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opencc-zeroJun 2020View details →

GPS locations for mechanistic home range analysis reveals drivers of space use patterns for a non-territorial passerine

1. Home ranging is a near-ubiquitous phenomenon in the animal kingdom. Understanding the behavioural mechanisms that give rise to observed home range patterns is thus an important general question, and mechanistic home range analysis (MHRA) provides the tools to address it. However, such analysis has hitherto been restricted to scent-marking territorial animals, so its potential breadth of application has not been tested. 2. Here, we apply MHRA to a population of long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudatus a non- territorial passerine, in the non-breeding season where there is no clear "central place" near which birds need to remain. The aim is to uncover the principal movement mechanisms underlying observed home range formation. 3. Our foundational models consist of memory-mediated conspecific avoidance between flocks, combined with attraction to woodland. These are then modified to incorporate the effects of flock size and relatedness, to uncover the effect of these on the mechanisms of home range formation. 4. We found that a simple model of spatial avoidance, together with attraction to the central parts of woodland areas, accurately captures long-tailed tit home range patterns. Refining these models further, we show that the magnitude of spatial avoidance by a flock is negatively correlated to both the relative size of the flock (compared to its neighbour) and the relatedness of the flock with its neighbour. 5. Our study applies MHRA beyond the confines of scent-marking, territorial animals, so paves the way for much broader taxonomic application. These could potentially help uncover general properties underlying the emergence of animal space use patterns. This is also the first study to apply MHRA to questions of relatedness and flock size, thus broadening the potential possible applications of this suite of analytic techniques.

opencc-zeroApr 2021View details →

Human impact overrides bioclimatic drivers of red fox home range size globally

Aim Identifying the variables that influence animal home range size is important for understanding the biological requirements of individuals and their social interactions. Given their often broad distributions, carnivores are model organisms for studying range-wide determinants of home range size. Here we test predictions about environmental determinants of home range size for one of the world's most widely distributed carnivores, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Location Global Methods We compiled a database of 70 mean home range estimates from 62 studies and four continents, which we analysed according to site-based temperature, precipitation, environmental productivity and human influence variables. Results We found a very strong negative effect of the Human Footprint Index (HFI), with fox home range size decreasing as the level of human impact increased. When analysing the constituent components of the HFI separately, we found that human population density was the only well supported variable (cf. built environments, croplands, pasture lands, nightlights, railways, roads and navigable waterways). Predicted home range size at the highest human population densities (0.75 km2) was 93% lower than at the lowest population densities (10.83 km2). We also found that home range size increased as mean annual temperature and temperature seasonality increased. The analyses did not support our prediction that home ranges would be smaller in areas of higher environmental productivity or precipitation. Main conclusions Smaller home range sizes observed in highly disturbed areas can be attributed to increased food availability from anthropogenic sources. The lack of an effect of environmental productivity contrasts with previous studies that have shown a negative relationship with carnivore home range size. It may be that anthropogenic food sources have negated the impacts that low productivity environments have on fox home ranges. Our results emphasise the strong potential for human activities to transform animal space use across the globe.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

A novel method for detecting extra-home range movements (EHRMs) by animals and recommendations for future EHRM studies

Infrequent, long-distance animal movements outside of typical home range areas provide useful insights into resource acquisition, gene flow, and disease transmission within the fields of conservation and wildlife management, yet understanding of these movements is still limited across taxa. To detect these extra-home range movements (EHRMs) in spatial relocation datasets, most previous studies compare relocation points against fixed spatial and temporal bounds, typified by seasonal home ranges (referred to here as the "Fixed-Period" method). However, utilizing home ranges modelled over fixed time periods to detect EHRMs within those periods likely results in many EHRMs going undocumented, particularly when an animal's space use changes within that period of time. To address this, we propose a novel, "Moving-Window" method of detecting EHRMs through an iterative process, comparing each day's relocation data to the preceding period of space use only. We compared the number and characteristics of EHRM detections by both the Moving-Window and Fixed-Period methods using GPS relocations from 33 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Alabama, USA. The Moving-Window method detected 1.5 times as many EHRMs as the Fixed-Period method and identified 120 unique movements that were undetected by the Fixed-Period method, including some movements that extended nearly 5 km outside of home range boundaries. Additionally, we utilized our EHRM dataset to highlight and evaluate potential sources of variation in EHRM summary statistics stemming from differences in definition criteria among previous EHRM literature. We found that this spectrum of criteria identified between 15.6% and 100.0% of the EHRMs within our dataset. We conclude that variability in terminology and definition criteria previously used for EHRM detection hinders useful comparisons between studies. The Moving-Window approach to EHRM detection introduced here, along with proposed methodology guidelines for future EHRM studies, should allow researchers to better investigate and understand these behaviors across a variety of taxa.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Potential of a no-take marine reserve to protect home ranges of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta)

