Role of body size in activity budgets of mammals in the Western Ghats of India

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharmalingam Ramesh ◽  
Riddhika Kalle ◽  
Kalyanasundaram Sankar ◽  
Qamar Qureshi
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Activity Budgets ◽  
Vector Length ◽  
Western Ghats Of India ◽  
Mean Vector

Abstract:Body size in animals is an important trait affecting species niche differentiation and restricting similarity. Using camera-trap data over 2008–2010, we used photo-captures from 50 cameras spread throughout Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Western Ghats, India) to assess the activity budgets of 21 mammal species ranging in body size from 1 kg to 2088 kg. Large carnivores were mostly cathemeral whereas small cat and civet species were purely nocturnal. Mongoose species were mainly diurnal possibly due to their terrestrial feeding habits and reduce competition with other sympatric small carnivores. All large and small-bodied herbivores were cathemeral and nocturnal respectively, whereas medium-sized herbivores were active during the day. Overall, small mammals tended to be mostly nocturnal, whereas large mammals were cathemeral mainly due to energy requirements and other ecological constraints. Body size showed significant negative relationship with mean vector length (clustering of activity in time) thus implying that the daily amount of time being active increased with body size. The shorter activity time (12 h) in small mammals resulted in higher mean vector length probably to utilize the available time to fulfil energy needs. The observed cathemeral activity in large mammals may be associated with travel over larger areas to acquire large quantities of food therefore they are active for a longer duration. Our results clearly support the allometric relationship between body size and activity budgets in mammals and its association with niche differentiation.

scholarly journals Small mammals in the human-dominated landscape in the northern Western Ghats of India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 17619-17629
Author(s):  
Sameer Bajaru ◽  
Amol R. Kulavmode ◽  
Ranjit Manakadan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Human Disturbances ◽  
Western Ghats Of India ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
High Elevations

The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot is under huge anthropogenic pressure, with unique flora and fauna facing severe threats from habitat fragmentation, loss, and degradation.  The northern Western Ghats has been poorly studied for its small mammal fauna, hence we examined small mammals near Pune from 2014 to 2017.  Live trapping was carried out in irrigated and rainfed agriculture fields, forests, and grasslands at low, mid, and high elevations.  A total of 538 individuals were trapped, representing 17 species of rodents and one shrew.  Most abundantly captured species were Millardia kondana (23%), Mus saxicola (19%), Suncus murinus (17%), and Mus booduga (13%).  Species richness and abundance of small mammals varied across the habitats.  High elevation grasslands were species-rich relative to low elevation grasslands and forests.  Our observations indicate that human disturbances play a role in determining the richness and abundance of small mammals in the area, where populations are under threat from urbanization, tourism, agriculture, grazing, and fire.  Habitat and species specific conservation measures need to be taken, coupled with in-depth species–habitat relationship studies, for the conservation of small mammal diversity of the northern Western Ghats.

scholarly journals Tapping into technology and the biodiversity informatics revolution: updated terrestrial mammal list of Angola, with new records from the Okavango Basin

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 779 ◽  
pp. 51-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Taylor ◽  
Götz Neef ◽  
Mark Keith ◽  
Sina Weier ◽  
Ara Monadjem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Species Lists ◽  
First Time ◽  
Excellent Source ◽  
Biodiversity Information ◽  
Historical Range

Using various sources, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), published literature, recent (2015–2017) collections, as well as bat detector and camera trap surveys with opportunistic sightings and live capture in the upper Okavango catchment in central Angola, we present an updated mammal checklist of 275 species from 15 different orders for Angola (including the Cabinda region). Recent surveys (captures and bat detectors) of small mammals from the upper Okavango catchment yielded 46 species (33 species of bats, ten species of rodents and three species of shrews). One bat (Pipistrellusrusticus, rusty pipistrelle); two rodents (Mussetzeri, Setzer’s mouse and Zelotomyswoosnami, Woosnam’s broad-faced mouse) and one shrew (Suncusvarilla, lesser dwarf shrew) were captured for the first time, in Angola. While our species lists of bats conformed to predicted totals, terrestrial small mammals were under sampled, with only 13 species recorded by our trapping survey compared to a total of 42 shrew and rodent species expected based on GBIF records for the central Angolan highlands. Seven terrestrial small mammal species (one shrew and six rodents) are endemic to the central and western Angolan highlands but none of these were captured in our survey. The bat detector surveys added three further bat species to the country list: Pipistrellushesperidus, Kerivoulaargentata, and Mopsmidas. Camera trap surveys and opportunistic sightings in the upper Okavango catchment in 2016 yielded a total of 35 species of medium-large mammals, from 17 families, although all of these had been reported previously in Angola. GBIF proved to be an excellent source of biodiversity data for Angolan mammals, most importantly for documenting dramatic historical range changes of larger mammals such as the sable (Hippotragusnigerniger), Kirk’s sable (H.nigerkirkii) and the giant sable (H.nigervariani).

