Movement patterns,home range size and habitat utilization of the bluespine unicornfish, <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Naso unicornis</Emphasis> (Acanthuridae) in a Hawaiian marine reserve

Synopsis We quantified bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis, movement patterns, home range size and habitat preferences in a small Hawaiian marine reserve. Bluespine unicornfish were site-attached to home ranges situated within the reserve boundaries and their movements were aligned with topographic features. Two different diel movement patterns (‘commuting’ and ‘foraying’) were observed. Commuters made crepuscular migrations of several hundred meters between daytime foraging areas and nighttime refuge holes. Foraying fish did not partake in crepuscular migrations and utilized refuge holes both day and night. Two bluespine unicornfish were also nocturnally active. There was little direct evidence of dispersal from the reserve but differences in bluespine unicornfish abundance and size among reef habitat zones were consistent with ontogenetic habitat shifts. The influence of habitat topography on bluespine unicornfish movements suggests that gross habitat characteristics could be used to predict reef fish movements. This could provide a simple method for setting marine reserve boundaries at sites for which empirical fish movement data are unavailable.     

Temporal and Spatial Host Abundance and Prevalence of Andes Hantavirus in Southern Argentina

Andes virus (AND) is a hantavirus hosted by the sigmodontine rodent Oligoryzomys longicaudatus in southern Argentina, where it is responsible for most cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Our study provides data about the spatial variation in abundance of the rodent host of AND hantavirus. We report results of a longitudinal study performed in a locality of the Andean region of Chubut Province. From November 2003 (spring) to July 2006 (winter), O. longicaudatus was the most common species captured (63%) and it showed significant differences in abundance among habitats and seasons. Most antibody-positive rodents were O. longicaudatus (9.2%), followed by A. longipilis (3.6%) and A. olivaceus (1.5%). The highest number of antibody-positive animals was observed for males that belonged to the heaviest mass classes. Antibody-positive O. longicaudatus were more abundant in brush habitats. We found low richness of rodents and abundance of O. longicaudatus in areas affected by anthropogenic activity. The infection seems to be regionally persistent, but the risk to humans in a landscape would be localized. To develop accurate models for predicting HPS outbreaks, further research is needed to characterize rodent movement patterns across the landscape.     

新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类野生动物自然保护区啮齿动物群落多样性及其与环境因子的关系

啮齿动物的群落结构受生态环境特征影响,并能反映环境变化规律。为探讨啮齿动物群落多样性及其与环境因子间的关系,利用铗捕法获得了新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类野生动物自然保护区9种生境类型的环境因子及啮齿动物群落结构数据。2019-2020年春、夏季,共布设样地291块,有效铗日55269个,调查总面积176.875 km²,记录了啮齿类分布的12个环境因子。捕获啮齿动物419只,分属1目4科10属12种,优势种为三趾跳鼠（Dipus sagitta）和五趾跳鼠（Allactaga sibirica）,分别占捕获总个体数的34.13%和27.68%。分析结果显示,卡山自然保护区啮齿类捕获率最高的生境类型为沙漠（2.18%）;捕获鼠种的主要分布型为耐旱型（98.09%）。12个环境因子在9个生境类型中均呈极显著差异（P<0.01）,说明该保护区啮齿动物分布的生境异质性高。冗余分析表明,海拔高度、植被种类、灌木盖度和灌木高度是决定啮齿动物群落结构最主要的4个环境因子,其中植被种数与啮齿类群落多样性呈正相关,随着植被种数数值的增加,除优势度指数外,其它多样性指数随之增加。     

Acoustic signals of a solitary subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae): physical characteristics and behavioural correlates

