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Although cranial bones reliably identify the features of mammals, these traits can be affected by sex, population size and seasonality. This paper biometrically analyses the cranial features of the common vole. The research sample consisted of adult (n = 134), subadult (n = 57), of western Slovakia. Overall, software based on the highlighted marks measured 29 cranial features. Significant sexual dimorphism was observed for three features in adult individuals (width of the maxillary tooth row – right side "WMTRR", maximum height of the mandibula excluding coronoid process "AMdm" and coronoid height of the mandibula "AMd") and four features in subadults (length of the tooth row in the maxilla "LOSD", "WMTRR", length of the molar "LoM" and alveolar length of the lower molars "ALLM"). Results showed a significant positive relationship between body weight and cranial size in 18 of the 29 features. They also suggested a weak but significant positive effect of common vole abundance on cranium size (Chitty effect) likewise in 6 of the 29 features. In several cases, this effect affects, in addition to the abundance, the onset of sexual maturity of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The common vole has invaded the agroecosystems of northwestern Spain, where outbreaks cause important crop damage and management costs. Little is yet known about the factors causing or modulating vole fluctuations. Here, we used 11 years of vole abundance monitoring data in 40 sites to study density‐dependence and weather influence on vole dynamics. Our objective was to identify the population dynamics structure and determine whether there is direct or delayed density‐dependence. An evaluation of climatic variables followed, to determine whether they influenced vole population peaks. RESULTS: First‐ and second‐order outbreak dynamics were detected at 7 and 33 study sites, respectively, together with second‐order variability in periodicity (2–3 to 4–5‐year cycles). Vole population growth was explained by previous year abundance (mainly numbers in summer and spring) at 21 of the sites (52.5%), by weather variables at 11 sites (27.5%; precipitation or temperature in six and five sites, respectively), and by a combination of previous abundance and weather variables in eight sites (20%). CONCLUSIONS: We detected variability in vole spatiotemporal abundance dynamics, which differs in cyclicity and period. We also found regional variation in the relative importance of previous abundances and weather as factors modulating vole fluctuations. Most vole populations were cyclical, with variable periodicity across the region. Our study is a first step towards the development of predictive modeling, by disclosing relevant factors that might trigger vole outbreaks. It improves decision‐making processes within integrated management dealing with mitigation of the agricultural impacts caused by voles. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific and intraspecific interactions are integral components of antagonistic and mutualistic networks of all animal species. These interactions are affected by various factors, such as morphological, physiological, and genetic characteristics. However, the impact of personality traits on animal inter- and intraspecific interactions remains unclear. We investigated the role of different personality types (proactive and reactive) in Lasiopodomys brandtii. We examined both intraspecific interactions with Lasiopodomys brandtii and interspecific interactions with Kunming mice. We found that for intraspecific interactions, proactive individuals had higher numbers of contacts with opponents, spent more time in the vicinity of an opponent, and moved greater distances within the vicinity of an opponent. For interspecific interactions, proactive individuals had higher numbers of contacts with opponents than reactive individuals. These results suggest that proactive individuals, especially male voles, tend to occupy dominant positions in both intraspecific and interspecific relationships. Consequently, our study is meaningful in understanding how personality traits affect animal behavior, species niche differentiation, and community dynamics and local biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spalacinae are an unusual component of the fossil record around the world with a limited geographical distribution. The revisited section of Afşar includes one of the richest collections of Spalacinae in Turkey. From Afşar 1, near the base of the section we recovered Pliospalax cf. macoveii while in Afşar 2, at the top of the section we distinguish the species P. tourkobouniensis. The current research includes the first record of the last-mentioned species outside of Europe. Both spalacines indicate a dry and open space environment and, in accordance with the Arvicolinae, suggest that Afşar 1 can be attributed to MN 15 while Afşar 2 is correlated to MN 16. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals may experience early negative (mechanical pain: being retrieved using an incisor by parents or attacked) or positive stimulation (being licked and groomed) that may affect emotional and social behaviors in adulthood. Whether positive tactile stimulation can reverse adverse consequences on emotional and social behaviors in adulthood resulting from chronic mechanical pain and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study used a tail‐pinching model during development to simulate mechanical pain experienced by pups in high‐social mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus). Subsequently, brush‐like positive tactile stimuli were applied to the backs of the mandarin voles. Various behavioral tests were used to measure levels of anxiety, depression, and sociability. The results showed that early tail‐pinching delayed the eye opening of pups, increased levels of anxiety, reduced levels of sociality in male mandarin voles, and impaired social cognition in females during adulthood. Brushing on the back reversed some of these effects. While mandarin voles that were exposed to tail‐pinching during development were exposed to sub‐threshold variable stress as adults, they were more likely to show a stress‐induced increase of anxiety‐like behavior, reduction of sociability, and impairment of social cognition, displaying heightened susceptibility to stress, particularly in males. However, back‐brushing reversed some of these effects, implying that these adults display enhanced stress resilience. In addition, tail‐pinching reduced levels of serum oxytocin and increased corticosterone levels in serum, but back‐brushing reversed these effects. Overall, it was found that positive tactile stimulation reversed increases in anxiety and impairments of social behavior induced by negative stimulation in male mandarin voles via alteration of oxytocin and corticosterone levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In prion diseases, the species barrier limits the transmission of prions from one species to another. However, cross-species prion transmission is remarkably efficient in bank voles, and this phenomenon is mediated by the bank vole prion protein (BVPrP). The molecular determinants of BVPrP's ability to function as a universal prion acceptor remain incompletely defined. Building on our finding that cultured cells expressing BVPrP can replicate both mouse and hamster prion strains, we systematically identified key residues in BVPrP that permit cross-species prion replication. We found that residues N155 and N170 of BVPrP, which are absent in mouse PrP but present in hamster PrP, are critical for cross-species prion replication. Additionally, BVPrP residues V112, I139, and M205, which are absent in hamster PrP but present in mouse PrP, are also required to enable replication of both mouse and hamster prions. Unexpectedly, we found that residues E227 and S230 near the C-terminus of BVPrP severely restrict prion accumulation following cross-species prion challenge, suggesting that they may have evolved to counteract the inherent propensity of BVPrP to misfold. PrP variants with an enhanced ability to replicate both mouse and hamster prions displayed accelerated spontaneous aggregation kinetics in vitro. These findings suggest that BVPrP's unusual properties are governed by a key set of amino acids and that the enhanced misfolding propensity of BVPrP may enable cross-species prion replication. Author summary: The peculiar behavior of bank voles during prion transmission has attracted significant research interest. Whereas the species barrier restricts the transmission of prions between different species, bank voles are thought to be a universal prion acceptor. However, the molecular determinants of this phenomenon have remained elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that five specific residues in the bank vole