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Cursorial central-place foragers like ants are expected to minimize travel costs by choosing the least resistive pathways to food resources. Tropical arboreal and semi-arboreal ants locomote over a variety of plant surfaces, and their choice of pathways is selective. We measured the roughness of tree trunk and liana stem surfaces using laser scanning technology, and explored its consequences for running speed in various ant taxa. The average amplitude of tree trunk surface roughness differed interspecifically, and ranged from 1.4-2.2 mm among three common tree species ( Anacardium excelsum, Alseis blackiana, and Dipteryx panamensis). The roughness of liana stems also varied interspecifically (among Tontelea ovalifolia, Bauhinia sp. and Paullinia sp.) and was an order of magnitude lower than tree surface roughness (mean amplitude ranged 0.09-0.19 mm). Field observations of various ant species foraging on tree trunks and liana stems, and on dowels covered with sandpaper, showed that their running speed declined with increasing amplitude of roughness. The effect of roughness on running speed was strongest for mid-sized ants ( Azteca trigona and Dolichoderus bispinosus). The accumulation rate of ants at baits did not vary with tree surface roughness, but was significantly lower on moss-covered versus moss-free bark. Collectively, these results indicate that the quality of plant substrates can influence the foraging patterns of arboreal ants, but likely is more important for resource discovery than for dominance on bare tree surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suitability of structures installed to enable safe passage of wildlife across a road is most frequently determined by monitoring of structures after new roads are built. Rarely are new structures field tested before installation. We installed canopy rope-bridges in an area frequented by koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) with the explicit aim of determining whether koalas might use such structures. Rope-bridges were of four different designs to maximise the likelihood that one might be used, as a precursor to further replication. Infrared cameras were installed on the rope-bridges as well as on two nearby reference trees to compare frequency of use. Over a monitoring period of 2.9 years no koalas were detected on the rope-bridges whereas koalas were recorded on the reference trees on 34 and 41 different 24-h periods. Rope-bridges may not be suited to an arboreal mammal that is inclined to travel along the ground to move between trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major goal of community ecology is to identify the patterns of species associations and the processes that shape them. Arboreal ants are extremely diverse and abundant, making them an interesting and valuable group for tackling this issue. Numerous studies have used observational data of species co-occurrence patterns to infer underlying assembly processes, but the complexity of these communities has resulted in few solid conclusions. This study takes advantage of an observational dataset that is unusually well-structured with respect to habitat attributes (tree species, tree sizes, and vegetation structure), to disentangle different factors influencing community organization. In particular, this study assesses the potential role of interspecific competition and habitat selection on the distribution patterns of an arboreal ant community by incorporating habitat attributes into the co-occurrence analyses. These findings are then contrasted against species traits, to explore functional explanations for the identified community patterns. We ran a suite of null models, first accounting only for the species incidence in the community and later incorporating habitat attributes in the null models. We performed analyses with all the species in the community and then with only the most common species using both a matrix-level approach and a pairwise-level approach. The co-occurrence patterns did not differ from randomness in the matrix-level approach accounting for all ant species in the community. However, a segregated pattern was detected for the most common ant species. Moreover, with the pairwise approach, we found a significant number of negative and positive pairs of species associations. Most of the segregated associations appear to be explained by competitive interactions between species, not habitat affiliations. This was supported by comparisons of species traits for significantly associated pairs. These results suggest that competition is the most important influence on the distribution patterns of arboreal ants within the focal community. Habitat attributes, in contrast, showed no significant influence on the matrix-wide results and affected only a few associations. In addition, the segregated pairs shared more biological characteristic in common than the aggregated and random ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodland birds are a commonly used taxonomic surrogate for other species groups in agricultural landscapes as they are relatively diverse, easily-studied, and charismatic. Yet, other taxa can respond to native vegetation on farms differently to woodland birds, challenging the present focus on birds in agri-environmental schemes. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of woodland birds as taxonomic surrogates for biodiversity in conservation planning on farms, in comparison with reptiles and arboreal marsupials. We used a complementarity-based approach to select patches of remnant and restored vegetation that supported a priori representation targets of species occurrences. We found that the spatial locations of vegetation patches selected to meet representation targets for woodland birds were 24%–69% different from the locations of patches selected for other taxa. The vegetation patches selected to meet representation targets for woodland birds failed to incidentally meet representation targets for other taxa, although targets for a subset of threatened woodland birds were exceeded. Conservation planning for woodland birds, however, led to higher incidental representation of the other taxa, compared with conservation planning for reptiles and arboreal marsupials. This indicates that woodland birds are a more effective taxonomic surrogate for biodiversity on farms compared to reptiles and arboreal marsupials. If the conservation goal is to conserve a broad array of biodiversity on farms, then the focus on woodland birds in agri-environmental schemes is justified. However, if the conservation of particular species or taxonomic groups is a priority, then conservation plans explicitly targeting these species or groups are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although primarily terrestrial, cane toads ( Rhinella marina) sometimes climb near-vertical surfaces (tree-trunks, cliffs, fences) during foraging or dispersal activities. We scored climbing ability (in laboratory trials) of 288 cane toads from four regions in Australia, plus two sites on the island of Hawai'i. We found strong divergence in climbing ability associated not only with sex and relative limb length, but also population of origin. Within each population, longer-limbed individuals (and hence, males rather than females) were better climbers, although the geographical divergence in climbing ability remained significant even when sex and limb length were included in multivariate regression models. The geographical difference in climbing ability (but not morphology) disappeared when the progeny were raised in captivity under identical conditions, without climbing opportunities. Although influenced by morphology, climbing ability in wild-caught cane toads appears to be driven primarily by local environmental conditions that facilitate and/or reward arboreal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the works of forestry engineer Rafael Puig i Valls in Spain in 18th and 19th century. Topics discussed include social aspects of tree plantation, repopulation of animals in forest areas, regenerationism forest, arboreal patriotism in forests, and conservation and preservation of forests.