1. The extent to which no‐take marine reserves can benefit anadromous species requires examination. 2. Here, we used acoustic telemetry to investigate the spatial behavior of anadromous brown trout (sea trout, Salmo trutta) in relation to a small marine reserve(~1.5 km2) located inside a fjord on the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. 3. On average, sea trout spent 42.3 % (±5.0% SE) of their time in the fjord within the reserve, a proportion similar to the area of the reserve relative to that of the fjord. 4. On average, sea trout tagged inside the reserve received the most protection, although the level of protection decreased marginally with increasing home range size. Furthermore, individuals tagged outside the reserve received more protection with increasing home range size, potentially opposing selection toward smaller home range sizes inflicted on fish residing within reserves, or through selective fishing methods like angling. 5. Monthly sea trout home ranges in the marine environment were on average smaller than the reserve, with a mean of 0.430 (±0.0265 SE) km2. Hence, the reserve is large enough to protect the full home range of some individuals residing in the reserve. 6. Synthesis and applications: In general, the reserve protects sea trout to a varying degree depending on their individual behavior. These findings highlight evolutionary implications of spatial protection and can guide managers in the design of marine reserves and networks that preserve variation in target species' home range size and movement behavior.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Resource-Area-Dependence Analysis: inferring animal resource needs from home-range and mapping data

An animal's home-range can be expected to encompass the resources it requires for surviving or reproducing. Thus, animals inhabiting a heterogeneous landscape, where resource patches vary in size, shape and distribution, will naturally have home-ranges of varied sizes, so that each home-range encompasses a minimum required amount of a resource. Home-range size can be estimated from telemetry data, and often key resources, or proxies for them such as the areas of important habitat types, can be mapped. We propose a new method, Resource-Area-Dependence Analysis (RADA), which uses a sample of tracked animals and a categorical map to i) infer in which map categories important resources are accessible, ii) within which home range cores they are found, and iii) estimate the mean minimum areas of these map categories required for such resource provision. We provide three examples of applying RADA to datasets of radio-tracked animals from southern England: 15 red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris, 17 gray squirrels S. carolinensis and 114 common buzzards Buteo buteo. The analyses showed that each red squirrel required a mean (95% CL) of 0.48 ha (0.24-0.97) of pine wood within the outermost home-range, each gray squirrel needed 0.34 ha (0.11-1.12) ha of mature deciduous woodland and 0.035-0.046 ha of wheat, also within the outermost home-range, while each buzzard required 0.54 ha (0.35-0.82) of rough ground close to the home-range center and 14 ha (11-17) of meadow within an intermediate core, with 52% of them also relying on 0.41 ha (0.29-0.59) of suburban land near the home-range center. RADA thus provides a useful tool to infer key animal resource requirements during studies of animal movement and habitat use.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Many places called home: the adaptive value of seasonal adjustments in range fidelity

1. The vast majority of animal species display range fidelity, a space-use behaviour enhancing familiarity with local habitat features. While the fitness benefits of this behaviour have been demonstrated in a variety of taxa, some species or populations rather display infidelity, displacing their home range over time. Others, such as many ungulate species, show seasonal adjustments in their range fidelity to accommodate changes in the dominance of limiting factors or in the distribution of resources. 2. Few empirical studies have explored the adaptive value of seasonal adjustments in range fidelity. Using boreal populations of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) as a biological model, we evaluated how range fidelity impacted individual performance during two seasons where juvenile and adult survival are limited by different predation pressures. 3. Between 2004 and 2013, we monitored the survival, reproductive success, habitat selection and range fidelity of female caribou in the boreal forest of eastern Canada. Using resource selection functions, we assessed how seasonal range fidelity was linked to two fitness correlates: calf survival in summer and adult female survival in winter. 4. Females displayed season-specific space use tactics: they selected previously used areas during calving and summer, but tended to shift their winter range from one year to the next. During calving and summer, range fidelity yielded relatively high fitness benefits, as females that did not lose their calf displayed stronger fidelity than females that did. In winter, however, adult survival was negatively linked to range fidelity, as females that survived selected areas further away from their seasonal range of the previous year than females that died. 5. We provide one of the first evidences that making seasonal adjustments in range fidelity can be an adaptive behaviour influencing the spatial distribution of a threatened species. Assessing the seasonal nature of range fidelity tactics may improve our predictions of space use and associated fitness implications for species displaying this behaviour.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: From fine-scale foraging to home ranges: a semi-variance approach to identifying movement modes across spatiotemporal scales

