Arnaud Léonard Jean Desbiez

Invasive species and bushmeat hunting contributing to wildlife conservation: the case of feral pigs in a Neotropical wetland

Knowledge of the reproductive biology is critical for the development of management strategies of the species both in captivity and in the wild, and to address conservation concerns regarding the sustainable use of a species. The present report characterizes some aspects of the reproductive biology of the wild red brocket deer inhabiting the North-eastern Peruvian Amazon region, based on the anatomical and histological examination of the female reproductive organs of 89 wild adult females in different reproductive states. The red brocket deer female presented ovarian follicular waves involving the synchronous growth of a cohort of an average 25 follicles but only one follicle generally survived and continued development, reaching maturity at 4 mm. Mean ovulation rate was 1.14 and litter size was 1 fetus. Females presented a low rate of reproductive wastage of 14.3% of embryos. Among the 89 adult females studied, 41 (46.1%) were pregnant and 48 (53.9%) were non-pregnant females. In the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon, conceptions occurred year-round in the red brocket deer but there were peaks in the rate of conception. Estimated yearly reproductive production was 0.76–0.82 young per adult female. Most pregnant females in advanced stage of pregnancy had at least one active CL, suggesting the persistence of CL throughout gestation.

Interspecific association between an ungulate and a carnivore or a primate

In the Brazilian Pantanal, we observed collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) associating with South American coatis (Nasua nasua) 13 times and three times with black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya). The scansorial coati drop fruit whilst feeding that both collared peccaries and other coatis consume. Young coatis were also observed chewing on the pulp left over from seeds spat out by collared peccaries who had removed the hard exocarp. Both species react to each other’s alarm calls. Peccaries also benefited from the fruits dropped by black howler monkeys. Ecologically, coatis are omnivores; but taxonomically, they are carnivores. To our knowledge, the collared peccary/coati association is the first report of an interspecific association between an ungulate and a carnivore.

Can bite force be used as a basis for niche separation between native peccaries and introduced feral pigs in the Brazilian Pantanal

No abstract available

Yellow fever impact on brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) in Argentina: a metamodelling approach based on population viability analysis and epidemiological dynamics.

In South America, yellow fever (YF) is an established infectious disease that has been identified outside of its traditional endemic areas, affecting human and nonhuman primate (NHP) populations. In the epidemics that occurred in Argentina between 2007-2009, several outbreaks affecting humans and howler monkeys (Alouatta spp) were reported, highlighting the importance of this disease in the context of conservation medicine and public health policies. Considering the lack of information about YF dynamics in New World NHP, our main goal was to apply modelling tools to better understand YF transmission dynamics among endangered brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba clamitans) populations in northeastern Argentina. Two complementary modelling tools were used to evaluate brown howler population dynamics in the presence of the disease: Vortex, a stochastic demographic simulation model, and Outbreak, a stochastic disease epidemiology simulation. The baseline model of YF disease epidemiology predicted a very high probability of population decline over the next 100 years. We believe the modelling approach discussed here is a reasonable description of the disease and its effects on the howler monkey population and can be useful to support evidence-based decision-making to guide actions at a regional level.