Objectives The proximate and ultimate determinants that may have prompted some primates to shift from an arboreal to terrestrial feeding niche, whether due to environmental change, seasonality, and/or predation pressure, are poorly understood. Within a fragmented littoral forest in southeast Madagascar, an arboreal strepsirrhine population spends a large proportion of time on the ground, thus we aimed to identify which factors influence terrestrial feeding. Methods From January to December 2013, we conducted 103 full-day focal follows on three social groups of southern bamboo lemurs H. meridionalis. We continuously recorded feeding time on all arboreal and terrestrial items, as well as whether the focal individual was under the canopy or exposed, and the distance to their nearest conspecific neighbor. All observed food items were collected and analyzed for macronutrient content. Daily climatic variables (temperature, precipitation), resource seasonality, daily path length (DPL), along with dietary and predation risk proxies, were used as fixed effects in a linear mixed model, with the daily proportion of terrestrial feeding as the dependent variable. Results Our model indicated that daily terrestrial feeding increased at cooler temperature, was associated with reduced DPL, and the intake of dietary metabolizable energy increased as terrestrial feeding increased. All other fixed effects were not significant predictors. Discussion Our study provides a window into the ultimate determinants of niche expansion: ancestral primates, in absence of their primary resources, may have initially descended to the ground in peripheral population range areas where the benefits (e g., nutritional pay-off) out-weighed the costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old-growth forest is recognised as a high-value habitat in conservation assessment programs because of its importance to hollow-dependent species. Previous mapping undertaken at regional scales does not map patches of old forest smaller than 5 ha. While small patches of old forest may not be as ecologically important as large areas they provide opportunities for connectivity and specific habitat resources for arboreal wildlife within a broader landscape matrix. Previously, smaller patches of old forest have been overlooked because the tools have not been available to map at finer scales. This study incorporates a methodology using recent advances in technology, including aerial photography, to map old forest at a fine scale for the purposes of land-use assessment and planning. The term 'High Value Arboreal Habitat' is introduced to convey the ecological importance of hollow-bearing trees as part of a wider identification and mapping of high-value habitats across the landscape. The assessment was undertaken across the forested areas of the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area using high-resolution digital imagery. It is anticipated that the High Value Arboreal Habitat mapping process will be adopted by a range of stakeholders and natural resource managers to better manage and conserve these old forests across the landscape whatever their size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Many arboreal mammals in Neotropical forests are important seed dispersers that influence the spatial patterns of tree regeneration via their movement patterns, which in turn are determined by the canopy structure of the forest itself. However, the relationship between arboreal mammal movement and canopy structure is poorly understood, due in large part to the complexity of quantifying arboreal habitat structure. Objectives: We relate detailed movement trajectories of three sympatric primate species to attributes of canopy structure derived from airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) in order to understand the role of structure in arboreal movement in the tropical moist forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Methods: We used high-resolution LiDAR to quantify three-dimensional attributes of the forest canopy of the entire island, high-resolution GPS tracking to map the movement patterns of the monkey species, and step selection functions to relate movement decisions to canopy attributes. Results: We found that movement decisions were correlated with canopy height and distance to gaps, which indicate forest maturity and lateral connectivity, in all three species. In the two faster-moving species, step selection was also correlated with the thickness of the crown layer and the density of vegetation within the crown. Conclusions: The correlations detected are fully in line with known differences in the locomotor adaptations and movement strategies of the study species, and directly reflect maximization of energetic efficiency and ability to escape from predators. Quantification of step selection in relation to structure thus provides insight into the ways in which arboreal animals use their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of weather in relation to food resources, in determining reproduction, remains poorly understood for mammals, particularly for species that do not depend on food resources limited by spring weather conditions. We studied the effects that weather and food supply had on timing of spring reproduction and observed litter size in 2 squirrel species, the Siberian flying squirrel and the European red squirrel, using long-term data sets spanning 20-30 years. Both species subsist on foods from tree masting, and these are available for squirrels from autumn until early spring. Good food conditions in winter and spring before reproduction had positive effects on spring reproduction in both species by advancing the onset of reproduction, and in flying squirrels, slightly increasing litter size. Higher temperature in late winter and, surprisingly, increased precipitation in late winter resulted in early reproduction in flying squirrels and red squirrels, respectively. In addition, higher early spring temperature was positively related to litter size in red squirrels, likely reflecting low survival of small juveniles in cold weather. Our study supports the view that spring reproduction in these species is determined by food supply before breeding. Our results also highlight the fact that reproduction is also dependent on weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By exploiting unutilized resources, organisms expand into novel niches, which can lead to adaptive radiation. However, some groups fail to diversify despite the apparent opportunity to do so. Although arising multiple times, arboreal folivores are rare and have not radiated, presumably because of energetic constraints. To explore this hypothesis, we quantified the field metabolic rate (FMR), movement, and body temperature for syntopic two- and three-toed sloths, extreme arboreal folivores that differ in their degree of specialization. Both species expended little energy, but three-toed sloths (162 kJ/ day*kg0.734) possessed the lowest FMR recorded for any mammal. Three-toed sloths were more heterothermic and moved less than twotoed sloths.Wethen compared FMRs and basal metabolic rates (BMRs) for 19 species of arboreal folivores along a spectrum of specialization. Overall, arboreal folivores had lower BMRs and FMRs than othermammals, and increasing specialization led to lower FMRs but not BMRs. Thus, reduced energetic expenditure in specialized species was the result of thermoregulatory and behavioral strategies, rather than simply a proportionate reduction in BMR. Altogether, our findings support the concept that arboreal folivores are tightly constrained by nutritional energetics and help to explain the lack of radiation among species exploiting a lifestyle in the trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defoliation of forest tree canopies by herbivores and other agents, leading to tree mortality and reduced productivity, threatens the ecological stability of forests globally. This study shows that long-term control of a mammalian arboreal folivore (brushtail possums; Trichosurus vulpecula Phalangeridae) reduces crown dieback and increases foliage cover in browsing-damaged canopy trees. We monitored indices of possumdensity, possumbrowsing, tree foliage cover and crown dieback for 20 years following initiation of possum control in 1994 that repeatedly reduced possum densities to near zero every 5-6 years