Parvovirus enteritis in a raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Clinical History: Two raccoons died in a pre-release rehabilitation pen in an interval of 1.5 weeks after appearing healthy. The second raccoon, a juvenile female, was submitted for postmortem examination. Necropsy Findings: In the small intestine, the subserosa is markedly hyperemic/congested (Fig. 1) with abundant watery, semi-translucid content and large amounts of tan-white mucus. The intestinal wall is thickened, and the mucosa is smooth and overlaid by thick mucus (Fig. 2). The large intestine contains moderate amounts of tan-yellow, mucoid digesta. Mesenteric lymph nodes are enlarged, the parenchyma is red and mildly protrudes on cut section.

Latitudinal changes in the lipid content and fatty acid profiles of juvenile female red squat lobsters (Pleuroncodes monodon) in breeding areas of the Humboldt Current System

The red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon is a species of high commercial value that inhabits the Humboldt Current System. Along the Chilean coast, two populations are exploited by the fishing industry, one located off the coast of Coquimbo and the other off the coast of Concepción. Yet, it is unknown whether there are differences in the “bioenergetic fuel” (measured as lipid content and fatty acid profile) of juvenile populations of these two fishing units and whether these bioenergetic compounds can be modulated by differences in the environmental parameters (such as temperature or chlorophyll-a) of their breeding areas. To shed some light on this, we measured the lipid content and fatty acid profiles of the viscera and muscle of juvenile female red squat lobsters from these two fishing units, specifically from breeding areas near long-exploited fishing grounds: a) the northern fishing unit (NFU, from 26°S to 30°S) and b) the southern fishing unit (SFU, from 32°S to 37°S). We found differences in the lipid content, fatty acid profiles, and ratios of saturated fatty acids (C16:0/C18:0) of juvenile females from these two locations. In addition, the essential fatty acids (DHA/EPA) found in the viscera versus the muscle of these lobsters varied significantly. Juvenile females from the SFU (i.e. Concepción) showed a higher lipid content compared to the juvenile females from the NFU (i.e. Coquimbo). Consistently, individuals from the SFU had a higher content of fatty acids, which also proved to be richer in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids compared to those from the NFU. Our results are important for the fisheries in both areas because these juvenile populations are the source of new recruits for the adult populations that are exploited by the fishing industry. Our study also aids in determining which populations are healthier or of better quality in bioenergetic terms. Furthermore, increasing the incorporation of bioenergetic parameters in fishery models is essential for the recruitment and stock assessment within an ecosystem approach, since it allows for the evaluation of the nutritional condition of different fishing populations.

Roosting behaviour of radio-tracked Tasmanian Masked Owls Tyto novaehollandiae castanops

Roost-sites and roosting behaviour are described for a juvenile female, an adult female and an adult male Tasmanian Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae castanops in a forest–farmland landscape. The two female Owls were radiotracked, and frequently used roost-sites in the core area of use. Roost-sites were typically associated with small watercourses, on the edges of large contiguous forest patches within a complex mosaic of forest and pasture. The juvenile Owl used many different vegetation roost-sites after dispersing from her presumed natal territory. In contrast, the adult female used few roosts, including two vegetation roosts and one tree-hollow, and only one roost (a tree-hollow) was located for the adult male. The primary tree-hollow roost-sites of the male and female Owls were <400 m apart and were both <1200 m from a suspected nest-tree. This strongly suggests that the spatial proximity of nest- and roost-sites may be critical to facilitate territorial, foraging and reproductive behaviours of breeding pairs. Increased knowledge of spatial ecology and utilisation of tree-hollows by adult Tasmanian Masked Owls is crucial for their conservation.

First documented predation of a Baird’s tapir by a jaguar in the Calakmul region, Mexico

To date, records of predation on Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) by jaguars (Panthera onca) were anecdotal and did not allow for differentiation regarding whether the animal had been preyed upon or scavenged. Here, we present the first documented event of predation on a Baird’s tapir by a jaguar in the Calakmul region, Campeche, Mexico. In August 2017, we observed a jaguar eating a juvenile female Baird’s tapir; when we analysed the skull, we observed the characteristic “lethal bite” with which jaguars kill their prey by piercing the temporal and parietal bones with their canine teeth. Jaguars select to attack tapirs when they are most vulnerable (young or sick). Records of these type of events are important for understanding the food webs and ecology of these iconic Neotropical species that inhabit the Mesoamerican forests.

New dietary records for the Cuban Spotted Red Trope, Tropidophis maculatus (Squamata: Tropidophiidae)

Tropidophis maculatus (Bibron, 1840) is a mesophilic snake inhabiting forest patches and open secondary scrub savannas in western and central Cuba (Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Rodríguez et al. 2013). The only dietary records for this species are the lizards Anolis angusticeps and A. alutaceus, for individuals from Havana city (Collette 1961). Herein we provide new data on the diet of wild T. maculatus. On 17 April 2010, we found a juvenile female Tropidophis maculatus (140 mm SVL) at Soroa (22.7960, -83.0060; 200 m a.s.l.), Candelaria Municipality, Artemisa Province. We found the snake at 1317 hours under a rock with a big stomach bulge (Fig. 1). It later regurgitated a partially digested male Anolis homolechis that had been swallowed head first (ca. 40 mm SVL; Fig. 2). The predominant vegetation in the area is semi-deciduous forest.