Priorities for the Conservation of Mammalian Diversity

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Priorities for the Conservation of Mammalian Diversity : Has the Panda had its day?

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Inmovilización de la güiña (leopardus guigna) en estado silvestre con la asociación anestésica ketamina-xilacina

The kodkod (Leopardus guigna) is one of the least known endangered felid species. In order to find an adequate anaesthetic association to handle safely kodkod individuals during ecological studies and veterinary procedures, we onducted 10 chemical immobilizations in 7 animals using a combination of ketamine hydrochloride (KH) and xylazine hydrochloride (XH) at the Laguna San Rafael National Park (Chile). A mean ( ±SE) dosage of 15.4 ±3.2 mg/kg KH and 1.7 ±0.3 mg/kg XH resulted in mean induction time of 4.6 ±2.9 min and a mean recovery time of 63.9 ±31.9 min. There was a direct relationship between KH dosage and the duration of the immobilization, with the combination of drugs leading to a shorterinduction time. No secondary effects were observed. Based on our preliminary results, we recommended dosages of 11-12 mg/kg KH and 1.6-1.7 mg/kg XH

The impact of fire on habitat use by the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) in North West Province, South Africa

Several studies have investigated the response of small mammal populations to fire, but few have investigated behavioural responses to habitat modification. In this study we investigated the impact of fire on home range, habitat use and activity patterns of the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) by radio-tracking individuals before and after a fire event. All animals survived the passage of fire in termite mound refugia. Before the fire, grassland was used more than thickets, but habitat utilization shifted to thickets after fire had removed the grass cover. Thickets were an important refuge both pre- and post-fire, but the proportion of thicket within the home range was greater post-fire. We conclude that fire-induced habitat  modification resulted in a restriction of E. brachyrhynchus movements to patches of unburned vegetation. This may be a   behavioural response to an increase in predation pressure associated with a reduction in cover, rather than a lack of food. This study highlights the importance of considering the landscape mosaic in fire management and allowing sufficient island patches to remain post-fire ensures the persistence of the small mammal fauna.Key words: fire, Macroscelidea, habitat modification, habitat-use, South Africa

Phylogeography and Population History of Leopardus guigna, the Smallest American Felid

The guigna (Leopardus guigna) is the smallest and most-restricted New World cat species, inhabiting only around 160,000 km2 of temperate rain forests in southern South America and is currently threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and human persecution. We investigated phylogeographic patterns of genetic diversity, demographic history and barriers to gene flow with 116 individuals sampled across the species geographic range by analyzing 1,798 base pairs of the mtDNA (496 bp HVSI region, 720 bp NADH-5 gene, 364 bp from 16S gene and 218 bp from ATP-8 gene) and 15 microsatellite loci. Mitochondrial DNA data revealed a clear phylogeographic pattern with moderate separation between northern and southern Chilean populations supporting recognized subspecific partitions based on morphology. A recent demographic expansion was inferred for the southern-most group (San Rafael Lake), presumably due to the complete coverage of this area during the last glacial period, 28000–16000 years BP. Geographical barriers such as the Andes Mountains and the Chacao Channel have partially restricted historic and more-recent gene flow and the Chiloé Island population has diverged genetically since being separated from the mainland 7000 years BP. This is the first study of the genetic structure of this threatened species throughout its whole geographic range

Data from: Phylogeography and population history of Leopardus guigna, the smallest American felid

The guigna (Leopardus guigna) is the smallest and most-restricted New World cat species, inhabiting only around 160,000 km2 of temperate rain forests in southern South America and is currently threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and human persecution. We investigated phylogeographic patterns of genetic diversity, demographic history and barriers to gene flow with 116 individuals sampled across the species geographic range by analyzing 1,798 base pairs of the mtDNA (496 bp HVSI region, 720 bp NADH-5 gene, 364 bp from 16S gene and 218 bp from ATP-8 gene) and 15 microsatellite loci. Mitochondrial DNA data revealed a clear phylogeographic pattern with moderate separation between northern and southern Chilean populations supporting recognized subspecific partitions based on morphology. A recent demographic expansion was inferred for the southern-most group (San Rafael Lake), presumably due to the complete coverage of this area during the last glacial period, 28000–16000 years BP. Geographical barriers such as the Andes Mountains and the Chacao Channel have partially restricted historic and more-recent gene flow and the Chiloé Island population has diverged genetically since being separated from the mainland 7000 years BP. This is the first study of the genetic structure of this threatened species throughout its whole geographic range