The purpose of this study was to analyse and describe vocalizations of a solitary subterranean rodent, Ctenomys talarum. In adult C. talarum five different sounds (four true vocalizations and one mechanical sound) were recorded during different behavioural contexts. Using data from the laboratory and literature, we classified these vocalizations as territorial, distress, and mating calls. We found that the vocalization range in C. talarum is shifted towards low frequencies, which transmit better in underground burrows and match well the hearing range described for other species of subterranean rodents. These low-frequency vocalizations, also found in other non-related subterranean rodents, may reflect an adaptation to the acoustic conditions of the habitat. Electronic Publication     

Screening Radiolocation Datasets for Movement Strategies With Time Series Segmentation

ABSTRACT Classical home range analysis is tailored to meet requirements of data with few points per individual with relatively large intervals between observations. The swift rise in Global Positioning System (GPS)-based studies requires the development of new analytical approaches because GPS data allow for more detailed analysis in time and space. The amount of data derived from GPS studies enhances the potential to more accurately separate movement strategies. We present a general, simple, conceptual approach to using large movement datasets to automatically screen and delimit spatial and temporal home ranges of individuals and movement strategies using time series segmentation. We used GPS data for moose (Alces alces) from a boreal Swedish population as an example. We tested predictions that our screening method could separate seasonal migration from dispersal and nomadic strategies by the movement profile, which includes several dimensions. Our analysis showed that broad strategies were detected using our simple analytical approach, which speeds up use of GPS data for management and research because the method can be used to calculate more objective spatial and temporal activity ranges in relation to movement strategies. Our examples illustrate the importance of using the time stamp on location data in describing home ranges and movements.     

Microhabitat use in coexisting desert rodents—The role of population density

Summary Among some species of Sonoran Desert rodents microhabitat differences are density dependent. I studied the differences in microhabitat use among four species of heteromyid rodents (Dipodomys merriami, Perognathus amplus, P. baileyi, and P. penicillatus) at low and at high population densities. Microhabitats are defined by the abundance and size distribution of desert shrubs. During a period of low population density the rodent species showed substantial microhabitat differentiation. Following a large increase in pocket mouse (Perognathus spp.) numbers differences in microhabitat use between species disappeared. The lack of microhabitat differentiation at high density is due to microhabitat shifts rather than an expansion in the number of microhabitats used. The shifts lead to increased similarity among species in microhabitat use. Microhabitat overlap is not constant but it is highly variable and sensitive to changes in rodent abundance.     

Lack of activity of estradiol in rodent bone marrow micronucleus assays

Estradiol has been evaluated in five independent rodent bone marrow micronucleus assays and has been found to be inactive. The dose-range evaluated extended from three daily doses of 20 μg/kg to the rat, a regimen that elicited a potent uterotrophic response from the animals, to single doses of between 10–150 mg/kg to the mouse. The mouse assays simulated and extended the conditions of test employed by earlier investigators who had found estradiol, and three structurally-related synthetic estrogens, to be active in mouse micronucleus assays over the dose range 1–10 mg/kg. It is concluded that estradiol is not genotoxic to the bone marrow of rodents. The top dose-level used in the present micronucleus assays (150 mg/kg) represented 150 000 times the minimum estrogenic dose of this chemical to rodents, and that was considered to be above the dose at which useful genetic toxicity data would be generated for this potent estrogen. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of estradiol to rodents remains to be established.     

Digestive responses of two omnivorous rodents (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Peromyscus maniculatus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. alstoni</Emphasis>) feeding on epigeous fungus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Russula occidentalis</Emphasis>)

