species before any interpretation of condition.

The scaling relationship between body weight and fermentation gut capacity presumably impacts dietary patterns of ruminants. Interspecific scaling relationships between body weight and fermentation gut capacity have a slope of 1.0 (isometric scaler) when body weights span ≥3 orders of magnitude. Isometric scaling relationships between body weight and fermentation gut capacity also have been suggested to explain dietary patterns within species, but whether scaling relationships are isometric within a single species is unresolved. We determined if the intraspecific scaling relationship between body weight and fermentation gut capacity was isometric for axis deer (Axis axis) and assessed the influence of reproductive status of females on the scaling relationship. We collected 8 adult male and 21 adult female axis deer from January 2004 to April 2005 at a private ranch in Bastrop County, Texas. Capacity of the rumen–reticulum, cecum, and colon, organs where fermentation occurs, was estimated by calculating wet weight and volume capacity. Forage quality, month that animal was collected, and sex did not influence scaling relationships. Regressions apparently had isometric scalers for fermentation gut capacity but the relationships were not strong, in part because females that were pregnant had smaller fermentative gut capacities than nonreproductive or lactating animals.

Serological indicators of general condition would be helpful for monitoring or assessing ungulate wildlife. Toward that end, we report the 1st reference values for 2 cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), in neonatal elk (Cervus elaphus). We obtained blood samples from 140 calves ≤ 6 days old in Yellowstone National Park during summer 2003–2005. IL-6 values ranged from 0 to 1.21 pg/ml with a median of 0.03 pg/ml. TNF-α values ranged from 0 to 225.43 pg/ml with a median of 1.85 pg/ml. IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were not significant predictors of elk calf survival through 21 days. Development of ungulate-based IL-6 and TNF-α assays that provide greater sensitivity than cross-reacting human-based assays could be helpful in monitoring ungulate condition and health status comparisons among herds. Such information could provide indirect assessments of range quality or environmental influences among herds.

Population performance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is driven largely by survival and reproduction. Knowledge of age-specific reproduction would enhance our understanding of population performance and dynamics relative to intrinsic factors, regulatory mechanisms, and their interaction with extrinsic factors. From 1991 to 2002, we examined serum progesterone as an indicator of pregnancy in free-ranging white-tailed deer (0.5–15.5 years old), age-specific fertility and fecundity, and the potential effect of reproductive senescence on population change. We did not detect relationships between serum progesterone concentrations and Julian date, age, or body mass at capture in 41 confirmed-pregnant, adult (≥1.0-year-old) does. Serum progesterone concentrations of 284 females ranging in age from 0.5 to 15.5 years were distributed bimodally with a narrow peak at 0.0–0.4 ng/ml (composed of samples from 46 of 50 fawns) and a broad peak centered at about 3.6 ng/ml. Only 1 (1.8%) of 55 fawns was pregnant, whereas pregnancy rates were 96.6% (112 of 116) for 2.5–7.5 year olds and 98.5% (64 of 65) for 8.5–15.5 year olds. Among adults, the lowest pregnancy rates occurred in yearlings (87.5%), not in the oldest does. Mean estimated fecundity was 1.3 fetuses per doe in yearlings and was 1.8 fetuses per doe in 2.5–15.5 year olds. We observed no evidence of senescence relative to fertility and fecundity in adult female white-tailed deer up to 15.5 years old. Because older does comprise a relatively small proportion of the population, fecundity rates of these females have little impact on population change (λ); however, their ultimate value to the population may be in their life-long reproductive success and associated genetic contribution.

Our previous investigations of some of the lesser-known canids suggested that deviations from the patterns exhibited by the more extensively studied species such as wolves and coyotes might be found in other canids. We used fecal estrogen and progestin profiles from captive colonies to describe the basic reproductive pattern of island foxes (Urocyon littoralis). Based on sustained increases in levels of fecal progestin as indicative of ovulation, we determined that 11 of 13 females housed with males ovulated. In contrast, we detected no ovulations in 10 females housed alone and only 1 possible ovulation among 10 additional females housed in female–female pairs. Of the 2 females with males that failed to ovulate, 1 did ovulate the subsequent year while with the same male, and the other failed to ovulate when paired with a yearling male, perhaps due to his immaturity and inexperience. Significantly higher fecal estrogen levels in ovulating compared to non-ovulating females suggest that estrus was induced by the presence of a male. However, these results cannot distinguish whether male-induced estrus was followed by an induced or spontaneous ovulation, because estrogen levels indicative of estrus were always followed by ovulation. Fecal cortisol levels did not differ by ovulatory status, indicating that ovulation was not inhibited by stress mediated by glucocorticoids. Our results are the 1st to provide evidence of induced estrus, perhaps followed by induced ovulation, in a canid species, features that could have selective advantage for this less social, more secretive canid.

Observing mating behaviors in wild populations is difficult because of the relative infrequency of copulations, nocturnal habits of many species, and possible observer effects on behavior. However, the development of genetic techniques has enabled the outcome of reproductive activities to be examined by sampling young and potential parents. Our objective was to examine paternity in a population of free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor) in southern Illinois using 10 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. We determined genotypes for 183 individuals, including 35 young from 11 litters. Most litters (X̄ = 3.2 young/litter ± 0.4 SE) had multiple sires, as indicated by >2 paternal alleles at each locus; ≥88% of 8 litters with >2 young were sired by multiple males. These results indicate that females mate with multiple males during estrus. We also found evidence that at least 1 male mated with multiple females. Sires (75%; n = 8) were usually trapped <500 m from the locations where dams were trapped. In this raccoon population, the mating system is best described as promiscuous. We hypothesize that this pattern of breeding behavior is influenced by a male-biased sex ratio and high population density of raccoons on the study area.

Social groups of philopatric female kin coupled with male-biased dispersal characterize many mammalian species. Such groups exhibit genetic properties, or gene dynamics (i.e., changes in genetic correlations), that potentially facilitate the evolution of group cohesion and cooperation. When groups fission, changes in gene dynamics occur that might affect cooperation. The distribution of females among coalitions newly formed via fission also may promote reproductive success by alleviating intraspecific competition. Families of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), called coteries, were observed during a 15-year study at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, and pedigrees of individuals were determined from livetrapping and electrophoretic analyses of paternity. We investigated the importance of coterie size, coterie density, and coancestry on the probability of fission; the effect of fissions on survivorship and territorial boundaries of coteries; and gene dynamics during and after fissions. Most new coteries occupied a subsection of the original territory. New coteries that contained a single female became extinct after about 1 year and their territories were usurped by adjacent coteries. Large coteries were more likely than smaller coteries to fission, but female coancestry within coteries usually did not influence the likelihood of fission, or the individuals that banded together in new groups. Members of new coteries interacted hostilely in the year after fission, but 1 or 2 generations elapsed before the new coteries became genetically distinct. We conclude that fission is probably driven by intraspecific competition within coteries rather than coancestry, and that coancestry does not explain the abrupt cessation of cooperation between individuals of the new coteries that result from fission.

Space use and movements of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are difficult to study with very-high-frequency radiocollars. We deployed global positioning system (GPS) collars on 11 lynx in Minnesota to study their seasonal space-use patterns. We estimated home ranges with minimum-convex-polygon and fixed-kernel methods and estimated core areas with area/probability curves. Fixed-kernel home ranges of males (range = 29–522 km²) were significantly larger than those of females (range = 5–95 km²) annually and during the denning season. Some male lynx increased movements during March, the month most influenced by breeding activity. Lynx core areas were predicted by the 60% fixed-kernel isopleth in most seasons. The mean core-area size of males (range = 6–190 km²) was significantly larger than that of females (range = 1–19 km²) annually and during denning. Most female lynx were reproductive animals with reduced movements, whereas males often ranged widely between Minnesota and Ontario. Sensitivity analyses examining the effect of location frequency on home-range size suggest that the home-range sizes of breeding females are less sensitive to sample size than those of males. Longer periods between locations decreased home-range and core-area overlap relative to the home range estimated from daily locations. GPS collars improve our understanding of space use and movements by lynx by increasing the spatial extent and temporal frequency of monitoring and allowing home ranges to be estimated over short periods that are relevant to life-history characteristics.

The manner in which space is utilized by animals is influenced by several factors, including habitat quality and the distribution and abundance of resources. We used 4 years (2000–2003) of radiotelemetry data to investigate the space-use pattern of female Florida black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) in the Ocala National Forest and an adjacent residential community of Lynne, north-central Florida. Annual home-range size (95% fixed kernel density estimator) ranged from 3.8 km² to 126.9 km², and averaged (± SE) 24.2 ± 3.55 km². Home ranges were largest during 2000 when a drought led to a forest-wide mast failure, suggesting that abundance of food resources can substantially influence space-use pattern. Home-range sizes during autumn (19.92 ± 4.59 km²) were substantially larger than during summer (8.26 ± 0.99 km²). Although annual home-range size did not differ between the 2 study sites, home ranges in summer were smaller in Lynne (5.30 ± 1.01 km²) than in Ocala National Forest (9.82 ± 1.29 km²), whereas home ranges in autumn were twice as large in Lynne (35.76 ± 13.91 km²) as in Ocala National Forest (13.24 ± 1.80 km²). We suggest that site-specific differences in the size of seasonal home range are due to differences in habitat characteristics and the degree of habitat fragmentation between the 2 study sites.

We examined variation in foraging- and roosting-range size in the tent-making bat Artibeus watsoni. We radiotracked 42 individuals at 2 sites in the Golfito Wildlife Refuge and 6 sites at Corcovado National Park, southwestern Costa Rica. Average home-range size of A. watsoni was the smallest recorded for a bat species (3.6 ha). Site, age, reproductive status, habitat, and season all had significant effects on foraging ranges, but sex and population abundance did not. Bats from the most productive sites, such as primary forests, had smaller foraging ranges, and subadults ranged farther than adults. During the dry season, females in late pregnancy had the smallest foraging ranges of all, most likely as a result of flight constraints imposed by the large fetus and an increase in fruit availability. Conversely, lactating females sampled during the early rainy season had among the largest foraging ranges. Males had significantly smaller roosting ranges than females, and adult bats sampled from areas of low roost abundance and high population abundance had smaller roosting ranges. However, subadults appeared to be unaffected by such changes in resource abundance, perhaps because they often roost in unmodified leaves. Although differences in resource availability and competition were important in determining roosting-range size, these effects were concealed by effects of reproductive activities such as mating, pregnancy, and lactation. Reproductive condition, along with foraging and roosting resource abundance, were largely responsible for determining ranging patterns in A. watsoni, but factors influenced foraging- and roosting-range size in different ways.

The marine otter (Lontra felina) is a little-known South American otter of conservation concern. We report the 1st detailed information on its activity patterns, home ranges, core areas, and territoriality from 6 otters radiotracked near a fishing village in central Chile. Marine otters were solitary; females exhibited intrasexual territoriality, but there was no territoriality between males or between sexes. Home ranges were ≤4,134 m long and <110 m wide, and range size did not differ between sexes. Marine otters spent 81% of their time on land, mostly resting, with no preference for day or night. Hence, core areas were associated with resting places and dens. Otters concentrated their activity in the littoral zone associated with refuges on land and with fishing waste, which was used as a food resource. Availability of land refuges, combined with their proximity to food resources, could be a decisive factor influencing the distribution of L. felina.

Nests are important structures for the reproduction and survival of many organisms. We studied nest-site selection by the Mexican red-bellied squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster) in an oak–pine forest located south of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. We quantified 20 habitat characteristics and 6 nest characteristics for a total of 90 nest sites. Nest sites were compared with 90 random sites in parts of the forest where we always found nests (availability), and with 90 random sites in portions of the study area where we never located nests (unused sites). Nests were built in the tallest and largest trees and close to the main trunk. Unused sites are limiting the nesting capacity of squirrels apparently because these sites maintain a lower density of trees compared with nest sites. Two of the 6 characteristics quantified for nests were significantly associated with habitat characteristics where squirrels built nests. Quercus candicans was the tree species most widely used for nesting during the wet season, whereas Q. laurina was commonly used in the dry season, apparently in relation to the periods of mast production.

