Selected aspects of collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu) reproductive biology in a captive texas herd

Collared peccaries (Dicotyles tajacu) from 32 litters were born in captivity during the period from September, 1981 through July, 1983. Incidence of singleton, twin, and triplet litters was 28%, 66%, and 6%, respectively. Mean (± SE) weight of young from singleton, twin, and triplet litters was 751 (± 35) gm, 698 (± 17) gm, and 612 (± 74) gm, respectively. Sex ratio among all litters was 56:44 (M:F). Neonatal mortality amounted to 9% of the young born. Mean duration of estrus was 2.60 days and mean length of gestation was 145.6 days. Evidence indicated that multiple copulations increased ovulation rate and the chance for conception.     

Effects of the winter beechmast crop on bird occurrence in British gardens

Capsule Woodland birds were significantly less likely to occur in gardens in years of high beechmast crop.

Aim To test the hypothesis that woodland species that feed on beechmast will have significantly lower occurrence rates at garden feeders in mast years.

Methods Weekly winter occurrence rates at garden feeders between 1970/71 and 1999/2000 for 40 species were analysed in relation to annual beechmast abundance, classified into low, medium and high years. A repeated-measures logistic regression model was used to assess whether beechmast abundance explained further significant variation additional to underlying seasonal and annual trends.

Results Seven species that commonly feed on beechmast showed significantly lower occurrence in gardens in years of highest beechmast abundance: Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, Great Tit Parus major, Coal Tit Periparus ater, Nuthatch Sitta europaea, Jay Garrulus glandarius and Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Blackbird Turdus merula and Siskin Carduelis spinus, which showed similar significant patterns, are likely to take beechmast as elements of their diet. Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba was the only insectivorous species to show significant effects, but occurrence was lowest in years of intermediate beechmast abundance. For the latter species, this may have been due to confounding effects of temperature, but there were no such confounding effects of either temperature, or the number of bird feeders provided in gardens, for the other nine species.

Conclusion Use of artificial food sources by birds in gardens is influenced by resources in the surrounding countryside, suggesting that food provided in gardens may play a significant part in the population dynamics of these species, that population monitoring without consideration of the garden habitat may be deficient, and that volunteer-based garden bird recording may provide data that can be used as an indicator of changes in the wider countryside.     

Mammal Abundances and Seed Traits Control the Seed Dispersal and Predation Roles of Terrestrial Mammals in a Costa Rican Forest

In Neotropical forests, mammals act as seed dispersers and predators. To prevent seed predation and promote dispersal, seeds exhibit physical or chemical defenses. Collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) cannot eat some hard seeds, but can digest chemically defended seeds. Central American agoutis (Dasyprocta punctata) gnaw through hard‐walled seeds, but cannot consume chemically defended seeds. The objectives of this study were to determine relative peccary and agouti abundances within a lowland forest in Costa Rica and to assess how these two mammals affect the survival of large seeds that have no defenses (Iriartea deltoidea, Socratea exorrhiza), physical defenses (Astrocaryum alatum, Dipteryx panamensis), or chemical defenses (Mucuna holtonii) against seed predators. Mammal abundances were determined over 3 yrs from open‐access motion‐detecting camera trap photos. Using semi‐permeable mammal exclosures and thread‐marked seeds, predation and dispersal by mammals for each seed species were quantified. Abundances of peccaries were up to six times higher than those of agoutis over 3 yrs, but neither peccary nor agouti abundances differed across years. Seeds of A. alatum were predominantly dispersed by peccaries, which did not eat A. alatum seeds, whereas non‐defended and chemically defended seeds suffered high levels of predation, mostly by peccaries. Agoutis did not eat M. holtonii seeds. Peccaries and agoutis did not differ in the distances they dispersed seeds. This study shows that seed fates are contingent upon many factors such as seed defenses, frugivore–granivore abundances, and seed‐handling capabilities. Mammal–seed interactions are complex; the outcomes of these interactions depend on the inherent characteristics of seeds and their potential dispersers.     

Mammalian Visitation to Candidate Feral Swine Attractants

Abstract Few data exist regarding suitable feral swine (Sus scrofa) attractants in the United States. We compared species-specific visitation and contact rates of mammals to 11 candidate feral swine attractants at scent stations using motion-sensing digital photography to identify promising attractants. We found feral swine had greater visitation rates to apple and strawberry stations than to control stations. We recommend managers consider using strawberry attractants for feral swine-specific applications. If, however, a general feral swine attractant is needed, then apple, berry, or caramel attractants may perform well.     

