Spatial ecology of white-tailed mongoose in farmland in the Ethiopian Highlands

The spatial ecology of the white‐tailed mongoose Ichneumia albicauda was studied during November 1998 to February 2000 on farmland adjacent to the Bale Mountains National Park in southern Ethiopia. Four male and one female white‐tailed mongooses were captured and radiotagged. The average range size was 3.2 km² for three adult males and 2.6 km² for the female which is larger than previously recorded in savannah habitat. Asymptotic range size was reached at approximately 50 locations for the males and twenty locations for the female. The ranges of the three adult male mongooses overlapped on average only 2% whereas the single female range overlapped with two adjacent males by 81 and 25%, respectively. Twenty per cent of mongoose sightings were of groups that consisted of a male and female. Diurnal resting sites were found amongst rocks or in empty buildings. The mongooses foraged on grassy areas within woodland and bush during nocturnal activity periods. We conclude that white‐tailed mongoose social organization in this agricultural landscape was similar to other solitary mongooses and was characterized by a mosaic of exclusive male ranges overlapping a separate mosaic of smaller female ranges.     

Handstand Scent Marking in the Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula)

Many mammal species adopt marking postures that elevate their scent deposits. The most extreme of these is handstand marking, in which an individual reverses against an upright object, flings its hind legs into the air above its back and balances bipedally on its fore feet. The resulting anogenital deposit is thus raised one full body length above ground level. It has been suggested that this energetically costly form of marking serves to provide conspecifics with information about the marker's body size and hence competitive ability. However, this explanation assumes that the height of an individuals’ deposit does reflect accurately its body size, an assumption that has never been tested in any hand‐standing species. This study investigated the relationship between body size and handstand mark height in a wild population of dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula) in South Africa. We found that although body size and marking height were correlated positively for female dwarf mongooses, they were not related for males. Male dwarf mongooses (who are subject to intrasexual competition from outside their group) invested more heavily in anogenital range marking, marking at three times the female frequency and placing their deposits significantly higher than females (although they were not dimorphic). Males that were particularly vulnerable to rivals (i.e. those that were small for their age) tended to mark higher than more robust age‐mates, in keeping with the predictions of Adams & Mesterton‐Gibbons’ (1995, J. Theor. Biol.175, 405–421). model of deceptive threat communication. These findings suggest strongly that the height of anogenital scent deposits is of social significance to dwarf mongooses.     

Home range size and distribution in a wild population of Cape pangolins, Manis temminckii, in north‐west Zimbabwe

The aim of this study was to estimate the size of the home range used by individual Cape pangolins ( Manis temminckii ). The study was conducted in 1991–95 at Sengwa Wildlife Research Institute, Gokwe, Zimbabwe. Radio‐telemetry was used to repeatedly locate study pangolins. Home range area was estimated from the location of the burrows used by each pangolin. It was established that pangolins must be tracked for 85+ days to generate a reliable estimate of home range. The size of home ranges, determined from 1141 tracking days of data for 10 pangolins (3·0–15·8 kg body mass) that were each tracked for at least 85 days, was from 0·17 to 11·07 km². Larger (older) pangolins used more burrows and had larger home ranges than smaller (younger) pangolins. The data indicate that large adult males had larger home ranges than large adult females. Within each sex, the home ranges were adjacent to each other with only slight overlap at the boundaries. There was clear overlap of home ranges between males and females.     

Inclusive fitness and reproductive strategies in dwarf mongooses

Dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula) are small, communally breedingcarnivores found in woodland and tree-savanna throughout Africa.Within a pack, socially subordinate mongooses do not normallybreed, yet they invariably participate in all aspects of parentalcare. The primary alternative to tolerating reproductive suppressionis dispersal, which shortens the wait for dominance and breeding.Here, we calculate the annual inclusive fitness payoffs to thedispersing and nondispersing strategies for males and femalesof ages one to seven, using data from a 14-year study in SerengetiNational Park, Tanzania. Factors with effects on inclusive fitnessincluded relatedness to pack mates before and after dispersal,the effect of help on recipients' reproductive success, theprobability of dispersing successfully, the probability of attainingdominance, and reproductive success after attaining dominance.All of these factors differed between male and female dwarfmongooses. We compared the contributions of direct and indirectfitness to the total fitness of mongooses pursuing each of thestrategies, across a range of ages. In our population, dispersaland nondispersal both yielded direct and indirect payoffs atmost ages. For dispersers of both sexes, direct fitness wasthe primary component of total fitness but indirect fitnesswas substantial for young (< 2 years old) dispersers. Fornondispersers of both sexes, indirect fitness was the majorcomponent of total fitness among young mongooses (up to 2 or3 years), but direct fitness was the major component among oldermongooses. By comparing the inclusive fitness payoffs for thetwo strategies, we determined the range of ages at which dispersalshould be favored for each sex. These comparisons correctlypredicted that males should be more dispersive than femalesat all ages, and that males should disperse over a broader rangeof ages.     

