One of the most fundamental questions in animal ecology concerns the activity patterns of animals and the environmental and intrinsic factors that influence such dynamics. Activity patterns of the elusive and endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are not well understood. Using GPS collars equipped with dual-axis accelerometers on captive and wild giant pandas for the first time, we investigated the impact of day, season, and weather on wild panda activity in Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Most pandas were not crepuscular as previously reported but had 3 apparent activity peaks, in the morning, afternoon, and around midnight. We found a peak in panda activity in June, then an apparent decrease in August and September, followed by an increase again from November to March of the following year. Activity patterns roughly corresponded to mean daily movement distances across seasons and movement behavior in a GPS-collared captive panda (studied to establish a baseline for interpreting collar-recorded activity of wild pandas). There was greater activity in times of higher solar radiation throughout every season, especially under cold conditions. This result suggests the potential for climate change to impact panda behavior in ways not previously reported. Our analysis also suggests that pandas may be constrained by tight energy budgets from their low-nutrient diet and may adjust their energy budgets by modifying their activity time and level across seasons. Our study has implications for understanding animal activity patterns across species, particularly relationships among forage, weather, and energy expenditure over time.

For bats, when secondary sexual dimorphism is significant, females typically are larger than males. Moreover, in mammals, variation in the degree of sexual dimorphism often follows an allometric relationship whereby differences vary with body size (Rensch's rule). We examined sexual dimorphism across the New World clade of Myotis regarding species-specific and clade-wide patterns of body, cranium, and wing size, Rensch's rule and degree to which such morphological variation is related to phylogeny. Size differences were common with significant cases of both male-biased and female-biased sexual dimorphism. In more than half the cases, females were larger than males. Variation in degree of dimorphism exhibited an allometric pattern. Nonetheless, slope of the relationship between size and degree of dimorphism was no different from unity (i.e., isometry), failing to support Rensch's rule. There was a strong and significant relationship between phylogeny and morphological variation but not between phylogeny and degree of dimorphism. Patterns suggest that differences between males and females enhance aerodynamic capabilities of females whereby larger mothers can overcome constraints on flight due to the mass of large fetuses and newborns.

We used the imported red-fire ant (Solenopsis invicta; hereafter fire ant) and hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) as model species to address the population-level effects of an invasive ant on a semiprecocial small mammal. We stocked cotton rats into 8 enclosures, implementing a 2-way factorial design with predator (ambient or excluded) and fire ant (ambient or reduced) treatments as factors. We trapped monthly from June 2012 to June 2013 and calculated monthly recruitment and survival. Rats in enclosures with ambient predators had a risk of mortality approximately 2 times greater than rats in enclosures with predators excluded. The risk of mortality was 3 and 4.5 times greater for female and male cotton rats, respectively, in enclosures with ambient fire ants and predators compared to enclosures with reduced fire ants and excluded predators. We found no effects on recruitment. Our results indicate that native predators had the greatest influence on cotton rat populations. Nevertheless, in the absence of other predators, the effects of fire ants on cotton rat survival are compensatory.

Arvicoline rodents serve as model organisms for investigating the intricacies of ecological/evolutionary feedbacks that characterize multiannual fluctuations in abundance. A population of California voles (Microtus californicus) in central California was followed for 3.5 years using 4 small grids located 50 m apart. Blood samples were scored for 4 polymorphic allozyme loci by starch gel electrophoresis. These were carefully chosen for their potential to reveal details of genetic structuring among demes. A low density of voles developed into a peak followed by a rapid decline to low density. Heterozygosity averaged 20.2% (n = 709) with loci-specific shifts associated with density, season, and cyclic phase. Statistically significant heterogeneity in genotypic and allelic frequencies among the grids was found for 3 of the loci. Pairwise comparisons among the grids for each locus separately (n = 24) yielded 11 significantly disparate pairs for genotypic frequencies and 10 for alleles. Significant correlations with cyclic phase were found at 1 locus (leucine aminopeptidase). Spatial differentiation among grid pairs (F_ST) ranged up to a 12-fold difference. F_ST values stratified by cyclic phase showed the highest levels in the pre-high phase and the lowest in the postpeak. A “founder/flush” model with sequential phases of semi-isolated low-density demes followed by panmixia at high densities, and then a density crash is supported. This pattern is postulated to facilitate adaptive evolution.

