Contribution of wildlife governmental centers to \ud conservation and biological study of sloths Bradypus \ud variegatus

Our study evaluated the anthropogenic threats to the common sloth in the Atlantic forest (AF) by analyzing data collected in wildlife governmental centers. Interesting, new biological data could also be reported. The main risks identified were the road network and falls, followed by domestic dogs and electric shocks. Tourism and preliminary evidences of locally distinct biological features were suggested as potential menaces to conservation of the AF common sloth populations. The birth season within the southeast appears to be the rainy season, but that is not the case in the northeast. Finally, the weight of adult individuals was reported not to vary between sexes. Data were confirmed by the highest number of individuals ever analyzed. Thus, although neotropical wildlife governmental centers usually cope with the lack of human resources, this study highlights that their records can be successfully used to add important biological information to the conservation and study of neotropical wildlife.The authors would like to thank to Camila L. Clozato, all the CETAS and DEPAVE-SP staff, and their collaborators, namely the Fire and Police Departments, health and environmental institutions, and citizens, who have been collecting animals and data across the years. We also acknowledge two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an early version of this manuscript. S.M. Silva was supported by a Foundation for Science and Technology PhD grant (SFRH/ BD/40638/2007). N. Moraes-Barros was supported by CAPES. J. S. Morgante had a research grant from FAPESP (08/52207-0)

Bevarande av sengångare (Bradypus variegatus, Choloepus hoffmanni, Bradypus pygmaeus)

Sengångare är fascinerande djur som vi fortfarande inte vet särskilt mycket om. Deras popularitet i media har ökat markant de senaste åren, och många förundras över deras annorlunda beteenden och levnadssätt. Intresset för att ha en sengångare som husdjur ökar, liksom intresset hos turister att få träffa och röra vid en livs levande sengångare. På grund av detta finns det en stor marknad för illegal handel med sengångare i bland annat Colombia, där den illegala djurhandeln har beskrivits som den tredje mest lukrativa illegala verksamheten i landet; efter vapen- och droghandel. Det största hotet mot de flesta sengångararter är dock minskning av habitat. En av de viktigaste orsakerna till fragmentering av naturliga habitat är utbyggnad av vägar, vilket pågår ständigt i Latinamerika, där sengångarna lever. Städer och jordbruk expanderar hela tiden, vilket sker på bekostnad av naturskogen. Bradypus pygmaeus är en relativt nyupptäckt art, den är endemisk för ön Escudo de Veraguas utanför Panamas kust, och beskrevs som en egen art för första gången år 2001. Det finns väldigt lite kunskap om arten; särskilt populationsstorleken, dess föda och habitat är idag höljda i dunkel. Man befarar att det kan finnas så lite som ett 70-tal individer kvar på ön, men uppgifterna om populationen är för få och spridda för att ge en bra bild av artens nuvarande status. Arten är klassad som akut hotad på IUCN:s röda lista. I denna litteraturstudie belyses bevarandestatusen hos de idag levande sengångararterna, med tre arter i fokus; Bradypus variegatus, Choloepus hoffmanni samt Bradypus pygmaeus. Studien ger även en inblick i de bevarandearbeten som pågår idag, och undersöker vilka åtgärder som behövs för att säkra fortlevnaden av dessa arter. En slutsats av den här litteraturstudien är att betydligt mer kan göras för sengångarna än vad som görs idag. På grund av bristen på tillräcklig forskning på arternas populationsstorlek och distribution finns det risk för att populationer är på väg att dö ut, även om flera av arterna är listade som livskraftiga av IUCN. För att gå vidare med bevarandearbetet behövs i nuläget främst ett ökat skydd av ön Escudo de Veraguas för att åtminstone bibehålla populationsstorleken av Bradypus pygmaeus, medan mer forskning får leda vägen mot en hållbar plan för bevarande av arten. Ytterligare forskning behövs även på alla andra arter, och det vore önskvärt att fler organisationer börjar arbeta med ett tvådelat fokus så att både den individuella djurvälfärden och populationernas bevarande prioriteras. Framför allt är det otroligt viktigt att organisationer som arbetar för bevarandet av sengångarna fortsätter göra insatser för att öka kunskapen om dessa djur i samhället.Sloths are fascinating creatures, whom we do not know very much about. Their popularity has increased in the media in the last few years, and many are intrigued by their peculiar behaviours and way of life. The interest in keeping a sloth as a pet is increasing, as well as the appeal for tourists in getting to meet a sloth and being able to touch it and take photographs with it. Because of this fascination with these animals, the illegal pet trade in sloths is booming in countries such as Colombia, where the illegal pet trade has previously been described as the third most lucrative illegal industry in the country; after the weapon and drug trade. The most important threat to the majority of sloth species is habitat degradation. One of the most important causes for fragmentation of natural habitats is the development of roads, which is constantly present in Latin America, where all sloth species live. There is a constant expansion of cities and agriculture at the expense of the natural forest. Bradypus pygmaeus is a relatively new species to be discovered. It is endemic to the island of Escudo de Veraguas off the coast of Panama, and it was described as a species for the first time in 2001. There is very little scientific knowledge of the species; particularly their population size, diet and habitat need more research. There could possibly be as few as only 70 individuals left on the island, however the population data is too scarce to provide a representative overview of the species’ status. Bradypus pygmaeus is currently listed as critically endangered by IUCN. In this literature review the conservation status of all now living sloth species is described, with a focus on three species; Bradypus variegatus, Choloepus hoffmanni and Bradypus pygmaeus. The review also looks at some ongoing conservation efforts, and analyses what more can be done to ensure the survival of these species. One conclusion from this literature review is that a lot more can be done for the sloths than is being done today. Because of the lack of research into the population sizes and distribution of the different species, there is a risk that populations are disappearing, even though several of the species are listed as least concern by IUCN. To move forward with the conservation efforts, the most essential step right now is to increase the protection of the island of Escudo de Veraguas. That way, the population of Bradypus pygmaeus can at the very least be maintained at the current level, while further research will be able to provide a better plan for future conservation work. More research is needed on all sloth species, and it is likely to be beneficial to the conservation of the species if more organisations adapt a dual perspective, focusing on the welfare of the individual animals as well as that of the populations. Above all, it is of great importance that the organisations who work with sloth conservation keep making efforts to better society’s knowledge of these animals