Home ranges and movement patterns in a vulnerable polecat<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mustela putorius</Emphasis> population

Home range characteristics and movement patterns of four female and six male polecatsMustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758 were studied in Luxembourg using radiotelemetry. Home range size of polecats ranged from 42 to 428 ha with an average of 181 ha. The mean (± SE) home range size of males of (246±45 ha) was significantly larger than that of females (84±17 ha). Polecats concentrated 50% of their space use in only 15% of their home range possibly indicating a patchy environment. Comparing our data with other studies in Europe, polecats seem to occupy approximately the same home range size (except in Switzerland) regardless of population density. Average distance traveled per night by males was 3.6 times greater than that of females. Also, seasonal variation in movements was observed in males but not in females.     

Intraguild dynamics of understudied carnivores in a human‐altered landscape

Mesocarnivores constitute a diverse and often abundant group of species, which are increasingly occupying hweigher trophic levels within multi‐use landscapes. Yet, we know relatively little about their interactions with each other, especially in human‐altered areas. Using camera trap data collected in a forestry concession in the Greater Gorongosa ecosystem of central Mozambique, we examined the spatiotemporal relationships and potential for intraguild competition among three understudied African carnivores: African civets (Civettictis civetta), bushy‐tailed mongooses (Bdeogale crassicauda), and large‐spotted genets (Genetta maculata). After accounting for habitat preferences and tolerance to anthropogenic factors, we found that African civets and bushy‐tailed mongooses avoid each other spatially and temporally. Additionally, civets and mongooses were also both more likely to use sites farther away from human settlements, possibly decreasing the total available habitat for each species if competition is driving this spatial partitioning. In contrast, we did not find evidence for spatial or temporal partitioning between large‐spotted genets and African civets, but bushy‐tailed mongooses altered their activity patterns where they co‐occurred with genets. Our study contributes to scant ecological knowledge of these mesocarnivores and adds to our understanding of community dynamics in human‐altered ecosystems.     

Pentaschistis (Poaceae) diversity in the Cape mediterranean region: habitat heterogeneity and climate stability

Aim To evaluate the role of habitat heterogeneity on species richness and turnover in the mega species‐rich Cape Floristic Region (Cape), the mediterranean region of southern Africa. Location The Cape and Drakensberg regions of southern Africa. Methods Bioclimatic data were used to estimate habitat amount and habitat heterogeneity in the Cape and Drakensberg regions; these data were then used to explain the patterns of species diversity in the Pentaschistis clade (Poaceae) in these two regions. Habitat variables were used to create ‘bioclimatic units’ to characterize 1′× 1′ cells in southern Africa and to describe the niches of species. Using these bioclimatic units, the niche and range sizes of species in the two regions were compared. A phylogram was used to test for age and lineage effects. Results Pentaschistis species diversity and turnover are higher in the Cape than the Drakensberg. There is no significant difference in the habitat amount and heterogeneity between the two regions. Species occupy the same range of estimated niche sizes, yet there are significantly more range‐restricted Pentaschistis species in the Cape. Main conclusions The roles of age‐ and lineage‐related effects are rejected; biodiversity differences lie in the regions. Current macrohabitat does not explain the differences in biodiversity between the two regions. The larger number of range‐restricted species in the Cape cannot be explained by dispersal mechanism or the occupation of range‐restricted habitats. Species of Pentaschistis and other Cape clades share characteristics associated with species from historically climatically stable areas, and palaeoclimatic and palaeontological evidence indicates the Cape climate has been more stable than the Drakensberg climate throughout the Pleistocene. We conclude that the corresponding lack of extinction might have allowed an accumulation of species in the Cape. Similar climatic and biological evidence for the south‐west Australian Floristic and Mediterranean regions indicate that the same mechanism might explain the high species richness of these mediterranean regions.     