We observed an interspecies association between wild Javan lutungs (Trachypithecus auratus) and rusa deer (Rusa timorensis). In this association, the former drops plant items that the latter subsequently consumes (glean). We investigated whether the association is beneficial for deer that inhabit tropical regions characterized by drastic seasonal changes. Between 2011 and 2013, we conducted field surveys in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, Indonesia. We observed 248 gleaning events; the total duration (60.1 h) of these gleaning events corresponded to approximately 4% of the lutung observation time. Deer consumed 39 items dropped by lutungs; these items belonged to 28 plant species and included leaves, fruits, and flowers. Gleaning events occurred more frequently during months when rainfall was low and few herbaceous plants grew in grassland patches. Gleaned foods were significantly heavier than non-gleaned foods. Our findings imply that the lutung—deer association is beneficial to deer, by improving nutritional condition during seasons with low food resources.

Genetic diversity represents the evolutionary potential of a population, and allows insights into its demographic history and genetic structure; understanding these aspects of a population is crucial for conservation planning. The Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is distributed from Argentina to Northern Mexico and is currently listed as ‘data deficient' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To contribute to conservation planning for the species, we used non-invasive sampling to obtain mtDNA control region sequences from 44 individuals from across Mexico. We examined country-wide genetic diversity and demographic history, as well as genetic structure among 3 regions: North Pacific, South Pacific, and Atlantic. Haplotypes identified in Mexico were combined with Central and South American haplotypes in order to examine phylogeographic patterns and identify evolutionary significant units (ESUs). Results show lower genetic diversity in Mexico compared to recent estimates for South American populations. Analyses of demographic history in Mexico indicated an expansion coinciding with climatic changes at the end of the Pleistocene. Genetic structure was high among North Pacific/ South Pacific (F_ST = 0.48) and North Pacific/Atlantic (F_ST = 0.49), potentially due to mountain chains acting as barriers to female gene flow among these regions. On the other hand, we identified a potential corridor for gene flow among South Pacific and Atlantic. Phylogeographic analyses identified a distinct lineage distributed in North and Central America. We propose this represents a distinctive ESU which should be considered for separate conservation management.

Evidence for territoriality is usually correlative or post hoc as we observe the results of past selection that are challenging to detect. Wolves (Canis lupus) are considered territorial because of competition for food (resource defense), yet they exhibit classic intrinsic behaviors of social regulation (protection against infanticide). This emphasis on prey and infrequent opportunity to observe wild wolf behavior has led to little investigation into the causes of or competitive underpinnings in the evolution of wolf territoriality. We report 6 cases of territorial wolf packs attacking neighboring packs at or near their den; 2 attacks were observed in detail. In all cases, except perhaps one, the attacking pack killed adult wolves either at the den or near it; in 4 cases, pups were probably lost. Loss of pups led to future loss of territory and in one case pack cessation. Intraspecific killing (measured in collared adults only) peaked in April, the month when pups were born and helpless in dens, even though aggressive interactions were at their seasonal low. Twelve of 13 (92%) of the wolves killed during the denning season (March, April, May) were reproductive (males and females), and 8 of 12 were dominant individuals (highest ranking wolf for that sex in the pack). Wolf—wolf killings were also high in October and December, the beginning and middle of the nomadic season, respectively. Aggressive interactions were more frequent during the nomadic season when wolves were roaming their territory as a group compared to the denning season when wolf activity was centered on the den and pack members less cohesive. We conclude that attacks on dens are a more effective form of interpack competition than interference during the breeding season, the current best-supported hypothesis, and that protected pup-rearing space is the primary cause of wolf territoriality.