PEST CHIGGER, EUTROMBICULA ALFREDDUGESI INFESTATION OF SMALL MAMMALS IN PIEDMONT HABITATS OF GEORGIA1 (ACARINA: TROMBICULIDAE)

1985 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
David F. Ludwig ◽  
D. A. Crossley ◽  
Mary Jo Hayes ◽  
D. Mallow ◽  
M. C. Wicht
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Maximum Rate ◽  
Sigmodon Hispidus ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Host Body ◽  
June July ◽  
Host Body Size

More than 2600 Eutrombicula alfreddugesi larvae were taken from 40 of 596 individual small mammals of 20 species over a 23 month period. Mammals were infested during June, July, and August only, with maximum rate of infestation in June and severity of infestation in July. Male and female Sigmodon hispidus had equal rates and severities of infestation during the chigger season. Infrapopulations of E. alfreddugesi are positively associated with host body size. Amount of time spent in arboreal activity by mammal species played no role in determining pest chigger infestation.

scholarly journals Effects of narrow linear clearings on movement and habitat use in a boreal forest mammal community during winter

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin A. Pattison ◽  
Carla P. Catterall
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Seismic Line ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Large Predators

Linear clearings for human activities cause internal fragmentation of otherwise intact native forest, with many potential impacts on wildlife. Across a boreal forest region of some 4,000 km2, we investigated how movements and habitat use of ecologically different mammal species are affected by narrow (about eight m) seismic line (SL) clearings associated with fossil fuel extraction, which form extensive networks many kilometers long. We conducted nine repeat snow track surveys during three winters at 14 pairs of one-kilometer transects, each comprising one transect along the SL and a second running perpendicular into adjacent forest. Data for 13 individually-analyzed mammal taxa (species or sets of closely related species) and five mammal groups, categorized based on body size-diet combinations, showed that movements across transects were either unaffected by SL clearings (relative to continuous forest) or restricted only slightly. However, these clearings were favored for linear travel by most species and body size-diet groups (excepting small mammals). The strength of this preference varied in a manner consistent with species’ differing needs to move long distances (associated with their energetic requirements): large predators > large herbivores > mid-sized predators > mid-sized herbivores > small mammals. In terms of overall habitat use, large-bodied predators (e.g., wolves and coyotes) strongly selected SL clearings over forest, medium-sized predators (e.g., mustelids) and medium-sized herbivores (e.g., hares and squirrels) preferred forest, and neither large herbivores nor small mammals had a clear habitat preference. Consequently, there was a net shift in both species and trophic composition within the SL, in favor of large predators and away from medium-sized predators and herbivores. Given the high regional SL density (1.9 km/km2) such shifts are likely to have complex ecological consequences, of currently unknown magnitude.

scholarly journals Tapping into technology and the biodiversity informatics revolution: updated terrestrial mammal list of Angola, with new records from the Okavango Basin

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 779 ◽  
pp. 51-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Taylor ◽  
Götz Neef ◽  
Mark Keith ◽  
Sina Weier ◽  
Ara Monadjem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Species Lists ◽  
First Time ◽  
Excellent Source ◽  
Biodiversity Information ◽  
Historical Range