Extreme levels of intra-specific divergence among Cape Peninsula populations of the Cape galaxias,Galaxias zebratus Castelnau 1861, reveals a possible species complex

The Cape galaxias, Galaxias zebratus, is part of the paleao-endemic fauna characteristic of the south-western Cape, South Africa, and is the only galaxiid found in continental Africa. A 284-bp fragment of the cytochrome b region of the mtDNA was sequenced from 48 individual galaxiids, representing 10 populations from the Cape Peninsula. Five sequences, for four additional populations sampled at the extremes of the species range, were obtained from the literature. Analysis of cyt b mtDNA from these 14 populations of G. zebratus revealed five distinct and highly divergent lineages with low levels of intra-population mtDNA haplotype diversity. A new and distinct genetic lineage is described from the southern part of the Cape Peninsula. Estimates of genetic divergence between populations ranged from <1% to >17%. The observed level of sequence divergence represents the largest yet reported for any single fish species. The distribution of these lineages and their degree of sequence divergence refutes a model of isolation by distance. Results suggest that periods of low sea level may have been important in creating opportunities and alternative routes for dispersal and migration for Cape Peninsula populations.     

Systematic status and biogeography of the Javan and small Indian mongooses (Herpestidae, Carnivora)

The Javan and small Indian mongooses, ranging from the Middle East to South-east Asia, are considered as two species or as a single species, varying in size and colour from west to east. In order to clarify their systematic status and to define the limits of their ranges, Cytochrome b sequences were obtained from 27 specimens, and localities of 392 specimens from museum collections were determined. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Javan and Small Indian mongooses grouped in two separate clades with their range limits located in Myanmar. The Javan mongoose is in fact closer to the grey mongoose than to the small Indian mongoose.     

How do banded mongooses locate and select anvils for cracking encased food items?

Banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) extract encased food items by throwing them against anvils. Observations indicate that their chosen anvils are generally hard enough to crack open casings, suggesting an understanding of the physical properties that render an anvil suitable for cracking. We report results from two field experiments investigating spatial and physical aspects of anvil selection in a wild group of banded mongooses. Mongooses rapidly carried prey items to nearby anvils in their environment, without simply returning to the last anvil they passed, suggesting a detailed knowledge of anvil locations. Moreover, in choice experiments with hard or soft anvils, they always chose the appropriate anvil when both anvils were natural but chose indiscriminately when they were synthetic. These results support a recent suggestion that mongooses lack a generalized understanding of the functional properties of anvils but also indicate that they may mediate their decisions on the basis of familiarity. Together, our experiments suggest that mongooses employ simple rules of thumb that, in most cases, result in the selection of appropriate anvils. Where environmental problems are limited and predictable, selection will favor the evolution of such rules of thumb rather than a more generalized understanding of functional properties.     

Relationships between capture-site characteristics and capture levels of the invasive mongoose on Amami-Oshima Island,Japan

We used a generalized linear model (GLM) to investigate environmental characteristics of capture sites of the invasive small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) on Amami Island, Japan. Data were collected from 2002 to 2011, from an area with the lowest mongoose density. Data on capture levels and environmental factors were obtained within 1 × 1 km grid cells. In addition, we developed an evaluation map that predicts the occurrence of mongooses throughout the island by extrapolating the 2011 results, in which the last mongoose appearance was confirmed. We found that environmental characteristics of capture sites drastically changed during the final stage of the eradication project. From 2002 to 2010, mongooses were captured in grid cells with many gentle ridges. In 2011, when mongoose density became exceedingly low, mongooses seem to have survived in the grid cells with abundant steep ridges, where it was difficult to establish traps. Therefore, environmental factors affected capture levels and the density of the mongoose population. The evaluation map predicts that mongooses could survive on the southwest and southeast island peninsulas. This evaluation map will be helpful in allocating limited labor and financial resources toward the most effective capture strategies. This study suggests that an analysis of pest management data is an important step in the eradication of mongooses. Our results can contribute to long-term projects in invasive pest management not only for the mongoose population on Amami Island, but also for other invasive species globally.     

A comparison of fynbos and non-fynbos coenoclines in the lower Gamtoos River Valley,southeastern Cape,South Africa

