We studied the micro- and macrohabitat preferences of black rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) on St. Eustatius, a small, inhabited Caribbean island. Our study builds upon a preliminary assessment of invasive alien rodents on St. Eustatius, which has no extant native rodent species. We deployed tracking tunnels (baited cards with ink left overnight to track animal visitors to the card) in 12 macrohabitats to determine the presence and relative abundance of rodent species. Data were collected between July 2017 and May 2019. We collected data in 5 × 5 meter (n = 120) plots to determine whether grass cover, leaf litter cover, number of living trees, and other microhabitat components influenced habitat use by rats and mice. Rats were more likely to occur in microhabitats with more live trees, but with fewer logs and less grass and bare ground. Mice were more likely to occur in microhabitats with more bare ground. Rat tracks were recorded in all macrohabitats, whereas mouse tracks were detected in all but four, namely: C, M2, M3, and M5. Based on tracking tunnel data, the relative abundance of rats and mice ranged from 0% to 70%, respectively, in all macrohabitats over the study period. Rat relative abundance in forest macrohabitats differed significantly from that in other macrohabitats. Rat relative abundance in regenerating grassland differed significantly from that in other macrohabitats. There is evidence of habitat selection by rats at the micro- and macrohabitat scale, which could be linked to food availability. However, our study revealed only weak or no patterns of habitat selection by mice. Rat relative abundance differed significantly between the second and third assessment, and between the fourth and fifth assessment. Mouse relative abundance differed significantly between the first and second assessment.

We evaluated the impact of the Harrisia Cactus Mealybug (HCM), Hypogeococcus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), on seed germination of Pilosocereus royenii (Cactaceae) in Puerto Rico. Mature fruits were collected from individuals of P. royenii at various levels of HCM infestation, ranging from completely healthy plants to fruits growing directly on HCM-induced tumors. We hypothesized that germination will be directly and negatively affected by HCM infestation severity. After measuring germination and seedling survival for 160 days, we observed that seeds from fruits growing on tumors had the lowest germination rate compared to the other categories, as hypothesized. In addition, lightly infested plants germinated at a lesser rate compared to healthy plants, while seeds from severely infested plants germinated at a greater rate, contrasting with our hypothesis. We suggest that when the infestation is light, the host might be reallocating resources towards developing defensive responses. In contrast, when the infestation is severe, the host might be reallocating resources toward increasing germination.

We report the details of a case of toxicosis in two four-month-old mixed breed dogs by the Caribbean Sharp-nosed Pufferfish, Canthigaster rostrata, a small but lethally neurotoxic marine fish that contains tetrodotoxin (TTX) as well as potential saxitoxins (SSXs). Following consumption of at least 30 juvenile C. rostrata individuals, one dog showed gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms indicative of presumptive TTX poisoning that endured for four to six hours. The dog recovered within six to 12 hours following treatment with activated charcoal. The second dog consumed five to ten juvenile C. rostrata individuals and exhibited no major side-effects. To our knowledge, this is the first report of dogs poisoned by C. rostrata, which contributes to the present understanding of tetrodotoxin toxicosis and treatment in canines. We document this case to bring awareness of this potential risk to pet-owners and veterinarians working in coastal Neotropical areas.

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is an opportunistic omnivore introduced to sugar producing islands primarily to control rat (Rattus spp.) populations, yet is now considered an invasive pest species on multiple Caribbean islands. Data on home range estimates of mongooses in Puerto Rico and other regions are limited. We fitted 24 mongooses (15 males and nine females) with very high frequency (VHF) radio collars at the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Puerto Rico and tracked them via radio telemetry for up to six months. The raw mean (SE) minimum convex polygon home range among 24 mongooses was 45.03 (8.30) hectares. The mean (SE) fixed kernel 95% estimate was 38.37 (5.78) hectares, and the 50% core area estimate was 7.89 (1.29) hectares. Our home range estimates are similar to previous estimates in the Caribbean and other islands, but larger than those reported from their native range in India. Our study adds new information to the small body of literature available on mongoose home ranges and is one of the few studies conducted in a lowland dry semi-deciduous forest in southwestern Puerto Rico. Additional research on mongoose home ranges in suburban/rural habitats, as well as in agricultural areas, would provide valuable information for the management of wildlife disease and damage conflicts associated with mongooses in the Caribbean region.

The small Indian mongoose (Urva aurpunctata) is a non-indigenous wildlife reservoir for rabies virus on several Caribbean islands. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) has been suggested to prevent the spread of rabies in mongooses, but there are limited data on ORV bait survival in maritime/tropical climates. We compared disappearance rates of an egg-flavored bait block vs. a control (canned tuna) and for bait blocks, we assessed if season, habitat, and day/night would influence the disappearance rate. On the island of St. Kitts, West Indies, we baited 45 stations (n=35 bait blocks, n=10 controls) at dawn and checked them twice daily for 4 consecutive days. This procedure was repeated after a two-day period, for each combination of season (dry and wet) and habitat type (mixed grassland, littoral and dry forest). We used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate bait survival at 12 and 36 hours after baiting. Across all sites, control baits were removed faster than bait blocks, but by 36 hours, over 90% of all baits had disappeared. For bait blocks only, the disappearance rate was higher during the dry season and in the dry forest habitat compared to the other habitats. There was no difference between diurnal and nocturnal disappearance rates. While the exact species that consumed the baits remain uncertain, we found that mongooses readily remove bait blocks, along with non-native mammals (e.g., dogs and cats) and land crabs in littoral habitats. We suggest that the bait blocks used in this study may be suitable for use as an external bait matrix for ORV baits.