Using various sources, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), published literature, recent (2015–2017) collections, as well as bat detector and camera trap surveys with opportunistic sightings and live capture in the upper Okavango catchment in central Angola, we present an updated mammal checklist of 275 species from 15 different orders for Angola (including the Cabinda region). Recent surveys (captures and bat detectors) of small mammals from the upper Okavango catchment yielded 46 species (33 species of bats, ten species of rodents and three species of shrews). One bat (Pipistrellusrusticus, rusty pipistrelle); two rodents (Mussetzeri, Setzer’s mouse and Zelotomyswoosnami, Woosnam’s broad-faced mouse) and one shrew (Suncusvarilla, lesser dwarf shrew) were captured for the first time, in Angola. While our species lists of bats conformed to predicted totals, terrestrial small mammals were under sampled, with only 13 species recorded by our trapping survey compared to a total of 42 shrew and rodent species expected based on GBIF records for the central Angolan highlands. Seven terrestrial small mammal species (one shrew and six rodents) are endemic to the central and western Angolan highlands but none of these were captured in our survey. The bat detector surveys added three further bat species to the country list: Pipistrellushesperidus, Kerivoulaargentata, and Mopsmidas. Camera trap surveys and opportunistic sightings in the upper Okavango catchment in 2016 yielded a total of 35 species of medium-large mammals, from 17 families, although all of these had been reported previously in Angola. GBIF proved to be an excellent source of biodiversity data for Angolan mammals, most importantly for documenting dramatic historical range changes of larger mammals such as the sable (Hippotragusnigerniger), Kirk’s sable (H.nigerkirkii) and the giant sable (H.nigervariani).

Effect of fire on small mammals: a systematic review

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Griffiths ◽  
Barry W. Brook
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Relative Sensitivity ◽  
Systematic Review Methodology ◽  
Mammal Species

Fire is a natural disturbance that exerts an important influence on global ecosystems, affecting vegetation distribution and structure, the carbon cycle and climate. However, human-induced changes to fire regimes may affect at-risk species groups such as small mammals. We examine the effect of fire on small mammals and evaluate the relative sensitivity to fire among different groups using a systematic review methodology that included critiquing the literature with respect to survey design and statistical analysis. Overall, small mammal abundance is slightly higher, and demographic parameters more favourable, in unburnt sites compared to burnt sites. This was more pronounced in species with body size range of 101–1000g and with habitat requirements that are sensitive to fire (e.g. dense ground cover): in 66.6 and 69.7% of pairwise comparisons, abundance or a demographic parameter were higher in unburnt than burnt sites. This systematic review demonstrates that there remains a continued focus on simple shifts in abundance with regards to effect of fire and small mammals, which limits understanding of mechanisms responsible for change. Body size and habitat preference were most important in explaining variation in small mammal species’ responses to fire.

The biophysics of Bergmann's rule: a comparison of the effects of pelage and body size variation on metabolic rate

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Steudel ◽  
W. P. Porter ◽  
D. Sher
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Bergmann’S Rule ◽  
Bergmann's Rule ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Size Change ◽  
Biomechanical Constraints

Should an animal extending its range into a cooler climate rely most on pelage or on body size change to minimize its mass-specific metabolic rate? The various examples of animals following Bergmann's rule support the latter. The fact that an increase in size will result in an increase in total metabolic rate (though coupled to the decrease in the mass-specific metabolic rate) suggests that increases in the insulative value of the pelage would be the preferred strategy. We used a thermal simulation model to compare the relative effects of increasing body mass versus increasing pelage insulative properties on the mass-specific metabolic rate. We found that even the fur of summer-adapted small mammals from temperate climates is extremely dense compared with that of larger mammals and is near the point at which increases in density increase, rather than decrease, heat loss as a result of the high conductivity of individual hairs compared with the layer of still air that it encloses. Small mammals also have lower fur depths, presumably as a result of biomechanical constraints. Seasonal changes in pelage observed in small mammals have very modest effects on mass-specific metabolism. Summer-adapted temperate large mammals, however, are less heavily insulated and, consequently, have substantial latitude for increasing insulation as a means of minimizing mass-specific metabolism. Thus, Bergmann's rule should be more relevant to small mammals than to large ones.