and kept the population below 35% of pre-control levels over the entire period. Observable possum browsing was recorded on 20-49% of individuals of three palatable tree species at the time of first control. Those percentages fell to zero after control and never exceeded 2-10% for individual species over the next 19 years. We recorded significant increases in foliage cover attributable to recovery from defoliation by possums for all three species during the first 10 years. Large increases in foliage cover occurred on individuals that were heavily browsed in 1994 (mean increases: 36-89%), but mean population increases were modest (3-19%) because only 10-19%of trees were initially heavily browsed. Twenty-year mortality rates were similar for plants with, or without, initial possumbrowsing, indicating no residual impact of pre-control browsing on tree mortality. Times for full recovery of crown foliage cover varied from 10 years for the youngest trees and faster growing species to more than 20 years for mature individuals of the slowest growing species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is one of the most important components of an animal’s diet, as it is essential for life. Primates, as do most animals, procure water directly from standing or free-flowing sources such as pools, ponds and rivers, or indirectly by the ingestion of certain plant parts. The latter is frequently described as the main source of water for predominantly arboreal species. However, in addition to these, many species are known to drink water accumulated in tree-holes. This has been commonly observed in several arboreal New World primate species, but rarely reported systematically from Old World primates. Here, we report observations of this behaviour from eight great ape and Old World monkey species, namely chimpanzee, orangutan, siamang, western hoolock gibbon, northern pig-tailed macaque, bonnet macaque, rhesus macaque and the central Himalayan langur. We hypothesise three possible reasons why these primates drink water from tree-holes: (1) coping with seasonal or habitat-specific water shortages, (2) predator/human conflict avoidance, and (3) potential medicinal benefits. We also suggest some alternative hypotheses that should be tested in future studies. This behaviour is likely to be more prevalent than currently thought, and may have significant, previously unknown, influences on primate survival and health, warranting further detailed studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within some species, squirrels respond to variable selection from venomous snake predators by showing population-level variation in resistance, while between species, some rattlesnakes possess venom that is more effective at overcoming venom resistance in different species of squirrels. A functional evaluation of resistance variation to venom within and between species of squirrels and snakes can link resistance variation to its evolutionary causes across these different evolutionary scales. To do this, we compared the effectiveness of squirrel sera in inhibiting rattlesnake ( Crotalus spp.) venom metalloproteinase activity between populations and between species to test for a response to local variation in selection from a single rattlesnake predator and for specialization of two resistant squirrel species to each of their distinct sympatric snake predators. We found that Timber Rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridus ) venom inhibition by Eastern gray squirrels ( Sciurus carolinensis ) is higher at a site where the rattlesnakes are present, which suggests selection may maintain venom resistance in populations separated by short distances. Next, we performed a reciprocal cross of venoms and sera from two rattlesnake and two squirrel species. This showed that squirrel resistance is lower when tested against venom from allopatric compared to sympatric rattlesnake species, demonstrating that squirrel inhibitors are specialized to sympatric venom and suggesting a tradeoff in terms of specialization to the venom of a specific species of rattlesnake predator. This pattern can be explained if inhibitors must recognize venom proteins and resistance evolution tracks venom evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are common in the Brazilian cerrado savanna, where climatic conditions having marked seasonality influence arboreal ant fauna organization. These ant-plant interactions have rarely been studied at community level. Here, we tested whether: 1) EFN-bearing plants are more visited by ants than EFN-lacking plants; 2) ant visitation is higher in the rainy season than in dry season; 3) plants producing young leaves are more visited than those lacking young leaves in the rainy season; 4) during the dry season, plants with old leaves and flowers are more visited than plants with young leaves and bare of leaves or flowers; 5) the composition of visiting ant fauna differs between plants with and without EFNs. Field work was done in a cerrado reserve near Uberlândia, MG State, Brazil, along ten transects (total area 3,000 m2), in the rainy (October-January) and dry seasons (April-July) of 2010–2011. Plants (72 species; 762 individuals) were checked three times per season for ant presence. Results showed that 21 species (29%) and 266 individuals (35%) possessed EFNs. These plants attracted 38 ant species (36 in rainy, 26 in dry season). In the rainy season, plants with EFNs had higher ant abundance/richness than plants without EFNs, but in the dry season, EFN presence did not influence ant visitation. Plant phenology affected ant richness and abundance in different ways: plants with young leaves possessed higher ant richness in the rainy season, but in the dry season ant abundance was higher on plants possessing old leaves or flowers. The species composition of plant-associated ant communities, however, did not differ between plants with and without EFNs in either season. These findings suggest that the effect of EFN presence on a community of plant-visiting ants is context dependent, being conditioned to seasonal variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central and South American pitvipers, belonging to the genera Bothrops and Bothriechis, have independently evolved arboreal tendencies. Little is known regarding the composition and activity of their venoms. In order to close this knowledge gap, venom proteomics and toxin activity of species of Bothriechis, and Bothrops (including Bothriopsis) were investigated through established analytical methods. A combination of proteomics and bioactivity techniques was used to demonstrate a similar diversification of venom composition between large and small species within Bothriechis and Bothriopsis. Increasing our understanding of the evolution of complex venom cocktails may facilitate future biodiscoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleogene micromomyids are small (∼10-40 g) euarchontan mammals with primate-like molars and postcrania suggestive of committed claw-climbing positional behaviors, similar to those of the extant arboreal treeshrew, Ptilocercus. Based primarily on evidence derived from dental and postcranial morphology, micromomyids have alternately been allied with plesiadapiforms, Dermoptera (colugos), or Primatomorpha (Primates + Dermoptera) within Euarchonta. Partial crania described here of Paleocene Dryomomys szalayi and Eocene Tinimomys graybulliensis from the Clarks Fork Basin of Wyoming are the first known for the family Micromomyidae. The cranium of D. szalayi exhibits a distinct, small groove near the lateral extreme of the promontorium, just medial to the fenestra vestibuli, the size of which suggests that the internal carotid artery was non-functional, as has been inferred for paromomyid and plesiadapid plesiadapiforms, but not for Eocene euprimates, carpolestids, and microsyopids. On the other hand, D. szalayi is similar to fossil euprimates and plesiadapoids in having a bullar morphology consistent with an origin that is at least partially petrosal, unlike that of paromomyids and microsyopids, although this interpretation will always be tentative in fossils that lack exhaustive ontogenetic data. Micromomyids differ from all other known plesiadapiforms in having an inflated cochlear part of the bony labyrinth and a highly pneumatized squamosal and mastoid region with associated septa. Cladistic analyses that include new cranial data, regardless of how bullar composition is coded in plesiadapiforms, fail to support either Primatomorpha or a close relationship between micromomyids and dermopterans, instead suggesting that micromomyids are among the most primitive known primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we describe a limb abnormality, possibly ectrodactyly, in a male adult gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), an arboreal species, captured in a fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Cerrado. The captured individual lacked the central rays of the right hindlimb and was the thinnest male adult captured. Despite the abnormality, the scaled mass index of the individual did not differ from other adult males captured in the study. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of limb abnormality for a didelphid marsupial, which indicates that this type of malformation may not negatively affect individual body condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A remarkable characteristic of Heteroptera is the release of highly odoriferous substances, and the associated complex structures and chemicals are apomorphic to the true bugs. Studies on the structures of the scent efferent system (SES) have shown a correspondence between morphology and phylogeny or classification. The external SES of dorsal abdominal scent glands in nymphs of 27 representative species of Pentatomidae and eight species of other six families of Pentatomoidea are analyzed. Even though Pentatomoideans have three pairs of serially homologous SES, the anterior SES has a particular and simplified morphology compared to the median and posterior SES. Morphology of SES within the superfamily varies from simplified to conspicuous ornamentation. The complexity of SES has already been tentatively related to living habits, instance gregariousness, and arboreal or fossorial behaviour. Some structures are correlated to subfamilial level in Pentatomidae. We were able to find consistent similarities between taxa, but cuticular structures of SES are diverse and probably have evolved multiple times across lineages in Pentatomidae. The characters present on SES constitute an interesting source for evolutionary analyses in Pentatomoidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reassessed the taxonomic status of an Asian genus of arboreal bufonids, Pedostibes, based on examination of preserved material of the two species currently attributed to this genus. Analysis of their morphological, morphometric, and geographic distribution data revealed that Pedostibes tuberculosus, the type species of this genus from the Western Ghats, southwestern India, is morphologically distinct from the geographically separated member, P. kempi, which is distributed in northeastern India. Hence, the generic nomen Pedostibes is restricted to the type species, rendering it a monotypic genus from the Western Ghats of peninsular India. A re-examination and detailed comparisons of the types of P. kempi with other bufonid genera revealed morphological similarities with another geographically proximate toad, Bufoides meghalayanus, from northeastern India. Hence, this taxon is formally transferred herein to Bufoides with a redescription. The composition of the recently described Southeast Asian toad genus Rentapia is reevaluated and the name-bearing type specimens of the currently ascribed taxa are redescribed. A detailed examination of the types of Rentapia everetti and R. rugosa revealed morphological congruence coupled with geographic sympatry. Hence, the latter nomen is synonymized with R. everetti in accordance with the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature principle of priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015 B. Guenard with co-authors indicated that the Rovno amber ant assemblage, as described by G. Dlussky and A. Rasnitsyn (2009), showed modest support for a bias towards arboreal origin comparing the Baltic and Bitterfeld assemblages, although it is not clear whether this reflects a sampling error or a signal of real deviation. Since 2009, the Rovno ant collection has now grown more than twice in volume which makes possible to check if the above inference about the essentially arboreal character of the assemblage is real or due to a sampling error. The comparison provided suggests in favour of the latter reason for the bias revealed by B. Guenard and co-authors. The new and larger data on the Rovno assemblage show that the share of non-arboreal ants is now well comparable with those concerning the Baltic and Bitterfeld assemblages. This holds true for the both total assemblages and subassemblages of worker ants only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maturation includes physical, reproductive, and social aspects that develop asynchronously. Intra- and inter-individual variation in the relative timing of each aspect reflects context-dependent plasticity. Plasticity in developmental timing may be important for the family-living small apes (family Hylobatidae), where reproductive opportunities are monopolized by territorial breeding pairs. Data on development in hylobatids are so far limited due to their elusive arboreal niche and long lifespans. Herein, we provide the first quantitative analysis of behavioral development in 14 captive individuals of three species ( Hylobates moloch, Nomascus leucogenys, and Symphalangus syndactylus), with some individuals being observed over 8 years. To establish a baseline for behavioral development, we compare the behavior of infants (0-2 years), juveniles (2-4 years), adolescents (4-6 years), and subadults (6-9 years) in their natal groups from data obtained over 250 focal observation hours. We then relate changes in behavior to measures of somatic and physiological development, and to wild populations, to identify the degree of intra- and inter-individual variation in developmental timing. We found greater concordance between behavioral and physiological markers of weaning than between different markers of later development, and the timing of later milestones varied more among individuals. Behavioral estimates from both captive and wild individuals in their natal groups indicate that puberty begins close to age 5, but physiological maturation can occur 0.5-3 years earlier in captive individuals than in wild individuals. Ages at onset of puberty, sexual, and social maturation vary in both captive and wild populations. The available evidence indicates that the social environment during development (e.g., presence of breeding female and appropriate mating partner), as well as nutrition, play a role in the timing of life history transitions in hylobatids. Am. J. Primatol. 78:610-625, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pristimantis lacrimosus species group, with 24 species distributed in the Neotropics, is a group of arboreal frogs commonly inhabiting bromeliads. Previous studies have claimed the group to be monophyletic but few species have been included in phylogenetic analyses. In this paper, we included five additional species from the northern Andes in Colombia and tested the monophyly of this phenetic group using genetic data under a Bayesian approach. Our results show that the P. lacrimosus group represents two distant and unrelated clades. Clade "A" is endemic to Colombia while Clade "B" encompasses species distributed in Central America, Ecuador and Peru. For the first time, we reveal the phylogenetic position of P. boulengeri and a new species is described. The new taxon is most closely related to P. brevifrons from southwestern Colombia with a genetic distance of 4.3% for 16S and 10.6% for COI. Our results suggest, one more time, that morphological similarity among species in the most diverse vertebrate genus not necessarily agree with its evolutionary history and that more effort in alpha taxonomy needs to be done in order to understand the tremendous radiation of this lineage in the Neotropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-toothed palm civet Arctogalidia trivirgata occurs widely across Borneo. Eighty-two spatially precise records were used to model its distribution on the island. While the model