Patterns in the relative importance of structural attributes and growth forms along fynbos and non-fynbos coenoclines were studied to test the hypothesis that there would be less structural variation in the former because the overriding influence of low levels of soil nutrients would be manifest in a great deal of structural convergence in fynbos. The coenoclines were ranged along identical environmental gradients of increasing altitude, rainfall and soil moisture and decreasing climatic variability. Results showed that along the entire fynbos coenocline vegetation was structurally a small-leaved sclerophyllous shrubland with a graminoid understorey and, usually, a large-leaved (proteoid) shrub overstorey. Fynbos structure was interpreted largely as a response to low levels of soil nutrients. Non-fynbos vegetation ranged from mixed succulent-sclerophyllous and spiny large-leaved thicket at lower altitudes to tall mesic forest at the upper end of the gradient. Non-fynbos structure was explained in terms of variations in soil moisture and climate. An analysis of the biogeographical affinities of sample floras at sites along the coenoclines showed that fynbos vegetation was dominated by taxa endemic to the Cape phytochorion, although phytochorological mixing was pronounced at the lower altitude sites. The level of local endemism in the fynbos coenocline was relatively high; nearly all endemics were Cape fynbos taxa and their incidence increased with increasing altitude. These data indicate that fynbos vegetation has had a lengthy history in the southeastern Cape and that high altitude sites would have comprised a refuge for Cape taxa during unfavourable climatic periods. Non-fynbos vegetation ranged from dry subtropical Tongaland-Pondoland thicket with a strong Karoo-Namib component to temperate Afromontane forest. Levels of endemism were lower than the fynbos coenocline and decreased with increasing altitude. The high number of karroid endemics found in both coenoclines at low altitudes suggests that karroid vegetation would have been more widespread in the past, probably during the last glacial which was considerably drier than the present Holocene interglacial.     

Highly variable microsatellite loci for studies of introduced populations of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus)

During their introduction, non‐native species typically undergo founder events that reduce genetic variation. To allow a high‐resolution genetic investigation of introduced populations of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), we developed primers for nine variable microsatellite loci. Their applicability was assessed in 10 mongooses from the large Fijian population, which originated from a single pair from Calcutta, India. The number of alleles ranged from two to five per locus, possibly as a result of preservation of initial variability and in situ mutations during the rapid population expansion after introduction.     

Fighting and Mating Between Groups in a Cooperatively Breeding Mammal, the Banded Mongoose

Many cooperatively breeding animals actively defend a territory containing resources such as food and shelter, which are essential for reproduction. Some observations, however, indicate that conflicts between groups are often triggered by the attempts of males or females, or both, to gain extra‐group copulations. We studied interactions between 12 groups of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in Uganda to test whether the frequency of inter‐group encounters was linked to the reproductive status of females, and conducted an experiment to examine the responses of individuals to mongooses from other groups. The rate at which focal groups fought with other groups was higher when its females were in estrous, suggesting that many fights take place over access to mates. Both males and estrous females were instrumental in instigating encounters with rival groups, and extra‐group copulation in the midst of a fight was observed on three occasions. We experimentally simulated encounters with foreign individuals by presenting each of six groups with cages containing a male and a female from a rival group. Subordinate males were the first to investigate these ‘intruders’, spent more time around the intruders' cages, and were more aggressive to the intruders than either dominant males or females. Subordinate males directed more attention and aggression towards the male intruder than the female intruder. We suggest that male banded mongooses actively seek extra‐group copulations in pursuit of paternity, while females may actively seek extra‐group copulations as a way of reducing inbreeding depression.     

Systematics of the Southeast Asian mongooses (Herpestidae,Carnivora): solving the mystery of the elusive collared mongoose and Palawan mongoose

Although recent molecular studies have clarified the phylogeny of mongooses, the systematics of the Southeast Asian species was incomplete as the collared mongoose Urva semitorquata and some debatable taxa (Hose's mongoose, Palawan mongoose) were missing in the analyses. We sequenced three mitochondrial (cytochrome b, ND2, control region) and one nuclear (beta‐fibrinogen intron 7) fragments of the Southeast Asian mongooses to clarify the systematic position of the different species and populations occurring in this region. Our results showed that the collared mongoose is closely related to the crab‐eating mongoose Urva urva, these two species forming a sister‐group to the short‐tailed mongoose Urva brachyura. Despite Sumatran collared mongooses having a peculiar orange phenotype, we showed that they exhibited very little genetic divergence to individuals from Borneo. In contrast, the populations of the short‐tailed mongoose from Borneo were strongly divergent to those from Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, and these might represent separate species. Within the crab‐eating mongoose, we observed little geographical genetic structure. Our study suggests that Hose's mongoose is not a valid species. The Palawan mongooses did not cluster with the other populations of the short‐tailed mongoose; they were closer to the collared mongoose and should be included in this species. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London     

First record of crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva formosanus) in coastal forest and use of anvils during predation on land hermit crabs in Taiwan

acta ethologica - Crab-eating mongooses (Herpestes urva) are widely distributed across Southeast Asia. In Taiwan, the mongoose (H. urva formosanus, endemic subspecies) is a protected species under...     