prion protein are critical for facilitating cross-species prion transmission. Surprisingly, we found that two residues in the bank vole prion protein may have evolved to counteract its intrinsic misfolding propensity, as they severely restrict spontaneous aggregation as well as prion accumulation following cross-species prion challenge. These results provide new insight into the molecular basis of the species barrier for prion disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: It is common knowledge that Snowy Owls eat lemmings during the nesting season, and it is believed that lemming populations fluctuate dramatically over several years, often termed a cycle. When lemming populations reach high densities, Snowy Owls have a highly successful breeding season, producing numerous young per nest. This successful nesting results in large numbers of young Snowy Owls migrating south during their first winter. This movement, generally called an irruption migration, has been known for over a century, and stirs the admiration of the public. Indeed, each time an irruption migration happens, it is among the most popular wildlife viewing events in North America. Given this predator–prey relationship between Snowy Owls and lemmings, we were interested in quantifying how important lemmings were to Snowy Owls throughout their worldwide breeding range. Of the 15 studies we reviewed, 59,923 prey items were recorded. Lemmings were clearly the most important food source for breeding Snowy Owls, but voles were sometimes also important. Given the near obligate dependency on lemmings for breeding, one wonders how a changing climate will affect lemming populations and distribution, and consequently Snowy Owl breeding. And, will this affect the Snowy Owl breeding population, resulting in fewer young Snowy Owls migrating south during an irruption migration. We compared Snowy Owl feeding ecology from 15 breeding season studies throughout Nearctic and Palearctic circumpolar regions. We used raw data and information theory to assess the owls' feeding niche. Combined studies yielded 59,923 prey items, of which 59,585 were used for calculations. Overall, mean food niche breadth (FNB) was narrow: H′ = 1.95; R = 1.60, D = 0.526. In 10 of 15 studies, lemmings were > 71.8% of the owls' diet. In four studies, Lemmus was > 90% of the diet, and in three studies Dicrostonyx was >90% of the diet. In three other studies, Lemmus represented 71.8%, 73.8%, and 84.0% of the diet. In one study, Lemmus and Dicrostonyx were about equal: 49.1% and 47.5%. In the four remaining studies, Microtus and Clethrionomys voles were important. In contrast, of 5888 winter prey items from seven North American studies, the mean FNB (H′ = 4.61) was twice that of 15 breeding season scores, FNB (H' = 1.95). The Snowy Owl is primarily an obligate lemming predator for breeding. Changes to population ecology and distribution of lemmings due to climate change will have direct affects and effects on the Snowy Owls' reproductive output. The conservation of Snowy Owls is the conservation of lemmings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification of rodent species can be challenging due to high morphological similarities observed among them. This problem is further increased in palaeontological systematics, where classification is traditionally based on the molar morphology. The subfamily Arvicolinae (Rodentia, Mammalia) is one of these rodent groups, whose classification being important for biostratigraphic and climatic studies of the Quaternary period is challenging. We present an application developed using the MatLab informatic algorithm, designed to classify the Arvicolinae species using Geometric Morphometrics (GMM) analyses of the first lower molar. Moreover, the application includes an option to automatically obtain the linear measurements that are commonly used for the identification of these species. This method shows a high degree of accuracy in the species classification, which is expected to increase as the reference database is further developed. This application can serve as an alternative tool for the classification of specimens with unclear morphologies. It can also be used to reduce the time required to manually obtain the linear indices necessary for their classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exploration of the integration pattern of cheek teeth in Arvicolinae was conducted based on the sample representing 40 Recent genera/subgenera of voles. It employed the analysis of Pearson's correlations between dental units (entire crown outlines and individuated crown elements) described by geometric morphometric methods, and its results were interpreted as phyletic coordinations (in the sense of Schmalhausen). The lower tooth row was shown to be integrated somewhat weaker as compared to the upper one. The upper and lower tooth rows were in general the least intercorrelated, but M3 and m1 were rather highly correlated. Regarding intra-dental correlations of particular teeth, the least innerly integrated were m2 and m1. Each molar was shown to be subdivided, with some variants, into anterior and posterior portions. The lingual crown elements tended to be a little more correlated than the labial ones, while correlations between contralateral elements were the weakest. One of the most peculiar features of intra-dental correlations was shown to be the strong intercorrelations of all elements of m1 anteroconid that made it an autonomous unit within the lower toothrow. Regarding inter-dental correlations of crown elements, those between homologues were on average higher as compared to non-homologues. This feature of the overall integration pattern of the phyletic coordinations in arvicoline molars agreed in general with that shown previously for the ontogenetic correlations of cheek teeth in some unrelated mammals. Correlations between molar outlines themselves and phylogenetically independent contrasts calculated for the 1st MDS axis extracted from those outlines were shown to agree in some important details, with the former being on average weaker than the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared Snowy Owl feeding ecology from 15 breeding season studies throughout Nearctic and Palearctic circumpolar regions. We used raw data and information theory to assess the owls’ feeding niche. Combined studies yielded 59,923 prey items, of which 59,585 were used for calculations. Overall, mean food niche breadth (FNB) was narrow: H′ = 1.95; R = 1.60, D = 0.526. In 10 of 15 studies, lemmings were > 71.8% of the owls’ diet. In four studies, Lemmus was > 90% of the diet, and in three studies Dicrostonyx was >90% of the diet. In three other studies, Lemmus represented 71.8%, 73.8%, and 84.0% of the diet. In one study, Lemmus and Dicrostonyx were about equal: 49.1% and 47.5%. In the four remaining studies, Microtus and Clethrionomys voles were important. In contrast, of 5888 winter prey items from seven North American studies, the mean FNB (H′ = 4.61) was twice that of 15 breeding season scores, FNB (H’ = 1.95). The Snowy Owl is primarily an obligate lemming predator for breeding. Changes to population ecology and distribution of lemmings due to climate change will have direct affects and effects on the Snowy Owls’ reproductive output. The conservation of Snowy Owls is the conservation of lemmings.

Introduction: The mesolimbic reward system is associated with the promotion and rewarding benefits of social relationships. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), the establishment of a pair bond can be displayed by a robust preference for a breeding partner and aggressive rejection of unfamiliar conspecifics. Mesolimbic dopamine signaling influences bondrelated behaviors within the vole through dopamine transmission and receptor activity in the nucleus accumbens. However, only one experiment has examined how the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a region that produces much of the foreand mid-brain dopamine, regulates these social behaviors. Specifically, inhibition of either glutamate or GABA neurons in the VTA during a brief courtship promoted a partner preference formation in male prairie voles. The VTA is a heterogeneous structure that contains dopamine, GABA, and glutamate neurons as well as receives a variety of projections including corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) suggested to modulate dopamine release. Methods: We used pharmacological manipulation to examine how GABA and CRF signaling in the VTA modulate partner preference formation in male and female prairie voles. Specifically, we used a 3 h partner preference test, a social choice test, to assess the formation of a partner preference following an infused bicuculline and CRF during a 1 h cohabitation and muscimol and CP154526, a CRFR1 antagonist, during a 24 h cohabitation with an opposite-sex conspecific. Results: Our study demonstrated that bicuculline, a GABAA receptor antagonist, and CRF in the VTA promoted a partner preference, whereas low-dose muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist, and CP154526, a CRFR1 antagonist, inhibited a partner preference in both male and female prairie voles. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GABA and CRF inputs into the VTA is necessary for the formation of a partner preference in male and female prairie voles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick‐borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is considered the medically most important arthropod‐borne virus in Europe. Although TBE is endemic throughout central Europe, ticks and rodents determine its maintenance in small, difficult‐to‐assess, natural foci. We investigated the interrelation between the population genetics of the main TBE virus (TBEV) vector tick (Ixodes ricinus), the most important reservoir host (Myodes glareolus, syn. Clethrionomys glareolus), and TBEV. Rodents and ticks were sampled on 15 sites within an exploratory study area, which has been screened regularly for TBEV occurrence in ticks for more than 10 years. On all 15 sites, ticks and bank voles were sampled, screened for TBEV presence via serology and RT‐PCR, and genetically examined. Moreover, TBEV isolates derived from these analyses were sequenced. In long‐term TBEV foci bank vole populations show extraordinary genetic constitutions, leading to a particular population structure, whereas ticks revealed a panmictic genetic structure overall sampling sites. Landscape genetics and habitat connectivity modeling (analysis of isolation by resistance) showed no landscape‐related barriers explaining the genetic structure of the bank vole populations. The results suggest that bank voles do not simply serve as TBEV reservoirs, but their genetic composition appears to have a significant influence on establishing and maintaining long‐term natural TBEV foci, whereas the genetic structure of TBEV's main vector I. ricinus does not play an important role in the sustainability of long‐term TBEV foci. A thorough investigation of how and to which extent TBEV and M. glareolus genetics are associated is needed to further unravel the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body condition index (BCI) values in small mammals are important in understanding their survival and reproduction. The upper values could be related to the Chitty effect (presence of very heavy individuals), while the minimum ones are little known. In this study, we analyzed extremes of BCI in 12 small mammal species, snap-trapped in Lithuania between 1980 and 2023, with respect to species, animal age, sex, and participation in reproduction. The proportion of small mammals with extreme body condition indices was negligible (1.33% with a BCI < 2 and 0.52% with a BCI > 5) when considering the total number of individuals processed (n = 27,073). When compared to the expected proportions, insectivores and herbivores were overrepresented, while granivores and omnivores were underrepresented among underfit animals. The proportions of granivores and insectivores were higher, while those of omnivores and herbivores were lower than expected in overfit animals. In several species, the proportions of age groups in underfit and overfit individuals differed from that expected. The male–female ratio was not expressed, with the exception of Sorex araneus. The highest proportion of overfit and absence of underfit individuals was found in Micromys minutus. The observation that individuals with the highest body mass are not among those with the highest BCI contributes to the interpretation of the Chitty effect. For the first time in mid-latitudes, we report individuals of very high body mass in three shrew species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the acoustic structure of alarm calls in a highly social rodent, the Harting's vole (Microtus hartingi) and describe the phenomenon of collective shouting of bursts of alarm calls which could be produced in synchronized series. The alarm calls of Harting's voles were recorded using an automatic device from 10 different family groups, containing from 4 to 15 potential callers, released to outdoor enclosures. Natural predators and humans served as call-eliciting stimuli. We reveal acoustic differences between urgent alarm calls, evoked by close-vicinity predators and identified from recordings by their calls and by rustle noise from the caller's escape to burrow, and other alarm calls. We also reveal acoustic parameters between alarm calls produced in bursts and other alarm calls (produced in individual series or by a few non-synchronized callers). We discuss why the alarm calls of Harting's voles are unusually high-frequency (about 17 kHz on average in the maximum fundamental frequency) among other vole species producing high-frequency alarms. Adaptive significance of producing the collective synchronized bursts of alarm calls by Harting's voles remains unclear without direct observations of vocal vigilance in this species under natural conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat type and habitat change are very important factors in the body condition of small mammals that inhabit them. The response can be positive, increasing, or the opposite, decreasing body condition. We analyzed outliers of the body condition indices (BCIs) of 12 species trapped in nine different habitats during 1980–2023 in Lithuania, a mid-latitude country. Mixed and fragmented habitats, as well as commensal habitats, could be considered the least suitable for small mammals, based on the highest proportions of underfit and low proportions of best-fit individuals. On the contrary, meadows and disturbed habitats (landfills and cormorant colonies) had the highest proportions of best-fit individuals, while the proportion of under-fit individuals was much lower than expected. We found outliers in the BCI in all species, except for the under-fit harvest mice (Micromys minutus), and in all habitats, though not numerous. The presence of the highest BCI in yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) and bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in the disturbed habitats studied and in house mice (Mus musculus) in commensal habitats may be related to the resources provided by these habitats. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using retrospective small mammal morphometric data to analyze their relationship with habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the body condition of different small mammal species and the habitat they occupy is poorly analyzed. We analyzed the body condition index, BCI, of 18 small mammal species trapped in forest, shrub, wetland, meadow, riparian, mixed and fragmented, disturbed, agricultural, and commensal habitats of Lithuania during the span of 1980–2023. The composition of small mammal communities was habitat-dependent, being richest in meadows, with eighteen species, and poorest in riparian habitats, with nine species. A significant variation in the BCI with respect to habitat was observed in eight small mammal species (Sorex araneus, S. minutus, Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Alexandromys oeconomus, Microtus agrestis, and M. arvalis). The highest average BCI for most of these species was found in disturbed habitats, with S. minutus and M. arvalis showing the highest BCI in agricultural habitats. The lowest average BCI for most species was found in mixed habitats, while C. glareolus and M. arvalis exhibited the lowest BCI in shrub habitats. In general, species dominating certain habitats did not have the highest BCI. This is the first multi-species, multi-habitat study of body condition in small mammals at mid-latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic admixture introduces new variants at relatively high frequencies, potentially aiding rapid responses to environmental changes. Here, we evaluate its role in adaptive variation related to climatic conditions in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Britain, using whole-genome data. Our results reveal loci showing excess ancestry from one of the two postglacial colonist populations inconsistent with overall admixture patterns. Notably, loci associated with climate adaptation exhibit disproportionate amounts of excess ancestry, highlighting the impact of admixture between colonist populations on local adaptation. The results suggest strong and localized selection on climate-adaptive loci, as indicated by steep clines and/or shifted cline centres, during population replacement. A subset, including a haemoglobin gene, is associated with oxidative stress responses, underscoring a role of oxidative stress in local adaptation. Our study highlights the important contribution of admixture during secondary contact between populations from distinct climatic refugia enriching adaptive diversity. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting future adaptive capacity to anthropogenic climate change. Genetic mixing among distinct bank vole populations in Britain has enhanced their adaptive diversity for climate adaptation, highlighting the importance of admixture in responding to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge about home range size is vital to understand social systems and population dynamics of small mammals, as well as dispersal and a species' landscape use. Home ranges have been mapped for some species of voles (subfamily Microtinae) but remain virtually unknown for many species, including the grey-sided vole Craseomys rufocanus. Results: A small pilot study was carried out in an inland valley of northern Norway, where six adult C. rufocanus were radio-tracked with one male and one female in each of the summers 2021–2023. Despite the small sample size, a large variation in home range size was found; males 2 294 − 36 887 m2 and females 1 728-7 392 m2 (100% MCP). Three of the voles tracked over a prolonged period of time showed a dynamic use and shifting of the range. Home range size and use was mostly related to reproduction. The male with the smallest range had probably not yet become reproductively active, whereas the male with the largest range was searching for females at a time when vole density was very low. The third male reduced his range when the reproductive season ended. For females the most important limitations were food, shelter and dependent young, those with young needed to return frequently and spend more time at the nest site. When the reproductive season ended, one female increased her range, perhaps exploring sites to overwinter. Conclusions: Home range use in this population appears to be more dynamic than has previously been reported for C. rufocanus. The large ranges of males most likely resulted from the search of reproductively active females, outside of the reproductive season male ranges approximated female ranges. Female ranges most likely were limited by the need to feed close to their nest with dependent young, being able to roam more freely when reproduction ended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Taxonomic differences between Microtus guentheri and Microtus hartingi , which are similar in terms of external morphological features, were determined using linear morphometric, geometric morphometric, karyological and molecular analyses methods. Through classical morphometric (mean values) and geometric morphometric analyses of craniodental and mandible characters, influenced by various genetic, developmental, and functional processes, it was found that M. hartingi and M. guentheri exhibited notable differences in both mean linear measurements and shape. The Jackknife in classical morphometric analyses of samples, which underwent molecular and karyological species diagnoses, was higher than 88 % for each character. In geometric morphometric analyses, the Procrustes distance for shape follows the order Ventral < Dorsal < Mandible < M3

Taylor's law (TL) describes the relationship between the variance and mean of population density: log10(variance) ≈ log10(a) + b × log10(mean), a > 0. This study analyzed the temporal TL, for which mean and variance are calculated over time, separately for each population in a collection of populations, considering the effects of the parameters of the Gompertz model (a second‐order autoregressive time‐series model) and the skewness of the density frequency distribution. Time series of 162 populations of the gray‐sided vole in Hokkaido, Japan, spanning 23–31 years, satisfied the temporal TL: log10(variancej) ≈ 0.199 + 1.687 × log10(meanj). This model explained 62% of the variation of log10(variancej). An extended model with explanatory variables log10(meanj), the density‐dependent coefficient for 1‐year lag (α1,j), that for 2‐year lag (α2,j), the density‐independent variability (σj2), and the skewness (γj), explained 93.9% of the log10(variancej) variation. In the extended model, the coefficient of log10(meanj) was 1.949, close to the null value (b = 2) of the TL slope. The standardized partial regression coefficients indicated that density‐independent effects (σj2 and γj) dominated density‐dependent effects (α1,j and α2,j) apart from log10(meanj). The negative correlations observed between σj2 and log10(meanj), and between γj and log10(meanj), played an essential role in explaining the difference between the estimated slope of TL (b = 1.687) and the null slope (b = 2). The effects of those explanatory variables on log10(variancej) were interpreted based on the theory of a second‐order autoregressive time‐series model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractRodent pests pose significant impacts to agricultural systems and public health globally. Effective strategies for sustainable management while minimizing environmental impacts are crucial. To address the multifaceted nature of rodent impacts, well-coordinated initiatives are necessary to support control strategies, raise awareness among authorities, and inform the public. There is increasing global evidence of Working Groups delivering successful management of a range of natural resource management issues. We outline three case study working groups to tackle rodent pests: (1) National Mouse Group in Australia to manage mouse plague impacts, (2) Working Group Common Vole Management in Germany to manage common vole impacts, and (3) FREDON network for vole management in France. Each working group evolved independently, but all have remarkably similar structures, including monitoring, modelling/forecasting, regular stakeholder meetings (including producers, researchers, government agency staff and others), developing advice for management and identifying research priorities. The success of these working groups was related to: (1) broad stakeholder engagement (particularly farmers/producers), (2) dedicated funding to conduct direct research to inform control strategies, (3) maintained momentum through all phases of rodent population cycles, and (4) benefit for all stakeholders. As rodenticides are increasingly restricted, such working groups will become more important in the future, because stakeholder engagement is necessary to develop rodent management “toolboxes”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bait-based fertility control could contribute to rodent pest management. Bait containing 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and triptolide (TP), registered as ContraPest®, was delivered to male common voles to assess the effects on reproductive structures and residues in the liver and testes. There were no effects or inconclusive effects for most reproductive parameters considered. However, there was an increase in sperm defects in voles treated for 14/28 days and fewer normal sperm cells in voles treated for 28 days. There were no TP residues in the testes, few and low TP residues and no VCD residues in the liver tissue. Treatments with VCD + TP seemed to have minor effects on male reproductive organs. Some rodent species cause significant damage to agriculture and forestry, and some can transmit pathogens to humans and livestock. The common vole (Microtus arvalis) is widespread in Europe, and its population outbreaks have resulted in massive crop loss. Bait-based fertility control could contribute to rodent pest management. Bait containing 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and triptolide (TP), registered as ContraPest®, was delivered to male common voles for 14 or 28 consecutive days. The effects on reproductive structures and residues in the liver and testes were assessed. There was no effect on testis weight, sperm viability, sperm motility and oxidative stress in sperm cells. Results regarding the mitochondrial membrane potential of sperm, DNA fragmentation and progressively motile sperm cells were inconclusive. However, there was an increase in morphological sperm defects in voles treated for 14/28 days and fewer normal sperm cells in voles treated for 28 days. There were no TP residues in the testes, few and low TP residues and no VCD residues in liver tissues, making considerable secondary exposure to non-target species unlikely. Treatments with VCD + TP seemed to have minor effects on the reproductive organs of males. Further studies should evaluate the effect of VCD + TP on females and on the reproductive success of common voles and other pest rodent species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile situational experiences that animals are exposed to different environmental conditions have the potential to shape the developmental trajectory of individuals, influencing their personality traits, anxiety level, cognition, and memory. However, empirical evidence regarding these effects remains limited. In