Some Taxonomic Records of Aquatic Insects in the Eroo River Basin (West Khentii, Northern Mongolia)

In the Eroo basin of Mongolia, many species of aquatic insects have been recorded including five species of Diptera in the families Psychodidae, Dixidae, and Blephaceridae and 25 species across eight families of stoneflies. One species of Psychodidae, Bazarella baikalensis Wagner is reported for the first time in Mongolia while the other families are discussed and a species list is provided for the country

The House Mouse \u3ci\u3eMus musculus\u3c/i\u3e in Mongolia: Taxonomy, Status, and Ecology of a Neglected Species

Although the house mouse as a common and widely distributed species is probably best-studied among small mammals, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge regarding species identity, morphology and ecology in Mongolia. Consequently, this study provides results of basic biological research on the Mongolian house mouse. A total of 172 specimens have been studied based on samples collected during the period 1962 to 2016. Using genetic and morphological markers, the taxonomic examination resulted in classification as Mus musculus musculus LINNAEUS, 1758. To characterize the Mongolian house mouse, three fur color traits and 23 metric body and skull traits were analyzed. Two obviously different morphotypes were identified: (1) light individuals with a distinct demarcation line, which occur in most parts of the country, (2) dark individuals with a diffuse demarcation line, which are mainly found in the northern part of the Selenge province. Furthermore, these morphotypes differ in five metric body and skull traits. In general, Mongolian house mice seem to be consistent with reference specimens from Eastern Europe according to metric traits, although exhibiting a shorter tail. In Mongolia Mus musculus lives hemisynanthropically. Habitat preferences are human settlements, but also in natural habitats such as oases, dunes and lakeshores. The population epigenetic analysis by using nonmetric cranial traits exposed three main populations: northcentral, southeast, and west. The latter seems to be more isolated from the other populations, probably due to the Altai Mountains as a natural barrier. The resulting epigenetic distances of the Mongolian house mice are rather low in comparison to other rodents, which indicates that house mice are quite talented in terms of dispersal. The western, southern, and eastern populations show lower values of fluctuating asymmetry (6.5 to 9.0 %), than the northern and central populations (11.5 to 13.1 %). Therefore, the latter seems to be more influenced by environmental or genetic stress factors

Spatiotemporal behavior of predators and prey in an arid environment of Central Asia

The mechanisms of interactions between apex and smaller carnivores may range from competition to facilitation. Conversely, interactions between predators and prey are mainly driven by the prey reducing the likelihood of encounters with predators. In this study, we investigated (1) the spatiotemporal interactions between an apex (the snow leopard) and a meso-predator (the red fox), and (2) the temporal interactions between the snow leopard and its potential prey (Siberian ibex, argali, Asian wild ass, Tolai hare) through camera trapping in the Mongolian Great Gobi-A. The probability of occurrence for the red fox was higher in the presence of the snow leopard than in its absence. Moreover, the red fox activity pattern matched that of the snow leopard, with both species mostly active at sunset. This positive spatiotemporal interaction suggests that the presence of the snow leopard may be beneficial for the red fox in terms of scavenging opportunities. However, other explanations may also be possible. Amongst prey, the Siberian ibex and the argali were mainly active during the day, whereas the Asian wild ass and the Tolai hare were more nocturnal. These findings suggest that potential prey (especially the Siberian ibex and the argali) may shape their behavior to decrease the opportunity for encounters with the snow leopard. Our results have revealed complex interactions between apex and smaller predators and between apex predator and its potential prey

First Report of the Herb Field Mouse , \u3ci\u3eApodemus uralensis\u3c/i\u3e (Pallas, 1811) from Mongolia

The herb fi eld mouse, Apodemus uralensis (Pallas, 1811) is recorded for the fi rst time in Mongolia, from western part of the Mongolian Altai and the adjacent Mongolian part of the Dzungarian Gobi. In addition, we discovered several additional fi ndings of this species recorded as early as 1976 from diff erent scientifi c collections. Body and skull measurements are presented along with a molecular genetic analysis of one specimen

A Note on the Distribution and Geographical Variation of the Gray-sided Vole ( Clethrionomys rufocanus Sund., 1846-1847) in Mongolia

