Diet of the mara (Dolichotis patagonum), food availability and effects of an extended drought in Northern Patagonia (Mendoza,Argentina)

The mara is a near threatened Caviomorph, endemic to Argentina. Studies on feeding ecology allow assessment of the dietary adaptability of maras to habitat changes. The mara diet and food availability on two sampling sites, belonging to distinct landscapes of Northern Patagonia, were estimated using microhistological analysis and point-quadrat transects, over four seasons, and besides during an extended drought. Significant differences were detected by Kruskall-Wallis ANOVA, feeding selection by the χ² test, and dietary preferences by Bailey's confidence interval. Grasses dominated food availability, with Panicum and Poa as major species, followed by shrubs and scarce forbs. Plant cover and forbs increased in spring and summer. The drought caused a strong decrease in plant cover and proportion of grasses. Maras ate all grass species, most forbs and several shrubs. Grasses dominated the diet, with Poa and Panicum being the major species, supplemented by the shrubs Lycium and Prosopis. Maras ate more grasses and forbs in spring and summer, and shrubs in autumn and winter. More shrubs and forbs, and less grasses, were eaten during the drought. Plant categories were used selectively only in autumn and winter, and in the drought period, with preference for shrubs and avoidance of grasses. Bromus, Poa, Plantago and Prosopis were preferred, and Panicum avoided. The mara qualified as a grazer but shifted to a mixed feeder during the drought. Dolichotis patagonum shared habitats with several big and medium-sized herbivores and showed the highest dietary similarities with plain vizcachas, brown hares and horses. Protective measures for natural habitats are needed, given that increasing impacts on food resources and habitat quality could be threats to the survival of maras and other wild vertebrates in Northern Patagonia.     

Demographics of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) in the Mediterranean climate zone of Australia

Demographic parameters of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) in southern Australia were investigated by dissecting hares shot by hunters during each month of the year. Gender, body weight, age, sucking, lactation, weight of the abdominal alimentary canal, weight of the left peri-renal fat body, pregnancy status, presence and counts of placental scars, litter size, and stage of gestation were recorded. From those data, growth rates, age at weaning, age and weight at puberty, date of conception, projected birth date, recruitment, survivorship, and the relationships between lactation and fat stores and alimentary capacity were determined.Fecundity of the southern Australian hares followed the seasonal pattern reported for northern hemisphere populations. However, output was lower per female and particularly per older female. Females began breeding at an earlier age such that recruitment into the southern Australian population was more dependent on females in their first year of life than on older females. Growth rates were comparable with European rates. Although high chill factors were apparently associated with higher leveret mortality, there was paradoxically higher overall mortality during the spring-early summer period of higher plant growth than in the late summer–winter period of lower plant growth and more extreme weather conditions. Fat was accumulated during pregnancy and would act as a buffer against the possibility of inadequate food availability during lactation, but hares increased the capacity of the alimentary canal during lactation and presumably with it their ability to assimilate energy to meet the demands of lactation.     

Diet, habitat use, and relative abundance of pampas fox (Pseudalopex gymnocercus) in northern Patagonia, Argentina

Diet, habitat use and relative abundance of pampas fox Pseudalopex gymnocercus were studied in grassland, sand dune, and scrubland habitats, on the Bahía San Blas and Isla Gama Reserve, Argentina. Scat contents showed a generalist diet, where mammals, insects, and fruits were the main food items. Dietary composition differed among habitats; fruits were mainly consumed in sand dunes; insects, mammals, and fruits predominated in grassland; while insects and mammals were frequent in scrubland habitat. The European hare was the most common vertebrate prey and had the major contribution to the biomass of consumed prey. Pampas fox was the most common carnivore of the reserve and used all available habitats, frequenting more regularly scrubland and sand dune than grassland habitat.