this study on male Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) undergoing weaning process, we examined the consequences of juvenile situational experiences on their behavioral development, involving daily exploration of newly introduced objects with a diverse array of materials, shapes, sizes, and colors. The results showed that (1) the situational experience improved spatial cognition and memory, as evidenced by significantly higher scores in both the recognition index during test period (RIB) and the discrimination index during test period (DI) compared to the control group; (2) no significant differences were observed in autonomic activity between the two groups, including total distance traveled, resting time, mean speed, maximum speed, and duration of slow and fast movements across the entire arena; (3) situational experience reduced anxiety levels, indicated by increased exploration of the center area, more transitions between zones, shorter latency to enter the center zone, prolonged resting time in the center area, and greater total time spent and distance moved in the center area; and (4) the situational experience group exhibited significantly higher individual personality scores compared to the control group. In conclusion, our results imply that juvenile situational experience exerts significant positive effects on spatial cognition and memory, anxious behavior, and personality development in L. brandtii. These insights offer novel perspectives on the long-term impacts of juvenile situational experiences on adulthood, with potential applications in addressing mental health and behavioral anomalies. Additionally, our study provides practical implications for animal management and environmental enrichment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether introduced into a completely novel habitat or slowly expanding their current range, the degree to which animals can efficiently explore and navigate new environments can be key to survival, ultimately determining population establishment and colonization success. We tested whether spatial orientation and exploratory behavior are associated with non-native spread in free-living bank voles (Myodes glareolus , N = 43) from a population accidentally introduced to Ireland a century ago. We measured spatial orientation and navigation in a radial arm maze, and behaviors associated to exploratory tendencies and risk-taking in repeated open-field tests, at the expansion edge and in the source population. Bank voles at the expansion edge re-visited unrewarded arms of the maze more, waited longer before leaving it, took longer to start exploring both the radial arm maze and the open field, and were more risk-averse compared to conspecifics in the source population. Taken together, results suggest that for this small mammal under heavy predation pressure, a careful and thorough exploration strategy might be favored when expanding into novel environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very recently, an interesting phenomenon was described in the common vole; vole parents with similar locomotor ability produced significantly larger litters. Positive assortative mating is a tendency to prefer individuals with similar phenotypes. We tested whether this also applies to smell similarity. Odour preference was tested in a T-maze, where each female was presented with two male odours, i.e. shavings together with feces and urine from home boxes. After female preference was established, the female was either paired with a preferred male (chosen) or paired with a non-preferred male (opposite choice). For analysis of the relationship to odour preference, genotyping of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class II DRB was done using amplicon sequencing. In the set of 45 individuals from two populations, we recovered 38 nucleotide haplotypes (alleles). Similarity of alleles in parent pairs according to the indexes of Sørensen–Dice (S–D) and Jaccard were calculated. Values of these indexes in parental pairs with preferred males were significantly higher (more similar) than in not preferred. The number of offspring in parental pairs with preferred males were significantly higher than in not preferred males. However, there is no correlation between the mentioned indexes and the number of offspring. The relationship between the success of reproduction and alleles is not clear-cut, this may be influenced by the measure of similarity we used, or by something that we could not detect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motherhood is a costly life‐history transition accompanied by behavioral and neural plasticity necessary for offspring care. Motherhood in the monogamous prairie vole is associated with decreased pair bond strength, suggesting a trade‐off between parental investment and pair bond maintenance. Neural mechanisms governing pair bonds and maternal bonds overlap, creating possible competition between the two. We measured mRNA expression of genes encoding receptors for oxytocin (oxtr), dopamine (d1r and d2r), mu‐opioids (oprm1a), and kappa‐opioids (oprk1a) within three brain areas processing salience of sociosensory cues (anterior cingulate cortex; ACC), pair bonding (nucleus accumbens; NAc), and maternal care (medial preoptic area; MPOA). We compared gene expression differences between pair bonded prairie voles that were never pregnant, pregnant (~day 16 of pregnancy), and recent mothers (day 3 of lactation). We found greater gene expression in the NAc (oxtr, d2r, oprm1a, and oprk1a) and MPOA (oxtr, d1r, d2r, oprm1a, and oprk1a) following the transition to motherhood. Expression for all five genes in the ACC was greatest for females that had been bonded for longer. Gene expression within each region was highly correlated, indicating that oxytocin, dopamine, and opioids comprise a complimentary gene network for social signaling. ACC‐NAc gene expression correlations indicated that being a mother (oxtr and d1r) or maintaining long‐term pair bonds (oprm1a) relies on the coordination of different signaling systems within the same circuit. Our study suggests the maternal brain undergoes changes that prepare females to face the trade‐off associated with increased emotional investment in offspring, while also maintaining a pair bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of studies of epididymal spermatozoa of three species of rodents (bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus, northern red-backed vole Cl. rutilus, and herb field mouse Sylvaemus uralensis) living under long-term exposure to atmospheric emissions from two large copper smelters in the Middle Urals are summarized (Middle Ural and Kirovgrad copper smelters). The impact of pollution (including at the individual level on the accumulation of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd in the liver) was assessed for indicators characterizing the quality of sperm from different aspects: morphology (proportion of cells with head and tail defects), motility (proportion of motile cells, velocity, and straightness of movement) and concentration. Sperm motility responds to pollution: in impact zones, the proportion of motile cells and their velocity were lower than in background zones. The occurrence of abnormal cells and sperm concentration were not statistically significantly different between impact and background zones. The reaction of sperm to chemical pollution is species-specific: voles react more strongly than the herb field mouse. The consistency of changes in sperm parameters (in the direction of their deterioration) in response to increased pollution was found only in the bank vole. Effect sizes for sperm parameters are much smaller compared to those for liver Cd accumulation and animal abundance. In general, the reaction of sperm to pollution turned out to be weak, none of the studied indicators can be a reliable marker of industrial pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies which deal with natural populations require a reliable and convenient way of age estimation. However, even rough aging of live individuals is often a real challenge. In this study, we develop a radiographic method for age estimation in Ellobius talpinus, a promising model species for population and behavioral ecology. Using portable X-ray equipment, we radiographed wild, non-sedated animals from the population that had been subjected to extensive mark-recaptures for 3 years. Two molar metrics strongly dependent on age and easy to measure on radiographs were selected: the lengths of the synclinal folds of the 1st upper and 1st lower molars. No influence of sex on the molar condition age dynamics was found. Discriminant function analysis based on molar condition and date of radiography in 86 animals of known age classes assigned X-ray images to three age classes (young of the year, yearlings, and 2 years or older) with an accuracy