Mammal Study
Volume 39, Issue 3, 2014
Volumes & issues:
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ORIGINAL PAPER
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of the Japanese Weasel Mustela itatsi and the Siberian Weasel M. sibirica in Japan
View Description Hide DescriptionAbstract.The vertical distribution of introduced Siberian weasels Mustela sibirica and endemic Japanese weasels M. itatsi in the Seburi Mountains in Kyushu, Japan, was examined from October 1996 to February 1998. Siberian weasels occurred near villages with paddy and cultivated fields, whereas Japanese weasels occurred in grasslands and plantations. The dispersion of yearlings destabilized the distributions of both weasel species. The horizontal distribution of both species throughout Japan was examined by means of collection of dead specimens and by trapping from March 1998 to March 2002. The eastern boundary of the distribution of the Siberian weasel was Fukui, Nagano, and Aichi prefectures; however, the distribution is expanding slowly eastward. The Siberian weasel cannot invade new habitats that lack nearby villages in Seburi, and cannot expand its range in the eastern area of Aichi, where Japanese weasels are dominant. The presence of the Japanese weasel likely prevents expansion of the distribution of the Siberian weasel.
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Terrestrial Mammal Species Richness and Composition in Three Small Forest Patches within an Oil Palm Landscape in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
View Description Hide DescriptionAbstract.Small and highly degraded forest patches are usually scattered across oil palm plantation landscapes and often exist as permanent features. By using a combination of camera-trapping and line-transect methods, we evaluated the usefulness of three such forest patches (< 30 ha) for terrestrial mammal species conservation in a mature oil palm plantation located near (< 1.7 km) a large continuous tract of logged forest in eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Of the 29 terrestrial mammal species recorded in this study, 28 were found in the continuous logged forest habitat including six species that are either large-bodied, wide ranging, locally rare or are of high conservation concern. In comparison, 18 species were recorded across the three forest patches collectively; consisting mostly of species that are widespread, well-adapted to living in highly modified habitats and of low conservation concern. The presence of small forest patches within the oil palm habitat matrix seemed to be useful to some extent for some mammal species. However, many of the species were likely only transient in this habitat. The maintenance of large continuous tracts of natural forest is critical to the continued survival of many terrestrial mammal species on Borneo, particularly for species that are of high conservation value.
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SHORT COMMUNICATION
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Food Habits of the Urban Japanese Weasels Mustela itatsi Revealed by Faecal DNA Analysis
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Broad-Leaved Forest Selection of the Japanese Marten (Martes melampus) in Central Japan Revealed by Camera Trapping
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Environmental Factors for Efficiently Baiting Red Foxes in Agricultural Areas in Eastern Hokkaido, Japan
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Use of Haul-Out Sites by Spotted Seals (Phoca largha) on Rebun and Todojima Islands in the Japan Sea from 2008 to 2009
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Evolution of Relative Lower Molar Sizes Among Local Populations of the Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Japan
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SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
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Sexual Size Dimorphism in Bonin Flying Foxes Pteropus pselaphon on Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands
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