predicts some regions of low suitability, the scatter of records (mostly insufficiently spatially precise for use in the model) within them and the generally low relevant search effort make a conclusion of genuine low suitability of these areas premature. Modern surveys rely heavily upon ground-level camera-trapping, a technique demonstrably unsuited to this largely arboreal species, which is therefore often overlooked unless spotlighting or arboreal camera-trapping is undertaken. It is at least locally numerous in Borneo and occurs over a wide altitudinal range, well above the heavy deforestation of the lowlands. Its arboreal habits are likely to insulate it from trapping. Its use of monoculture plantations is unclear, but if it does not use these, its total Bornean population is likely to have declined roughly in proportion to the level of forest conversion in the last few decades. However, its survival on Singapore even a century after forest cover was reduced to small, degraded isolates indicates high adaptability to forest encroachment, provided some native forest survives, although such tolerance cannot yet be confirmed for Borneo. Even if oil palm, rubber and acacia plantations are unsuitable for small-toothed palm civet, current plans across Borneo for native forest retention through protected areas and low-impact logging appear sufficient to ensure its long-term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caluromysiops irrupta is a rare marsupial that inhabits the western part of the Amazon forest. It is an arboreal and nocturnal species, and its real distribution is yet to be investigated. Since its description by Sanborn in 1951, only eight records were reported from Peru, Colombia, and northwestern Brazil. In this work, we provide a new record for Mato Grosso state, Brazil, based on a specimen captured during a faunal rescue of vegetation suppression. This record represents the easternmost limit of the distribution of the black-shouldered opossum and the second known specimen from Brazil, extending its range about 718 km toward an area close to lands under intensive use and high rate of deforestation. The present record is an evidence of the potential of faunal rescues for generating data, which are useful for conservation and management purposes in the Neotropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small rodents living in forests use various spaces on trees for arboreal activities such as daily rest, hibernation, foraging, sheltering, roosting, and nesting. To investigate the differences in arboreal activity between two sympatric cavity-nesting rodents, Glirulus japonicus and Apodemus argenteus, we compared the frequencies of nest box use by these species at three different heights, and surveyed tree cavities. We observed that G. japonicus used nest boxes mounted at a relatively greater height most frequently, whereas A. argenteus used boxes placed at lower heights. Glirulus japonicus used all nest boxes for resting, while A. argenteus used most nest boxes for food hoarding. The tree cavities that were used by G. japonicus were located significantly higher than those used by A. argenteus. In a multinomial logistic regression analysis, height at which a cavity was located was identified as factor affecting frequency of cavity use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arboreal animals often encounter branches with variable diameters that are highly correlated with stiffness, but how surface compliance affects the perch choice of animals is poorly understood. We used artificial branches to test the effects of different diameters and compliance on the choice between two destinations for twenty brown tree snakes as they bridged gaps. When both destinations were rigid, the diameters of the surfaces did not affect perch choice. However, with increased experience snakes developed a preference for a rigid, large-diameter perch compared to a compliant, small-diameter perch that collapsed under loads that were a small fraction of the weight of the snake. In hundreds of trials, with only one exception, the snakes proceeded to crawl entirely onto all rigid perches after first touching them, whereas the snakes commonly withdrew from the compliant perch even after touching it so lightly that it did not collapse. Hence, both tactile and visual cues appear to influence how these animals select a destination while crossing a gap. The preference for the rigid, large-diameter perch compared to the compliant, small-diameter perch developed mainly from short-term learning during three successive trials per testing session per individual. Furthermore, a preference for large diameters did not persist in the final treatment which used a rigid, large-diameter perch and a rigid, small-diameter perch. Hence, brown tree snakes appeared to be able to form short-term associations between the perch appearance and stiffness, the latter of which may have been determined via tactile sensory input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impacts of European fire ants on arboreal insect abundance and diversity in Acadia National Park, Maine. Abundance and diversity were quantified via arboreal pitfall traps that were checked every three days for 21 days from May to June 2009. In areas infested with European fire ants, arboreal insect abundance declined, but arboreal insect species richness remained unchanged. This study illustrates the importance of examining the ecological links between canopies and leaf litter and demonstrates the breadth of impacts that biological invasions can have in an ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test postglacial population expansion in small arboreal mammals dependent on boreal and subboreal forests, we used complete mitochondrial cytochromebgene sequences (1140 bases) to investigate the phylogeography of the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris orientis) on the Hokkaido Island of Japan. This subspecies is common in the boreal and subboreal forests of Hokkaido. We examined 61 specimens from 27 localities in Hokkaido. Phylogenetic relationships among 29 haplotypes found in the Hokkaido populations were not associated with geographic distribution of sampling localities. There were four mitochondrial DNA phylogroups. Phylogeographic analyses support sudden expansion ofS. vulgaris orientisfrom restricted refugium in the southern part of Hokkaido during the last glacial period. The phylogeographic structure of this subspecies directly reflects the boreal and subboreal forest dynamics occurring in Hokkaido. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly discovered species of arboreal alligator lizard of the genus Abronia is described from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico. It appears to be most closely related to A. mixteca and A. oaxacae, but differs from these species (and others in the subgenus Abronia) in a number of features, including the combination of having two primary temporals contacting the postocular series, the anterior superciliary contacting the cantholoreal, six to eight nuchals in a transverse row across the nape, minimally seven to eight scales between large nuchals and ventral scales on neck, and 32-35 transverse rows of dorsal scales. This new species is the only species of Abronia known from the central and western portions of the Sierra de Miahuatlán in the southern part of the Sierra Madre del Sur, although A. oaxacae occurs to the east in this range. Many of the arboreal and secretive species of Abronia have avoided discovery until relatively recently, with about a third of known species described in the last 3 decades. Se describe una nueva especie de lagartija lagarto arbórea del género Abronia de la Sierra Madre del Sur de Oaxaca, México. Parece estar más relacionada a A. mixteca y A. oaxacae, pero difiere de estas especies y de otras del subgénero Abronia en varios caracteres, incluyendo la combinación de tener dos temporales primarias contactando la serie postocular, la superciliar anterior en contacto con la cantoloreal, 6-8 nucales en hilera transversal sobre la nuca, un mínimo de 7-8 escamas entre las nucales grandes y las escamas ventrales del cuello, y 32-35 hileras transversales de escamas dorsales. Esta nueva especie es la única del género Abronia conocida de las porciones central y occidental de la Sierra de Miahuatlán en la región sur de la Sierra Madre del Sur, aunque A. oaxacae ocurre al oriente de esta serranía. Muchas de las especies de Abronia con hábitos secretos y arbóreos han evadido ser descubiertas hasta hace poco, aproximadamente una tercera parte de las especies han sido descritas en las últimas tres décadas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An animal's ability to find and relocate food items is directly related to its survival and reproductive success. This study evaluates how mantled howler monkeys make spatial foraging decisions in the wild. Specifically, discrete choice models and agent-based simulations are used to test whether mantled howler monkeys on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, integrate spatial information in order to maximize new leaf flush and fruit gain while minimizing distance traveled. Several heuristic models of decision making are also tested as possible alternative strategies (movement to core home range areas instead of individual trees, travel along a sensory gradient, movement along arboreal pathway networks without a predetermined destination, straight-line travel in a randomly chosen direction, and random walks). Results indicate that although leaves are the single most abundant item in the mantled howler monkey diet, long-distance travel bouts target the areas with the highest concentrations of mature fruits. Observed travel patterns yielded larger estimated quantities of fruit in shorter distances traveled than all alternative foraging strategies. Thus, this study both provides novel information regarding how primates select travel paths and suggests that a highly folivorous primate integrates knowledge of spatiotemporal resource distributions in highly efficient foraging strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where dispersal distances are restricted or generations overlap, kin may remain spatially clustered, leading to positive spatial genetic structure and the potential for inbreeding. In such circumstances, post-dispersal behavioral mechanisms may be required if individuals are to avoid mating with kin. Here, we conducted an empirical investigation of mate choice in the presence of fine-scale genetic structure. We assessed the potential for mating among relatives using genetic spatial autocorrelation analysis among adult mountain brushtail possums ( Trichosurus cunninghami). There was significant positive spatial genetic structure among opposite-sexed adults (on a scale of 200 m), suggesting that kin remained spatially clustered after dispersal. Despite this, no genetic evidence of inbreeding was found. We assessed whether females may potentially avoid inbreeding: (1) by seeking distant mates and/or (2) by the active avoidance of kin in mate choice. Individuals did not choose distant mates, as 97 % of pairs that mated were separated by <200 m. We identified two distinct patterns of mate choice within the one population. Approximately half of the females sampled were socially monogamous (pair-bonded), and there was no evidence that these individuals chose mates on the basis of genetic dissimilarity. By contrast, the remaining (non-pair-bonded) females were more likely to select genetically dissimilar mates. This dual mate choice pattern demonstrates that the role of genetic relatedness in mate choice can be dependent on social context and dispersal patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodland and forest degradation, driven predominately by agricultural and pastoral production, is a crisis facing many species globally, in particular hollow-dependent fauna. Large predatory species play important roles in both ecosystems and conservation strategies, but few studies have examined habitat selection of such species in intensively human-modified landscapes. We quantified habitat selection and resource use by a large, top-order and threatened snake (carpet python, M orelia spilota), between adjacent areas of high and low anthropogenic modification in inland Australia, a region that has undergone considerable alteration since European settlement. At the low-impact site, snakes preferred tree hollows and a structurally complex understorey, whereas at the high-impact site, snakes preferred homestead attics. Based on the decline of the species in this region, however, high-impact landscapes may only support snakes when they are adjacent to low-impact habitats. Invasive species comprised a large part of snake diets in both landscape types. Carpet pythons, with large home ranges and habitat requirements that overlap with many smaller threatened mammalian and avian fauna, are generally well liked and easily identifiable by rural landholders. Accordingly, they may play a key role in conservation strategies aimed at the protection of woodland and hollow-dependent fauna in heavily modified landscapes of Australia's inland regions. However, invasive species, which tend to contribute to declines in native species inhabiting arid and semi-arid Australia, are beneficial and important to pythons. Our study therefore highlights the diversity of effects that two major threats to biodiversity - habitat loss and invasive species - can have on different species within the same ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of appropriate wildlife survey techniques is essential to promote effective and efficient monitoring of species of conservation concern. Here, we demonstrate the utility of two rapid-assessment, non-invasive methods to detect the presence of elusive, small, arboreal animals. We use the hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, a rodent of conservation concern, as our focal species. Prevailing hazel dormouse survey methods are prolonged (often taking months to years to detect dormice), dependent on season and habitat, and/or have low detection rates. Alternatives would be of great use to ecologists who undertake dormouse surveys, especially those assessing the need for mitigation measures, as legally required for building development projects. Camera traps and footprint tracking are well-established tools for monitoring elusive large terrestrial mammals, but are rarely used for small species such as rodents, or in arboreal habitats. In trials of these adapted methods, hazel dormice visited bait stations and were successfully detected by both camera traps and tracking equipment at each of two woodland study sites, within days to weeks of installation. Camera trap images and footprints were of adequate quality to allow discrimination between two sympatric small mammal species (hazel dormouse and wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus). We discuss the relative merits of these methods with respect to research aims, funds, time available and habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of the fundamental niche under controlled conditions can provide relevant information about physiological, evolutionary, and ecological aspects of an organism, without the influence of external factors. We investigated how allometric, phylogenetic, and adaptive components contribute to arboreal walking performance by 7 sigmodontine rodents of the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). We captured the rodents in the field and evaluated their performances by measuring stride length, stride frequency, and velocity on 5 horizontal supports: flat board and cylindrical plastic tubes with diameters of 5.0, 3.5, 2.5, and 2.0 cm. Arboreal rodents exhibited higher velocities than terrestrial species by increasing stride frequency and decreasing stride length on supports with smaller diameters. However, terrestrial species decreased both stride frequency and stride length or tended to maintain stride length and vary stride frequency. Our results reveal a strong association between realized arboreal walking performances (as inferred by proportion of arboreal captures) and stride length and frequency. However, performance metrics were weakly related to body mass and exhibited no phylogenetic effects. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that dynamically stable arboreal walking is facilitated by increased velocity. Arboreal walking performance is likely related to ecological factors rather than phylogenetic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species diversity, chorology, and biogeography of the Steninae MacLeay, 1825 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Iran is described. A total of 68 species of Stenus Latreille, 1797 and one species of Dianous Leach, 1819 is recorded for this Middle Eastern country. Dianous coerulescens korgei Puthz, 2002, Stenus bicornis Puthz, 1972, S. butrintensis Smetana, 1959, S. cicindeloides Schaller, 1783, S. comma comma Le Conte, 1863, and S. hospes Erichson, 1840 are recorded for the Iranian fauna for the first time. Records of S. cordatoides Puthz, 1972, S. guttula P. Müller 1821, S. melanarius melanarius Stephens, 1833, S. planifrons planifrons Rey, 1884, S. pusillus Stephens, 1833, and S. umbricus Baudi di Selve, 1870 for Iran are, however, implausible or proved erroneous. Based on literature records and recent collecting data since 2004, the distribution of the stenine species in Iran is mapped, and their biogeographical relationships are discussed. As far as possible, the species are attributed to the commonly accepted distribution types in the Palaearctic Region after the theory of Pleistocene refuges of the arboreal biota. With the example of the Steninae and Scopaeus Erichson, 1839 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae), a cluster analysis is performed to examine the similarity of commonly accepted geographical units of Iran. The similar biogeographic pattern of the Steninae and Scopaeus reveal the high impact of Mediterranean elements on the fauna of Iran. The Hyrcanian subregion of the Caspian refuge is identified as the most significant center of origin of Stenus in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first comprehensive camera trap study to examine hollow usage by wildlife in the canopy of trees. Eighty cameras directed at tree hollows were deployed across eight sites in nine species of eucalypt in north-east New South Wales. In total, 38 species (including 21 birds, 9 mammals and 8 reptiles) were recorded at hollow entrances over a three-month period. There was a significant difference between wildlife hollow usage associated with site disturbance and tree growth stage (ANOSIM, P > 0.05); however, there was no significant difference associated with tree hollow diameter (ANOSIM, P > 0.05). The level of anthropogenic disturbance at each site, including vegetation modification of the understorey, was a significant predictor of species presence. Despite the limitations of using camera traps in the canopy of trees this study demonstrates the potential to gamer useful insights into the ecology and behaviour of arboreal wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain quantitative information about population dynamics from counts of animals, the per capita detectabilities of each species must remain constant over the course of monitoring. We characterized lizard detection constancy for four species over 17 yr from a single site in northern Guam, a relatively benign situation because detection was relatively easy and we were able to hold constant the site, habitat type, species, season, and sampling method. We monitored two species of diurnal terrestrial skinks ( Carlia ailanpalai [Curious Skink], Emoia caeruleocauda [Pacific Bluetailed Skink]) using glueboards placed on the ground in the shade for 3 h on rainless mornings, yielding 10,286 skink captures. We additionally monitored two species of nocturnal arboreal geckos ( Hemidactylus frenatus [Common House Gecko]; Lepidodactylus lugubris [Mourning Gecko]) on the basis of 15,212 sightings. We compared these count samples to a series of complete censuses we conducted from four or more total removal plots (everything removed to mineral soil) totaling 400 m2 (about 1% of study site) in each of the years 1995, 1999, and 2012, providing time-stamped quantification of detectability for each species. Unfortunately, the actual population trajectories taken by the four species were masked by unexplained variation in detectability. This observation of debilitating latent variability in lizard detectability under nearly ideal conditions undercuts our trust in population estimation techniques that fail to quantify venue-specific detectability, rely on pooled detection probability estimates, or assume that modulation in predefined environmental covariates suffices for estimating detectability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In period May - October 2013, a faunistic, biogeographic and eco-geographic study was made on coleopterans fauna from the Călimani National Park, from eight types of habitats: riparian areas, forest edge, mixed habitat between forest edge and riparian areas, forest, wet meadows, swamp, alpine shrubs and mountain-subalpine meadows, located on altitudes between 796 m and 1800 m. In total, 132 coleopterans species were identified, grouped in 20 families. Dominant as number of individuals and species were the families: Carabidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae and Chrysomelidae. Taking account of the zoogeographical characterization, the coleopteran fauna from the Călimani National Park consists of 13 chorotypes. 81% of all species are represented in the following order: European-Siberian species (28.79%), European-Asian ones (16.67%), Palearctic (14.39%), European (12.12%) and West Palearctic (9.09%). The eco-geographical structure of the coleopterans fauna from the Călimani National Park is dominated by the arboreal species (approximately 80%) preferring moist forests and meadows. The eremian and oreal species have equal shares, 9.85% each. Jaccard index values have shown the existence of small similarities between the populations of coleopterans of the eight habitat types investigated. From the conservative point of view, two species, Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Carabus variolosus Fabricius, 1787, are protected at national and international level and the other two species, Peltis grossa (Linnaeus, 1758) and Meloe rugosus Marsham, 1802, are considered rare for the Romanian fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few topics in evolutionary biology have been as controversial as the debate over the origin of avian flight. Although significant progress has been made in understanding how dinosaurs acquired flight, the debate remains mired in historical perspectives that prevent progress. We would like to renew the call to set aside the arboreal–cursorial debate and to draw attention to the common ground shared by both sides. To this end, we propose the following starting points: (1) Paravian dinosaurs were bipedal, with decoupled but complementary hindlimb and forelimb locomotion. (2) They had feathers on their body, their wings and in many cases their legs, that were probably highly plastic and multi-functional. (3) Paravians inhabited complex, three-dimensional environments that required proficiency in a variety of behaviours to negotiate. (4) Once the incipient wing form existed, asymmetric and symmetric flapping and possibly static wing postures served a variety of aerodynamic purposes that enhanced fitness. Taken together, these tenets conjure an exciting portrait of a dynamic organism adept at navigating through a complex environment with its versatile, incipient wings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal wildlife survey techniques should maximise detectability or capture rates of target species and minimise potential harm to animals. We compared the effectiveness of Elliott and PVC pipe traps for the capture of small arboreal mammals in the Victorian Central Highlands and found that pipe traps were less effective at capturing small arboreal mammals than Elliott traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We document the first evidence of tree climbing by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Australia. Camera traps recorded foxes in trees on the Liverpool Plains, New South Wales. This finding prompts a reassessment of the impact that this invasive predator has on Australian fauna: from purely terrestrial to also potentially arboreal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbance is a crucial determinant of animal abundance, distribution and community structure in many ecosystems, but the ways in which multiple disturbance types interact