The Impact of Health Status on Dispersal Behavior in Banded Mongooses (Mungos mungo)

While disease and injury have obvious impacts on mortality, they can have less understood non-lethal impacts on behavior. These behavioral effects might have a significant consequences for population-level disease dynamics if diseased individuals are more or less likely to disperse. We opportunistically observed dispersal events in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) that were either healthy or unhealthy due to injury and/or clinical signs of a novel tuberculosis pathogen, Mycobacterium mungi. We found that diseased and/or injured mongooses were significantly less likely to disperse than healthy individuals, suggesting that disease may have an important consequences for dispersal that could in turn affect population-level disease dynamics.     

Recognition of a species-poor, geographically restricted but morphologically diverse Cape lineage of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hyphydrini)

Aim To establish the phylogeny and geographical origin of the genera of the diving beetle tribe Hyphydrini in order to investigate the origin of differences in geographical range size, intrageneric species‐richness and morphological disparity. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that the geographically restricted, species‐poor and morphologically deviating genera found in the Cape Region of South Africa are a paraphyletic pool of ‘primitive’ Hyphydrini, from which the morphologically more uniform, species‐rich and geographically widespread genera have originated. Location Worldwide, with special reference to the Cape Region of South Africa. Methods We constructed a genus‐level molecular phylogeny of 10 of the 14 known genera of Hyphydrini, including the five endemic to the Cape Region, using sequences from four gene fragments (two mitochondrial, rrnL and cox1; and two nuclear, 18S rRNA and histone 3, c. 2200 bp). Phylogenies were built with Bayesian methods, and linearized using penalized likelihood. Morphological disparity was characterized by correspondence analysis of a data matrix of 21 binary characters. We compare morphological disparity among groups using distance to the global and local centroids and the total range of morphospace occupied. Geographical range was estimated using the number of 6° longitude × 8° latitude Universal Transverse Mercator squares known to contain any species of each genus. Results Hyphydrini is made up of four well supported clades of similar relative genetic divergence: (1) Hyphydrus (Old World plus Australasia, 133 species), (2) the five endemic genera of the Cape Region, sister to Hovahydrus (Madagascar) (10 species), (3) Desmopachria (America, 92 species), and (4) two Oriental genera (Microdytes and Allopachria, 68 species). The morphological disparity within the Cape Region lineage has apparently increased with time, with the two genera closest to the global centroid paraphyletic and basal with respect to the three more recent, morphologically deviating genera. Differences in the number of species between each of the four lineages were not significant. The correlation between the number of species in each lineage and geographical range extent was highly significant, with the low species number of the Cape Region (six) well within the 95% confidence interval of the regression. Main conclusions Contrary to expectations, the species‐poor, morphologically deviating endemic genera of the Cape Region are not a ‘primitive’ relictual pool from which the widespread, species‐rich and morphologically uniform genera have originated. The morphological disparity within the Cape lineage has increased with time, and the apparent lack of species‐level diversification disappears when species–area relationships are considered. A major unanswered question is why one of the four main lineages of Hyphydrini has remained restricted to a very reduced area (the Cape Region), but despite this evolved the highest degree of morphological diversity seen in the tribe.     

Leptospires in wildlife from Trinidad and Grenada

Serum samples from 894 wild animals (representing 31 species) from Trinidad and Grenada were examined by the microscopic agglutination test for leptospiral antibodies; 198 were positive. These included 39 bats, 88 mongooses, six opossums, 10 peridomestic rodents, 15 forest rodents, 10 lizards, and 30 toads. Thirteen pathogenic serogroups were involved. Thirty-nine Leptospira isolates were reported from mongooses, opossums, rodents and toads.     

Home range size variation in a recovering wolf population: evaluating the effect of environmental, demographic, and social factors

Home range size in mammals is a key ecological trait and an important parameter in conservation planning, and has been shown to be influenced by ecological, demographic and social factors in animal populations. Information on space requirements is especially important for carnivore species which range over very large areas and often come into direct conflict with human interest. We used long-term telemetry-location data from a recovering wolf population in Scandinavia to investigate variation in home range size in relation to environmental and social characteristics of the different packs. Wolves showed considerable variation in home range size, which ranged from 259 to 1,676 km². Although wolf density increased fourfold during the study period, we found no evidence that intraspecific competition influenced range size. Local variation in moose density, which was the main prey for most packs, did not influence wolf home range size. Home ranges increased with latitude and elevation and decreased with increased roe deer density. Although prey biomass alone did not influence range size, our data suggest that there is a correlation between habitat characteristics, choice of prey species and possible hunting success, which currently combine to shape home range size in Scandinavian wolves.