Wild animal selfies

Wild animal selfies är ett relativt nytt fenomen som under senare år växt explosionsartat. Tack vare sociala medier kan vi nu dela med oss av information till hela världen och många eftersträvar nu den positiva respons som råder för bilder som är tagna på en själv där man håller ett vilt djur som fotorekvisita. Det här arbetet syftar till att undersöka huruvida välfärden och bevarandet för den bengaliska tigern, Panthera tigris tigris, som hålls i fångenskap i Asiens tigerparker samt den vilda brunhalsade tretåiga sengångarna, Bradypus variegatus, som återfinns i Sydamerikas regnskog, påverkas av denna nya turistaktivitet. Hur ser framtiden ut och skiljer de sig nämnvärt från varandra? Som djurhållningen ser ut idag är välfärden för båda arterna undermålig. Sengångarna är svåra att hålla i fångenskap och även om de fångas från det vilda och endast hålls i kortare perioder är det troligt att många individer dör. Tigrarnas miljö brister på flertalet punkter, däribland saknar de ofta tillräckligt stora utrymmen och tillgång till rätt diet, vatten och berikning. Interaktionen och närkontakten som uppstår under fotograferingstillfället bidrar även den ökad stress hos de båda djurslagen. Ingen av attraktionerna har heller någon positiv effekt på bevarandet av arten. Problemet är som störst hos de utrotningshotade bengaliska tigrarna eftersom de individer som avlas fram i parkerna antingen är hybrider eller saknar genetisk diversitet. Sengångarna är inte lika utsatta och eventuell bevarandeproblematik kan endast bli bekymmersamt om handeln fortsätter. Många turister är inte medvetna om de negativa konsekvenser som deras besök innebär för djuren. Information, lagstiftning och sociala medier är dock effektiva verktyg som i framtiden bör användas för att kontrollera fenomenet. Andra typer av djurturism, exempelvis safari, skulle också kunna vara ett bättre alternativ för de drabbade djurslagen.Wild animal selfies is the new animal tourism phenomena which have grown incredibly fast during the latest couple of years. Thanks to social media, we can now share information to the whole world, and many now strive for the positive response for images that have been taken with a wild animal as photo props. This essay aims to investigate how this new tourism industry affect the animal welfare and conservation of two of the most commonly used animals: The Bengal tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, that are bred in tiger parks in Asia and the brown throated three toed sloths, Bradypus variegatus, which are taken from the rainforests in South America. How does the future look like and are there any differences between the species? The animal welfare is concluded to be poor for both species. It is difficult to keep sloths in captivity and it is suspected that many of the captured individuals die in a short period of time. The tigers can often not fulfil basic needs and are suffering greatly in captivity. The interaction with humans during the photographs does also induce stress to both animal species. None of the attraction has a positive effect on the conservation of either species. The tigers are the ones that are most affected due to their endangered status and deficient genetic diversity. The conservation of the sloth is not a concern for now, but this could possibly change in the future if the illegal trade continues. Many of the tourists are not aware that their visits affect the animals negatively. Legislations, social media and information could however be powerful tools to change this. Other types of animal tourism could also be promoted as a better option that satisfy both the needs of humans and animals

Sleep in the Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx

Original published work submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Johannesburg, 2018The evolution and function of sleep remains an enigma in modern science. Significant variation can be observed within species and across taxa. Little is understood about how sleep exists, or presents itself in species surviving in extreme conditions. For example, harsh desert ecosystems with notably lower survival rates for resident species. It has been hypothesized that specialized sleep-related behaviours impact thermoregulation to promote survival advantage. The threatened Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), a member of the Cetartiodactyl superorder, is a large desert dwelling ungulate species successfully residing in the arid zones of the Middle East. Arabian Oryx exhibit numerous morphophysiological adaptations and capabilities to cope with their harsh environment. The current thesis provides an examination of the neuroanatomy, physiology and behavioural patterns related to sleep in wild, freeroaming Arabian oryx under natural conditions. It was our objective to determine whether the extreme conditions and climate of the Arabian Desert has led to novelties within the organization of the oryx’s sleep related neuronal architecture, seasonal behaviour patterns and sleep physiology. Using immunohistochemistry and stereology our results indicate the sleep related nuclei in the brain of the oryx exhibit a typical mammalian organizational plan with additional order-specific and novel, species-specific features. Actigraphy revealed that oryx exhibit temporal niche switching patterns seasonally presenting with winter diurnal- and summer nocturnal activity and intermittent patterns during the transitional periods of spring and autumn. Polysomnography results indicate novel sleep patterns between seasons and physiologically confirm activity-based temporal niche switching at a seasonal level. Our work covers the first examination of the Arabian oryx brain sleep centers as well as its yearlong activity patterns. Importantly, it is the first examination of physiological sleep in wild mammals within a desert environment. Our results suggest that ambient temperature acts a dominant driving force for the adaptive behavioural and physiological features described. The Arabian oryx is a remarkable species, well adapted to such an extreme environment and its highly plastic survival mechanisms appear unique. Considering the continual desertification of our planet and the predicted consequences of climate change, knowledge of such species and their continued conservation is of vital importanceXL201