The sporocarps of hypogeous and epigeous fungi are important dietary items for forest dwelling rodents in temperate and tropical forests throughout the world. However, results of some pioneering works have demonstrated that fungi cannot be considered as nutritionally high-quality food items for some mycophagous small rodents. According to these studies, when mycophagous rodents feed on fungus, they showed a minimal digestibility, but whether this applies to most rodent species that include fungi in their diets is unknown. In this study, we experimentally evaluated body mass changes and feed preferences in captive deer (Peromyscus maniculatus) and volcano (P. alstoni) mice when fed on epigeous fungus (Russula occidentalis). In experiment 1, the animals were fed with fungus as the only feedstuff in comparison to regular rodent chow and oat. In experiment 2, the animals were fed with fungus in a free-choice arrangement together with equal amounts of rodent chow and oat. Both species lost ∼15% of their body mass within 4 days when fed on fungus alone, but gained 5–10% body mass during the same time period when ingesting oat and rodent chow, respectively, as the only feedstuff. However, in contrast, in the free-choice arrangement with all three feedstuffs, both species gained 20–30% body mass, and showed the highest feed preference for fungus followed by oat and rodent chow. In addition, apparent digestibility of energy and nitrogen were analyzed in both rodent species, which were 50–60% for fungus, whereas approximately 90–94% for rodent chow and oat. According to our results, animals need to supplement their diets with alternative high-quality food items in order to maintain and increase their body mass, suggesting that epigeous fungi are only of moderate nutritional value for small rodents. Futures studies should focus on exploring the importance of a mixture of fungal species in the diet of small mycophagous rodents.     

准噶尔盆地荒漠景观不同地貌类型鼠、蚤多样性及分布特征

为揭示鼠、蚤空间分布特征与变化规律,本研究以准噶尔盆地鼠疫自然疫源地为靶区,基于鼠类和蚤类的样点采集数据,计算不同地貌的鼠、蚤生态学指标并分析其相关性。基于不同行政区生态学指标计算结果,借助Moran′s I指数、重心模型、标准差椭圆等分析方法探究不同行政区鼠、蚤生态学指标的聚类特征,开展鼠、蚤的空间分布特征及变化规律的相关研究。结果表明：(1)通过对不同地貌鼠、蚤生态指标的研究,可得出鼠、蚤的物种多样性和生态优势度呈负相关,表明在物种多样性较高的群落中,鼠、蚤生态优势度表现不明显。鼠类物种多样性较高的地貌类型与蚤类物种多样性呈正相关,证实鼠类(宿主)物种数量增加,蚤类(寄生)物种的数量也在增加。低海拔地区鼠、蚤群落的相似性总体上大于中海拔地区群落相似性,且相似性系数q值与Cody指数呈相反变化趋势;(2)不同鼠、蚤指标单变量Moran′s I指数表明,鼠类数量、子午沙鼠数量、蚤类均匀度的全局Moran′s I指数大于0,且P值小于0.05,表现出空间集聚现象。单变量局部空间自相关分析结果表明,部分鼠、蚤指标存在多种聚类模式,其中最为典型的聚类模式是高—高聚类模式。不同鼠、蚤指标双变量...     

Characterization of the Ah receptor from human placental tissue

The rate of thermal inactivation of the unliganded human Ah receptor, studied by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, with respect to loss of ligand binding ability, was found to be greater than those of most rodents at 20°C, but the temperature coefficient of the rate constant was much smaller than for the rodent species. This implies that the unliganded human Ah receptor would be thermally more stable than the rodent analogs at physiological temperatures. The liganded form of the human Ah receptor was found to be less stable with respect to ligand release than the rodent receptors. These differences in behavior between human and rodent Ah receptors underline the difficulties in using rodent data in the development of receptor-based models of dioxin toxicity. Attempts to develop an alternative to sucrose density gradient centrifugation, comparable with the hydroxylapatite adsorption method used to assay rodent hepatic Ah receptor, were unsuccessful.     

