Genetic Evidence Confirms the Presence of Pygmy Rabbits in Colorado

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-123
Author(s):  
Wendy A. Estes-Zumpf ◽  
Shane E. Zumpf ◽  
Janet L. Rachlow ◽  
Jennifer R. Adams ◽  
Lisette P. Waits
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Species Identification ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Pygmy Rabbit ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Trained Observers ◽  
Pygmy Rabbits

Abstract The pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis is a sagebrush-obligate species of conservation concern that occurs in the Great Basin and adjacent intermountain areas in the western United States. The species is not known to occur in Colorado, despite proximity to existing populations of pygmy rabbits in Wyoming. We provide the first documentation of the pygmy rabbit in Colorado. Fecal pellets diagnostic of pygmy rabbits were collected in the Vermillion Bluffs area of northwestern Colorado. Samples from 16 pellet clusters were collected for species identification via genetic analyses, and we were able to extract and amplify sufficient DNA from 7 of 16 pellet samples. All seven samples were identified as originating from pygmy rabbits based on a species-specific mitochondrial DNA fragment analysis test. To verify species identification, we also sequenced 225 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b region from all seven pellet samples. Presence of pygmy rabbits was confirmed from three locations separated by 2.4–7.7 km and pellets represented both adult and juvenile rabbits. Based on the sparseness of burrows in the area, density of pygmy rabbits in the area likely is low; however, systematic surveys by trained observers are needed to delineate the range and density of this species in Colorado. Given the conservation concern for pygmy rabbits across their current range, the newly confirmed presence of this species suggests that assessment of their conservation status in Colorado is warranted.

Ideal conditions for increased trapping success of pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) across the Great Basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M M Crowell ◽  
K T Shoemaker ◽  
M D Matocq
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Sagebrush Steppe ◽  
Pygmy Rabbit ◽  
Brachylagus Idahoensis ◽  
Steppe Ecosystems ◽  
Trapping Method ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Capture Techniques ◽  
Pygmy Rabbits ◽  
Imperiled Species

Abstract Sagebrush-steppe ecosystems are one of the most imperiled ecosystems in North America and many of the species that rely on these habitats are of great conservation concern. Pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) are one of these species. They rely on sagebrush year-round for food and cover, and are understudied across their range in the intermountain west due in part to their recalcitrance to standard capture techniques. Identifying an efficient and minimally biased trapping method therefore is a critical first step in learning more about this species. We assessed how trap orientation and weather characteristics influenced trap success for Tomahawk traps placed in and around pygmy rabbit burrows by carrying out trapping surveys at 16 occupied pygmy rabbit sites across the Great Basin from 2016 to 2018. We found that pygmy rabbits had a greater probability of being captured in traps with the open end facing away from burrow entrances. Pygmy rabbits also were more likely to be captured on clear days (0–5% cloud cover) and during periods of cooler temperatures during summer months (June–August). We found no evidence that sex or age ratios differed, or that individuals differed meaningfully, in their preference for certain trap orientations. To increase trap success for pygmy rabbits, we suggest maximizing trapping effort during summer months, at dawn, and maximizing the proportion of Tomahawk traps facing away from burrow entrances. We anticipate that our monitoring protocol will enable more effective research into the ecology and conservation of this cryptic and potentially imperiled species.

scholarly journals A checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico with a conservation status summary and comparisons with neighboring states

ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 931 ◽  
pp. 85-114
Author(s):  
Julio A. Lemos-Espinal ◽  
Geoffrey R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Sierra Madre Occidental ◽  
Or Management ◽  
Environmental Vulnerability ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Sierra Madre ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Tropical Lowlands

Sinaloa possesses a rich biota with unique characteristics due to its proximity to the northern deserts, the tropical lowlands of the south, and the temperate environments of the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. However, threats to its environment makes understanding the biological diversity of Sinaloa crucial. A checklist of the amphibians and reptiles has been generated, and the conservation status of Sinaloa’s herpetofauna summarized with the aim of understanding the potential conservation or management needs. Sinaloa has 159 species of amphibians and reptiles, including 39 species of amphibians and 120 species of reptiles. The herpetofauna of Sinaloa has relatively few species of conservation concern at a global and national scale (IUCN and SEMARNAT lists), but Environmental Vulnerability Scores suggest that there might be greater conservation concerns for the Sinaloa herpetofauna. Families of particular conservation concern include Craugastoridae, Eleutherodactylidae, Ambystomatidae, Crocodylidae, Dactyloidae, Eublepharidae, Helodermatidae, Iguanidae, Phrynosomatidae, Phyllodactylidae, Colubridae, Natricidae, Viperidae, Cheloniidae, and Dermochelyidae.