For effective species management, understanding population structure and distribution is critical. However, quantifying population structure is not always straightforward. Within the Southern Hemisphere, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) complex is extremely diverse but difficult to study. Using automated detector methods, we identified “acoustic populations” of whales producing region-specific call types. We examined blue whale call types in passive acoustic data at sites spanning over 7,370 km across the southeast Indian Ocean and southwest Pacific Ocean (SWPO) from 2009 to 2012. In the absence of genetic resolution, these acoustic populations offer unique information about the blue whale population complex. We found that the Australian continent acts as a geographic boundary, separating Australia and New Zealand blue whale acoustic populations at the junction of the Indian and Pacific Ocean basins. We located blue whales in previously undocumented locations, including the far SWPO, in the Tasman Sea off the east coast of Australia, and along the Lau Basin near Tonga. Our understanding of population dynamics across this broad scale has significant implications to recovery and conservation management for this endangered species, at a regional and global scale.

Characterizing the spatial arrangement of related individuals within populations can convey information about opportunities for the evolution of kin-selected social behaviors, the potential for inbreeding, and the geographic distribution of genetic variation. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are socially monogamous rodents that sometimes breed cooperatively. Individuals of both sexes are highly philopatric, and among natal dispersers, the average dispersal distance is about 30 m. Such limited natal dispersal can result in the spatial clustering of kin and we used microsatellite data to estimate genetic relatedness among resident adult prairie voles in 2 natural populations to test the hypothesis that limited natal dispersal of male and female prairie voles results in the spatial clustering of kin. Spatial autocorrelation analyses of nest residency and microsatellite data indicated that proximate same-sex adult residents of both sexes were significantly more related than more spatially distant resident samesex adults in Kansas. In Indiana, adult female voles residing less than 20 m apart were also significantly more related than more spatially distant resident adult females but spatial clustering of kin was not detected among resident adult males. The spatial clustering of kin indicates that opportunities for kin-selected behaviors exist in both populations, especially among females. Differences in the patterns of spatial genetic structure among resident males between the Kansas and Indiana populations may be due to population differences in factors such as demography and mating system, as well as in the extent of natal philopatry.

Many mammals have been reported to significantly bias their offspring sex ratios, but these deviations from equality have been difficult to understand and are often inconsistent even within the same species. Evolutionary theory predicts a number of scenarios where females should bias their investment to one sex over the other; when fitness returns are sex specific, selection favors the facultative adjustment of offspring sex ratios to the sex with the highest inclusive fitness return. Interpreting sex allocation in mammals within the framework of classic sex allocation theory is challenging given the complex life histories and social interactions of species, hence it is likely that there are multiple mechanisms and selective forces dependent upon maternal and environmental drivers. Here, we show the previously demonstrated condition-dependent sex allocation in bridled nailtail wallabies (Onychogalea fraenata), where females in better condition were more likely to have sons, was reversed under high population densities and elevated maternal stress. In this solitary species, an elevated glucocorticoid stress response under unnaturally high densities likely influences adaptive sex allocation to the dispersive sex, consistent with the local resource competition theory. Managing factors such as population density, maternal stress, and food resources may be used to adjust offspring sex ratios in this endangered species.

Extinction risk in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) has been linked to their wide-ranging movement behavior. However, drivers of variability in African wild dog ranging are not well understood. This study examines the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on ranging patterns and describes scale-dependent and intra-annual variation in the ranging of 5 packs of African wild dogs in the Okavango Delta from 2007 to 2010. 95% fixed kernel home ranges ( = 739 ± 81 km²) and daily step lengths ( = 8.5 ± 0.5 km) in this study are larger than have generally been reported for African wild dogs elsewhere. Little seasonal variation in daily ranging distances was observed despite home-range contractions during denning to 27% of packs' ranges outside the denning period. During nondenning periods, litter size was the most influential driver of ranging patterns, with large litters associated with reduced pack movements and smaller home ranges at all temporal scales. Pack size was also a significant driver of home-range size (but not daily distance travelled) at weekly timescales, where larger packs utilized smaller ranges. Daily temperatures were inversely related to home-range size and step length at short timescales, while higher flood levels were related to reduced ranging distances at intermediate timescales. Our results indicate that extrinsic drivers of African wild dog ranging behavior tend to be scale dependent, while intrinsic factors may be more influential for ranging patterns than previously reported.