Localization of swine PRE-1 homologues in 13 loci of Phacochoerus aethiopicus and Tayassu tajacu genomes, and their sequence divergence

In our previous study, PRE-1 (a swine short interspersed nuclear element, SINE) was found to be present in the genomes of animal species related to swine ( Sus scrofa ) i.e. warthog ( Phacochoerus aethiopicus ) and collared peccary ( Tayassu tajacu ) at almost the same frequency as in Sus scrofa . In the present study, we investigated whether PRE-1 was present in hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius ), which is in the same order but in a different family to Sus scrofa . Hippopotamus amphibius was found to contain no PRE-1. Then, in order to study the localization of PRE-1 sequences at locus level and the sequence divergence of the PRE-1 of individual loci among Sus scrofa , Phacochoerus aethiopicus and Tayassu tajacu , primer sets, which can amplify PRE-1 sequences at 13 loci of swine genome with the polymerase chain reaction, were prepared to identify any corresponding sequences in Phacochoerus aethiopicus and Tayassu tajacu . Twelve and nine of the 13 primer sets identified fragments in Phacochoerus aethiopicus and Tayassu tajacu respectively. Ten of the 12 Phacochoerus aethiopicus fragments and two of the nine Tayassu tajacu fragments contained PRE-1 sequences. Based on the divergence between the corresponding PRE-1 sequences at individual loci and on the mutation rate of the pseudogenes (r=4·6×10^–9), Phacochoerus aethiopicus and Tayassu tajacu are currently calculated to have been separated from Sus scrofa later than 1·4million years before present (MYBP) and 16·8 MYBP, respectively.     

Comparative digestion studies in wild suids at Rotterdam Zoo

Among the artiodactyla, the suids are a group whose digestive physiology has hardly been investigated. The apparent digestibilities (aD) of macronutrients were measured in captive specimens of warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus), and Visayan warty pigs (Sus cebifrons), and compared with those reported for babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) from the same facility on a similar diet. The animals were fed mixed diets of pelleted feed, grains, fruits, and vegetables; dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ranged from 17 to 26% dry matter. aD of organic matter and protein ranged from 72 to 89 and 70 to 82%, respectively. Although red river hogs and warty pigs achieved aD of NDF of 41–54%, this value was higher both in warthogs (63–66%) and babirusa (61–63%). aD of acid detergent fiber was comparatively low in red river hogs (4%), warty pigs (22%), and babirusa (13–25%) but high in warthog (59–62%). Comparison with additional literature data (including peccaries) indicates that in spite of differences in digestive anatomy, suids and peccaries are similar, and resemble other herbivores in fundamental characteristics, such as the negative influence of fiber on overall digestibility, or the positive influence of dietary protein on protein digestion. Although the existing data are equivocal as to a superior fiber digestion in peccaries as compared with other wild suids, the results suggest that warthogs are more efficient than other wild suids or peccaries in terms of fiber digestion. Zoo Biol 27:305–319, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Evaluation of anesthetic protocol for the collection of semen from captive collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) by electroejaculation

The objective of this study is to verify and compare the effects of acepromazine–tiletamine–zolazepam and propofol used in anesthetic protocols for semen collection by electroejaculation from captive collared peccaries. Ten sexually mature animals were physically restrained and anesthetized by either intravenous administration of tiletamine–zolazepam (2 mg/kg) after acepromazine premedication, or a propofol dose of 5 mg/kg. The onset of anesthetic recovery was determined by the animals regaining consciousness and attempting to stand. Semen was collected by electroejaculation and evaluated for volume, pH, sperm concentration, progressive motility, morphology, percentage of live cells and functional membrane integrity. Six anesthetized animals with the acepromazine–tiletamine–zolazepam protocol showed erection, but semen could be collected in only four (40%) attempts. Of the animals anesthetized using propofol, nine showed erection, and the ejaculates were collected in eight (80%) attempts. Furthermore, propofol afforded rapid recovery of animals, and ejaculates with enhanced sperm motility and functional membrane integrity as compared with those collected by the other protocol (P < 0.05). In conclusion, use of propofol for anesthetic restraint of collared peccaries enhanced collection of semen by electroejaculation.     

环颈蝠(Thainycteris aureocollaris)在中国分布的再发现

福建省位于我国东南沿海,亚热带气候和丰富植被为野生动物的生存和繁衍提供了良好的生态环境(丁晖等,2015).武夷山位于福建北部,地理位置独特,雨量充足,植被多样且茂密,是众多动物赖以生存的场所,丰富的生物多样性资源使其成为世界著名的动物模式标本产地(罗桂环等,2016;耿宝荣等,2020),其中翼手目中模式产地为武夷山...     

Environment and space as drivers of variation in skull shape in two widely distributed South‐American Tayassuidae,Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla)

The influence of the environment on the geographical variation of morphological traits has been recognized in a number of taxa. Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari are ideal models to investigate intraspecific geographic variation in skull because of their wide and heterogeneous geographical distribution in South America. We used geometric morphometric procedures to examine the geographical variation in skull shape of 294 adult specimens of these species from 134 localities. We quantified to what extent skull shape variation was explained by environment, skull size and geographical space using variation partitioning analysis. We detected a strong pattern of geographic variation for P. tajacu skull shape, but not for T. pecari. The environment seems to be the major selective force that drives skull shape variation in both species. Nevertheless, other spatially structured processes (e.g. genetic drift, gene flow) might also have affected variation in the skull shape of the more widespread species P. tajacu. Allometric relationships might reflect the biomechanical constraints that are thought to be strong enough to limit size‐related changes in T. pecari skull shape.