Understanding animal movement is a key challenge in ecology and conservation biology. Relocation data often represent a complex mixture of different movement behaviors, and reliably decomposing this mix into its component parts is an unresolved problem in movement ecology. Traditional approaches, such as composite random walk models, require that the timescales characterizing the movement are all similar to the usually arbitrary data-sampling rate. Movement behaviors such as long-distance searching and fine-scale foraging, however, are often intermixed but operate on vastly different spatial and temporal scales. An approach that integrates the full sweep of movement behaviors across scales is currently lacking. Here we show how the semivariance function (SVF) of a stochastic movement process can both identify multiple movement modes and solve the sampling rate problem. We express a broad range of continuous-space, continuous-time stochastic movement models in terms of their SVFs, connect them to relocation data via variogram regression, and compare them using standard model selection techniques. We illustrate our approach using Mongolian gazelle relocation data and show that gazelle movement is characterized by ballistic foraging movements on a 6-h timescale, fast diffusive searching with a 10-week timescale, and asymptotic diffusion over longer timescales.

opencc-zeroMay 2019View details →

Data from: Home-range size of an Andean bird: assessing the role of physical condition

Because space-use patterns are a key aspect of the ecology and distribution of species, identifying factors associated with variation in size of territories and home ranges has been central to studies on population ecology. Space use might vary in response to extrinsic factors like habitat quality and to intrinsic factors like physical condition and individual behavior (aggressiveness). However, the role of these factors has been poorly documented in the tropics, particularly in high-elevation bird species. We report the home-range size of a Neotropical Andean bird, the Grey-browed Brush finch (Arremon assimilis), and evaluate the role of physical condition in explaining variation in home-range size among individuals. We performed spot mapping to estimate the home ranges of 14 territorial males in Bogotá, Colombia, using minimum convex polygons (MCP) and 95% kernel density estimators (KDE). The mean home-range size estimated for the 100% MCP was 0.522 ± 0.305 ha (range = 0.15-1.18 ha), whereas the 95% KDE estimation was 0.504 ± 0.471 ha (range = 0.13-1.88). We calculated the real mass index of each bird as a proxy of physical condition to assess whether individuals in better physical condition had larger home-ranges. Because we found no relation between our estimations of physical condition and home-range size, we conclude that space use in this species might depend more on ecological factors such as habitat quality or neighbor density than on individual traits.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Evaluation of Argos telemetry accuracy in the High-Arctic and implications for the estimation of home-range size

Animal tracking through Argos satellite telemetry has enormous potential to test hypotheses in animal behavior, evolutionary ecology, or conservation biology. Yet the applicability of this technique cannot be fully assessed because no clear picture exists as to the conditions influencing the accuracy of Argos locations. Latitude, type of environment, and transmitter movement are among the main candidate factors affecting accuracy. A posteriori data filtering can remove "bad" locations, but again testing is still needed to refine filters. First, we evaluate experimentally the accuracy of Argos locations in a polar terrestrial environment (Nunavut, Canada), with both static and mobile transmitters transported by humans and coupled to GPS transmitters. We report static errors among the lowest published. However, the 68th error percentiles of mobile transmitters were 1.7 to 3.8 times greater than those of static transmitters. Second, we test how different filtering methods influence the quality of Argos location datasets. Accuracy of location datasets was best improved when filtering in locations of the best classes (LC3 and 2), while the Douglas Argos filter and a homemade speed filter yielded similar performance while retaining more locations. All filters effectively reduced the 68th error percentiles. Finally, we assess how location error impacted, at six spatial scales, two common estimators of home-range size (a proxy of animal space use behavior synthetizing movements), the minimum convex polygon and the fixed kernel estimator. Location error led to a sometimes dramatic overestimation of home-range size, especially at very local scales. We conclude that Argos telemetry is appropriate to study medium-size terrestrial animals in polar environments, but recommend that location errors are always measured and evaluated against research hypotheses, and that data are always filtered before analysis. How movement speed of transmitters affects location error needs additional research.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Movement is the glue connecting home ranges and habitat selection

1. Animal space use has been studied by focusing either on geographic (e.g. home ranges, species' distribution) or on environmental (e.g. habitat use and selection) space. However, all patterns of space use emerge from individual movements, which are the primary means by which animals change their environment. 2. Individuals increase their use of a given area by adjusting two key movement components: the duration of their visit and/or the frequency of revisits. Thus, in spatially heterogeneous environments, animals exploit known, high-quality resource areas by increasing their residence time (RT) in and/or decreasing their time to return (TtoR) to these areas. We expected that spatial variation in these two movement properties should lead to observed patterns of space use in both geographic and environmental spaces. We derived a set of nine predictions linking spatial distribution of movement properties to emerging space-use patterns. We predicted that, at a given scale, high variation in RT and TtoR among habitats leads to strong habitat selection and that long RT and short TtoR result in a small home range size. 3. We tested these predictions using moose (Alces alces) GPS tracking data. We first modelled the relationship between landscape characteristics and movement properties. Then, we investigated how the spatial distribution of predicted movement properties (i.e. spatial autocorrelation, mean, and variance of RT and TtoR) influences home range size and hierarchical habitat selection. 4. In landscapes with high spatial autocorrelation of RT and TtoR, a high variation in both RT and TtoR occurred in home ranges. As expected, home range location was highly selective in such landscapes (i.e. second-order habitat selection); RT was higher and TtoR lower within the selected home range than outside, and moose home ranges were small. Within home ranges, a higher variation in both RT and TtoR was associated with higher selectivity among habitat types (i.e. third-order habitat selection). 5. Our findings show how patterns of geographic and environmental space use correspond to the two sides of a coin, linked by movement responses of individuals to environmental heterogeneity. By demonstrating the potential to assess the consequences of altering RT or TtoR (e.g. through human disturbance or climatic changes) on home range size and habitat selection, our work sets the basis for new theoretical and methodological advances in movement ecology

