Report on a Survey of Mammals of the Sierra Madre Range, Luzon Island, Philippines

An inventory of mammals was undertaken at 11 localities along the Sierra Madre range in 2002 to 2005, in areas where few or no data were available previously.  The inventory included lowland and montane forest habitats, at elevations from 300 to 1500 m.  Thirty-eight species of mammals were recorded, including nine new records for the mountain range.  One species, Kerivoula cf. papillosa, had not been recorded previously from the Philippines, and one, Coelops hirsutus, was known previously only from Mindanao and Mindoro Islands.  Two species, in the genera Apomys and Chrotomys, may represent previously unknown species.  We captured Archboldomys musseri only on Mt. Cetaceo, supporting previous evidence that it is endemic only to that mountain.A modified mist-netting technique (V-net) for insectivorous bats was effectively used to capture these species. The new records clearly demonstrate that the mammalian fauna of the Sierra Madre is poorly known.  Surveys of many additional areas are needed in all known habitat types along the Sierra Madre, especially karst, ultrabasic, and mossy forest, to fully document its diversity

Two new species of shrew-rats (Rhynchomys: Muridae; Rodentia) from Luzon Island, Philippines

The murine genus Rhynchomys includes the large-bodied Philippine “shrew-rats,” highly specialized members of the vermivorous clade of Philippine murids. Four species are recognized, all of which are endemic to Luzon Island: R. soricoides from mountains within the Central Cordillera, R. isarogensis from Mt. Isarog on the Bicol Peninsula, R. banahao from Mt. Banahaw in south-central Luzon, and R. tapulao from Mt. Tapulao in the Zambales Mountains. Field surveys in 2006 and 2008 revealed two additional populations of Rhynchomys, one from Mt. Labo (1544 m), a dormant stratovolcano at the base of the Bicol Peninsula, the other from Mt. Mingan (1901 m), the highest peak in the central Sierra Madre of east-central Luzon. Assessment of external and craniodental features of available specimens from throughout Luzon support our description of the populations on Mt. Labo and Mt. Mingan as new species. All species of Rhynchomys are restricted to high-elevation, montane, and mossy forest habitats, separated by intervening lowlands. These discoveries highlight the importance of isolated highland areas in the historical diversification of Southeast Asian murines, and as current centers of endemism

La Filogeografía de Robsonius (Passeriformes: Locustellidae) Revela una Especie No Descripta del Noreste de Luzón, Filipinas

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1525/cond.2013.120124The Robsonius ground-warblers are forest birds endemic to the Luzon Island complex in the Philippine archipelago. Their systematic relationships have long remained ambiguous; until recently they were included in the timaliid genus Napothera. Two Robsonius species are currently recognized on the basis of plumage differences: R. rabori from northern Luzon in the Cordillera Central and the northern Sierra Madre, and R. sorsogonensis from southern Luzon and Catanduanes Island. Recent specimen collections, including the first adult specimen from the Cordillera Central, establish plumage differences between populations of R. rabori in the Cordillera Central and Sierra Madre and reveal a third diagnosable population within Luzon. These differences have gone unnoticed because R. rabori (sensu stricto) had been known only from the juvenile holotype. Molecular phylogenetic data further support the hypothesis that three highly divergent taxa occur across the Luzon Island complex: Robsonius rabori is known only from the northern Cordillera Central in Ilocos Norte; an undescribed taxon (formerly included in R. rabori) occurs in the northern Sierra Madre in Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, and Nueva Vizcaya provinces; and R. sorsogonensis occurs in southern Luzon (Bulacan and Laguna provinces), the Bicol Peninsula, and on Catanduanes Island. The existence of three putatively allopatric species within the Luzon island complex highlights the role of in situ diversification in island systems, and brings attention to the need for forest conservation to protect geographically restricted populations throughout the Luzon Island complex

Amphibian and reptile diversity along a ridge-to-reef elevational gradient on a small isolated oceanic island of the central Philippines