We investigate the cranial, mandibular, and dental ontogeny of the pacarana Dinomys branickii, the only extant species of the rodent family Dinomyidae. A bivariate allometric study (via reduced major axis), including 21 variables from the skull and 6 from the lower jaw on samples varying from 21 to 32 specimens, was produced. Results of the analyses indicate fast growth in the rostrum and palatal length but isometric growth in nasal width, rostral height, and length of the upper diastema. Positive allometry is also present in mandibular length, in retromolar length of the lower jaw, and, especially, in height of the articular process. Negative allometry is found in the length and width of the tympanic bulla, braincase width, width of the occipital condyles, and occipital height. We document for the 1st time the presence of a 3rd premolar (dP3), represented by a tiny, rooted element, and which is lost in early postnatal ontogeny. Replacement of dP4/dp4 occurs after eruption of M3/m3. The complete eruption of P4/p4 happens when M3/m3 are fully functional. Ontogenetic changes in the postnatal ontogeny of the skull of D. branickii are mostly related to the development of the occlusal system and action of associated muscles. This is evidenced by rapid growth of the facial region, a deepening and strengthening of the temporal and occipital regions and a widening of the posterior portion of the palate which is related to the eruption and replacement of molariform teeth. Some observed that craniomandibular trends in the ontogeny of D. branickii are reflected in the size of Ctenohystrica taxa, with small species of this lineage showing features similar to those of juveniles of D. branickii and large species resembling adults of the pacarana.

The red brocket (Mazama americana) and gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) are sympatric in the Atlantic Forest and present a number of ecological similarities in their diet and habitat use, although interspecific competition in these species is poorly understood. This study aimed to compare abundance and produce evidence of niche partitioning between these species. We estimated population density, activity patterns, habitat occupancy, and detection probabilities for the 2 species in a large remnant of the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Abundance was estimated using the distance sampling technique, and occupancy, detectability, and activity patterns were assessed using camera-trap monitoring at 39 sample sites over a 1-year period. During surveys, we obtained 44 sightings of M. americana and 74 of M. gouazoubira, with 199 records in which the species was not discriminated. We applied a correction for the unidentified sightings to avoid underestimating density. The corrected population size estimates were 3,668 individuals (confidence interval [CI] 95%: 2,989–4,601) for M. americana and 6,701 (CI 95%: 5,857–7,667) for M. gouazoubira. Occupancy probability for M. americana was best described by the large trees density (diameter at breast height > 50 cm) and the edge forest distance, while M. gouazoubira did not present any habitat preferences based on the covariates used for modeling. M. americana was mostly nocturnal, whereas M. gouazoubira was active mainly during the day. We conclude that, despite the abundance of these sympatric species, and their occupation of the same habitats, they may avoid competing for habitat and feeding resources through differences in their activity patterns.

This study reports the phylogenetic relationships of 13 species of lasiurine bats using 4 loci from mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA. Our results support a sister taxon relationship between the red and hoary bats, with the yellow bats being more distantly related. Several taxonomic revisions are suggested based on the results of this study. We support the recognition of 3 separate genera: Lasiurus (red bats), Dasypterus (yellow bats), and Aeorestes (hoary bats, including A. egregius which groups more closely to the hoary bats than its traditional placement with the red bats). We recognize L. frantzii as a distinct species and recognize L. blossevillii salinae as a subspecies rather than species. We elevate 3 previously recognized subspecies of A. cinereus to specific status. The phylogeography of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat is studied in detail, and hoary bats are found to have undergone multiple invasions of the Hawaiian Islands from North America over its evolutionary history. We also report the presence of 2 species of Aeorestes on the Hawaiian Islands where only one previously had been known.