scholarly journals A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling method for aye-ayes from their feeding traces

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan L. Aylward ◽  
Alexis P. Sullivan ◽  
George H. Perry ◽  
Steig E. Johnson ◽  
Edward E. Louis
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Genetic Monitoring ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Target Capture ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern

AbstractNon-invasive sampling is an important development in population genetic monitoring of wild animals. Particularly, the collection of environmental DNA (eDNA) which can be collected without needing to encounter the target animal, facilitates the genetic analysis of cryptic and threatened species. One method that has been applied to these types of sample is target capture and enrichment which overcomes the issue of high proportions of exogenous (non-host) DNA from these lower quality samples. We tested whether target capture of mitochondrial DNA from sampled feeding traces of wild aye-ayes would yield mitochondrial DNA sequences for population genetic monitoring. We sampled gnawed wood from feeding traces where aye-ayes excavate wood-boring insect larvae from trees. We designed RNA probes complementary to the aye-aye’s mitochondrial genome and used these to isolate aye-aye DNA from other non-target DNA in these samples. We successfully retrieved six near-complete mitochondrial genomes from two sites within the aye-aye’s geographic range that had not been sampled previously. This method can likely be applied to alternative foraged remains to sample species other than aye-ayes. Our method demonstrates the application to next-generation molecular techniques to species of conservation concern.

scholarly journals Hawaiian Paratachys Casey (Coleoptera, Carabidae): small beetles of sodden summits, stony streams, and stygian voids

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1044 ◽  
pp. 229-268
Author(s):  
James K. Liebherr
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Hawaiian Island ◽  
The Other ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Mauna Loa ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Hawaiian Species ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
History Of ◽  
Conservation Concern

Five Hawaiian species of Paratachys Casey are revised, including four newly described: Paratachys terryli from Kauai; P. perkinsi from Moloka‘i; P. haleakalae from Maui; and P. aaa from Hawai‘i Island. A lectotype is designated for the fifth Hawaiian species currently combined with Paratachys, Tachys arcanicola Blackburn, 1878 of Oahu. Hawaiian Paratachys spp. known from more than one specimen exhibit some degree of ocular polymorphism, that variation being extreme in P. terryli where individuals range in ocular development from macrophthalmic with broadly convex eyes to microphthalmic with small, flat eyes. All Hawaiian Paratachys species comprise individuals with vestigial wings, with the exception of P. terryli, where a single macropterous, macrophthalmic female complements the other 18 brachypterous specimens. Based on a transformation series of characters from the male aedeagus, the biogeographic history of Hawaiian Paratachys is consistent with progressive colonization of the Hawaiian Island chain. Three of the species do not appear to represent species of conservation concern, with P. terryli and P. haleakalae known from terrestrial deep soil, litter, and streamside microhabitats in montane wet rain forest, and the troglobitic P. aaa occupying the dark zone of numerous, recently developed lava tube caves within the Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanic massifs. The conservation status of the other two species is much more dire, with P. arcanicola of O‘ahu not seen in nature since the early 20th Century, and P. perkinsi known only from a single specimen fortuitously collected in 1894 near sea level on Moloka‘i.

scholarly journals Měkkýši přírodní rezervace Hutě a jejího okolí v CHKO Bílé Karpaty [Molluscs of the Hutě Nature Reserve and its surroundings in the White Carpathians PLA]

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 115-122
Author(s):  
Radovan Coufal ◽  
Michal Horsák
Keyword(s):  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Spring Fens ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Eu Habitats Directive ◽  
White Carpathians ◽  
The Eu

The Hutě Nature Reserve is located in the central eastern part of the White Carpathians PLA, near the Žítková village. The reserve protects a preserved and topographically heterogeneous area composed of forest groves, meadows, pastures, and spring fens with a high diversity of submontane and thermophilic plant and animal assemblages. The species composition of molluscs (9 out of 10 ecological groups represented) consists mainly of woodland dwellers, which account for the majority of species diversity (30 spp.; 52%), followed by ubiquitous (9; 16%), hygrophilous (5; 9%), hygrophilous woodland dwellers (4; 7%), aquatic (4; 7%) and open-habitat dwellers (3; 5%). Vertigo moulinsiana (EN), internationally protected under Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive, Daudebardia brevipes (VU), Ambigolimax nyctelius (NT), Orcula dolium (NT) and Bythinella austriaca (NT) are species of conservation concern. To retain favourable habitat conservation status, the spring fens with V. moulinsiana occurrence must be managed extensively by grazing or mowing, while the forests must remain in a non-intervention regime.