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Scale-dependent home range optimality for a solitary omnivore

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity are fundamental mechanisms structuring home ranges. Under optimality, an individual should structure their space use economically to maximize fitness. We evaluated support for three hypotheses related to range optimality in American black bears (Ursus americanus), predicting (1) range location on a landscape will correspond with high vegetation productivity, (2) increasing forest fragmentation will result in larger ranges, and (3) increasing proportion of forest and/or mean vegetation productivity will result in smaller ranges. We used black bear radio telemetry data from Michigan (2009-2015), Missouri (2010-2016) and Mississippi (2008-2017), USA. Annual space use excluded winter, and we separated seasonal space use into spring, summer, and fall. We collected data from 143 bears (80 females, 63 males), resulting in 97 annual and 538 seasonal ranges. We used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate productivity (estimated through Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) selection, and range size (km2) variation between individuals. At the annual scale, black bears consistently selected areas with greater vegetation productivity than the surrounding landscape; yet selection weakened and was more variable seasonally. Opposite to our prediction, we found that increasing fragmentation consistently resulted in smaller ranges; non-forested land covers and forest edges might provide greater abundance or more diverse foods for bears. Ranges with a greater proportion of forest were smaller, likely reflecting an increase in food and cover which could reduce movements, yet there was no support for more productive ranges also being smaller as expected from an area minimizing strategy. Black bears displayed a scale-dependent space use strategy: at larger spatial and temporal scales, productivity acted as the strongest limiting factor and energy maximizing was the dominant strategy, while an area minimizing strategy was exhibited seasonally. We revealed consistent, scale-dependent responses by black bears to environmental conditions, demonstrating the intrinsic plasticity of this adaptable omnivore.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Data from: Resource exploitation collapses the home range of an apex predator

Optimizing energy acquisition and expenditure is a fundamental trade-off for consumers, strikingly reflected in how mobile organisms use space. Several studies have established that home range size decreases as resource density increases, but the balance of costs and benefits associated with exploiting a given resource density is unclear. We evaluate how the ability of consumers to exploit their resources through movement (termed "resource exploitation") interacts with resource density to influence home range size. We then contrast two hypotheses to evaluate how resource exploitation influences home range size across a vast gradient of productivity and density of human-created linear features (roads and seismic lines) that are known to facilitate animal movements. Under the Diffusion Facilitation Hypothesis, linear features are predicted to lead to more diffuse space use and larger home ranges. Under the Exploitation Efficiency Hypothesis, linear features are predicted to increase foraging efficiency, resulting in less space being required to meet energetic demands and therefore smaller home ranges. Using GPS telemetry data from 142 wolves (Canis lupus) distributed over more than 500,000 km2, we found that wolf home range size was influenced by the interaction between resource density and exploitation efficiency. Home range size decreased as linear feature density increased, supporting the Exploitation Efficiency Hypothesis. However, the effect of linear features on home range size diminished in more productive areas, suggesting that exploitation efficiency is of greater importance when resource density is low. These results suggest that smaller home ranges will occur where both linear feature density and primary productivity are higher, thereby increasing regional wolf density.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

On this side of the fence: Functional responses to linear landscape features shape the home range of large herbivores

1. Understanding the consequences of global change for animal movement is a major issue for conservation and management. In particular, habitat fragmentation generates increased densities of linear landscape features that can impede movements. 2. While the influence of these features on animal movements has been intensively investigated, they may also play a key role at broader spatial scales (e.g. the home range scale) as resources, cover from predators/humans, corridors/barriers, or landmarks. How space use respond to varying densities of linear features has been mostly overlooked in large herbivores, in contrast to studies done on predators. Focusing on large herbivores should provide additional insights to understand how animals solve the trade-off between energy acquisition and mortality risk. 3. Here, we investigated the role of anthropogenic (roads and tracks) and natural (ridges, valley bottoms and forest edges) linear features on home range features in five large herbivores. We analysed an extensive GPS monitoring data base of 696 individuals across nine populations, ranging from mountain areas mostly divided by natural features to lowlands that were highly fragmented by anthropogenic features. 4. Nearly all of the linear features studied were found at the home range periphery, suggesting that large herbivores primarily use them as landmarks to delimit their home range. In contrast, for mountain species, ridges often occurred in the core range, probably related to their functional role in terms of resources and refuge. When the density of linear features was high, they no longer occurred predominantly at the home range periphery, but instead were found across much of the home range. We suggest that, in highly fragmented landscapes, large herbivores are constrained by the costs of memorising the spatial location of key features, and by the requirement for a minimum area to satisfy their vital needs. 5. These patterns were mostly consistent in both males and females and across species, suggesting that linear features have a preponderant influence on how large herbivores perceive and use the landscape.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Home range sizes of red deer in contrasting landscapes and implications for management

Knowledge about deer spatial use is essential for damage mitigation and management coordination. Here we assess annual and seasonal home range sizes for red deer in Sweden, based on data from GPS-marked deer in two regions with different management systems and contrasting landscapes. We compare our findings with reviewed data on European red deer (Cervus elaphus) home range sizes in Europe. We found that female annual home ranges (95% kernels) were 2.7 times larger in a mixed agricultural-forest landscape compared to a forest-dominated landscape. Core areas (50% kernels) were approximately 1/5 of the full annual home ranges (90% kernels) regardless of region. Home range size in the forest landscape showed little inter-seasonal variation whereas in the agricultural-forest landscape, home ranges were significantly larger during calving, hunt, and winter-spring compared to summer and rut. In the forest landscape, females had home range sizes that enables single red deer management areas to manage their own females. Whereas, within the agricultural-forest landscape, female spatial use cover several license units. Here, the coordinated license system is needed to reach trade-offs between goals of conservation, game management, and damage mitigation. Males had in general larger home ranges than females. The majority of the males made a seasonal migration to and from the rutting areas. The license system in the agricultural-forest landscape is large enough to manage migrating males, but in the forest landscape a coordination of several deer management areas is needed in order to encompass male spatial use.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Food for thought: Barro Colorado Island frugivore home range summaries

This dataset consists of home-range area summaries of four species of frugivores on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, including 12 kinkajou (Potos flavus), 16 white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), 8 white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus), and 8 spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). Summaries include effective sample sizes (DOF) as well as parameter estimates (in hectares) including upper and lower confidence intervals. Metadata for each individual are provided including their indivdual ID and species ID. The summaries of the autocorrelated kernel density estimates include additional metadata regarding the sex, weight, and sampling year of each individual.

Nesokia is sister to Bandicota and are nested in Rattus phylogenetically, making Rat- tus paraphyletic. Tarsomys, Limnomys, and Diplothrix are also phylogenetically in Rat- tus, and the clade is in need of focused re- vision at the generic level. Nesokia bunnui was originally described as a separate ge-nus, Erythronesokia, because it is morphologically very distinctive from N. indica. Type specimen was destroyed during the Iraq War, and a neotype was recently designated to replace it. Monotypic. Distribution. Tigris and Euphrates river valleys, SE Iraq. Descriptive notes. Head—body 230-260 mm, tail 205-270 mm, ear 18-21 mm, hindfoot 49-58 mm; weight 519 g. The Long-tailed Bandicoot Rat is larger than the Short-tailed Bandicoot Rat (N. indica). Pelage is soft and woolly, interspersed with harsher coarse hair and long black hairs near mid-back. Dorsum is fawn to ocherous red, washed with purple or chestnuton darker individuals. Hairs are basally slate-gray and distally rufous, occasionally with whitish or black tips. Muzzle is drab. Sides arefawn, with gray edge toward venter. Venteris whitish, extending onto cheeks where the same pattern from gray to fawn to dorsal pelage occurs. Feet are large and robust, being light brown and well-furred dorsally. Claws are amber on forefeet and dull brown on hindfeet; pollux is extremely small. Ears are moderately long and brownish, with no hair internally. Tail is ¢.82-104% of head-body length and deep brownish drab, interspersed with visible white hair. Skull is large and robust, similarly to the Short-tailed Bandicoot Rat. Habitat. Marsh and swamp land. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. The Long-tailed Bandicoot Rat is terrestrial, although it isfound in swampy and marshy areas and is probably amphibious. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Longtailed Bandicoot Rat is apparently rare and is known from very few specimens. Marsh and swamp habitats in which it is found were completely destroyed during the Iraq War by draining, war damage, and agricultural expansion. In recent years, flooding from Tigris and Euphrates rivers and high snow fall and melt haveresulted in partial restoration ofits native habitat, although restoration is not a complete. Populations are now probably highly fragmented. Bibliography. Al-Ansari et al. (2012), Al-Robaae & Felten (1990), Khajuria (1981), Krystufek et al. (2017), Musser & Carleton (2005), Richardson & Hussain (2006), Stuart (2008). in Muridae

Nesokia is sister to Bandicota and are nested in Rattus phylogenetically, making Rat- tus paraphyletic. Tarsomys, Limnomys, and Diplothrix are also phylogenetically in Rat- tus, and the clade is in need of focused re- vision at the generic level. Nesokia bunnui was originally described as a separate ge-nus, Erythronesokia, because it is morphologically very distinctive from N. indica. Type specimen was destroyed during the Iraq War, and a neotype was recently designated to replace it. Monotypic. Distribution. Tigris and Euphrates river valleys, SE Iraq. Descriptive notes. Head—body 230-260 mm, tail 205-270 mm, ear 18-21 mm, hindfoot 49-58 mm; weight 519 g. The Long-tailed Bandicoot Rat is larger than the Short-tailed Bandicoot Rat (N. indica). Pelage is soft and woolly, interspersed with harsher coarse hair and long black hairs near mid-back. Dorsum is fawn to ocherous red, washed with purple or chestnuton darker individuals. Hairs are basally slate-gray and distally rufous, occasionally with whitish or black tips. Muzzle is drab. Sides arefawn, with gray edge toward venter. Venteris whitish, extending onto cheeks where the same pattern from gray to fawn to dorsal pelage occurs. Feet are large and robust, being light brown and well-furred dorsally. Claws are amber on forefeet and dull brown on hindfeet; pollux is extremely small. Ears are moderately long and brownish, with no hair internally. Tail is ¢.82-104% of head-body length and deep brownish drab, interspersed with visible white hair. Skull is large and robust, similarly to the Short-tailed Bandicoot Rat. Habitat. Marsh and swamp land. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. The Long-tailed Bandicoot Rat is terrestrial, although it isfound in swampy and marshy areas and is probably amphibious. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Longtailed Bandicoot Rat is apparently rare and is known from very few specimens. Marsh and swamp habitats in which it is found were completely destroyed during the Iraq War by draining, war damage, and agricultural expansion. In recent years, flooding from Tigris and Euphrates rivers and high snow fall and melt haveresulted in partial restoration ofits native habitat, although restoration is not a complete. Populations are now probably highly fragmented. Bibliography. Al-Ansari et al. (2012), Al-Robaae & Felten (1990), Khajuria (1981), Krystufek et al. (2017), Musser & Carleton (2005), Richardson & Hussain (2006), Stuart (2008).

Distribution. Mt Cameroon, W Cameroon, and Bioko I, Equatorial Guinea. Descriptive notes. Head-body 100- 130 mm, tail 110-147 mm, ear 16-20 mm, hindfoot 21-25 mm; weight 27-62 g. Fur of the Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse is dark rufous-brown to blackish brown above and pale to dark gray below. Tail is very long (c.112% of head-body length) and dark. Hindfeet and forefeet are dark brown. Females have three pairs of nipples. Habitat. Montane forest and alpine grassland at elevations above 1000 m. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. Gestation lasts 26-30 days. Litters have 2-6 young. Activity patterns. The Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse occurs in two disjunct areas occupying only ¢.2900 km? and the extent and quality of its forest habitat continue to decline. Bibliography. Eisentraut (1970, 1973), Happold (2013a), Missoup et al. (2012), Monadjem etal. (2015). in Muridae

Distribution. Mt Cameroon, W Cameroon, and Bioko I, Equatorial Guinea. Descriptive notes. Head-body 100- 130 mm, tail 110-147 mm, ear 16-20 mm, hindfoot 21-25 mm; weight 27-62 g. Fur of the Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse is dark rufous-brown to blackish brown above and pale to dark gray below. Tail is very long (c.112% of head-body length) and dark. Hindfeet and forefeet are dark brown. Females have three pairs of nipples. Habitat. Montane forest and alpine grassland at elevations above 1000 m. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. Gestation lasts 26-30 days. Litters have 2-6 young. Activity patterns. The Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse occurs in two disjunct areas occupying only ¢.2900 km? and the extent and quality of its forest habitat continue to decline. Bibliography. Eisentraut (1970, 1973), Happold (2013a), Missoup et al. (2012), Monadjem etal. (2015).

Deccan region, Madras, India. Genus Vandeleuria is masculine, so widely used specific name oleracea has been changed for gender agreement. Vandeleuria oleraceusis possibly a composite of species. Polytypic, but subspecific taxonomy requires reassessment. Distribution. Widespread in S Asia (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lan-ka), S China (W & S Yunnan), and mainland SE Asia N of the Isthmus of Kra. Descriptive notes. Head-body 68 mm, tail 105 mm, ear 13 mm, hindfoot 17 mm; weight 10 g. The Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse is small, with flat nail on outer finger and outertoe; tail is slender, brown, twice as long as head-body length, and lacks distal tuft. Dorsal pelageis silky and salmon in color; venter is white, with fulvous hues. Habitat. Tall cane and tangled vines in primary and secondary forest such as bamboo forest, moist deciduous forest, temperate forests, montane wet zone, and disturbed secondary forests, and perhaps agricultural areas at elevations of 150-1500 m. Food and Feeding. Indomalayan [Long-tailed Climbing Mice eat fruits, buds, and flowers. Breeding. Litters of the Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse have 3-6 young. Activity patterns. Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mice are arboreal and nocturnal, although one individual was caught duringthe day. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mice build nests in tall bushes or cane to rear their young. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Last (as V. olacea). The Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse occurs in several habitats and a wide distribution that includes national parks. Further taxonomical studies are required to assess conservation status ofthis potentially diverse species complex. Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Dang Huy Huynh et al. (1994), Ellerman (1941), Marshall (1977b), Musser & Carleton (2005), Osgood (1932), Phillips (1980), Wang Yingxiang (2003). in Muridae

Deccan region, Madras, India. Genus Vandeleuria is masculine, so widely used specific name oleracea has been changed for gender agreement. Vandeleuria oleraceusis possibly a composite of species. Polytypic, but subspecific taxonomy requires reassessment. Distribution. Widespread in S Asia (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lan-ka), S China (W & S Yunnan), and mainland SE Asia N of the Isthmus of Kra. Descriptive notes. Head-body 68 mm, tail 105 mm, ear 13 mm, hindfoot 17 mm; weight 10 g. The Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse is small, with flat nail on outer finger and outertoe; tail is slender, brown, twice as long as head-body length, and lacks distal tuft. Dorsal pelageis silky and salmon in color; venter is white, with fulvous hues. Habitat. Tall cane and tangled vines in primary and secondary forest such as bamboo forest, moist deciduous forest, temperate forests, montane wet zone, and disturbed secondary forests, and perhaps agricultural areas at elevations of 150-1500 m. Food and Feeding. Indomalayan [Long-tailed Climbing Mice eat fruits, buds, and flowers. Breeding. Litters of the Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse have 3-6 young. Activity patterns. Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mice are arboreal and nocturnal, although one individual was caught duringthe day. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mice build nests in tall bushes or cane to rear their young. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Last (as V. olacea). The Indomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse occurs in several habitats and a wide distribution that includes national parks. Further taxonomical studies are required to assess conservation status ofthis potentially diverse species complex. Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Dang Huy Huynh et al. (1994), Ellerman (1941), Marshall (1977b), Musser & Carleton (2005), Osgood (1932), Phillips (1980), Wang Yingxiang (2003).

Distribution. Now restricted to the Channel Country of SW Queensland and the Lake Eyre Basin in NE South Australia. Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-120 mm, tail 105-160 mm, ear 23-29 mm, hindfoot 32-37 mm; weight 30-50 g. The Fawn Hopping Mouse has body form typical of hopping mice, with very long hindfeet, long tail with distal brush of longer hairs, very long ears, and large protruberant eyes. Dorsal fur is of variable color, from pale pinkish fawn to gray; ventral fur white. Unlike most other hopping mice, it has no throat pouch, but males have a glandular area of naked skin on the chest. Habitat. Occurs in low shrublands and tussock grasslands on stony ("gibber") plains and claypans. Shows marked habitat segregation from the Dusky Hopping Mouse (N. fuscus), which is closely associated with sandy substrates. Food and Feeding. The Fawn Hopping Mouse is mostly granivorous, but also eats other plant material (stems, leaves) and occasionally invertebrates. It uses succulent, salt-adapted plants around edges of claypans as a source of water. Breeding. Reproduction is probably largely opportunistic and aseasonal, with high reproductive output from near-continuous breeding after periods of high rainfall; reported littersize is 1-5, most commonly three; gestation period 38-43 days for nonlactating females. Females may mature later than other hopping mice, with reproductive maturity reached at about six months. Activity patterns. Terrestrial and nocturnal. Fawn Hopping Mice shelter during day in burrow systems that are typically simpler and shallower than those of other hopping mice. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Fawn Hopping Mice generally live singly or in small groups; typically uncommon within range, but population density may increase by an order of magnitude following periods of high rainfall. Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Fawn Hopping Mouse has shown marked decline in range (estimated at greater than 50%), and presumably population size, since European settlement of Australia. This is mostlikely due to predation by the introduced house cat and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), and to habitat degradation associated with pastoralism. Bibliography. Brazenor (1934), Burbidge et al. (2008), Finlayson (1939), Gould (1853), Jackson & Groves (2015), Murray et al. (1999), Ogilby (1892), Thomas (1921h), Van Dyck & Strahan (2008), Waite (1898), Watts & Aslin (1981), Woinarski et al. (2014), Wood Jones (1925). in Muridae