Zusammenfassung

Nahrung, Habitatnutzung und relative Abundanz von Pampasfüchsen (Pseudalopex gymnocercus) im nördlichen Patagonien, Argentinien Die Nahrung, Habitatnutzung und relative Abundanz von Pampasfüchsen Pseudalopex gymnocercus wurde auf Grasflächen, Sanddünen und in Strauchhabitaten des Bahía San Blas and Isla Gama Reserve, Argentinien untersucht. Die Analyse von Kotproben ergab eine typische Diät für Generalisten, wobei Säugetiere, Insekten und Früchte die wichtigsten Nahrungsbestandteile waren. Die Nahrungszusammensetzung unterschied sich zwischen verschiedenen Lebensräumen. Früchte wurden hauptsächlich in Sanddünen konsumiert, Insekten, Säugetiere und Früchte auf Grasflächen; und Insekten und Säugetiere in Strauchhabitaten. Der europäische Hase war die häufigste Beuteart unter den Wirbeltieren und stellte den Hauptanteil an der Biomasse genutzter Beute. Der Pampasfuchs ist das häufigste Raubtier im Reservat und nutzt alle vorhandenen Habitate, jedoch kommt er etwas häufiger in Strauchhabitaten und Sanddünen vor als auf Grasflächen.     

Comparisons of digestive function between the European hare (Lepus europaeus) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Mastication, gut passage, and digestibility

The European hare Lepus europaeus and the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus are sympatric in many areas of the world. They are medium-sized herbage-feeding lagomorphs and trophic competitors. Both species feed on twigs under extreme and perhaps limiting conditions. To ascertain whether fine niche separation mechanisms occur, several comparative tests of digestive function were undertaken on samples of animals drawn from sympatric populations. The weights of the organs constituting the abdominal alimentary canal, the rates of passage and the extent of trituration of dietary markers intended to mimic twigs, and the digestibility of fibre, protein, and fat were compared. Both the stomach and the caecum of the hare were significantly smaller as a proportion of body weight, and this would result in a higher power–weight ratio. Both species rapidly passed the digestive marker, but passage was significantly faster in the hare. The rabbit chewed twig-like material with a scissor cutting and crushing action, whereas the action of the hare included a stripping action that would more efficiently access soluble carbohydrates stored in vascular rays. Both species were poor digesters of fibre, but digestibility of hemicelluloses was significantly greater in the rabbit. The faeces of both species of lagomorphs contain nutrients that can be attractive to more efficient fermenters of plant fibre, and consumption of those faeces may confound lagomorph population surveys that rely on dung counts.     

Genetic diversity within Anatolian brown hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) and differentiation among Anatolian and European populations

Genetic variability of Anatolian hares and relationships between Anatolian and European populations were assessed by a multilocus allozyme approach to infer evolutionary relationships between hares from Asia Minor and Europe. Of the 48 loci assayed, 19 (39.6%) were polymorphic with two to four alleles in the Anatolian hares. Among all Anatolian alleles, 14 were so far not found in the compared 717 brown hares from Europe. Overall, genetic diversity was highest in Anatolian hares, intermediate in brown hares from the southern and southeastern Balkans and lowest in central European populations. The rich genetic diversity in Anatolian hares might be a consequence of Anatolias biogeographic position with the chance of multiple gene flow from neighbouring regions, and the likelihood of long-term presence of hares during the last ice age, when large parts of more northern latitudes did not provide suitable habitats.However, among 28 loci used for the comparison between European and Anatolian populations, most common alleles of European brown hares were also common in Anatolian populations and no alternately fixed alleles were found for Anatolian and European populations. This together with only little or moderately varying allele frequencies produced low genetic divergence between Anatolian and European populations. Genetic differentiation among Anatolian populations was also low. Even between the two forms with different coat colour (brownish and yellowish) in Anatolian hares, there was little genetic differentiation. Altogether, all Anatolian hares studied presently are closely related to European brown hare populations, and only some distantly spaced population pairs revealed increased genetic divergence.