remain poorly understood. The effects of multiple-disturbance interactions can be additive, subadditive or super-additive (synergistic). Synergistic effects in particular can accelerate ecological change; thus, characterizing such synergies, the conditions under which they arise, and how long they persist has been identified as a major goal of ecology., We factorially manipulated two principal sources of disturbance in African savannas, fire and elephants, and measured their independent and interactive effects on the numerically dominant vertebrate (the arboreal gekkonid lizard Lygodactylus keniensis) and invertebrate (a guild of symbiotic Acacia ants) animal species in a semi-arid Kenyan savanna., Elephant exclusion alone (minus fire) had negligible effects on gecko density. Fire alone (minus elephants) had negligible effects on gecko density after 4 months, but increased gecko density twofold after 16 months, likely because the decay of fire-damaged woody biomass created refuges and nest sites for geckos. In the presence of elephants, fire increased gecko density nearly threefold within 4 months of the experimental burn; this occurred because fire increased the incidence of elephant damage to trees, which in turn improved microhabitat quality for geckos. However, this synergistic positive effect of fire and elephants attenuated over the ensuing year, such that only the main effect of fire was evident after 16 months., Fire also altered the structure of symbiotic plant-ant assemblages occupying the dominant tree species ( Acacia drepanolobium); this influenced gecko habitat selection but did not explain the synergistic effect of fire and elephants. However, fire-driven shifts in plant-ant occupancy may have indirectly mediated this effect by increasing trees' susceptibility to elephant damage., Our findings confirm the importance of fire × elephant interactions in structuring arboreal wildlife populations. Where habitat modification by megaherbivores facilitates co-occurring species, fire may amplify these effects in the short term by increasing the frequency or intensity of herbivory, leading to synergy. In the longer term, tree mortality due to both top kill by fire and toppling by large herbivores may reduce overall microhabitat availability, eliminating the synergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orangutans (genus Pongo) are the largest arboreal mammals, but Bornean orangutans ( P. pygmaeus spp.) also spend time on the ground. Here, we investigate ground use among orangutans using 32,000 hr of direct focal animal observations from a well-habituated wild population of Bornean orangutans ( P. p. wurmbii) living in a closed-canopy swamp forest at Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Ground use did not change with increasing observation time of well-habituated individuals, suggesting it was not an artifact of observer presence. Flanged males spent the most time on the ground (ca. 5% of active time), weaned immatures the least (around 1%). Females and immatures descended mainly to feed, especially on termites, whereas flanged males traveled more while on the ground. Flanged males may travel more inconspicuously, and perhaps also faster, when moving on the ground. In addition, orangutans engaged in ground-specific behavior, including drinking from and bathing in swamp pools. Supplementary records from 20 ground-level camera traps, totaling 3986 trap days, confirmed the observed age-sex biases in ground use at Tuanan. We conclude that ground use is a natural part of the Bornean orangutan behavioral repertoire, however it remains unclear to what extent food scarcity and canopy structure explain population differences in ground use. Am. J. Primatol. 77:1216-1229, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been thought that quadrupedal primates successfully occupy arboreal environments, in part, by relying on their grasping feet to control balance and propulsion, which frees their hands to test unstable branches and forage. If this interlimb decoupling of function is real, there should be discernible differences in forelimb versus hind limb musculoskeletal control, specifically in how manual and pedal digital flexor muscles are recruited to grasp during arboreal locomotion. New electromyography data from extrinsic flexor muscles in red ruffed lemurs ( Varecia rubra ) walking on a simulated arboreal substrate reveal that toe flexors are activated at relatively higher levels and for longer durations than finger flexors during stance phase. This demonstrates that the extremities of primates indeed have different functional roles during arboreal locomotion, with the feet emphasizing maintenance of secure grips. When this dichotomous muscle activity pattern between the forelimbs and hind limbs is coupled with other features of primate quadrupedal locomotion, including greater hind limb weight support and the use of diagonal-sequence footfall patterns, a complex suite of biomechanical characters emerges in primates that allow for the co-option of hands toward non-locomotor roles. Early selection for limb functional differentiation in primates probably aided the evolution of fine manipulation capabilities in the hands of bipedal humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scansoriality (climbing) allows access to valuable resources in the arboreal niche and is widespread among mammals, yet little is known about how it originates from obligate terrestriality. The northern red-backed vole ( Myodes rutilus) is a small, Holarctic rodent long presumed to be strictly terrestrial, yet 3 of its congeners ( M. gapperi, M. glareolus, and M. californicus) have been observed climbing in trees. We conducted paired arboreal and ground trapping surveys in interior Alaska to investigate anecdotal accounts of tree-climbing behavior in M. rutilus. Results indicate that they readily climb up to 2 m above ground in trees of their own volition, a phenomenon heretofore undocumented in the literature. Camera trap videos show M. rutilus exhibiting behavior and dexterity-such as terminal branch arboreal quadrupedalism and head-first descent mediated by hindfoot rotation-generally associated with more arboreal species. Northern red-backed voles may therefore provide a new perspective on early stages of scansoriality in small-bodied mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comparative analysis of the morphological and reproductive characteristics of adult female Anolis nebulosus, an arboreal lizard found on both mainland and insular habitats near the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Females from San Pancho Island were larger in all measured morphological variables than females from Biological Field Station Chamela ( BFSCH) on the mainland, and those also reproduced at smaller body size (snout-vent length, SVL: range = 35-44 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandrills ( Mandrillus sphinx) are enigmatic Old World primates whose social organization and ecology remain poorly known. Previous studies indicated, for example, that groups are composed of only adult females and their young or that several units composed of one adult male and several females make up larger permanent social units. Here, we present the first data on group composition and male ranging patterns from the only habituated wild mandrill group and examine how home range size and daily path length varied with environmental and demographic factors over a 15-month period. Our study site is located in southern Gabon where we followed the group on a daily basis, collecting data on presence, ranging, behavior, and parasite load of its individual members. Throughout the study, the group was made up of about 120 individuals, including several non-natal and natal adult and sub-adult males. One-male units were never observed. The mandrills traveled an estimated 0.44-6.50 km/day in a home range area of 866.7 ha. Exploratory analyses revealed that precipitation, the number of adult males present, and the richness of protozoan parasites were all positively correlated with daily path length. These results clarify the social system of mandrills and provide first insights into the factors that shape their ranging patterns. Am. J. Primatol. 77:1036-1048, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]