长爪沙鼠的肝毛细线虫感染率与鼠类及猛禽密度的关系

为研究鼠类密度和猛禽密度对鼠类肝毛细线虫(Capillaria hepatica)感染率的影响,作者于2004年7月在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟阿巴嘎旗北部和东乌珠穆沁旗西南部典型草原草场选取了14个实验样地,采用洞口计数法(四分之一圆面积法)调查估计各实验样地内长爪沙鼠(Meriones unguiculatus)密度,同时采用夹线调查法捕获鼠类样本,进行常规解剖获取肝毛细线虫的感染数据。采用目测计数法统计猛禽的出现频次,并以其出现频次作为猛禽的相对密度指标。实验样地共捕获长爪沙鼠1 058只,观察到鹰隼类活动69只次。数据分析结果表明,长爪沙鼠肝毛细线虫感染率与鼠类密度之间存在极显著的正相关关系(P0.01,R~2=0.926),长爪沙鼠肝毛细线虫感染率与猛禽密度之间亦存在极显著的正相关关系(P0.01,R~2=0.853)。该结果说明,长爪沙鼠是肝毛细线虫的主要宿主,鼠类密度和猛禽密度的升高均会增加长爪沙鼠肝毛细线虫感染率,猛禽密度和鼠类密度之间还存在叠加效应,猛禽的捕食作用会加快肝毛细线虫病的传播周期,加重肝毛细线虫病疫情。     

Skeletogenesis and sequence heterochrony in rodent evolution, with particular emphasis on the African striped mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio (Mammalia)

Data documenting skeletal development in rodents, the most species-rich ‘order’ of mammals, are at present restricted to a few model species, a shortcoming that hinders exploration of the morphological and ecological diversification of the group. In this study we provide the most comprehensive sampling of rodent ossification sequences to date, with the aim of exploring whether heterochrony is ubiquitous in rodent evolution at the onset of skeletal formation. The onset of ossification in 17 cranial elements and 24 postcranial elements was examined for eight muroid and caviomorph rodent species. New data are provided for two non-model species. For one of these, the African striped mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, sampling was extended by studying 53 autopodial elements and examining intraspecific variation. The Parsimov method of studying sequence heterochrony was used to explore the role that changes in developmental timing play in early skeletal formation. Few heterochronies were found to diagnose the muroid and caviomorph clades, suggesting conserved patterning in skeletal development. Mechanisms leading to the generation of the wide range of morphological diversity encapsulated within Rodentia may be restricted to later periods in development than those studied in this work. Documentation of skeletogenesis in Rhabdomys indicates that intraspecifc variation in ossification sequence pattern is present, though not extensive. Our study suggests that sequence heterochrony is neither pivotal nor prevalent during early skeletal formation in rodents.     

Spacing Behavior of a Non‐Larder‐Hoarding Tamiasciurus: A Study of Mearns's Squirrels in Xeric Coniferous Forests

In ecosystems with seasonal fluctuations in food supply many species use two strategies to store food: larder hoarding and scatter hoarding. However, because species at different geographic locations may experience distinct environmental conditions, differences in hoarding behavior may occur. Tree squirrels in the genus Tamiasciurus display variation in hoarding behavior. Whereas red (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and Douglas's (Tamiasciurus douglasii) squirrels in mesic coniferous forests defend territories centered around larder hoards maintaining non‐overlapping home ranges, red squirrels in deciduous forests defend small scatter‐hoarded caches of cones maintaining overlapping home ranges. As in other rodent species, variation in hoarding behavior appears to influence the spacing behavior of red and Douglas's squirrels. In contrast, Mearns's squirrels (Tamiasciurus mearnsi) in xeric coniferous forests neither rely on larder hoards nor appear to display territorial behavior. Unfortunately, little is known about the ecology of this southernmost Tamiasciurus. Using radiotelemetry, we estimated home‐range size, overlap, and maximum distance traveled from nest to examine the spacing behavior of Mearns's squirrels. Similar to scatter‐hoarding rodents, maximum distance traveled from nest was greater for males during mating season, whereas those of females were similar year round. Although no seasonal differences were detected, male home ranges were three times larger during mating season, whereas those of females were smaller and displayed a minor variation between seasons. Home ranges were overlapped year round but contrary to our expectations, overlap was greater during mating season for both sexes, with no detectable relationship between male home‐range size and the number of females overlapped during mating season. Overall, the results appear to support our hypothesis that in the absence of larder hoards, the spacing behavior of Mearns's squirrels should be different from larder‐hoarding congeners and more similar to scatter‐hoarding rodents.     