Zusammenfassung

Genetische Diversität anatolischer Feldhasen (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) und Differenzierung zwischen anatolischen und europäischen PopulationenZur Beurteilung der phylogenetischen Beziehungen zwischen anatolischen Hasen und europäischen Feldhasenpopulationen wurde die allelische Variabilität anatolischer Hasen mittels horizontaler Stärkegelelektrophorese erfaßt und gemeinsam mit unmittelbar vergleichbaren Daten griechischer, bulgarischer und österreichischer Populationen aus früheren Studien populationsgenetischen Analysen unterzogen. Neunzehn der 48 untersuchten Loci der anatolischen Hasen zeigten allelische Variabilität. Unter den anatolischen Allelen kamen 14 bisher in den europäischen Polulationen nicht vor. Insgesamt zeigten anatolische Hasen die höchste und österreichische Populationen die niedrigste genetische Diversität; die jeweiligen Werte der griechischen und bulgarischen Populationen lagen dazwischen. Dies entspricht unserer Hypothese hoher genetischer Diversität in Anatolien, auf Grund der biogeografischen Position und der klimatischen bzw. Lebensraumbedingungen während des Pleistozäns, die, im Gegensatz zu Mitteleuropa, kontinuierliche Hasenpopulation in Anatolien wahrscheinlich erscheinen lassen. Kontinuierliche Populationen und Genflüsse aus verschiedenen Nachbarregionen könnten bei langfristig relative ungestörten Populationen zur Anreicherung genetischer Varianten in Anatolien geführt haben, während mitteleuropäische Feldhasenpopulationen im Zuge ihrer postglazialen Einwanderung aus Refugial-gebieten an genetischer Vielfalt eingebüßt haben. Allerdings waren die häufigen Allele der anatolischen Hasen ebenfalls häufig bei den europäischen Feldhasen vertreten; somit ergab sich insgesamt nur eine geringe genetische Differenzierung zwischen anatolischen und europäischen Feldhasen. Die zwei in Anatolien gefundenen Fellfärbungstypen (brauner vs. gelber Grundton) zeigten ebenfalls keine besondere genetische Differenzierung.     

Yeast diversity in the acidic Rio Agrio-Lake Caviahue volcanic environment (Patagonia, Argentina)

The Rio Agrio and Lake Caviahue system (RAC), in Northwestern Patagonia, is a natural acidic environment. The aims of this study were to characterize the yeast community and to provide the first ecological assessment of yeast diversity of this extreme aquatic environment. Yeast occurrence and diversity were studied at seven sites where the water pH varied between 1.8 and 6.7. Yeast CFU counts in the river ranged from 30 to 1200 CFU L⁻¹, but in the Lake the values were lower (30–60 CFU L⁻¹). A total of 25 different yeast species were found, 11 of which belonged to undescribed taxa. Among these was an unusual strongly acidophilic Cryptococcus species. The RAC yeast community resembles that of acidic aquatic environments resulting from anthropic activities such as the São Domingos mines in Portugal and the Rio Tinto in Spain, respectively. The isolated yeast species were organized into different grades of adaptation to the RAC aquatic system. Based on the proposed grades, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa , Rhodosporidium toruloides and two novel Cryptococcus species were the most adapted species. These Cryptococcus species are apparently specialists of acidic aquatic environments, and might bear physiological features that possibly account for their ability to thrive in such extreme environments.     

Artificial insemination of captive European brown hares (Lepus europaeus PALLAS, 1778) with fresh and cryopreserved semen derived from free-ranging males

This study aimed to establish artificial insemination (AI) protocols to predictably initiate pregnancy during the breeding season in the European brown hare (EBH) (Lepus europaeus PALLAS, 1778). Semen was collected from seven captive and eight free-ranging males by means of electroejaculation. Semen from the free-ranging males was cryopreserved using directional freezing. Total motility/integrity of fresh and frozen-thawed semen was 91.6%/87.7% and 46.9%/53.8%, respectively. Ovulation was induced in ultrasonographically preselected females using a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue. Each female was inseminated with 1 mL fresh (Group A, n = 16) or frozen-thawed semen (Group B, n = 9) at a concentration of 100 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/mL. The use of ultrasonography (10 to 22 MHz) confirmed the intracervical semen deposit, the success of artificial ovulation induction (formation of postovulatory corpus luteum), and permitted the monitoring of individual pregnancies. Although sperm motility/integrity was significantly different between groups, no significant difference was detected in conception rates (A, 87.50%; B, 77.78%). Because of embryonic resorption, there was a slight difference in fertility rate between groups (A, 62.5%; B, 77.78%). Overall, AI in captive EBH using fresh and frozen-thawed semen achieved successful fertility rates. Long-term cryopreserved semen was used to bring new genetic material from the wild into a genetically limited captive population without extensive animal transport. Therefore, AI has the potential to enhance breeding programs for EBH especially when cryopreserved semen from wild donors is used.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in the aquatic insect community of a high altitude Andean stream (Mendoza,Argentina)