Spatial patterns of road mortality of medium–large mammals in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Abstract Context Brazil has one of the richest biodiversity and one of the most extensive road networks in the world. Several negative impacts emerge from this interaction, including wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC), which may represent a significant source of non-natural mortality in several species. The understanding of the main drivers of WVC is, therefore, crucial to improve the safe coexistence between human needs (transportation of goods and people) and animal populations. Aims We aimed to (1) evaluate the relative influence of land-cover patterns on the distribution of WVC, (2) assess whether WVCs are clustered forming hotspots of mortality, and, if so, (3) evaluate the benefits of mitigating only hotspot sections. Methods We collected WVC data involving medium–large mammals (4–260 kg) along three road transects (920 km), fortnightly over 1 year (n = 1006 records). We used boosted regression trees to relate the WVC locations with a set of environmental variables including a roadkill index, reflecting overall habitat suitability and landscape connectivity, while accounting for spatial autocorrelation effects. We identified hotspots of mortality using Ripley’s K statistic and testing whether data follow a random Poisson distribution correcting for Type I error. Key results We found a strong association between WVC probability and roadkill index for all focal species. Distance to riparian areas, tree cover, terrain ruggedness and distance to urban areas were also important predictors, although to a lesser extent. We detected 21 hotspots of mortality, yet with little spatial overlapping as only four road sections (2%) were classified as hotspot for more than one species. Conclusions Our results supported that WVC mainly occur in road sections traversing areas with more abundant and diverse mammal communities. Hotspots of mortality may provide important information to prioritise road sections for mitigation, but this should be used in complement with roadkill indexes accounting for overall mortality. Implications The results support focusing on hotspots and habitat quality and landscape connectivity for a better assessment of road mortality. At the local scale, a larger number and improved road passages with exclusionary fencing of appropriate mesh size in riparian areas may provide safe crossings for many species and constitute a promising mitigation measure.

Habitat selection and home-range use by resident and reintroduced giant anteaters in 2 South American wetlands

One of the benefits of modeling habitat selection for a given population is the ability to predict patterns in another population that inhabits an ecologically similar area. We studied habitat selection and home ranges of reintroduced and wild giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in 2 South American wetlands (Iberá, Argentina, and Pantanal, Brazil). Nine reintroduced (Iberá) and 10 wild (Pantanal) adult animals were tracked via VHF and GPS between 2007 and 2015. We used resource selection functions to assess habitat selection for the wild anteaters from Pantanal. Generalized linear mixed models were constructed for resting and activity periods during both the wet and dry seasons. We then validated previous models built for reintroduced anteaters in Iberá using data from the wild animals from Pantanal. Habitat type (floodplain, grassland, open savanna, closed savanna, and forest) and distances to selected landscape traits were used as covariates. Locations near forests were positively selected in both populations. Selection of forests in Pantanal was less evident than in Iberá, probably due to the much higher availability of forests in the Brazilian site, with 38–53% of the landscape classified as good-to-high likelihood in Pantanal compared to only 4% in Iberá. Mean home-range size of males was larger in Iberá (32.50 ± 7.64 km2) than in Pantanal (14.07 ± 1.97 km2), whereas home-range sizes of females were similar in both areas (9.75 ± 1.74 km2 in Iberá; 9.62 ± 2.00 km2 in Pantanal). Results of this study suggest that model validation with geographically independent data is a useful tool to compare reintroduced and wild populations and to identify resources or landscape attributes that are important for a given species, even when these resources are abundant or highly available.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome for the Euphractus sexcinctus flavimanus (Mammalia, Xenarthra) subspecies

We are reporting the complete mitochondrial genome for the Euphractus sexcinctus flavimanus, a subspecies from South America, who is also known as yellow armadillo and six-banded armadillo. The de novo short read assembly was obtained from a west-central Brazil specimen. A typical mammalian mitogenome, containing 37 genes and one non-coding region (D-loop) was found. The total length was 16,805 base pairs and differences were observed among the E. s. flavimanus mitogenome described here and that previously reported for an E. sexcinctus unknown subspecies. Such difference was mainly due to the variation in the non-coding region. The complete mitochondrial genome described for the E. s. flavimanus is an important data source for comparative approaches, including genetic diversity studies among armadillo species and subspecies.

Mating Behavior of the Six-Banded Armadillo Euphractus Sexcinctus in the Pantanal Wetland, Brazil

Abstract Little is known about the reproductive behavior of Euphractus sexcinctus, but the chasing behavior of several individuals behind one another has been reported. We describe two observations of chasing behavior in the Pantanal, Brazil, which included a clear mating event. On these two occasions, a presumed adult male mounted another individual, presumed to be an adult female, during and after the chase, clearly indicating reproductive behavior. Our occasional records of chasing behavior, eventually including mounting, suggest a fairly defined mating period from the mid-dry season to the onset of the raining season in the Pantanal wetland.