Tradition in Lemur catta Behavior at Berenty Reserve,Madagascar

Lemur catta Troop D at Berenty Reserve has been studied intermittently for 35 years. During 90 hours of continuous sampling in August 1998, I observed and mapped troop movement and scent marking. I compared these observations with data from June, 1975. The core of Troop D1's 1998 home range is the same as for Troop D in 1975. Sixty-two percent of Troop D1's time in 1998 was spent in the 1975 home range, and 52% of their scent marks were placed in that 1975 home range. The remainder of their time was spent in an extension of their home range, which is now an area of confrontation with an adjacent troop. They used the same sleeping trees in the 2 years, and all of the 1998 scent marks deposited in the 1975 home range were placed in the same locations marked in 1975. The similarities in their use of space in 1975 and 1998 were remarkable.     

贺兰山西坡啮齿动物生境选择及种间关系

为明确对贺兰山西坡啮齿动物生境选择起关键作用的主要环境因子,探讨各鼠种之间的相互作用如何影响鼠种的生境选择,选取地理因子（海拔、坡度、坡向）、植被因子（植被盖度、植被高度、灌木/乔木高度）和其他因子（距水源距离、距道路距离、距灌木/乔木距离）等9种生境因子,利用资源选择函数模型和logistic回归模型对啮齿动物生境选择和种间关系进行分析。结果表明,在贺兰山西坡,捕获数量最多的6种啮齿动物对的生境选择存在差异,大林姬鼠（Apodemus peninsulae）偏好高海拔、多灌木（乔木）的生境;子午沙鼠（Meriones meridianus）偏好海拔较低的半荒漠稀疏生境,对道路和人为干扰不回避;灰仓鼠（Cricetulus migratorius）偏好距水源较远、多灌木（乔木）、距道路较近的生境;阿拉善黄鼠（Spermophilus alaschanicus）偏好低海拔、植被丰富的生境;短尾仓鼠（Cricetulus eversmanni）偏好高海拔、距道路较近的生境;社鼠（Niviventer niviventer）偏好海拔较高、坡度较大、距水源较远的生境。鼠种间的相互关系主要呈现回避或随机关系。研究结果有助于了解啮齿动物分布的变化及种群动态规律,可为贺兰山生物资源保护,区域性鼠害的预测、预报和综合治理提供基础资料和科学依据。     

Monophyly or polyphyly of the order Rodentia: Possible conflict between morphological and molecular interpretations

Recent analyses of amino acid sequence data from selected proteins inCavia, Rattus, Homo, Bos, Sus, and a few additional rodents and other eutherians suggested that Rodentia is not a monophyletic taxon and thatCavia and other hystricognaths may have branched off earlier than the separation between Muroidea and Primates during mammalian evolution. Because this hypothesis of polyphyly is contrary to the otherwise unanimous recognition of rodent monophyly, we have reevaluated the morphological and developmental evidence from the cranium, dentition, postcranial skeleton, and fetal membranes for the taxa Hystricognathi, Muroidea, other Rodentia, Primates, Artiodactyla, and Lagomorpha, as well as for the eutherian morphotype. Our character analyses provide strong corroboration for the traditional hypothesis of rodent monophyly and lend additional support to the suggestion that Lagomorpha is the sister taxon of Rodentia. Our survey of published molecular data furnishes little or no support for the proposed hypothesis of rodent polyphyly. We conclude that this hypothesis is the result of poor sampling of sequence data from rodents and other eutherians, rather than any inherent difficulties in the use of molecular evidence for the assessment of mammalian evolution. The available molecular data suggest thatCavia differs considerably from other hystricognaths in many proteins, but the reasons for this remain to be investigated.     

