The highest elevation record of Mustela frenata (Carnivora: Mustelidae) and distribution in Calda department, Andean region of Colombia

The long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata Lichtenstein, 1831 has the greatest geographical range among mustelids in the western hemisphere (Harding & Dragoo 2012). The range of M. frenata extends from the north of the United States, near the Canadian border, to northern South America (Sheffield & Thomas 1997), from sea level to 3800 masl (Sheffield & Thomas 1997, Reid & Helgen 2008).La comadreja de cola larga Mustela frenata Lichtenstein, 1831 tiene el mayor rango geográfico entre los mostelides en el hemisferio occidental (Harding & Dragoo 2012). El rango de M. frenata se extiende desde el norte de los Estados Unidos, cerca de la frontera canadiense, hasta el norte de Sudamérica (Sheffield y Thomas 1997), desde el nivel del mar hasta 3800 msnm (Sheffield y Thomas 1997, Reid y Helgen 2008)

Defensive behavior of Dipsas sanctijoannis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

Herein, we report the defensive behavior of Dipsas sanctijoannis (Boulenger, 1911) for first time, based on observations of three different individuals in the Municipality of Manizales, Departamento de Caldas, Colombia

Predation on the Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata by the Jaguar Panthera onca in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica

In the sea, the most common predators of adult sea turtles are sharks (i.e., Carcharhinus leucas, Carcharodon carcharias, Galeocerdo cuvier) (Witzell 1987, Cliff & Dudley 1991, Fergusson et al. 2000) and killer whales (Orcinus orca) (Fertl & Fulling 2007); while on their nesting beaches, female turtles are susceptible to predators like jaguars (Panthera onca) and crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) (Ortiz et al. 1997, Heithaus et al. 2008).En el mar, los depredadores más comunes de las tortugas marinas adultas son los tiburones (es decir, Carcharhinus leucas, Carcharodon carcharias, Galeocerdo cuvier) (Witzell 1987, Cliff & Dudley 1991, Fergusson et al. 2000) y las orcas (Orcinus orca) (Fertl & Fulling 2007); mientras que en sus playas de anidación, las tortugas hembras son susceptibles a los depredadores como los jaguares (Panthera onca) y los cocodrilos (Crocodylus acutus) (Ortiz et al. 1997, Heithaus et al. 2008)

Is the Banana Ripe? Andean Bear–Human Conflict in a Protected Area of Colombia

The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus; bear) is endemic to the tropical Andes Mountains of South America. Previous assessments predict that bear populations will decline by \u3e30% in the next 30 years. The species may face the greatest threats within its historical distribution in Colombia where rapid agricultural expansion into natural habitats is increasing human–bear conflicts. Between April 2017 and March 2018, we studied bear feeding behavior on plantain (Musa sapientum) and banana (M. paradisiaca) crops within the Barbas-Bremen protected area in the central mountain range of Colombia to describe the magnitude of crop damage, economic losses, and spatial distribution of feeding sites where human–bear conflicts would most likely occur. We also identified all affected farmers and used structured interviews to determine their attitudes toward the bears and their conservation. We recorded 237 damaged plants and identified 57 bear feeding area locations on 9 farms. Bear damage consisted of bites to the trunk of each plant and consumption of the centers. The damage polygon covered 198 ha, and it was located in the northwestern portion of the protected area. Although we estimated that the magnitude of crop consumption by bears and social and economic dimensions of damage caused by the species in Colombia. Our research also provides insights on how human–bear conflicts may be mitigated in the study area

Comportamento de interação e vocalização do tapir centro-americano Tapirus bairdii de Talamanca, Costa Rica

Baird’s tapir is considered globally endangered, but most aspects of its ecology and natural history are still unknown. There are scarce previous reports regarding interaction behavior and vocalization for the species; this work is considered the first detailed description of call not only for T. bairdii, but the first for a tapir in the wild. Here we present observations on interaction behavior and the analyses of the first wild vocalizations for Baird’s Tapir from Talamanca, Costa Rica. We distinguish two types of calls. The first call was composed of two notes (average 0.625 ± 0.069 s and 0.323 ± 0.080 s, respectively) with a dominant frequency of 4,940 ± 248.3 Hz. The second call was composed of a single note (average 1.121±0.063) with a dominant frequency of 6,471 ± 704.1 Hz. Interaction is probably due to resource availability, and vocalizations likely reflect communication between bonding pairs or to avoid agonistic behavior. These observations provide clues into social interaction and use of vocal traits for communication among wild tapirs, as well as may contribute for future analyses regarding the phylogenetic signal within the genus.Keywords: Bonding pairs, communication, Perissodactyla, social interaction.O tapir centro-americano é considerado em perigo globalmente, mas a maioria dos aspectos de sua ecologia e história natural ainda é desconhecida. Existem poucos relatórios anteriores sobre o comportamento de interação e de vocalização para as espécies; este trabalho é considerado a primeira descrição detalhada da vocalização não somente para T. bairdii, mas a primeira para uma anta na natureza. No presente trabalho, apresentam-se observações sobre o comportamento de interação e as análises das primeiras vocalizações selvagens para o tapir centro-americano de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Distinguimos dois tipos de chamadas. A primeira chamada foi composta por duas notas (média 0,625 ± 0,069 s e 0,323 ± 0,080 s, respectivamente) com uma frequência dominante de 4.940 ± 248,3 Hz. A segunda chamada foi composta por uma única nota (média 1,121 ± 0,063) com uma frequência dominante de 6.471 ± 704,1 Hz. A interação é provavelmente devido à disponibilidade de recursos, e as vocalizações provavelmente refletem a comunicação entre casais ou para evitar comportamentos agonísticos. Essas observações fornecem indícios de interação social e do uso de traços vocais para a comunicação entre antas selvagens, além de poder contribuir para futuras análises do sinal filogenético no gênero.Palavras-chave: casais, comunicação, interação social, Perissodactyla