The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is widely distributed in Europe and has been down-listed from Vulnerable to Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List in 2004 following successful conservation interventions. River otter recoveries were driven by active and passive protection of wetlands and a decrease in environmental pollutants. In Hungary, although otter populations have been stable in recent decades, there is little information available regarding genetic diversity, population genetic or phylogeographic structure, and potential barriers affecting gene flow. This study, therefore, aimed to determine genetic diversity and structure across the range of this species in Hungary. To achieve this, we analyzed 255 tissue samples collected since 2002, mainly from road-kill incidents, in various regions of Hungary. We found a relatively high level of genetic diversity in Hungarian otter populations (expected heterozygosity: 0.69–0.74; mean number of alleles per locus: 6.8–7.7). At a regional level, we identified 2 distinct genetic clusters corresponding to 2 river basins (Danube and Tisza). We also identified isolation by distance and patterns of genetic differentiation that appear to reflect population divergence of otters that are spatially restricted to one of these 2 river basins. Our results show the strong influence of river networks on population structure and genetic divergence in otters and provide a framework for the development of conservation management plans for otters in Hungary.

Artificial linear structures can cause habitat fragmentation by restricting movements of animals and altering home ranges. The negative impacts of these linear structures, especially of those other than roads, on arboreal species have been rarely studied even though these species can be greatly affected because of their fidelity to the canopy. We studied the home ranges of an endangered arboreal marsupial, the western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis), with a focus on the impacts of a road and an artificial waterway on their movement. We radiotracked 18 females and 19 males along a major road and an artificial waterway near Busselton, Western Australia, for 3 years and estimated home ranges using an a-local convex hull (a-LoCoH) estimator. No possum crossed the road successfully during the monitoring period while one crossed the waterway. Males had a mean home range size of 0.31 ± 0.044 (SE) ha, almost double that of the females at 0.16 ± 0.017 ha. Possums near the waterway had larger home ranges (0.30 ± 0.048 ha) than those near the road (0.19 ± 0.027 ha), and the size increased with proximity to the waterway, probably due to the greater availability of nearby canopy connections and the lower availability of preferable foliage. These results demonstrate that both the road and waterway represent significant physical barriers to possums, and the artificial waterway influenced home ranges more severely than the road. This suggests that linear infrastructure other than roads can affect movements of strictly arboreal animals, and negative impacts of these structures need to be assessed and mitigated by reconnecting their habitat, just as those of roads.

Tree squirrels are important components of ecosystems but to understand their role, we must learn how squirrels select and use habitat. Tree squirrel species richness is highest in the tropics and, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is also where the greatest number of data deficient species occurs. The Neotropical pygmy squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus) is one of these species. In 2009 and 2010, we conducted distance sampling to estimate population density, we measured vegetation variables to investigate forest characteristics that influence habitat selection at 3 different scales, and conducted observations to obtain knowledge about activity patterns and behavior of Neotropical pygmy squirrels in igapó forest in the Peruvian Amazon. Density of squirrels was 0.10 and 0.14 individuals/ha, respectively, for each year. Squirrel activity peaked at 0800 h, individuals were found mainly in the canopy and never on the ground, and frequency of squirrel behaviors differed by time and story level. Squirrels mainly used high and low restinga and areas that had more trees that were ≥ 30 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)/ha compared to random areas in our site in igapó forest. Squirrels used trees that were larger in DBH, taller, and had a larger live crown compared to random trees. Neotropical pygmy squirrels are associated with features related to mature forests.

The taxonomic status of subspecies of Hipposideros pomona (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in China is controversial and uncertain. To explore the differences and subspecies differentiation in H. pomona from different regions of China, we conducted a series of bat surveys from 2011 to 2014. We performed multivariate morphometric analyses using 16 external and 21 skull measurements based on 100 samples and compared DNA sequence divergence. The results revealed distinct differences in both the external and skull measurements of H. pomona. The Cytb and COΙ; sequence divergences of H. pomona from 3 regions ranged from 6.0% to 8.5% and 5.2% to 8.0%, respectively, which reached the levels required for subspecies classification. In contrast, the RAG1 gene was not considered to be a good molecular marker for identifying subspecies because the sequence divergence was 0–0.7% within a region and 0–0.8% among regions. Both the morphological and molecular results of this study supported the conclusion that H. pomona from the Min-Guang coastal (SM), South Yunnan (SY), and Hainan Island (SH) subregions in South China belonged to different subspecies. The SM population represents H. p. sinesis, and the SH population may be a unique subspecies. Whether the SY population belongs to H. p. gentilis requires further study.

