Latrine site and its use pattern by Large Indian Civet Viverra zibetha Linnaeus, 1758: record from camera trap

Latrine sites are the places used for urination and defecation, which mostly act as a signaling agent for multiple purposes like territorial marking, confrontation with extruders or potential predators, delivering different inter and intra-communication messages. To understand latrine site visit pattern, a single camera trap was deployed for 91 trap nights at the latrine site of Large Indian Civet during the months of December 2016 and February & March 2017. Latrine site was found under the tree with abundant crown cover and bushes. At least two individuals were found to be using a single latrine site in an irregular manner between 1800 h and 0600 h with higher activity between 1800 h and 2300 h. Our results indicated an irregular latrine site visit pattern, hence similar studies with a robust research design in larger areas are required to understand specific latrine use patterns.

Research on the Influence Mechanism of Implicit Incentive on Employee's Territorial Marking Behaviors – the Moderating Effect of Recognition Expectation

Based on field theory and prospect theory, this paper attempts to explain the influence mechanism of organizational implicit incentives on employee's territory marking behaviors and further verify the moderating effect of recognition expectation. Through a paired survey of 280 employees and supervisors in the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and Macau Special Administrative Region, it shows that growth incentives, job incentives, and relationship incentives significantly affect territorial marking behaviors through psychological contracts. The recognition expectation of employees will enhance the relation between psychological contract and territorial marking behaviors.

Megaliths in Tropical Africa: Social Dynamics and Mortuary Practices in Ancient Senegambia (ca. 1350 BCE – 1500 CE)

When analyzed systematically, Tropical Africa megalithism appears to have emerged in contexts of friction between different lifeways, agriculturalists versus foragers, pastoralists versus hunter-gatherers-fishermen, or agriculturalists versus fishing folks. The monuments built were clearly part of actual territorial strategies. Research conducted by the Sine Ngayene Archaeological Project (2002-2012) frontally addressed the “Why” of the emergence of megalithism in that part of the world, and probes the reasons for the performance of the elaborate burial practices preserved in the archaeological record. This paper emphasizes the diversity and complexity of burial protocols invented by Senegambian “megalith-builders” communities from 1450 BCE to 1500 CE. Senegambian megalithism is shown to have proceeded from territorial marking imperatives, shaping a multi-layered cultural landscape through the implemented mortuary programs anchored on the construction of Ancestorhood. Keywords: Megaliths; Senegambia; Cultural landscape; Mortuary program; Burial practice; Monolith-circle; Sine-Ngayene;

Megaliths in Tropical Africa: Social Dynamics and Mortuary Practices in Ancient Senegambia (ca. 1350 BCE – 1500 CE)

When analyzed systematically, Tropical Africa megalithism appears to have emerged in contexts of friction between different lifeways, agriculturalists versus foragers, pastoralists versus hunter-gatherers-fishermen, or agriculturalists versus fishing folks. The monuments built were clearly part of actual territorial strategies. Research conducted by the Sine Ngayene Archaeological Project (2002-2012) frontally addressed the “Why” of the emergence of megalithism in that part of the world, and probes the reasons for the performance of the elaborate burial practices preserved in the archaeological record. This paper emphasizes the diversity and complexity of burial protocols invented by Senegambian “megalith-builders” communities from 1450 BCE to 1500 CE. Senegambian megalithism is shown to have proceeded from territorial marking imperatives, shaping a multi-layered cultural landscape through the implemented mortuary programs anchored on the construction of Ancestorhood. Keywords: Megaliths; Senegambia; Cultural landscape; Mortuary program; Burial practice; Monolith-circle; Sine-Ngayene;

Behavioral activities of white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari, Link, 1795) in a semi-intensive farming system in Brazil

ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe the main behaviors of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) expressed in a semi-intensive production system in Brazil. The behavioral activities of two groups of peccaries allocated in two paddocks were assessed, totaling 17 adult animals and eventual pups in different developmental stages. The animals were visually observed using the ad libitum sampling and scan sample methods during the adaptation and experimental phases, respectively. The animals were evaluated in the morning, afternoon, and at night. The behavioral activities observed by ad libitum sampling comprised feeding, pool contact, moving, staying inside the handling area, resting, mud bathing, mutual rubbing, rubbing, aggression, sexual behavior, copulation, foraging, breastfeeding, sleeping, territorial marking, interactions, birthing, gnawing, and other behaviors. All behaviors observed by the ad libitum sampling method were confirmed in the experimental period by scan sample, except for territorial marking and birthing. The effects of time of day were statistically significant (p <0.05) for eating, pool contact, movement, staying inside the handling area, resting, mud bathing and sleeping. These results contribute to the understanding of instinctive animal habits and to the development of nutritional, environmental and health management protocols that meet the requirements of peccaries.

To eat or not to eat: ingestion and avoidance of fecal content from communal latrines of Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818)

Communal latrines have important biological and ecological roles for the latrine builder species and for other taxa that visit these sites and use feces to obtain nutrients and microorganisms that aid in digestion of compounds hard to process. Nonetheless, coprophagous animals must deal with the costs associated with parasites and other pathogenspresent in latrines. Parasites and pathogens are found in Neotropical otter latrines. This species is carnivorous and uses latrines for territorial marking. The objective of this study was to identify vertebrate species associated with otter latrines and species that use feces as food resource. Latrines were monitored with camera traps on a monthly basis in 24-hour cycles. We recorded nine species of vertebrates, including birds, reptiles and mammals, visiting the latrines. Feeding dependency from latrines in the Atlantic Forest may not be related to periods of low food availability (dry season). Visitors that ate at the latrines do not have the same feeding habits as otters. The assumption that mammals would avoid ingesting disease-loaded feces from latrines did not hold, since two mammal species did. We speculate these mammals might be more resistant or less susceptible to pathogens found in otter feces.

Communication amongst the musteloids: signs, signals, and cues

Most intentional communication is intra-specific and benefits both sender and receiver. Typically, the more complex a species’ social system, the more complex is its communication. Because only ca. 10% of musteloid species are truly social, their communication is generally quite basic, while their solitary, nocturnal lifestyle is reflected in a predominance of olfactory signals. This chapter first discusses the properties of different signal modalities (visual, acoustic, olfactory and tactile), and then provides a review of musteloid communication in the context of signal functionality, starting with a section on defensive signals (warning-, alarm-, and distress signals), proceeding to other modes of inter-specific communication, such as eavesdropping on predator cues by smaller prey species (odours increasingly applied in conservation management), before moving on to more specialised intra-specific communication. It discusses resource defence and territorial marking, before concluding with a section on individual advertisement, including recognition of individuals and group-membership, and fitness advertisement.