Despite multiple recent field studies, herpetological species diversity of the Romblon Island Group in the central Philippines—particularly Sibuyan Island—has remained underestimated. Recently, we investigated the diversity of the herpetofauna of Mount Guiting-Guiting Natural Park, based on an elevational transect (10–1557 m a.s.l.). Our surveys resulted in a total of 47 species of amphibians and reptiles, including 14 new island records and one atypical occurrence of a snake species recorded for the first time from a high elevation (939 m a.s.l). These new records constitute a notable increase (21%) in Sibuyan’s herpetological species diversity as compared to surveys from a decade ago. We also provide updates of the taxonomy and identification of species endemic to this island (e.g., members of the genera Platymantis Günther, 1858, Brachymeles Duméril & Gibron, 1839, and Pseudogekko Taylor, 1922), and discuss the importance of continued surveys and field-derived data to inform conservation status assessments of Sibuyan’s unique assemblage of amphibians and reptiles

Dietary analysis of eight insectivorous bats (Chiroptera) from Puting Bato Cave Complex, Burdeos, Polillo Island, Philippines

Food habits of eight insectivorous bat species from Puting Bato Cave Complex, Polillo Island, were examined. Fecal samples collected from eight species of cave-dwelling insectivorous bats contained culled fragments from seven prey taxa (six insect orders and one fish prey). Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera were the most consumed group in both percentage volume and percentage frequency. The diet of Hipposideros diadema, H. pygmaeus, Rhinolophus arcuatus, and R. philippinensis mostly concurs with previous studies but with varying proportions. Baseline information on the diets of H. coronatus, M. paululus, R. macrotis, and R. rufus is provided in this study

Archboldomys reconsidered.

60 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm.Shrew mice of the genus Archboldomys are poorly known members of an endemic clade of vermivorous/insectivorous murid rodents confined to Luzon Island, Philippines. Three species of these small, ground-living, diurnal mice were previously known, all from a handful of specimens from a few localities. The pattern of morphological and genetic differentiation among additional specimens of shrew mice from our recent field surveys in the Central Cordillera and Sierra Madre mountains of Luzon document the presence of two distinct species groups within Archboldomys as previously defined, as well as three new species. Gene-sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear IRBP genes confirm the existence of six distinct species, but also show that Archboldomys, as previously defined, is composed of two clades that are not sister taxa. Reevaluation of the presumed morphological synapomorphies among these shrew mice, together with analyses of karyological and gene-sequence data, support the following: (1) erection of Soricomys, new genus; (2) transfer of A. kalinga and A. musseri to Soricomys; and (3) recognition of Archboldomys maximus, n. sp., Soricomys leonardocoi, n. sp., and Soricomys montanus, n. sp. The new genus and species are described, and their phylogenetic relationships, biogeography, and conservation are discussed

Catalyzing red list assessments of underrepresented Taxa through partner networks and student engagement

Global biodiversity decline is continuing largely unabated. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (hereafter, Red List) provides us with the gold standard for assessments, but taxonomic coverage, especially for invertebrates and fungi, remains very low. Many players contribute to the Red List knowledge base, especially IUCN Red List partners, IUCN-led assessment projects, and the Specialist Groups and Red List Authorities (RLA) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. However, it is vital that we develop the next generation of contributors and bring in new, diverse voices to build capacity and to sustain the huge assessment effort required to fill data gaps. Here, we discuss a recently established partner network to build additional capacity for species assessments, by linking academia directly into the assessment processes run by Specialist Groups and RLAs. We aim to increase Red List “literacy” amongst potential future conservationists and help students to increase publication output, form professional networks, and develop writing and research skills. Professors can build Red List learning into their teaching and offer Red Listing opportunities to students as assignments or research projects that directly contribute to the Red List. We discuss the opportunities presented by the approach, especially for underrepresented species groups, and the challenges that remain