Distribuição e pontos de concentração de áreas de predação de tartarugas marinhas por onças pintadas em parque nacional da Costa Rica

A poorly described aspect of the trophic relation between sea turtles and jaguars is the distribution and hotspots of the feeding areas of jaguars on the nesting beaches. It is very important to identify the areas where sea turtles are predated because we could concentrate conservation and management efforts in these areas. Therefore, the aim of this work is to describe the spatial distribution and hotspots of the feeding areas of jaguars at Nancite beach, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. We recorded a total of 76 predated carapaces of sea turtles, of these, 54 (71%) were of Lepidochelys olivacea and 22 (29%) of Chelonia mydas. Two major feeding hotspots areas were identified within the Nancite beach. Both hotspots are located at the extremes of the beach, one is at the southern edge and the other is at the northern extreme. Human activity and the distribution of nesting turtles influence synergistically to determine the sites where the sea turtles are predated at Nancite beach. Based on the information of predation hotspots, the environmental authorities should regulate the monitoring activities within those areas to avoid interfering with the trophic relation between sea turtles and jaguars.Keywords: hunting area, jaguar predation, nesting beach, predatory behavior, human-wildlife interactions.Um aspecto pouco descrito da relação trófica entre tartarugas marinhas e onças pintadas é a distribuição e os pontos de acesso das áreas de alimentação de onças nas praias de nidificação. Identificar a área onde tartarugas marinhas são predadas é muito importante, porque podemos concentrar os esforços de conservação e de gestão nessas áreas. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar a distribuição espacial e os hotspots das áreas de alimentação de onças pintadas na praia Nancite, Parque Nacional de Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. Registramos um total de 76 carapaças predadas de tartarugas marinhas, das quais 54 (71%) eram de Lepidochelys olivacea e 22 (29%) de Chelonia mydas. Duas grandes áreas de hotspots de alimentação foram identificadas na praia Nancite. Ambos os hotspots estão localizados nos extremos da praia, sendo um no extremo sul e o outro no extremo norte. A atividade humana e a distribuição de nidificação de tartarugas influenciam sinergicamente para determinar os locais onde as tartarugas marinhas são predadas na praia Nancite. Com base nas informações de hotspots de predação, as autoridades ambientais devem regular as atividades de monitoramento nessas áreas, para evitar interferências na relação trófica entre tartarugas marinhas e onças.Palavras-chave: área de caça, predação de onças, praia de nidificação, comportamento predatório, interações entre humanos e vida selvagem

Depredación y carroñeo de tortugas marinas y uso de hábitat del jaguar en el Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, Costa Rica

Busca estudiar el fenómeno trófico entre jaguares y tortugas marinas desde un punto de vista amplio y holístico, se investigó dicho fenómeno en tres aspectos, cada uno de ellos expuesto como capítulo independiente para una mejor exposición, análisis y discusión de los resultados. En el primer capítulo, se estudia el fenómeno trófico en su aspecto ecológico, ya que se describen las interacciones tróficas de depredación, carroñeo y cleptoparasitismo que se establecen en torno a la depredación de tortugas marinas por jaguares. En el segundo capítulo, se estudia el fenómeno trófico en el aspecto de su caracterización, ya que se investiga dónde, cuántas y qué especies de tortugas marinas mata el jaguar. El tercer y último capítulo estudia el fenómeno trófico en el aspecto de la ecología del movimiento del jaguar entre y en los alrededores de las playas de anidación de tortugas marinas

DISTRIBUTION, DIET, AND VOCALIZATIONS OF THE ENDANGERED COLOMBIAN TOAD OSORNOPHRYNE PERCRASSA (ANURA, BUFONIDAE)

Herein, we describe the distribution, call, diet, and niche model of Osornophryne percrassa. This species has been recorded at 23 locations of Colombia, 14 of which are reported in this work. In addition, we reported the first record for the Department of Valle del Cauca, southern Colombia. Based on the points of occurrence, we estimated the potential geographic distribution of this species through the maximum entropy algorithm, and the model prediction showed a good performance. The model shows that The Cordillera Central provides the higher habitat availability for the species occurrence, with no geographical barriers that hinder the spread of the species. We analyzed the stomach contents of 14 females. We identified 73 Arthropoda prey and nine Nematoda prey. Coleopterans and isopods were numerically and volumetrically the more important prey, respectively. We found a positive and significant correlation between snout-vent length (SVL) and head width (HW). Our data indicate that the species is a generalist/opportunistic feeder with a sit-and-wait strategy for obtaining prey. We described the vocal repertoire (advertisement and courtship calls) based on 23 advertisement calls and 11 courtship calls from a male. The advertisement call consists of 8–10 Peep notes whereas the courtship call consists of 6–9 Peep notes. The advertisement calls of O. guacamayo were similar in temporal and structural characteristics to those of O. percrassa. This is the first description of the courtship calls not only for O. percrassa but also for the genus.Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica.Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestr