Phylogenetic Relationships of New World Porcupines (Rodentia, Erethizontidae): Implications for Taxonomy, Morphological Evolution, and Biogeography

Voss, Robert S.; Hubbard, Caldonia.; Jansa, Sharon A.

doi:10.1206/3769.2

Cited by 61 publications

(75 citation statements)

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“…Although such cryptic species have been recorded from a number of locations throughout Amazonia, detailed information about the ecology and distribution of both species is currently limited [49][50][51]. Biologists have been carrying out biodiversity surveys at the MLC since 2004, as have expedition groups and, since 2010, an all-year round field team has been dedicated to surveying the biodiversity of the reserve both day and night [40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Out on a Limb: Arboreal Camera Traps as an Emerging Methodology for Inventorying Elusive Rainforest Mammals

Whitworth

Braunholtz

Huarcaya

et al. 2016

Tropical Conservation Science

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Traditionally, arboreal rainforest mammals have been inventoried using ground-based survey techniques. However, given the success of camera traps in detecting secretive terrestrial rainforest mammals, camera trapping could also be a valuable tool for inventorying arboreal species. Here we assess, for the first time, the effectiveness of arboreal camera traps for inventorying arboreal rainforest mammals and compare the results with those from other methodologies. We do so in one of the world's most biodiverse conservation areas, the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru. We accumulated 1201 records of 24 arboreal mammal species. Eighteen species were detected by arboreal cameras, seven by diurnal line transects, six by nocturnal transects and eighteen through incidental observations. Six species were only detected using arboreal camera traps. Comparing arboreal camera traps with traditional ground-based techniques suggests camera traps are an effective tool for inventorying arboreal rainforest mammal communities. They also detected more cryptic species compared with other methodologies. Daily detection frequency patterns were found to differ between ground-based techniques and arboreal cameras. A cost-effort analysis indicated that despite greater upfront costs in equipment and training for arboreal camera trapping, when accounting for the additional survey hours required to provide similar numbers of records using ground-based methods, overall costs were similar. Our work demonstrates that arboreal camera trapping is likely to be a powerful technique for inventorying canopy mammals. The method has considerable potential for the study of charismatic and threatened arboreal mammal species that may otherwise remain largely unknown and could quietly disappear from the world's tropical forests.Keywords: Canopy, habitat disturbance, hunting, threatened species, survey methods. Mongabay.com Open Access Journal -Tropical Conservation Science Vol. 9 (2): 675-698, 2016Tropical Conservation Science | ISSN 1940-0829 | Tropicalconservationscience.org 676 ResumenTradicionalmente, los mamíferos arbóreos de los bosques tropicales, han sido inventariados utilizando técnicas de estudio a nivel terrestre. Sin embargo, dado el éxito de las cámaras trampas en la detección de mamíferos tropicales terrestres con hábitos secretivo, potencialmente evaluaciones con cámaras trampa podrían también proporcionar una herramienta valiosa para el inventario de especies arbóreas. Aquí, por primera vez, evaluamos la eficacia de las cámaras trampa arbórea para el inventariado de mamíferos tropicales arbóreos y los comparamos con los resultados provenientes de otros métodos. Este estudio se realizó en uno de las áreas de conservación con mayor biodiversidad en el mundo, la Reserva de Biosfera de Manu. Se acumularon 1201 registros de 24 especies de mamíferos arbóreos; 18 especies fueron detectados con cámaras trampa arbóreas, siete con transectos diurnos, seis con transectos nocturnos y 18 especies a través de observaciones incidentales. Seis especie...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Out on a Limb: Arboreal Camera Traps as an Emerging Methodology for Inventorying Elusive Rainforest Mammals

Whitworth

Braunholtz

Huarcaya

et al. 2016

Tropical Conservation Science

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“…The genus Coendou is poorly differentiated from the genus Sphiggurus, so they are often grouped. Sphiggurus is occasionally considered a subgenus and a junior synonym of Coendou (Roze, 1997;Voss et al, 2013). Molecular differences between both genera provide evidence of their evolutionary distinction to justify their separation (Bonvicino et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Causes and consequences of change rates in the habitat of the threatened tropical porcupine, Sphiggurus mexicanus (Rodentia: Erethizontidae) in Oaxaca, Mexico: implications for its conservation

Lorenzo

Sántiz

Navarrete

et al. 2014

RBT

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Abstract:Land use changes by human activities have been the main causes of habitats and wildlife population degradation. In the Tehuantepec Isthmus in Oaxaca, the tropical habitat of the porcupine Sphiggurus mexicanus has been subject to vegetation and land use changes, causing its reduction and fragmentation. In this study, we estimated vegetation cover and land use (d n ) change rates and assessed habitat availability and potential corridors for possible porcupine movements to avoid its isolation. In the study area, the type of vegetation with the most change rate value was the savanna (d n =-2.9), transformed into induced grasslands. Additionally, we have observed the porcupine (since 2011) in semi-deciduous (d n =-0.87) and tropical dry (d n =-0.89) forests that have been transformed in temporal agriculture and mesquite and induced grasslands. The vegetation inhabited by the porcupine resulted in recording a total of 64 plant species (44 trees, nine vines, seven herbs, four shrubs), of which the vine Bunchosia lanceolata showed the highest importance value (41.85) followed by the trees Guazuma ulmifolia (22.71), Dalbergia glabra (18.05), and Enterolobium cyclocarpum (17.02). The habitat evaluation and potential corridor analysis showed that only 1 501.93ha could be considered as suitable habitats with optimum structural conditions (coverage, surface, and distances to transformed areas) to maintain viable populations of S. mexicanus, and 293.6ha as corridors. An increasing destruction of the porcupines' habitat has been observed in the study area due to excessive logging, and actions for this species and its habitat conservation and management have to be taken urgently. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (4): 1481-1494. Epub 2014 December 01.Key words: Sphiggurus mexicanus, corridors, habitat availability, selection, Tehuantepec Isthmus, tropical porcupines, use, plant associations.The tropical forest ecosystems are strategically important areas because of the great species diversity they harbor, and the environmental services they offer (soil stabilization and potential for carbon capture, water cycle, and climate regulation). Unfortunately, they are the most deforested; it has been documented that 650 000ha of tropical forest in Mexico are lost each year, and about 2% have been lost annually since the beginning of the eighties (Galicia et al., 2007). Mexico has 104 023km 2 of tropical forests, and the Tehuantepec Isthmus in the State of Oaxaca has approximately 12 163.5km 2 of tropical forests (INEGI, 2012), which is historically a region of anthropogenic use (Gómez-Martínez, 2005). The main causes of destruction of vast areas of forests and arid zones in the Tehuantepec Isthmus are due to changes in land use because of agricultural activities and forest fires (González et al., 2004;INEGI, 2005).Despite the ecological and economic importance of forest ecosystems, a monitoring system of land use changes, its causes, explanations, and predictions is not available (Galicia et al., 2007). It is essential to carry out studies ...

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“…The New World porcupines of the genus Coendou are distributed on Central and South America (Voss 2011) and represents one of the less studied rodent groups in the Neotropics (Alberico et al 2000). Due to the scarcity of specimens available for comparisons, the taxonomic status of many species within the genus is still under discussion (see Voss 2011;Voss et al 2013;Ramírez-Chaves et al 2016). Furthermore, information on Coendou genitalia is limited; indeed, there is only one brief published description of the male genitalia of an indeterminate species (reffered as Coendou novae-hispaniae) by Pocock (1922).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological description of the glans penis and baculum of Coendou quichua (Rodentia: Erethizontidae)

León-Alvarado

Ramírez-Chaves

2017

Therya

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External morphology of the glans and baculum are important characters for specific delimitation, especially for rodents (Simson et al. 1995). However, for Erethizontidae there are few descriptive works; in fact, for Neotropical porcupines of the genus Coendou there is just one brief contribution for an indeterminate species by Pocock in 1922. In this work, the morphology of the glans and baculum of Coendou quichua is described. The specimen was collected at the municipality of San Vicente de Chucurí, Santander, Colombia. The penis was dissected and fixed in formaldehyde for one day, and later preserved in ethanol. The baculum was extracted and cleared with potassium hydroxide to be visualized, photographed and measured. The glans and baculum were compared with the description of others porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum and Hystrix brachyura) available in literature, and three additional Neotropical caviomorph rodents (Cuniculus paca, Dasyprocta punctata and Cavia tschudii). The glans length is almost twice the glans head width (Table 1) and comprises the third part of the total penis length. The penis presents a tenuous dark coloration on the head and small tegumentary protuberances formed by 3-4 small spines ( Figure 1A). As in other hystricomorph rodents, the glans exhibits an invagination at its tip (sacculus urethralis) which has corrugated walls and presents two conspicuous spikes at the bottom ( Figure 1C). Furthermore, the baculum is as large as the C. quichua glans, dorsally concave and ventrally convex ( Figure 1B). Although the glans and baculum of C. quichua and E. dorsatum are similar, the latter presents larger glans (Table 1), and the sacculus urethralis lacks of corrugated walls and spiny protuberances. When comparing C. quichua and H. brachyura, the only difference is that the bottom of the sacculus urethralis, near to the spikes is smooth, without spiny protuberances. In contrast, the glans of three other Neotropical caviomorphs are remarkable different from C. quichua, where they present more complex and densely distributed tegumentary protuberances above the glans. Overall, the baculum is the most varying structure for all species, with marked differences in length and width (Table 1) and the shape of the ends. Although the family Erethizontidae is more closed related to the Cavioidea than to Hystricidae, the glans of individuals of the family Erethizontidae are more similar to the glans of the Hystricidae. In addition, for these species, both glans and baculum present important characters that might be used for taxonomic identification. However, the differences of both structures within Coendou are unknown, therefore it is necessary the description of the genitalia of additional species.La morfología externa del glande y báculo son caracteres importantes para la delimitación de especies, en especial para roedores (Simson et al. 1995). Sin embargo, para Erethizontidae existen pocos trabajos descriptivos; de hecho, para los puercoespines neotropicales del género Coendou solo hay una breve contribu...

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Phylogenetic Relationships of New World Porcupines (Rodentia, Erethizontidae): Implications for Taxonomy, Morphological Evolution, and Biogeography

Cited by 61 publications

References 58 publications

Out on a Limb: Arboreal Camera Traps as an Emerging Methodology for Inventorying Elusive Rainforest Mammals

Out on a Limb: Arboreal Camera Traps as an Emerging Methodology for Inventorying Elusive Rainforest Mammals

Causes and consequences of change rates in the habitat of the threatened tropical porcupine, Sphiggurus mexicanus (Rodentia: Erethizontidae) in Oaxaca, Mexico: implications for its conservation

Morphological description of the glans penis and baculum of Coendou quichua (Rodentia: Erethizontidae)

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