Where do Chip and Dale come from? Origins of invasive populations of the Siberian chipmunk in Europe

Among invasive squirrels in Europe, the Siberian chipmunk Eutamias sibiricus, native to North-East Asia, shows the highest number of free-ranging populations in European countries, due to the intense pet trade it underwent between the 1960s and the 1980s. We describe 628-bp cytochrome b sequences from the Netherlands (N = 3), Belgium (N = 4) and Switzerland (N = 1), and through phylogenetic analysis show that they belong to the Korean subspecies. This confirms previous findings that the Korean subspecies (Eutamias sibiricus barberi) has been the most commonly introduced to Europe. Another subspecies (the Northern subspecies, Eutamias sibiricus sibiricus) has only been reported previously in an Italian free-living population. If the splitting of the Korean taxon as a proper species (Eutamias barberi) will be confirmed by analysis of nuclear markers, a revision of the European Regulation 1143/2014 should be conducted to explicitly ban the trade of newly identified taxa.Support to MM for this research (grant LCF/BQ/DR20/11790020) was provided by ‘La Caixa’ Foundation (ID 100010434)

Development of a microfluidic SNP assay for lineage discrimination in the endangered hazel dormouse

Abstract The application of Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) approaches is often restricted in wildlife monitoring and conservation genetics, as those fields often rely on noninvasively collected samples with low DNA content. Here we selected a subset of informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide data for lineage discrimination of a locally endangered Eurasian rodent, the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), and designed a microfluidic 96 SNP genotyping assay suitable for noninvasively collected samples. Analyses of 43 samples from different European countries confirmed successful discrimination of the Eastern and Western lineage and local substructure within those lineages, proving the suitability of the developed panel for identifying evolutionary significant units and conservation units. Application with 94 hair and scat samples collected in a recent monitoring study on the hazel dormouse in Southern Germany resulted in >99.5% amplification success showing the applicability of the new tool in genetic wildlife monitoring and conservation studies

Dispersal and habitat cuing of Eurasian red squirrels in fragmented habitats.

5Animal dispersal and subsequent settlement is a key process in the life history of many organisms, when individuals use demographic and environmental cues to target post-dispersal habitats where fitness will be highest. To investigate the hypothesis that environmental disturbance (habitat fragmentation) may alter these cues, we compared dispersal patterns of 60 red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in three study sites that differ in habitat composition and fragmentation. We determined dispersal distances, pre- and post-dispersal habitat types and survival using a combination of capture–mark–recapture, radiotracking and genetic parentage assignment. Most (75%) squirrels emigrated from the natal home range with mean dispersal distance of 1,014 ± 925 m (range 51–4,118 m). There were no sex-related differences in dispersal patterns and no differences in average dispersal distance, and the proportion of dispersers did not differ between sites. In one of the sites, dispersers settled in patches where density was lower than in the natal patch. In the least fragmented site, 90% of animals settled in the natal habitat type (habitat cuing) against 44–54% in the more strongly fragmented sites. Overall, more squirrels settled in the natal habitat type than expected based on habitat availability, but this was mainly due to individuals remaining within the natal wood. In the highly fragmented landscape, habitat cuing among emigrants did not occur more frequently than expected. We concluded that increased habitat fragmentation seemed to reduce reliable cues for habitat choice, but that dispersing squirrels settled in patches with lower densities of same-sex animals than at the natal home range or patch, independent of degree of fragmentation.openWauters, L.A.; Verbeylen, G.; Preatoni, D.; Martinoli, A.; Matthysen, E.Wauters, LUCAS ARMAND; Verbeylen, G.; Preatoni, Damiano; Martinoli, Adriano; Matthysen, E

No sex bias in natal dispersal of Eurasian red squirrels.

5siIn mammals, dispersal mostly takes place as juveniles or subadults before first reproduction. This so-called natal dispersal is usually sex-biased. Here we report dispersal distances and proportion of emigrants in three populations of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris). Monitoring 32 males and 28 females, we showed that most squirrels emigrated and that proportions emigrants (69% males, 82% females) did not differ between the sexes. Also mean dispersal distance did not differ between males and females. Hence, there is no sex bias in the natal dispersal of red squirrels.reservedWauters, La; Preatoni, D; Martinoli, A; Verbeylen, G; Matthysen, EWauters, LUCAS ARMAND; Preatoni, Damiano; Martinoli, Adriano; Verbeylen, G; Matthysen, E

Suivi des populations de muscardin dans les Fourons

peer reviewedThe Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a habitat specialist that prefers dense shrub and tree vegetation and needs a high diversity of food plants on a limited area. Due to habitat degradation and fragmentation the Flemish distribution area of this critically endangered species has been reduced to the eastern part of the municipality of Voeren, where it forms a cross-border population with the Dutch Hazel dormice. Since 2003 the Mammal Working Group of Natuurpunt studies the remaining Flemish population to find out more about population parameters, habitat use, the influence of habitat quality and management actions. In 2007 a standardised monitoring started by counting autumnal nests along fixed transects. In 2013 an intensive capture-mark-recapture study was set up based on nest box and nest tube checks and live-trapping on custom made hanging platforms; also a first test with radiocollars took place. The information gathered from the combination of all these methods will be used to validate the monitoring method and to formulate better protection measures. First results show that late summer and autumn should not be considered as the main reproduction period, at least not in an early year like 2014 when first young were already born at the beginning of May. Hazel dormice do not only cross significant barriers like the railway during dispersal, but also do this regularly during their nightly movements within their home range. Expansion of the population on a location with sufficient connectivity seems to be hampered by a too low population density resulting from insufficient habitat quality and (in this case) a high predation pressure by house cats. On the scale of the Meuse-Rhine Euregion, genetic analyses carried out by the University of Liège reveal four genetically isolated clusters, for which a vision to interconnect these was computed in the Interreg-project ‘Habitat Euregio’