Reduction of summer sea ice extent has led some polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations to increase their use of land during the summer/autumn open-water period. While terrestrial food resources are generally not sufficient to compensate for lost hunting opportunities on the sea ice, marine mammal carcasses, where available, could help reduce the energetic cost of longer periods of land use. Subsistence-harvested bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) remains are available annually near local communities along the Alaskan portion of the Beaufort Sea coast to bears that come to shore. Relatively large numbers of polar bears and some grizzly bears (U. arctos) use these resources, creating a competitive environment among species and social classes. We documented competitive interactions among polar bears and between polar and grizzly bears for bowhead whale remains adjacent to a small community in northeastern Alaska in September 2005–2007. We observed temporal partitioning of the resource by bears, with lone adult polar bears and grizzly bears primarily feeding at night, and higher use by polar bear family groups and subadults during dawn and dusk. Interspecific interactions were less frequently aggressive than intraspecific interactions, but polar bears were more likely to be displaced from the feeding site by grizzly bears than by conspecifics. Female polar bears with cubs were more likely to display aggressive behavior than other social classes during intra- and interspecific aggressive interactions. Our results indicate that grizzly bears are socially dominant during interspecific competition with polar bears for marine mammal carcasses during autumn.

Many animal taxa exhibit intersexual differences in sociality and resource selection that can result in variation in energy allocation budgets. Asymmetry of reproductive energetics between sexes can lead to intersexual variation in behavior to maximize lifetime reproductive success. Temperate bats show marked intersexual differences during summer when sexual segregation occurs. Although some intersexual differences have been shown in activities during the autumn mating period, they have not been examined in the context of fitness consequences for each sex. We studied autumn swarming activity of little brown and northern myotis bats (Myotis lucifugus and M. septentrionalis) in Nova Scotia, Canada, to test predictions of the hypothesis that intersexual variation in swarming behaviors occurs to maximize fitness. We conducted capture—mark—recapture surveys at swarming sites to characterize the nature and extent of intersexual variation in swarming activities. Relative to females, males occurred in disproportionally large numbers; had longer swarming seasons overlapping the female swarming season; and accounted for a disproportionately large number of recaptures at swarming sites suggesting that they had returned more frequently. No movements among swarming sites, which ranged in pairwise distance from 27.9 to 98.9 km, were detected for either species. Activity at swarming sites was highest early in the season for both species. As predicted, males engaged more frequently in swarming activities than females which likely reflect males maximizing opportunities for mating. Although their activities overlap during this period, differences suggest sex-specific activity budgets and it is likely that for each sex, individuals reconcile energetic constraints differently to maximize fitness.

Prey can enhance their survival by eliciting an appropriate response to predators. Theoretically, prey should distinguish odors of predators and nonpredators. The manifestation of defensive antipredator behaviors has been extensively researched in domestic species (i.e., the relationship between laboratory-bred rats and domestic cats). However, little is known about the expression of these behaviors in wild rodents. Studies have so far focused on quantitative assessments of cost—benefit trade-offs or giving-up densities. We examined the expression of finescale defensive behaviors in Arnhem rock rats (Zyzomys maini) in response to fecal cues from 2 predators (the northern quoll [Dasyurus hallucatus] and the dingo [Canis dingo]), a nonpredator (the short-eared rock-wallaby [Petrogale brachyotis]), and a control (water). We adapted a predator-odor avoidance apparatus that has been widely used for domestic rodent studies to film the behavior of wild rock rats in a captive environment. Rock rats did not alter their behavior in the presence of odors of nonpredators, predators, or controls. In the current study, individual rock rats behaved in a consistent manner across time, and we identified 3 individually consistent behaviors which may suggest the existence of personality traits in this species. We suggest that these individual differences may influence wild rock rat behavior more than predation risk. These differences should therefore be taken into consideration when investigating behavioral responses to predators in wild populations.