of 99%. Leave-one-out cross-validation yielded 97% correct assignments. All age estimates for 52 repeatedly radiographed individuals were consistent across images. The analysis of the repeated X-ray images obtained from the same animals showed that the 1st lower molars change faster in the first summer of life than later whereas the change rate of the 1st upper molars decreases little throughout life. We propose the X-ray technique as a useful alternative to direct skull and dental morphometry for age estimation of wild small mammals, saving the investigator's time and lives of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dozens of studies, most conducted in the last four decades, have implicated oxytocin, as well as vasopressin and their receptors, in processes that mediate selective sociality and the consequences of early experience. Oxytocin is critical for the capacity to experience emotional safety and healthy sexuality. Oxytocin also plays a central role in almost every aspect of physical and mental health, including the coordination of sociality and loving relationships with physiological reactions to challenges across the lifespan. Species, including prairie voles, that share with humans the capacity for selective social bonds have been a particularly rich source of insights into the behavioral importance of peptides. The purpose of this historical review is to describe the discovery of a central role for oxytocin in behavioral interactions associated with love, and in the capacity to use sociality to anticipate and cope with challenges across the lifespan - a process that here is called sociostasis.

Cyclic rodent populations exhibit pronounced changes in body mass associated with the population cycle phase, long-known as Chitty effect. Although Chitty effect is a common epiphenomenon in both America and Europe, there is still incomplete evidence about the generality of these patterns across the entire range of most species. Moreover, despite decades of research, the underlying factors driving Chitty effect remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may underlie observed patterns in vole size variation in the Iberian common vole Microtus arvalis asturianus. We weighed and measured 2816 adult voles that were captured during 6 trapping periods. Vole numbers and body mass showed strong period- and phase-related variation both in females and males, demonstrating marked Chitty effect in the studied population. Body mass of adult males correlated with body length, evidencing that heavier males are also structurally larger. Statistical models showed that probability of occurrence of large-sized vole (> 37 g) was significantly more likely in reproductive males, during increase and peak phases, and it was modulated by habitat, with crop fields and field margins between crops showing an increased likelihood. We suggest an effect of the habitat on vole body mass mediated by predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, especially rodents, social behaviours, such as parenting, territoriality or mate attraction, are largely based on olfactory communication through chemosignals. These behaviours are mediated by species-specific chemosignals, including small organic molecules and proteins that are secreted in the urine or in various fluids from exocrine glands. Chemosignal detection is mainly ensured by olfactory neurons in two specific sensory organs, the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). This study aimed to characterise the olfactory communication in the fossorial ecotype of the water voles, Arvicola terrestris. We first measured the olfactory investigation of urine and lateral scent gland secretions from conspecifics. Our results showed that water voles can discriminate the sex of conspecifics based on the smell of urine, and that urinary male odour is attractive for female voles. Then, we demonstrated the ability of the VNO and MOE to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in water vole secretions using live-cell calcium imaging in dissociated cells. Finally, we evaluated the attractiveness of two mixtures of VOCs from urine or lateral scent glands in the field during a cyclical outbreak of vole populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest understory complexity is important for many species, from large herbivores such as deer to small mammals such as mice and voles. For species that utilize the forest understory on a very small scale, it is often impractical to conduct correspondingly fine‐grained manual surveys of the understory, and thus few studies consider this small‐scale variation in understory complexity and instead work with average values on a larger scale. We explored the use of a mobile laser scanning derived understory complexity measure—understory roughness—to predict the capture probability of two representative small mammal species, the yellow‐necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). We found a positive relationship between capture probability and understory roughness for both bank voles and yellow‐necked mice. Our results suggest that mobile laser scanning is a promising technology for measuring understory complexity in an ecologically meaningful way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the genetic diversity of the field vole was carried out with the inclusion of new data on the complete sequences of the cytochrome b gene from the least studied area of the range of the species—the central part of Northern Eurasia (20 localities of the East European Plain, the Urals, Western and Eastern Siberia). The obtained results are generally consistent with modern view on the phylogeography of the species, but indicate the previously not investigated genetic heterogeneity of the Eastern clade, which occupies the entire Asian part of the range of the species and its European part to Northern and Eastern Europe. A comparison of the results of analysis of genetic diversity with the age of paleontological findings carried out using the Urals as an example allows one to assume that climatic changes in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene could not have led to the complete extinction of the species in the region, but to the spatial redistribution of its populations and to the complete or partial replacement of some genetic groups by others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of a loved one is a painful event that substantially elevates the risk for physical and mental illness and impaired daily function. Socially monogamous prairie voles are laboratory‐amenable rodents that form life‐long pair bonds and exhibit distress upon partner separation, mirroring phenotypes seen in humans. These attributes make voles an excellent model for studying the biology of loss. In this review, we highlight parallels between humans and prairie voles, focusing on reward system engagement during pair bonding and loss. As yearning is a unique feature that differentiates loss from other negative mental states, we posit a model in which the homeostatic reward mechanisms that help to maintain bonds are disrupted upon loss, resulting in yearning and other negative impacts. Finally, we synthesize studies in humans and voles that delineate the remodeling of reward systems during loss adaptation. The stalling of these processes likely contributes to prolonged grief disorder, a diagnosis recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous choriocarcinomas are rare, highly vascular, malignant trophoblastic tumors that occur in humans and animals. This report describes the unusual spontaneous presentation of 4 choriocarcinomas within the subcutaneous tissues of 4, multiparous but nongravid, Amargosa voles (Microtus californicus scirpensis) from a captive breeding colony. Two subcutaneous neoplasms were composed of multifocal discohesive and infiltrative aggregates of medium to large trophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts within a fibrovascular stroma. Neoplastic cells were associated with variably sized thrombi and cavitary areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Two subcutaneous tumors were predominantly composed of expansile, blood-filled, cystic spaces lined by neoplastic cytotrophoblasts and occasionally contained medium to large trophoblasts. Trophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts were positive for pancytokeratin and cytokeratin 8/18, negative for alpha-fetoprotein, and contained intracytoplasmic Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS)-positive glycogen in all 4 tumors. In species with hemochorial placentation, migration of trophoblasts into maternal circulation with embolization to distant nonreproductive tissues occurs and may explain the unusual subcutaneous distribution of these 4 tumors. The 2 multiloculated paucicellular tumors may represent an early stage of neoplastic transformation. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report characterizing choriocarcinomas in extrareproductive sites in rodents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivorous rodents in boreal, alpine and arctic ecosystems are renowned for their multi‐annual population cycles. Researchers have hypothesised that these cycles may result from herbivore–plant interactions in various ways. For instance, if the biomass of preferred food plants is reduced after a peak phase of a cycle, rodent diets can be expected to become dominated by less preferred food plants, leading the population to a crash. It could also be expected that the taxonomic diversity of rodent diets increases from the peak to the crash phase of a cycle. The present study is the first to use DNA metabarcoding to quantify the diets of two functionally important boreal rodent species (bank vole and tundra vole) to assess whether their diet changed systematically in the expected cyclic phase‐dependent manner. We found the taxonomic diet spectrum broad in both vole species but with little interspecific overlap. There was no evidence of systematic shifts in diet diversity metrics between the phases of the population cycle in either species. While both species' diet composition changed moderately between cycle phases and seasons, these changes were small compared to other sources of diet variation—especially differences between individuals. Thus, the variation in diet that could be attributed to cyclic phases is marginal relative to the overall diet flexibility. Based on general consumer‐resource theory, we suggest that the broad diets with little interspecific overlap render it unlikely that herbivore–plant interactions generate their synchronous population cycles. We propose that determining dietary niche width should be the first step in scientific inquiries about the role of herbivore–plant interactions in cyclic vole populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress-induced illnesses, like major depression, are among the leading causes of disability across the world. Consequently, there is a dire need for the validation of translationally-suited animal models incorporating social stress to uncover the etiology of depression. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are more translationally relevant than many other rodent models as they display monogamous social and bi-parental behaviors. Therefore, we evaluated whether a novel social defeat stress (SDS) model in male prairie voles induces depression-relevant behavioral outcomes. Adult sexually-naïve male prairie voles experienced SDS bouts from a conspecific pair-bonded male aggressor, 10 min per day for 10 consecutive days. Non-stressed controls (same-sex siblings) were housed in similar conditions but never experienced physical stress. Twenty-four h later, voles were evaluated in social interaction, sucrose preference, and Morris water maze tests – behavioral endpoints validated to assess social withdrawal, anhedonia-related behavior, and spatial memory performance, respectively. SDS-exposed voles displayed lower sociability and body weight, decreased preference for a sucrose solution, and impairment of spatial memory retrieval. Importantly, no differences in general locomotor activity were observed as a function of SDS exposure. This study does not include female voles in the experimental design. We found that repeated SDS exposure, in male prairie voles, results in a depression-relevant phenotype resembling an anhedonia-like outcome (per reductions in sucrose preference) along with social withdrawal and spatial memory impairment – highlighting that the prairie vole is a valuable model with potential to study the neurobiology of social stress-induced depression-related outcomes. • Social defeat stress decreases social behavior in adult male prairie voles • Social defeat stress decreases sucrose preference in adult male prairie voles • Social defeat stress impairs spatial memory in adult male prairie voles • Vole social defeat stress displays strong face validity as a model for the study of depression-related phenotypes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, a local case of nephropathia epidemica was reported in Scania, southern Sweden, more than 500 km south of the previously known presence of human hantavirus infections in Sweden. Another case emerged in the same area in 2020. To investigate the zoonotic origin of those cases, we trapped rodents in Ballingslöv, Norra Sandby, and Sörby in southern Sweden during 2020-2021. We found Puumala virus (PUUV) in lung tissues from 9 of 74 Myodes glareolus bank voles by screening tissues using a hantavirus pan--large segment reverse transcription PCR. Genetic analysis revealed that the PUUV strains were distinct from those found in northern Sweden and Denmark and belonged to the Finnish PUUV lineage. Our findings suggest an introduction of PUUV from Finland or Karelia, causing the human PUUV infections in Scania. This discovery emphasizes the need to understand the evolution, cross-species transmission, and disease outcomes of this newly found PUUV variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative structural and functional indicators of the blood system were studied in immature autumn individuals of closely related species: bank, red, and red-gray voles (18, 11, and 9 individuals, respectively), constituting a reserve population in the autumn–winter period, to assess the adaptive response to low temperature conditions. Interspecies differences in the size of the diffusion surface and the degree of hemoglobinization of erythrocytes, typical for each species, have been identified. The three species of voles with a similar ability to carry oxygen per unit volume of blood have different mechanisms for providing tissues with oxygen. The identified differences in the responses of blood parameters (reticulocytes, erythrocyte indices, and leukocyte composition) reflect the physiological mechanism of maintaining hemoglobin concentration in the blood, being therefore of great importance in solving issues of homeostasis of the body in a changing environment. Based on a set of experimental data, groups of voles (taxonomy) corresponding to the classification of species were identified using discriminant analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southernmost population of Eurasian water vole (Arvicola amphibius) inhabited Lake Hula in the upper Jordan Valley until the lake was drained in the 1950s. Considering the continuous conservation and restoration initiatives in the Hula Valley, we set out to verify the extinction of the Hula water vole population using trap surveys, field sign surveys, and owl pellets' content. Having confirmed its recent extirpation, we used museum and archaeological specimens to study the morphological and genetic similarity of the extirpated Hula water voles to both modern conspecifics in Eurasia and to local Pleistocene specimens. Our results suggest that the Hula population represented an admixture of extinct local Pleistocene and extant, probably European, ancestors. The recent anthropogenic extirpation of this unique population could justify its reintroduction. Species distribution modelling, however, suggests future deterioration of habitat suitability over the coming decades. This calls for careful consideration of how sustainable a reintroduction would be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodents are significant animals in the field of science and serve as common study models in several disciplines. However, their behaviours are challenging to observe in the wild due to their anti-predator behaviour, especially regarding feeding behaviour for subterranean species (voles, naked mole-rat). Nevertheless, feeding behaviour is crucial for the study of rodent ecology, including applied research on pest control, habitat management of endangered species, or more fundamental research on cyclical population dynamics. To address this issue, a tool was developed to test how wild voles interact with food. This novel camera trapping device was named the Campascope. Its utilisation enables the avoidance of captive conditions that could introduce biases and facilitates the testing of exogenous factors that may modify animals' feeding behaviour, such as the floral composition of a meadow, distance from a landscape feature, or altitude. These exogenous factors are not easily testable in captivity. In this study, we successfully captured high-quality observations of the behaviour of the fossorial form of water voles, using the Campascope device. In this article, we present the features and application of the device on Arvicola amphibius, which may also be used for studying other small mammal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most small rodent populations worldwide exhibit fascinating population dynamics, capturing the attention of numerous scholars