First record of Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) in Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast Brazil

We document the first record of Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) in Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. An adult individual was photographed in October 2015 in the municipality of João Câmara. This is the northernmost report of this species for the Caatinga biome. This article also represents important data for the Rio Grande do Norte, since the mammal diversity of this state is practically unknown

A new species of jupati, genus Metachirus Burmeister 1854 (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) for the Brazilian Amazon

The brown or pouchless four-eyed opossums or jupatis represent the genus Metachirus with a wide geographical range in the Neotropics. Recent studies show distinct monophyletic clades with high genetic divergence and recognized two species, Metachirus nudicaudatus and Metachirus myosuros. Nevertheless, there is a need for systematic revision with multiple sources of evidence on the taxonomy of Metachirus, which has never been fully revised. Here we describe a new species of Metachirus for the Brazilian Amazon from the Xingu/Tocantins interfluve using the unification of concepts and evolutionary significant units, morphological, genetic, and geographic data. Our analysis reveals a new species within Metachirus as a differentiated Amazonian clade from the Serra dos Carajás region and the Caxiuanã National Forest, both in the Xingu endemism centre. This new species can be distinguished from the type species, M. nudicaudatus and from M. myosuros through discrete external morphological characters, including cranium and dentition, and molecular data with an average degree of divergence, but ancient divergence time for the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The Amazon River delimits the distribution of the new species, which also occurs in areas under strong anthropogenic pressure, reinforcing the importance to guide conservation strategies for the region. didelphid; Serra dos Carajás; taxonomy; Xingu/ Tocantins interfluve.acceptedVersio

Avaliação clínica e laboratorial de gatos domésticos colonizados no Campus do Pici da UFC: protocolo prático e de baixo custo para monitoramento sanitário

Domestic cats have been abandoned inside the Campus of Pici of UFC for many years. They have represented many issues to human and animal health, as sources of zoonotic diseases, predators of wildlife and subjects of welfare issues. The aim of the current study was to make a preliminary diagnosis of the health status of a colony of domestic cats of Campus do Pici, by a basic clinical examination, using simple and low cost laboratory tests. We examined 32 mixed breed domestic stray cats. Less than 20% of them were neutered. High prevalence of fever, ocular and nasal discharges, and ectoparasites‟ infestation were observed.Contention by the clipnosis technique were predominantly successful. Fleas, chewing lice and sarcoptidae mites were detected by the cellophane tape test; nematodes, trematodes and coccidian protozoa were detected by the direct parasitological test. The main findings of blood smears included regenerative anemia, intraerythrocytic bacterial infection, relative leucopenia and reactive lymphocytes. The current study showed that is actually possible to carry out this kind of epizootiological survey with domestic stray cats of the Campus do Pici, using simple and low cost techniques. Government health authorities‟ integration and investments in education are strategies to gradually reduce the amounts of domestic stray cats in Fortaleza.Gatos domésticos têm sido abandonados no perímetro do Campus do Pici da UFC, passando a viver em colônias com má qualidade de vida, além de atuarem como reservatórios de zoonoses e predarem a fauna silvestre do local. O objetivo deste trabalho foi fazer um diagnóstico preliminar do status sanitário da colônia de gatos do Campus do Pici da UFC, através de exame clínico básico, técnica alternativa de contenção física e avaliação laboratorial simples e de baixo custo. Foram examinados 32 gatos domésticos sem raça definida. Menos de 20% deles eram esterilizados. Foi observada alta frequência de febre, secreções oculares, sinais respiratórios e infestações por ectoparasitos. Houve predominância na resposta positiva à contenção pela clipnose. Ao teste da fita, foram detectados pulgas, piolhos mastigadores e ácaros sarcoptídeos. Ao teste parasitológico direto, foram detectados helmintos nematódeos, trematódeos e protozoários coccídeos. Os principais achados do esfregaço sanguíneo foram anemia regenerativa, infecção bacteriana intraeritrocítica, leucopenia relativa e presença de linfócitos reativos. A realização desse trabalho mostrou que é possível fazer uma triagem médico-veterinário de animais errantes no Campus do Pici com ações e métodos de baixo custo. Integração dos órgãos governamentais e educação da população são estratégias para reduzir gradativamente a quantidade de gatos abandonados

First record of Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) in Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast Brazil

We document the first record of Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) in Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. An adult individual was photographed in October 2015 in the municipality of João Câmara. This is the northernmost report of this species for the Caatinga biome. This article also represents important data for the Rio Grande do Norte, since the mammal diversity of this state is practically unknown

Phylogenetic relationships, distribution, and conservation of Roosmalens’ dwarf porcupine, Coendou roosmalenorum Voss & da Silva, 2001 (Rodentia, Erethizontidae)

The New World porcupines of the genus Coendou comprise 16 species of arboreal nocturnal rodents. Some of these species are poorly known and have not been included in phylogenetic analyses. Based on recently collected specimens with associated tissue from the Brazilian Amazonia, we investigate the distribution and phylogenetic relationships of Roosmalens’ dwarf porcupine, Coendou roosmalenorum, using an integrative approach using mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data from new specimens and localities. Our results recovered C. roosmalenorum in the subgenus Caaporamys. However, analyses of our molecular and combined datasets produced different topologies. The new record shows the presence of C. roosmalenorum 480 km to the southeast of the Rio Madeira and 95 km away from Rio Juruena in Mato Grosso state, indicating a wider distribution in southern Amazonia than suspected. All known records of C. roosmalenorum are in the Madeira biogeographical province, to which it might be endemic

Phylogenetic relationships, distribution, and conservation of Roosmalens’ dwarf porcupine, Coendou roosmalenorum Voss & da Silva, 2001 (Rodentia, Erethizontidae)

The New World porcupines of the genus Coendou comprise 16 species of arboreal nocturnal rodents. Some of these species are poorly known and have not been included in phylogenetic analyses. Based on recently collected specimens with associated tissue from the Brazilian Amazonia, we investigate the distribution and phylogenetic relationships of Roosmalens’ dwarf porcupine, Coendou roosmalenorum, using an integrative approach using mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data from new specimens and localities. Our results recovered C. roosmalenorum in the subgenus Caaporamys. However, analyses of our molecular and combined datasets produced different topologies. The new record shows the presence of C. roosmalenorum 480 km to the southeast of the Rio Madeira and 95 km away from Rio Juruena in Mato Grosso state, indicating a wider distribution in southern Amazonia than suspected. All known records of C. roosmalenorum are in the Madeira biogeographical province, to which it might be endemic

Supplementary material 3 from: Menezes FH, Semedo TBF, Saldanha J, Garbino GST, Fernandes-Ferreira H, Cordeiro-Estrela P, da Costa IR (2023) Phylogenetic relationships, distribution, and conservation of Roosmalens' dwarf porcupine, Coendou roosmalenorum Voss & da Silva, 2001 (Rodentia, Erethizontidae). ZooKeys 1179: 139-155. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1179.108766

Dataset

Supplementary material 4 from: Menezes FH, Semedo TBF, Saldanha J, Garbino GST, Fernandes-Ferreira H, Cordeiro-Estrela P, da Costa IR (2023) Phylogenetic relationships, distribution, and conservation of Roosmalens' dwarf porcupine, Coendou roosmalenorum Voss & da Silva, 2001 (Rodentia, Erethizontidae). ZooKeys 1179: 139-155. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1179.108766

Erethizontid cytochrome b sequences utilized in phylogenetic analyse