In this paper, we present a new distribution record for the Gray-sided vole found in an isolated birch forest in southern Mongolia, at Ih Bogd mountain. This represents a very remote and isolated population of this species from its main range of forested areas. Morphological characters were used to determine the morphological variation of Gray-sided vole in the investigated southern population in comparison with two other populations: one from Honin nuga (Hentii mountain range) and the other from Hangai mountains. We revealed fi ve distinct morphotypes based on the fur coloration patterns. Two morphotypes were found in the isolated Ih Bogd population, while there were two morphotypes for the Hentii and one for the Hangai population. Moreover, based on the nine standard skull measurements, we found a marginally signi fi cant difference among the three populations, indicating that there are detectable differences. However, the discriminant function analysis was moderate in classifying the three populations. This small variation may be explained by our limited sample sizes (6-15 individuals per population) and possibly by the fact that the southern population of this species may have been isolated only for a short time

A National Survey of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra L., 1758) in Mongolia

A survey for otters across Mongolia was conducted in 2012 to document the status and distribution range of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra Linnaeus, 1758), and to propose the scientific basis for government policies to protect the species. We report results from the first survey of otter since the late 1980s (Stubbe et al., 1989), with new records emerged after 2012. The species is very rarely reported in the country, but in addition to an actual sighting of this species, the survey team observed a limited number of otter sign, including tracks, scat, ice diving holes, snow diving marks, snow wallows, territorial marks, and prey remains at widely distributed sites. We recommend a set of strategies to expand conservation for the Eurasian otter in Mongolia

Factors Affecting Home Ranges of Red Foxes in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia

Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studied using radio-telemetry during 2006–2008 in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, southeastern Mongolia. We captured a total of 12 red foxes (8 females and 4 males) and fi tted them with VHF radio-collars. Marked animals were tracked up to fi ve times a week to estimate home ranges. We also trapped small mammal and insects in different biotopes for 3 years to estimate relative abundance of prey. Our results showed that mean individual home range sizes varied widely and differed among years. There was variation in home ranges between adults versus juveniles, but no signifi cant difference was found between males versus females. In addition, mean home range size did not differ seasonally for pooled years. Variation in home ranges was best explained by a model that included covariates of year and age. We suggest that spatiotemporal changes in resource availability across years infl uenced home range dynamics of red foxes in our study

Morphological Approach to Genetic Variability of the Asiatic Wild Ass ( Equus hemionus ) Using Non-metric Skull Characters

The Asiatic wild ass ( Equus hemionus ) is a globally endangered large mammal threatened by competition with livestock, poaching as well as habitat fragmentation and loss. Because of these environmental stresses it can be assumed that the species suff ers from lower developmental stability and that barrier eff ects could cause genetic isolation. To gain more insight into the population genetics of the Asiatic wild ass, a series of 440 skulls found in two Gobi regions of Mongolia were examined. The epigenetic variability and epigenetic distance between the samples as well as their fl uctuating asymmetry were studied by using 62 non-metric skull characters to test and evaluate possible genetic depletion, genetic isolation and the general infl uences during ontogenesis. The high epigenetic variability, I ev = 0.39 did not diff er between the two regions indicating no evidence of genetic depression. The very low, but signifi cant epigenetic divergence of MMD = 0.05 between the Dzungarian Gobi and the Southern Gobi suggests restricted connectivity. The moderate degree of fl uctuating asymmetry (FA = 0.11 – 0.15) found gives no signs of reduced developmental stability. Thus, our results suggest that Asiatic wild ass from Mongolia are from genetically viable populations

First Report of the Herb Field Mouse , \u3ci\u3eApodemus uralensis\u3c/i\u3e (Pallas, 1811) from Mongolia

The herb fi eld mouse, Apodemus uralensis (Pallas, 1811) is recorded for the fi rst time in Mongolia, from western part of the Mongolian Altai and the adjacent Mongolian part of the Dzungarian Gobi. In addition, we discovered several additional fi ndings of this species recorded as early as 1976 from diff erent scientifi c collections. Body and skull measurements are presented along with a molecular genetic analysis of one specimen

First Report of the Herb Field Mouse , Apodemus uralensis (Pallas, 1811) from Mongolia

The herb fi eld mouse, Apodemus uralensis (Pallas, 1811) is recorded for the fi rst time in Mongolia, from western part of the Mongolian Altai and the adjacent Mongolian part of the Dzungarian Gobi. In addition, we discovered several additional fi ndings of this species recorded as early as 1976 from diff erent scientifi c collections. Body and skull measurements are presented along with a molecular genetic analysis of one specimen