Benthic invertebrate communities have been poorly studied in Andean streams apart from the Patagonian region. The primary objective of this work was to analyse the faunal composition at three different altitudes and to observe whether there were differences in aquatic insect community structure at spatial and temporal scales. Physicochemical variables were measured on a monthly basis. Sixteen families were found, the most frequent and abundant taxa being Massartellopsis (Ephemeroptera), Andesiops (Ephemeroptera), Metrichia neotropicalis (Trichoptera), Cailloma lucidula (Trichoptera), Austrelmis (Coleoptera), and the Chironomidae (Diptera). There was a change in benthic composition associated with land use and with the diminution of water quality from the headwaters to the mouth of the system. The middle reach was a transitional area where headwater species coexisted with species characteristic of the lower reach, with Austrelmis and the family Chironomidae being the most abundant elements.     

Continentality affects body condition and size but not yearly reproductive output in female European hares (Lepus europaeus)

Life history in reproductive pattern in hares are affected by ambient temperature. We hypothesized that European hares dwelling in areas of higher energy demands would have larger body sizes, larger fat depots and a delayed first reproduction. To test this assumption we compared yearly reproductive output as well as age, body size, body weight and body condition of female European hares from Belgium (temperate oceanic climate) and Lower Austria (temperate continental climate). Our results reveal that there was no effect of study site on annual reproductive output in female European hares. However, adult female hares from Belgium were significantly smaller and had significantly lower body condition in late autumn compared to the Lower Austrian sample, although Belgian individuals were actually older than Lower Austrians. These findings suggest that females in Belgium are more under an r-selection regime whereas Lower Austrian females might be more under K-selection within the r-K-continuum.     

Seasonal variation in food availability and relative importance of dietary items in the Gambian epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus gambianus)

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Foraging behaviour and habitat partitioning of two sympatric cormorants in Patagonia, Argentina

Radiotelemetry was used to assess the distribution and diving behaviour of Rock Shags Phalacrocorax magellanicus and Red-legged Cormorants Phalacrocorax gaimardi breeding in sympatry, and Rock Shags breeding in isolation. When breeding in sympatry there was little overlap in the foraging locations of the two species, with the highest densities of each species separated by 10 km. Red-legged Cormorants fed significantly closer to the breeding colony than did Rock Shags and undertook shorter foraging trips, making almost twice as many foraging trips per day as Rock Shags. Rock Shags breeding in isolation had a shorter foraging range than the birds breeding in sympatry with Red-legged Cormorants and foraging trip duration was significantly shorter. However, the number of feeding trips per day was similar between areas of sympatry and allopatry. Differences in the foraging ecology of Rock Shags in areas of sympatry and allopatry may be due to interspecific competition, which forces niche differentiation. The distance between foraging sites, the speed of movement of the prey, a species tendency to move into prey-depleted areas and the length of the breeding season (during which the birds are constrained to be in the same area) may play critical roles in determining the extent to which differential area use by competitors is a strategy that benefits both parties.     

Morphological abnormalities in Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene foraminifer tests (northern Patagonia, Argentina)

Morphological abnormalities are common in Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene foraminifer tests at two localities in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Protelphidium sp. in the Auca Mahuevo section (late Campanian–early Maastrichtian) exhibit abnormal size or shape of the later chambers, with the last chamber commonly larger than normal or inflated and variably extending onto one of the lateral sides of the test; modification of the coiling plane; protuberances near the proloculus or on one or more chambers; a double last chamber, and complex forms. Protelphidium hofkeri Haynes in the Cerro Azul section (Danian) exhibit abnormal size or shape of one or more chambers, producing peripheral irregularities. In addition, there are rare multiple tests in planktic species from the Cerro Azul section, probably teratological specimens. The sedimentology of the sections and the character of the accompanying faunas indicate that the abnormalities in the two benthic foraminiferal taxa were most probably caused by hypersalinity and/or fluctuations in salinity. The fossil occurrence of assemblages with abundant deformed specimens suggests that investigators should carefully look at many aspects of the environment before concluding that anthropogenic pollution is the only cause of deformations of living benthic foraminifera.     