Mouse lemurs (Microcebus) are solitary, experience heavy predation, and use torpor to conserve energy, so an individual's choice of daytime sleeping site can have a major impact on its fitness. Sharing a sleeping site may strengthen social bonds or insulate against fluctuating ambient temperatures. Changing sites often may prevent tracking by predators. Choosing a site in a hole in an old, thick tree may allow for longer and deeper torpor. The aim of this paper is to provide a preliminary characterization of sleeping site selection and use in Microcebus rufus, the brown mouse lemur. We trapped mouse lemurs in disturbed forests in the peripheral zone of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, and tracked 7 individuals using temperature-sensitive radiocollars. Radiotracked individuals shared sleeping sites concurrently and serially and slept in same-sex and mixed-sex groups. They slept in tree holes as well as in piles of leaves on branches. Radiotracked individuals tended to use higher-diameter at breast height trees, and in one site, tall trees were also used more often. Preference for and reuse of well-insulated sleeping sites suggests that thermoregulation is a primary concern for winter sleeping site selection in M. rufus. If such sites are of limited availability in disturbed sites, the ability for M. rufus to maintain torpor during the winter may also be limited. Conservation efforts must include preservation of older trees in order to maintain thermoregulatory refuges in disturbed habitats that support lasting mouse lemur populations.

Frugivorous phyllostomid bats are a diverse group and one of the major partners of fleshy-fruited plants in seed dispersal mutualisms. The first step towards comprehension of mechanisms shaping the structure of highly diverse phyllostomids assemblages is to gather information about diet composition and to study the variations in the use of fruits across space. Herein we tested whether frugivorous phyllostomids changes the use of its fruits where fruit offer may change with the altitude and latitude. Particularity, using 1,525 dietary records from 20 sites, we evaluated the spatial use of Solanum, Piper and other fruits by two syntopic and similar species of Sturnira bats from Northwestern Argentina. The relationship between dietary compositions and spatial variables was studied through Dirichlet statistical regressions. Additionally, we constructed predictive models of diets in function of latitude and altitude by estimating the parameters of Dirichlet distributions, and compared then their behavior. Both bats showed spatial changes in the diets. However, in taking into account the overall pattern of predicted diets throughout the space, inter-specific differences were detected. While both species increased the use of Solanum with altitude, only Sturnira erythromos showed a meaningful altitudinal and latitudinal response concerning to the use of Piper and other fruits or Solanum, respectively. Our predictive models for diets enable us to split the space into two sectors, one characterized by a high dietary overlap and another with the salient feature of dissimilar preference towards the subsidiary resources. These findings call for a model of spatial segregation, acting at a regional scale, as a hypothetical mechanism allowing the coexistence of both species.

The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a small Neotropical canid. Although its distribution covers the entire Amazon basin, the occurrence of bush dogs in vast areas of the Amazon remains hypothetical. The records of bush dogs presented in this study reduce a large gap in the known distribution of the species in Central Amazonia and include the 1st documentation of the species from forest seasonally flooded by black water (Igapó).

O cachorro-vinagre é um canídeo Neotropical de pequeno porte. Apesar de sua distribuição cobrir toda a Bacia Amazônica, existem apenas alguns registros da espécie neste bioma. Portanto, a ocorrência do cachorro-vinagre permanece hipotética em vastas áreas da Amazônia. Os registros de cachorro-vinagre apresentados neste trabalho reduzem uma enorme lacuna dentro da área de distribuição conhecida para a espécie na Amazônia Central, e incluem a primeira documentação da espécie em floresta sazonalmente alagada por águas pretas (Igapó).

In the February 2015 issue of Journal of Mammalogy, the article titled “A game of cat-and-mouse: microhabitat influences rodent foraging in recently burnt but not long unburnt shrublands” had an error in Figure 2. The top lables “Recently burnt” and “Long unburnt” were transposed. This has been corrected in the online issue (96.2) on page 329. The authors regret the error.