Distribution. Now restricted to the Channel Country of SW Queensland and the Lake Eyre Basin in NE South Australia. Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-120 mm, tail 105-160 mm, ear 23-29 mm, hindfoot 32-37 mm; weight 30-50 g. The Fawn Hopping Mouse has body form typical of hopping mice, with very long hindfeet, long tail with distal brush of longer hairs, very long ears, and large protruberant eyes. Dorsal fur is of variable color, from pale pinkish fawn to gray; ventral fur white. Unlike most other hopping mice, it has no throat pouch, but males have a glandular area of naked skin on the chest. Habitat. Occurs in low shrublands and tussock grasslands on stony ("gibber") plains and claypans. Shows marked habitat segregation from the Dusky Hopping Mouse (N. fuscus), which is closely associated with sandy substrates. Food and Feeding. The Fawn Hopping Mouse is mostly granivorous, but also eats other plant material (stems, leaves) and occasionally invertebrates. It uses succulent, salt-adapted plants around edges of claypans as a source of water. Breeding. Reproduction is probably largely opportunistic and aseasonal, with high reproductive output from near-continuous breeding after periods of high rainfall; reported littersize is 1-5, most commonly three; gestation period 38-43 days for nonlactating females. Females may mature later than other hopping mice, with reproductive maturity reached at about six months. Activity patterns. Terrestrial and nocturnal. Fawn Hopping Mice shelter during day in burrow systems that are typically simpler and shallower than those of other hopping mice. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Fawn Hopping Mice generally live singly or in small groups; typically uncommon within range, but population density may increase by an order of magnitude following periods of high rainfall. Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Fawn Hopping Mouse has shown marked decline in range (estimated at greater than 50%), and presumably population size, since European settlement of Australia. This is mostlikely due to predation by the introduced house cat and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), and to habitat degradation associated with pastoralism. Bibliography. Brazenor (1934), Burbidge et al. (2008), Finlayson (1939), Gould (1853), Jackson & Groves (2015), Murray et al. (1999), Ogilby (1892), Thomas (1921h), Van Dyck & Strahan (2008), Waite (1898), Watts & Aslin (1981), Woinarski et al. (2014), Wood Jones (1925).

The first comprehensive revision of all the species attributed to Melomys led J. I. Menzies in 1996 to resurrect the genus Paramelomys and to redefine its morphologicallimits and species content. Menzies created P. gressitti as a new species belonging to a group displaying morphological similarities and including also P. lorentzii and P. moncktoni. Monotypic Distribution. E New Guinea. Descriptive notes. Head-body 135-162 mm, hindfoot 30-34 mm; no specific data are available for body weight. Gressitt's Mosaic-tailed Rat is a medium-sized Paramelomys with a soft, thick and woolly pelage, a long narrow foot, and a tail with three hairs per scale. It exhibits a medium-sepia dorsal pelage and a gray-buff ventral one. Tail is slightly shorter (99%) than head-body length. The skull has a narrow zygomatic plate. Habitat. Moist tropical mountain forest between 2300 m and 2400 m. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. Gressitt's Mosaic-tailed Rat is terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List owing to its small geographic range (less than 3500 km?*) and the destruction ofits habitat by mining and logging activities. The major threat to Gressitt's Mosaic-tailed Rat is ongoing habitat degradation caused by nearby human populations; habitat on Mount Kandy has been destroyed by gold-miners and wood-cutters. Bibliography. Menzies (1996). in Muridae

The first comprehensive revision of all the species attributed to Melomys led J. I. Menzies in 1996 to resurrect the genus Paramelomys and to redefine its morphologicallimits and species content. Menzies created P. gressitti as a new species belonging to a group displaying morphological similarities and including also P. lorentzii and P. moncktoni. Monotypic Distribution. E New Guinea. Descriptive notes. Head-body 135-162 mm, hindfoot 30-34 mm; no specific data are available for body weight. Gressitt's Mosaic-tailed Rat is a medium-sized Paramelomys with a soft, thick and woolly pelage, a long narrow foot, and a tail with three hairs per scale. It exhibits a medium-sepia dorsal pelage and a gray-buff ventral one. Tail is slightly shorter (99%) than head-body length. The skull has a narrow zygomatic plate. Habitat. Moist tropical mountain forest between 2300 m and 2400 m. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. Gressitt's Mosaic-tailed Rat is terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List owing to its small geographic range (less than 3500 km?*) and the destruction ofits habitat by mining and logging activities. The major threat to Gressitt's Mosaic-tailed Rat is ongoing habitat degradation caused by nearby human populations; habitat on Mount Kandy has been destroyed by gold-miners and wood-cutters. Bibliography. Menzies (1996).