Mass Mortality of Adult Male Subantarctic Fur Seals: Are Alien Mice the Culprits?

Background: Mass mortalities of marine mammals due to infectious agents are increasingly reported. However, in contrast to previous die-offs, which were indiscriminate with respect to sex and age, here we report a land-based mass mortality of Subantarctic fur seals with apparent exclusivity to adult males. An infectious agent with a male-predilection is the most plausible explanation for this die-off. Although pathogens with gender-biased transmission and pathologies are unusual, rodents are known sources of male-biased infectious agents and the invasive Mus musculus house mouse, occurs in seal rookeries. Methodology / Principal Findings: Molecular screening for male-biased pathogens in this potential rodent reservoir host revealed the absence of Cardiovirus and Leptospirosis genomes in heart and kidney samples, respectively, but identified a novel Streptococcus species with 30 % prevalence in mouse kidneys. Conclusions / Significance: Inter-species transmission through environmental contamination with this novel bacterium, whose congenerics display male-bias and have links to infirmity in seals and terrestrial mammals (including humans)

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa's major land uses

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordCode availability: R code for calculating aggregated intactness scores for a focal region (e.g., ecoregion or country) and/or taxonomic group can be downloaded with the bii4africa dataset on Figshare; see Data Records section.Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species' population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate 'intactness scores': the remaining proportion of an 'intact' reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region's major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems.Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Gran

Among habitat vairation in prey availability and use by caracal <I>Felis caracal</I>

NatuurwetenskappeSoologiePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

The micro-environment of house mice on Marion Island (sub-Antarctic)

NatuurwetenskappeBotaniePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

The diet and impact of house mice on a sub-Antarctic island

NatuurwetenskappeBotaniePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

Diet of the marsh mongoose around a non-permanent reservoir: response of a generalist opportunist forager to the absence of crabs

The diet of the marsh or water mongoose Atilax paludinosus has been well studied in coastal and inland riverine habitats, where crabs often constitute the main prey in terms of frequency of occurrence. We investigated the feeding ecology of a small number of marsh mongooses living next to a small, non-permanent reservoir (Andries Vosloo Kudu Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape), where freshwater crabs were not available. Using a combined metric of the percentage of occurrence and the percentage volume of food remains in 133 scats collected from 2006–2009,no primary prey could be detected. Amphibians, mammals, arthropods and fish all acted as secondary prey. Plants supplemented the diet, whereas birds only occurred as trace foods. There were seasonal variations in the diet, with peaks in amphibian (spring), arthropod (summer) and fish (autumn) consumption contributing to the change. Dietary diversity and niche breadth were relatively high throughout the year. This study strongly suggests that the marsh mongoose is in fact a generalist opportunist feeder. Although it consumes crabs and other aquatic prey in areas where they are particularly abundant, it can adapt to local food availability and include a significant proportion of terrestrial prey in its diet. Keywords: Atilax paludinosus, diet, scat analysis, water mongoos