Individual variation in the booming calls of captive Horned Guans (Oreophasis derbianus)

   Online ISSN: 2165-0586
    Print ISSN: 0952-4622

Individual variation in the booming calls of captive Horned Guans (Oreophasis derbianus): an endangered Neotropical mountain bird

Fernando González-García, J. Roberto Sosa-López, Juan Francisco Ornelas, Pedro Jordano, Victor Rico-Gray & Vicente Urios Moliner

Abstract
The Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus) is a cracid restricted to cloud forests in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas in Mexico and the westerncentral Mountains in Guatemala. It is an endangered species and urgent conservation measures are required, such as non-invasive monitoring techniques. Here, we study individual features in the boom calls of Horned Guans. ... View full abstract

Boom calls are acoustic signals used by males during courtship and territorial displays. This call is made of seven notes, divided into two parts: an introductory section characterized by low-amplitude notes and a body section characterized by highamplitude notes. We recorded 10 males during the breeding seasons of 2010 and 2011 in two captive populations and measured 22 acoustic variables of the calls. We used a combination of statistical analyses to test individuality in Horned Guan vocalizations. Our results showed that time-related variables – but not frequency-related traits – varied between individuals, and that individual calls showed no variation between years. Our results suggest that Horned Guan individuals can be distinguished using fine structural characteristics of their calls and that calls remain stable across years. We argue that such vocal signature could be used to track wild populations as a non-invasive technique in order to improve census data in the short and long term.

what is perceived as working?

Oryx, Volume 50, Issue 2
ISSN: 0030-6053 EISSN: 1365-3008

Safeguarding biodiversity: what is perceived as working, according to the conservation community?

COLIN A. CHAPMAN, ANNEKE DELUYCKER, RAFAEL A. REYNA-HURTADO, JUAN CARLOS SERIO-SILVA, THOMAS B. SMITH KAREN B. STRIER & TONY L. GOLDBERG

Abstract
Dramatic increases in human populations and per capita consumption, climate change, overexploitation of marine and freshwater resources, and deforestation have caused a litany of negative consequences for biodiversity. Such doom-and-gloom scenarios are widely known, frequently cited and frankly depressing. Although accurate assessments of threats have clear value for intervention planning, we believe there is also a need to reflect on successes. Such reflection provides balance to negative scenarios and may shift attention towards constructive, positive action. ... View full abstract

Here we use a systematic evaluation of 90 success stories provided by conservation scientists and practitioners to explore the characteristics of the projects perceived as being associated with success. Success was deemed to have occurred for 19.4% of the projects simply because an event had occurred (e.g. a law was passed) and for 36.1% of projects quantitative data indicated success (e.g. censuses demonstrated population increase). However, for most projects (63.9%) there was no evaluation and success was defined by the subjective opinion of the respondent. Conservation community members viewed successful projects most often as those being long-term (88%), small in spatial scale (52%), with a relatively low budget (68%), and involving a protectionist approach alone or in combination with another approach. These results highlight the subjectivity of definitions of success in conservation but also the characteristics of conservation efforts that the conservation community perceives as indicative of success.

Registro fotográfico Desmodus rotundus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) alimentándose de Odocoileus virginianus en Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, México

Primer registro fotográfico de murciélagos hematófagos Desmodus rotundus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) alimentándose de Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) en la Reserva de la Biosfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, México

ISSN 2382-3704
VOLUMEN 3(1):17-19
Mayo 2016

Eva López Tello-Mera  
Salvador Mandujano  

   Los murciélagos hematófagos se distribuyen en Latinoamérica, desde  México hasta el norte de Argentina (Greenhall et al. 1983, Greenhall et al. 1984, Greenhall & Schutt 1996). Estos murciélagos contribuyen a regular las poblaciones de fauna silvestre de las que se alimentan (González Christen 2003). Las especies Diphylla ecaudata y Diaemus youngi también contribuyen en el mantenimiento de la salud de las poblaciones ya que solo atacan individuos débiles o enfermos (Horváth 2010). De las tres especies (D. ecaudata, D. youngi y Desmodus rotundus) que se distribuyen en México, D. rotundus es la más común y la que se alimenta de diversas especies de mamíferos silvestres, así como de ungulados domésticos (Johnson et al. 2014). También se considera como una de las principales especies hospederas y transmisoras de la rabia (Correa-Scheffer et al. 2014).

Los estudios sobre vertebrados y su aplicacion en recomendaciones de manejo

ISBN: 978-607-424-558-5

Las Áreas Naturales Protegidas y la Investigación Científica en México

Capítulo XIII
Los estudios sobre vertebrados y su aplicación en recomendaciones de manejo

Sonia Gallina y Alberto González-Romero

Resumen

El capítulo trata sobre el papel de las Áreas Protegidas, sobre todo Reservas de la Biosfera, desde que fueron establecidas las primeras de Latinoamérica en México: "Mapimí", representando el Desierto Chihuahuense, y "La Michilía" representando los bosques templados secos de la Sierra Madre Occidental, como sitios idelaes para llevar a cabo investigaciones sobre las poblaciones faunísticas, comunidades y ecosistemas que generen información básica para el mejor entendimiento, uso y conservación de los recursos naturales. Como ejemplos, se tratan los estudios generados sobre los venados en México, que son considerados como el recurso cinegético más importante en el país, y muy utilizado por las comunidades indígenas como un recurso alimentario importante, cuyos resultados han servido para diseñar planes de manejo a través de las Unidades de Conservación y Manejo (UMA).