Effects of acorn masting on population dynamics of three forest-dwelling rodent species in Hokkaido,Japan

The effects of the abundance of acorns of the oak, Quercus crispula, on the population dynamics of three rodent species (Apodemus speciosus, A. argenteus, and Clethrionomys rufocanus) were analyzed using time series data (1992–2006). The data were obtained in a forest in northern Hokkaido, Japan, by live trapping rodents and directly counting acorns on the ground. Apodemus speciosus generally increased in abundance following acorn masting. However, the clear effect of acorn abundance was not detected for the other two rodent species. Acorns of Q. crispula contain tannins, which potentially have detrimental effects on herbivores. Apodemus speciosus may reduce the damage caused by acorn tannins with tannin-binding salivary proteins and tannase-producing bacteria, whereas such physiological tolerance to tannins is not known in the other two rodent species. The differences in the effects of acorns between the three species may be due to differences in their physiological tolerance to tannins.     

Circadian Pattern of Wheel‐Running Activity of a South American Subterranean Rodent (Ctenomys cf knightii)

Circadian rhythms are regarded as essentially ubiquitous features of animal behavior and are thought to confer important adaptive advantages. However, although circadian systems of rodents have been among the most extensively studied, most comparative biology is restricted to a few related species. In this study, the circadian organization of locomotor activity was studied in the subterranean, solitary north Argentinean rodent, Ctenomys knightii. The genus, Ctenomys, commonly known as Tuco‐tucos, comprises more than 50 known species over a range that extends from 12°S latitude into Patagonia, and includes at least one social species. The genus, therefore, is ideal for comparative and ecological studies of circadian rhythms. Ctenomys knightii is the first of these to be studied for its circadian behavior. All animals were wild caught but adapted quickly to laboratory conditions, with clear and precise activity‐rest rhythms in a light‐dark (LD) cycle and strongly nocturnal wheel running behavior. In constant dark (DD), the rhythm expression persisted with free‐running periods always longer than 24 h. Upon reinstatement of the LD cycle, rhythms resynchronized rapidly with large phase advances in 7/8 animals. In constant light (LL), six animals had free‐running periods shorter than in DD, and 4/8 showed evidence of “splitting.” We conclude that under laboratory conditions, in wheel‐running cages, this species shows a clear nocturnal rhythmic organization controlled by an endogenous circadian oscillator that is entrained to 24 h LD cycles, predominantly by light‐induced advances, and shows the same interindividual variable responses to constant light as reported in other non‐subterranean species. These data are the first step toward understanding the chronobiology of the largest genus of subterranean rodents.     

Home Range and Movement Patterns of Toucans: Implications for Seed Dispersal

Toucans (Ramphastidae) are highly frugivorous, widespread throughout the Neotropics, and travel long distances, thus likely providing dispersal for many tropical trees. Despite being large conspicuous members of the canopy and subcanopy bird community, their movement ecology has been little studied. To understand how these frugivores move through a lowland tropical forest, I tracked the movements of Ramphastos tucanus (White‐throated Toucan), Ramphastos vitellinus (Channel‐billed Toucan), and Pteroglossus pluricinctus (Many‐banded Araçari) in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. The objectives of this study were to use radiotelemetry to estimate toucan home ranges, movement patterns, and potential seed dispersal distances. Using canopy nets, a total of 20 P. pluricinctus and three Ramphastos toucans were captured, radio‐tagged, and tracked over a 4‐yr period from 2001 to 2005. Average home range sizes were 191 and 86 ha for P. pluricinctus and Ramphastos toucans, respectively. The maximum travel distance in a single 30‐min tracking interval was 3665 m for P. pluricinctus and 3027 m for Ramphastos. Estimated dispersal distances of medium‐sized seeds ranged from 269 to 449 m. Large home range size and long‐distance movements indicate that toucans likely disperse seeds over a scale of hundreds of meters. This study is the first to estimate home range size of any toucan species in intact closed‐canopy forests. Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell‐synergy.com/loi/btp .