The biology of Mustelus schmitti in southern Patagonia, Argentina

The relationship of body weight and total length (L_T) of Mustelus schmitti in southern Patagonia was different between sexes. Changes in maturity stages in males appear at larger sizes in Ría Deseado specimens than in the Mar del Plata area. Mature females ranged from 795 to 913 mm while all male specimens >759 mm L_T were mature. The data suggest that mating occurs before parturition, with simultaneous ovulation. The diet of adult M. schmitti was mainly carcinophage and the diet of young-of-the-year and adults differed. The young-of-the-year use the Ría Deseado as a pupping area.     

Diet of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda, 1. Diet composition and diversity

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are ecologically flexible omnivores with broad diets comprising many plant and animal foods, although they mostly eat fruit (including figs). Like other ecologically flexible nonhuman primates (e.g., baboons, Papio spp.) with broad diets, their diets vary across habitats. Much data on diets come from short studies that may not capture the range of variation, however, and data are scant on variation within habitats and populations. We present data on diet composition and diversity for chimpanzees at Ngogo, in Kibale National Park, Uganda, collected over a 15-year period, with a focus on the plant components of the diet. We compare Ngogo data to those on chimpanzees at the nearby Kibale site of Kanyawara, on other chimpanzee populations, and on some other frugivorous-omnivorous primates. Results support the argument that chimpanzees are ripe fruit specialists: Ngogo chimpanzees ate a broad, mostly fruit-based diet, feeding time devoted to fruit varied positively with fruit availability, and diet diversity varied inversely with fruit availability. Comparison of Ngogo and Kanyawara shows much similarity, but also pronounced within-population dietary variation. Chimpanzees fed much more on leaves, and much less on pith and stems, at Ngogo. Figs accounted for somewhat less feeding time at Ngogo, but those of Ficus mucuso were quantitatively the most important food. This species is essentially absent at Kanayawara; its abundance and high productivity at Ngogo, along with much higher abundance of several other important food species, help explain why chimpanzee community size and population density are over three times higher at Ngogo. High inter-annual variation at Ngogo highlights the value of long-term data for documenting the extent of ecological variation among chimpanzee populations and understanding how such variation might affect population biology and social dynamics.     

Diet of the gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus microtarsus) (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) in a Brazilian cerrado: patterns of food consumption and intrapopulation variation

The diet of the gracile mouse opossum Gracilinanus microtarsus was studied in a cerrado remnant in south-eastern Brazil through the analysis of faeces sampled from adult individuals. Patterns of food resource consumption were assessed using the statistics of per cent occurrence. Intrapopulation variation in the number of food items detected in faeces as a function of relevant factors was inferred using generalized linear models. The latter statistical formalism also allowed variation in the number of food items detected in faeces to be interpreted in terms of rate ratios among levels of significant factors. Insects, spiders, snails and fruits were detected in the faeces of G. microtarsus , with insects, particularly termites, beetles and ants, being the most frequently detected food resource. These food resources were consumed in proportion to their relative abundance in the cerrado, suggesting that G . microtarsus is an opportunistic forager feeding primarily on insects. The generalized linear model identified sex, season and food resource as significant factors affecting the number of food items detected in faeces, as well as interactions between sex and season and season and food resource. Rate ratios calculated between sexes within seasons showed that the number of food items detected in the faeces of males was larger than that detected in the faeces of females in the warm-wet and cool-dry seasons. Rate ratios calculated between seasons within sexes showed different trends in the number of food items detected in faeces for each significant food resource. It is suggested that differences in the number of food items detected in faeces between sexes within season and between seasons within sexes are related to energetic requirements associated with reproduction.     

Nest-site habitat selection by Lesser Rheas ( Rhea pennata pennata ) in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

Selection of nest-site habitat by a population of wild Lesser Rheas (Rhea pennata pennata) was studied in the northwestern Patagonia steppe, Argentina, during two reproductive seasons (2004/2005 and 2005/2006). Nest spatial distribution was compared with randomly selected points in the study area. Contrary to observations in other ratite species, nest distribution showed an aggregate pattern associated with “mallín” (meadow) areas, which are habitats of higher productivity in the Patagonia steppe. Moreover, similar to observations made on the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), vegetation cover was higher in nest sites than in randomly selected sites, probably because higher vegetation provides concealment from predators and protection from the strong westerly winds that frequent in this region. Our results reinforce the importance of “mallín” areas for the reproduction and conservation of this threatened ratite species.