We evaluated the effects of land use on the distribution of 3 sympatric species of armadillos, Chaetophractus villosus, C. vellerosus, and Dasypus hybridus, on 34 farms in the eastern Pampas. We characterized 4 soil and vegetation variables around each burrow located during surveys of these farms, and related burrow abundance to 10 variables used to characterize each farm. C. vellerosus was the most specialized, using primarily native woodlands and areas with calcareous soil. D. hybridus was associated with natural grasslands and avoided cultivated pastures, and was negatively related to the number of dogs that lived on the farms. C. villosus, the most abundant species, was found in all 4 types of habitats, but its distribution depended on the intensity of hunting on each farm.

We studied daily activity patterns of 19 (7 males and 12 females) adult red deer (Cervus elaphus) by using continuous tracking sessions in Białowieża National Park (BNP), Poland, from 2001 to 2004. Male and female red deer were active throughout the day and night during all seasons, with several peaks in activity during the 24-h period, although both sexes tended to be more active during the day in winter. There were no significant differences between males and females in mean time active (8 h/day for both sexes), mean length of activity bouts (42 min), and mean number of activity bouts (12 bouts/day). Additionally, neither sex showed seasonal differences in hours active, bout length, or number of bouts per day. However, rainfall affected activity of males, whereas ambient temperature and snowfall affected activity of females. Although red deer are sexually dimorphic, which often leads to differences in movements and social groupings, our results suggest that their general activity patterns are influenced less by these sexual differences and more by the constraints of feeding and rumination, daily abiotic factors, and possibly predation risk from wolves (Canis lupus). Red deer in BNP did not exhibit strong bimodal peaks in activity at dawn and dusk as shown in previous studies, likely because strict limits on human activities in BNP allowed red deer to base their activity more on natural factors than on human-related factors.

We determined the feeding habits, including seasonal and annual variations in diet composition, of the Jalapan pine vole (Microtus quasiater), an endemic rodent from Mexico. During 3 annual cycles, feces were collected on a monthly basis from a population located in a mountain cloud forest at Apulco, Puebla, Mexico. Microscope slides were prepared from each fecal sample, and fragments of food items were identified by comparison with photomicrographic references. Thirty-six plant species occurred in the diet, representing more than 60% of the identified plant species in our study area. Roots, sedge heads, seeds, dicotyledonous flowers, and fungi each contributed less than 10% of the diet. This rodent consumed 85% of the monocotyledonous species present in the area, but only 50% of the dicotyledonous species. The diet showed seasonal and yearly differences. M. quasiater remained highly selective in its diet.

We present the 1st data on the diet of the Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobitus), and the 1st on the colocolo (Leopardus colocolo) and the culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) in high-altitude deserts of northern Argentina, based on fecal analysis. Feces of Andean mountain cats and colocolos were distinguished by DNA analysis. The Andean mountain cat (n = 57) was the most specialized, relying heavily on southern mountain vizcachas (Lagidium viscacia). The colocolo (n = 504) also was specialized, consuming mostly cricetine rodents and tuco-tucos (Ctenomys). The culpeo (n = 399) was a generalist, consuming all prey items that the cats used, and a greater variety of invertebrates. Short-tailed chinchillas (Chinchilla chinchilla) were found in 3 culpeo feces, indicating that this rodent, considered extinct in Argentina, is still present in the wild. Both southern mountain vizcachas and tuco-tucos have a patchy distribution, indicating that very large areas may be required to support populations of the cats that depend on these prey species.

From 1999 to 2005, we sampled the bat fauna of Catalonia (northeastern Spain, Mediterranean region) using 3 methods (bat detectors, mist nets, and roost surveys) and determined the total number of bat species present (S = 22). Twelve bat species and 5 acoustic groups (≥5 different species) were identified using bat detectors, 17 species were found during roost inspections, and 13 species were trapped using mist nets. However, mist nets yielded the highest species richness per number of individuals sampled, as demonstrated by rarefaction. Some species were always either over- or undersampled according to the sampling method used. We also evaluated 3 guilds of bats defined by summer roost preferences, documenting a significant correlation between guild and detection method; cavity-roosting bats were underrepresented when only bat detectors and mist-net surveys were used, whereas rock crevices or man-made structure and tree guilds were underrepresented when only roosts were surveyed. Different techniques should be used to assess the richness of bat communities and we recommend combining all the methods described above in future bat surveys.