scholarly journals Geographic Variation of Mercury in Breeding Tidal Marsh Sparrows of the Northeastern United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Sayers ◽  
Mackenzie R. Roeder ◽  
Lindsay Forrette ◽  
Daniel Roche ◽  
Gaetan L.B. Dupont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Model Averaging ◽  
Environmental Correlates ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Global Sea Level ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Average Annual Precipitation

Abstract Saltmarsh sparrows ( Ammospiza caudacuta ) and seaside sparrows ( A. maritima ) are species of conservation concern primarily due to global sea-level rise and habitat degradation. Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination may present additional threats to their reproductive success and survival. To assess site-specific total mercury (THg) exposure and identify environmental correlates of THg detection across a large portion of the breeding range where these species co-occur, we sampled blood from adult male saltmarsh and seaside sparrows at 27 marsh sites from Maine to Virginia, USA. The mean THg concentration (±1 SD) throughout the entire sampling range was 0.531 ± 0.287 µg/g wet weight (ww) for saltmarsh sparrows and 0.442 ± 0.316 µg/g ww for seaside sparrows. Individual THg concentrations ranged from 0.135–1.420 µg/g ww for saltmarsh sparrows and 0.153–1.530 µg/g ww for seaside sparrows. Model averaging from a suite of linear mixed models supported species-based differences in blood THg. On average, saltmarsh sparrows had 20.1% higher blood THg concentrations than seaside sparrows. We hypothesize that species-specific THg concentrations are influenced by differences in diet or foraging preferences between these species. We did not detect any correlations between sparrow THg concentrations and land cover characteristics surrounding sampled marshes or cumulative average annual precipitation.

scholarly journals Cottus Gobio Linnaeus, 1758, Ecological Status and Management Elements in Maramureş Mountains Nature Park (Romania)

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26
Author(s):  
Angela Curtean-Bănăduc ◽  
Oana Danci ◽  
Răzvan Voicu ◽  
Doru Bănăduc
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Mining Pollution ◽  
Cottus Gobio ◽  
Flow Disruption ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
Riparian Tree ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
Conservation Concern

Abstract Cottus gobio is considered a fish species of conservation concern within the Vişeu Watershed. The habitats state, usually populated by Cottus gobio within the Maramureş Mountains Nature Park (Vişeu and Bistriţa Aurie watersheds) vary among reduced (34.42%), average (45.91%), and good (19.67%). The excellent conservation status is currently missing for populations of this fish in the Vișeu Basin. Human impact categories were inventoried as inducing the diminishment of Cottus gobio habitats and populations in the researched area in comparison with its natural potential are: minor riverbed morphodynamic changes, liquid and solid natural flow disruption, destruction of riparian tree and shrub vegetation, habitat fragmentation-fish populations isolation, organic/mining pollution activities, fish washing away at floods, and poaching.

scholarly journals Species and habitats of conservation interest in the Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area of the Strait of Sicily: a contribution towards the creation of a Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
PIERPAOLO CONSOLI ◽  
CHIARA ALTOBELLI ◽  
PATRIZIA PERZIA ◽  
MARZIA BO ◽  
ANTONIETTA ROSSO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Red Lists ◽  
Strait Of Sicily ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Barcelona Convention ◽  
Iucn Red Lists

In 2015, the Strait of Sicily, which includes several banks, was candidate as a future Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) by the Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention. In this context, the present study aims to provide the first biological and ecological characterisation of this poorly known area, focusing on habitats and species of conservation concern. Surveys were carried through a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and allowed the identification of 19 habitat types, mostly considered of priority interest by the SPA/BD Protocol of the Barcelona Convention. A total of 269 taxa were also identified, mostly Porifera, Cnidaria and Pisces, among which 115 species are of conservation concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Lists, the Habitats Directive, the Bern Convention, the SPA/BD Protocol and CITES. ROV surveys allowed some interesting observations on poorly known species and habitats. Results underlined that remarkable discrepancies in species conservation status assessment that exist between the several lists of protected species considered. The IUCN Red Lists, although not legally binding for European States, are the most complete, but, in spite of this, the conservation policies in the EU are largely focused on the Habitats Directive, which is really not exhaustive. An exhaustive and legally binding instrument to protect species of conservation concern at European scale is highly recommended. Acquired results could be useful for the delimitation of a future SPAMI or a network of Marine Protected Areas (including the investigated banks) and the identification of zones within them suitable for different area-based management measures. 

Climatic Variables Differentially Influence Neotropical Plant Species of Conservation Concern

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Pablo Antúnez ◽  
Christian Wehenkel ◽  
Collins Byobona Kukunda ◽  
José Ciro Hernández-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Climatic Variables ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern
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