Otro ejemplo son los estudios ecológicos a largo plazo, sobre todo incluyendo las comunidades de roedores, lagomorfos y carnívoros, dentro del Programa LTER (Long Term Ecological Research), que se inicia en México en 1994 instalando los sitios de monitoreo en la Reserva de la Biósfera "Mapimí", Durango, y se formaliza como Mex-LTER en abril de 2002 junto con otros ocho sitios.

First phylogenetic analysis of Mesoamerican brocket deer Mazama pandora and Mazama temama (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae) based on mitochondrial sequences: Implications for Neotropical deer evolution

Mammalian Biology 81 (2016) 303–313

First phylogenetic analysis of Mesoamerican brocket deer Mazama pandora and Mazama temama (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae) based on mitochondrial sequences: Implications for Neotropical deer evolution

Luis A. Escobedo-Morales • Salvador Mandujano
Luis E. Eguiarte • Marco A. Rodríguez-Rodríguez
Jesús E. Maldonado

Abstract

Several recent studies have tried to unravel the complex evolutionary history of Neotropical cervids. However, the two Mesoamerican brocket deer Mazama pandora and M. temama have not been included in these studies and their relationship to other Neotropical cervids remains unclear. Here, we present analyses that included concatenated sequences from the mitochondrial genes ND2, Cytb, and tRNA-Pro-Control region.

Our results suggest that both Mesoamerican brocket deer fall within the “red” clade, more closely related to genus Odocoileus and red brocket deer species, such as South American Mazama americana, M. bororo, M. nana, and M. rufina.

We estimated that M. temama diverged from other red brocket deer ca. two MYA. Two hypothesis emerge regarding the relationship of the Yucatan brocket deer M. pandora with respect to the other Neotropical deer.

• The first one, based on analyses of concatenated sequences from all three genes, implies an early split from a larger clade that includes Odocoileus and other red Mazama species, with an estimated divergence time dating back to 2.7 MYA. This would suggest isolation on the Yucatan peninsula, limiting the crossing of this species into South America.
• The second one, based only on Cytb, places M. pandora more closely related to Odocoileus and with an estimated divergence time of ca. 1.9 MYA. This would suggest that the humid tropical forests of Mexico and Central America could have been the most likely place of origin of members of the red brocket deer clade.

Deer colonization into South America occurred after the complete formation of the Panamanian land bridge in the late Pliocene, more than one ancestor of the gray brocket deer clade crossed into South America, as well as a red brocket deer ancestor and Odocoileus dispersed southward. A posterior event probably occurred when divergent ancestors of M. temama and M. pandora respectively moved northward after the split with South American red brocket deer.

Our results add to the growing body of evidence calling for an extensive taxonomic revision of this group, and we concur with previous recommendations that the generic taxonomic designation of Mazama should be applied not only to the red brocket deer but also to all of the species currently recognized under the genus Odocoileus.

Abundancia relativa de la zorra gris Urocyon cinereoargenteus en la zona centro de Veracruz México

ISSN impreso: 0034-7744
ISSN electrónico: 2215-2075

Abundancia relativa de la zorra gris Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Carnívora: Canidae) en la zona centro de Veracruz, México

Sonia Gallina T. • Paloma López-Colunga
Carolina Valdespino • Verónica Farías

Abstract
Relative abundance of the gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Carnívora: Canidae) in Veracruz central area, Mexico. The gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, is a medium-size canid widely distributed in México. Most studies on this species focus on habitat use, home range, diet, intraguild competence, and lanscape distribution between urban and rural sites. In central Veracruz, gray foxes are present in fragments of cloud forest and in shaded coffee plantations; nevertheless, its abundance has not yet been compared among other vegetation types found in the area, such as sugarcane plantations. In this study we described gray foxes abundance variations using 500 m transects, among sugarcane plantations, shaded coffee plantations, and cloud forest fragments throughout eight months, by scat counting in three sites of each cover type. We reported the relative abundance index for each cover type and each month, and evaluated its relationship with four landscape features:

1. shade percent,
2. trail density,
3. human population density, and
4. habitat juxtaposition, in influence areas of 450 ha around sampling sites.

Abundance comparison among cover types showed lower abundances in cloud forest fragments and higher abundances in coffee and sugarcane plantations. No significant differences were found throughout months (p = 0.476). We proposed that higher abundances in plantations may be related to the presence of rodent plagues and fruit trees which offer food resources to gray foxes. The evaluation of landscape features showed that only medium-impact trail density and human population density were positively correlated with gray fox abundance; fact that demonstrates that this canid can coexist with humans in rural sites. We highlight the gray fox capacity to take advantage of heterogeneous landscapes.