Recent demographic survey of the Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) in southwest Madagascar

Abstract.—Effective management strategies for at-risk chelonian populations require sound knowledge of populationdemographics. Previous research on the Critically Endangered Radiated Tortoise, Astrochelys radiata (Shaw 1802),revealed a trend of increasing male bias in the sex ratio and a concomitant decrease in the proportion of juveniles inLavavolo, southern Madagascar. This location is one of the few remaining sites with a high concentration of this speciesand was last studied ten years ago. The aim of our study was to provide an updated snapshot of Radiated Tortoisedemographics at Lavavolo, which, when combined with previous studies, will provide insight into changes over 20years (1999–2019). Additionally, we provide the first assessment on the impact of soil types (calcareous, ferruginous,and sandy) on the distribution of individuals across the site. We used mark-recapture data to determine the sex ratio,age structure, and distribution of size classes. Overall, the study site contained mostly adults (76.87%) with only afew juveniles (23.13%). Though the proportion of juveniles is low, it has increased over the last ten years. However,the sex ratio has become increasingly skewed towards males, 1.8:1. We did not find any significant difference in sexratios between soil types, but there were significant differences in the distribution of size classes, with the smallest sizeclass 0–8 cm most prevalent in sandy soil and the juvenile size class 17–24 cm most frequent in ferruginous soil. Mostjuvenile size classes were less common than expected on the calcareous soil. In general, populations located on calcareoussoil appear to be more vulnerable, potentially due to the long-term existence of poaching activities in this habitat

Assessment of ring-tailed lemur \u3ci\u3eLemur catta\u3c/i\u3e populations in south-western Madagascar

Anthropogenic activities are negatively affecting the flora and fauna of Madagascar, including its Endangered flagship lemur species, the ring-tailed lemur Lemur catta. Population numbers at some sites are rapidly declining, yet much of the species’ habitat is insufficiently surveyed. Because widespread population assessments are critical to guiding conservation management strategies, additional data are needed to monitor L. catta population trends and to identify the limits of their geographical range. Here we report survey results confirming the presence of this species at 65 of 83 sites in southern and south-western Madagascar, including three subpopulations that were previously considered likely to be locally extinct. We identified a minimum of 792 L. catta individuals (summing only maximum group sizes at each site) and as many as 1,221 individuals (using estimated population counts). These findings help refine the distribution of L. catta and reaffirm their presence in areas of their historical geographical range. Identifying species occupancy at sites such as these provides valuable data to support species conservation, but also highlights the need for additional surveys throughout the range of the species