due to their multiyear cyclic fluctuations in population size and the astonishing amplitude of these fluctuations. Hulunbuir steppe stands as a crucial global hub for livestock production, yet in recent decades, the area has faced recurring challenges from steppes rodent invasions, with Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii, BV) being particularly rampant among them. They not only exhibit seasonal reproduction but also strong social behavior, and are generally considered pests, especially during population outbreak years. Prior studies suggest that BV population outbreaks tend to occur across a wider geographic area, and a strong indicator for identifying rodent outbreaks is recognizing their burrow clusters (burrow systems). Hence, this paper conducts target object detection of BV burrow clusters in the typical steppes of Hulunbuir using two GF-2 satellite images from 2021 (the year of the BV outbreak). This task is accomplished by incorporating the Faster R-CNN model in combination with three detection approaches: object-based image classification (OBIC), based on vegetation index classification (BVIC), and based on texture classification (BTC). The results indicate that OBIC demonstrated the highest robustness in BV burrow cluster detection, achieving an average AP of 63.80% and an F1 score of 0.722 across the two images. BTC exhibited the second-highest level of accuracy, achieving an average AP of 55.95% and an F1 score of 0.6660. Moreover, this approach displayed a strong performance in BV burrow clusters localization. In contrast, BVIC achieved the lowest level of accuracy among the three methods, with an average AP of only 29.45% and an F1 score of 0.4370. Overall, this study demonstrates the crucial role of utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery combined with DL-based object detection techniques in effectively monitoring and managing the potential outbreaks of steppe rodent pests across larger spatial extents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodents are essential to the balance of the grassland ecosystem, but their population outbreak can cause major economic and ecological damage. Rodent monitoring is crucial for its scientific management, but traditional methods heavily depend on manual labor and are difficult to be carried out on a large scale. In this study, we used UAS to collect high–resolution RGB images of steppes in Inner Mongolia, China in the spring, and used various object detection algorithms to identify the holes of Brandt’s vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Optimizing the model by adjusting evaluation metrics, specifically, replacing classification strategy metrics such as precision, recall, and F1 score with regression strategy-related metrics FPPI, MR, and MAPE to determine the optimal threshold parameters for IOU and confidence. Then, we mapped the distribution of vole holes in the study area using position data derived from the optimized model. Results showed that the best resolution of UAS acquisition was 0.4 cm pixel-1, and the improved labeling method improved the detection accuracy of the model. The FCOS model had the highest comprehensive evaluation, and an R² of 0.9106, RMSE of 5.5909, and MAPE of 8.27%. The final accuracy of vole hole counting in the stitched orthophoto was 90.20%. Our work has demonstrated that UAS was able to accurately estimate the population of grassland rodents at an appropriate resolution. Given that the population distribution we focus on is important for a wide variety of species, our work illustrates a general remote sensing approach for mapping and monitoring rodent damage across broad landscapes for studies of grassland ecological balance, vegetation conservation, and land management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative mating tactics within mating systems are characterized by discrete patterns of spatio-temporal overlap with same-and opposite-sex conspecifics and mating-relevant outcomes. Socially monogamous "residents" maintain relatively small home range sizes, have territories that almost exclusively overlap with their mating partners, and are more likely to produce offspring than non-bonded "wandering" conspecifics. Because mating tactics appear to be so closely tied to patterns of space use, differences in spatial cognitive abilities might differentially impact individual males' decisions to adopt a particular mating tactic and/or how efficient they are within their chosen mating tactic. Yet few studies have considered how the hippocampus, a brain region important for encoding cognitive maps and for processing contextual information, might impact how individuals adopt mating tactics or the spatio-temporal behaviors closely associated with them. We assessed the impact of lesions to the dorsal CA1 (dCA1) region of the hippocampus on male prairie vole space use, reproductive success, and mating tactics in seminatural outdoor field conditions. Interestingly, dCA1 lesions did not impact the proportion of males that adopted resident or wandering mating tactics, and dCA1 lesions did not impact a male's ability to form a pair bond in the lab. In contrast, we found that lesioning the dCA1 shifted the home range size of reproductively successful and unsuccessful males. Furthermore, we found that patterns of space use among residents were unaffected by dCA1 lesions, whereas wanderers with dCA1 lesions showed pronounced reductions of their space use habits and resembled non-lesioned residents. Collectively, our study supports the hypothesis that wanderer male prairie voles rely on dCA1-mediated spatial cognition to navigate their world in a way that resident males do not. Such differences might have implications for how individuals efficiently attract and defend mates, obtain resources, defend territories, and outcompete rivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for divergent selection and adaptive variation across the landscape can provide insight into a species' ability to adapt to different environments. However, despite recent advances in genomics, it remains difficult to detect the footprints of climate‐mediated selection in natural populations. Here, we analysed ddRAD sequencing data (21,892 SNPs) in conjunction with geographic climate variation to search for signatures of adaptive differentiation in twelve populations of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) distributed across Europe. To identify the loci subject to selection associated with climate variation, we applied multiple genotype‐environment association methods, two univariate and one multivariate, and controlled for the effect of population structure. In total, we identified 213 candidate loci for adaptation, 74 of which were located within genes. In particular, we identified signatures of selection in candidate genes with functions related to lipid metabolism and the immune system. Using the results of redundancy analysis, we demonstrated that population history and climate have joint effects on the genetic variation in the pan‐European metapopulation. Furthermore, by examining only candidate loci, we found that annual mean temperature is an important factor shaping adaptive genetic variation in the bank vole. By combining landscape genomic approaches, our study sheds light on genome‐wide adaptive differentiation and the spatial distribution of variants underlying adaptive variation influenced by local climate in bank voles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Sarcocystis is an abundant group of Apicomplexa parasites found in mammals, birds, and reptiles. These parasites are characterised by the formation of sarcocysts in the muscles of intermediate hosts and the development of sporocysts in the intestines of definitive hosts. The identification of Sarcocystis spp. is usually carried out in carcasses of animals, while there is a lack of studies on the detection of Sarcocystis species in blood samples. In the current study, blood samples of 214 yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) and 143 bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from Lithuania were examined for Sarcocystis. The molecular identification of Sarcocystis was carried out using nested PCR of cox1 and 28S rRNA and subsequent sequencing. Sarcocystis spp. were statistically (p < 0.01) more frequently detected in the bank vole (6.3%) than in yellow-necked mice (0.9%). The analysed parasites were observed in four different habitats, such as mature deciduous forest, bog, natural meadow, and arable land. Three species, Sarcocystis funereus, Sarcocystis myodes, and Sarcocystis cf. glareoli were confirmed in the bank vole, whereas only Sarcocystis myodes were found in yellow-necked mice. The obtained results are important in the development of molecular identification of Sarcocystis parasites in live animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]