Status of the rare palm Bentinckia condapanna Berry in two habitats of Goodrical Reserve Forests; Western Ghats of India

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-9
Author(s):  
ES Abhilash ◽  
Brijesh Sathian
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Evergreen Species ◽  
Secondary Species ◽  
Ecological Stress ◽  
Lannea Coromandelica ◽  
Western Ghats Of India

Bentinckia condapanna shows more IVI values and there by dominance and ecological stress in both the sites, that is, in sparsely distributed habitats as well as in dominated habitats (Site-II). Major associations /co dominance to Bentinckia condapanna in site -I were the evergreen species like Macaranga peltata, Elaeocarpus tuberculatus, Lannea coromandelica, Schefflera venulosa etc. and for site-II was the secondary species Chionanthus ramiflorus. Higher IVI values for Bentinckia condapanna in both the sites proves the capacity of this species to establish in mono-dominant and co- dominant communities. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/apjeesd.v1i1.9503Asia Pacific Journal of Environment Ecology and Sustainable Development 2013; 1: 6-9

scholarly journals A Farewell to the Encephalization Quotient: A New Brain Size Measure for Comparative Primate Cognition

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Carel P. van Schaik ◽  
Zegni Triki ◽  
Redouan Bshary ◽  
Sandra A. Heldstab
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Estimation Error ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Encephalization Quotient ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Size Measure

Both absolute and relative brain sizes vary greatly among and within the major vertebrate lineages. Scientists have long debated how larger brains in primates and hominins translate into greater cognitive performance, and in particular how to control for the relationship between the noncognitive functions of the brain and body size. One solution to this problem is to establish the slope of cognitive equivalence, i.e., the line connecting organisms with an identical bauplan but different body sizes. The original approach to estimate this slope through intraspecific regressions was abandoned after it became clear that it generated slopes that were too low by an unknown margin due to estimation error. Here, we revisit this method. We control for the error problem by focusing on highly dimorphic primate species with large sample sizes and fitting a line through the mean values for adult females and males. We obtain the best estimate for the slope of circa 0.27, a value much lower than those constructed using all mammal species and close to the value expected based on the genetic correlation between brain size and body size. We also find that the estimate of cognitive brain size based on cognitive equivalence fits empirical cognitive studies better than the encephalization quotient, which should therefore be avoided in future studies on primates and presumably mammals and birds in general. The use of residuals from the line of cognitive equivalence may change conclusions concerning the cognitive abilities of extant and extinct primate species, including hominins.

scholarly journals First Detection of Bartonella spp. in Small Mammals from Rice Storage and Processing Facilities in Myanmar and Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 658
Author(s):  
Inga Böge ◽  
Martin Pfeffer ◽  
Nyo M. Htwe ◽  
Pyai P. Maw ◽  
Siriwardana Rampalage Sarathchandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Bartonella Henselae ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Suncus Murinus ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Urban Settlements ◽  
D 12 ◽  
Zoonotic Bacteria

(1) Background: Bartonella spp. are zoonotic bacteria with small mammals as main reservoirs. Bartonella spp. prevalence in small mammals from Myanmar and Sri Lanka are yet unknown. (2) Methods: Small mammals were snap trapped in Sri Lanka and Myanmar in urban surroundings. Spleens-derived DNA was screened for Bartonella spp. using conventional PCR based on three target genes. Positive samples were sequenced. (3) Results: 994 small mammals were collected comprising 6 species: Bandicota bengalensis, Bandicota indica, Rattus exulans, Rattus rattus, Mus booduga, and Suncus murinus. In Myanmar, the Bartonella prevalence in Bandicoot rats (68.47%) was higher than in Rattus rattus (41.67%), Rattus exulans (21.33%), and Suncus murinus (3.64%). Furthermore the prevalence in Myanmar (34%, n = 495) was twice as high as in Sri Lanka (16%, n = 499). In Sri Lanka, Bartonella spp. occurred almost exclusively in R. rattus. In Myanmar, Bartonella kosoyi was mainly detected (56%), followed by Bartonella sp. KM2529 (15%), Bartonella sp. SE-Bart D (12%) and Bartonella henselae (1%). In Sri Lanka, B. phoceensis (60%) and Bartonella sp. KM2581 (33%) were predominant. (4) Conclusions: Bartonella spp. were detected in all investigated small mammal species from Myanmar and Sri Lanka for the first time. Bartonella kosoyi and B. henselae are zoonotic. As these small mammals originated from urban settlements, human bartonellosis seems likely to occur.

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