We present the first record of total leucism for the Clay-colored Thrush, Turdus grayi, and the fourth case of chromatic aberration for this species. From April 2019 to August 2020, we observed an adult individual characterized by a lack of pigmentation with completely white plumage and eyes of normal color. The locality of occurrence corresponds to the tropical humid forest of the Lancetilla Botanical Garden, 250 meters from the city of Tela, on the north coast of Honduras. Documenting these cases in the Neotropical region is important to better understand pigment abnormalities, and studies are necessary to evaluate the survival and reproductive success of birds that present a lack of pigmentation.

Larvae and small juveniles of Caribbean Polydactylus species (Teleostei: Polynemidae) are rarely seen. Here we describe a juvenile individual of Polydactylus oligodon, the Littlescale threadfin, collected on Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, West Indies.

This study focuses on understanding public support for the control of the invasive small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) in order to reduce predation pressure on endangered sea turtles. A sample of 104 residents and 103 visitors on St. Kitts was verbally interviewed about their knowledge, attitudes, and support for mongoose control. Respondents generally valued mongooses, but there was a high level of support for controlling them, preferably through non-lethal means, if these animals were perceived to present disease, or threats to agriculture or conservation efforts. Differences in responses were seen between residents and visitors, and by gender and level of education, showing that attitudes towards mongoose control were not homogeneous. The low perceived risks, perceived benefits, and positive attitudes towards mongooses found in this study seem to not favor lethal control measures, but may allow for non-lethal control if the risks can be made apparent to residents and visitors. Helping people formulate accurate perceptions of the risks and benefits is an important part of developing support for a management action. This invasive species management situation might benefit from a focus on protecting sea turtles to make it a specific and identifiable risk management action rather than focusing on generic mongoose control goals.

The Desmarest's hutia (hereafter hutia, Capromys pilorides) is a rodent endemic to the Republic of Cuba (hereafter Cuba) and its associated islands. There is little recent research focused on hutia population abundance and range use in southeastern Cuba. We evaluated the current status of the hutia population in southeastern Cuba through (1) estimation of population density via walking and driving surveys, and (2) hutia spatial ecology via Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Driving surveys indicated lower mean hutia density (x̄ = 0.14 hutias/ ha) than walking transects (x̄ = 1.13 hutias/ha). Three of 13 GPS-collared hutias provided sufficient data for range analyses as 10 hutias severely damaged their GPS units. Ranges were relatively small (50% Core Area, x̄ = 0.50 ha; 95% Range, x̄ = 2.63 ha) and individuals tended to stay very close to tree cover, only emerging at night to forage. We recommend continued monitoring of hutia populations due to their influence on rare vegetative communities and importance as a significant food source for the Cuban boa (Chilabothrus angulifer).

Information on the distribution of the Northern Ghost Bat, Diclidurus albus, in its natural distribution range, is scarce. In Honduras, four previous records are known. Here we add seven new locations, corresponding to five departments: Atlántida, Choluteca, Copán, Cortés, and Valle. We document the first records in the insular zone of the Gulf of Fonseca. We confirm the presence of D.albus on the northern coast, through records in San Pedro Sula and Jardín Botánico Lancetilla. We expand the distribution range towards the west zone of Honduras, in Copán Ruinas, approximately 63 km from the closest previous record from the year 1937. We update the distribution and perform ecological niche modelling that suggest, a wider presence, mainly in ecosystems associated with aquatic environments and dry forest below 1500 m.a.s.l. We provide the values of the different acoustic parameters, which can serve as a reference for the identification of D. albus at the local level. In addition, morphological, and ecological information is contributed thereby advancing the natural history knowledge of this species.

From January 2014 to April, 2015, eight high elevation ponds were sampled in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. These ponds were classified as small, mixed, or large based on cluster analysis, which created these groups based on size and physicochemical parameters. Regression of mass on length was completed for most benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, and consequently 170 length-mass equations were developed for use in mass determination locally and regionally. The sample area was taxonomically rich, consisting of 78 species, 43 families, and 14 orders, with class Insecta having the largest number of taxa. Biomass was constant over time, which implied that food availability was not limited for invertebrates in the sample area. The results indicated that biomass in the sample area was dominated by Aeshnidae and Belostomatidae, which had significantly higher values than most other taxa. Culicidae, and the families of Diptera in general, were not well represented in the biomass within the sample area. Total production for the sample area was estimated to be 398.87 g m^-2yr^-1, with the highest values for production being obtained for Anisoptera, Podocopoida, and Ephemeroptera; while the P/B ratio of Podocopoida was significantly higher than most taxa. When the results were assessed based on pond groups, families of the class Insecta, particularly Aeshnidae and Belostomatidae, had significantly high biomass in large and mixed ponds, while Physidae dominated the biomass of small ponds. The productivity results almost mirrored what was observed for biomass; however, Cypridoidea (ostracods) showed high productivity in the mixed group although its biomass contribution was <3%. These findings are the first to examine biomass, production and P/B ratios in a lentic habitat in Jamaica, compute length-mass equations, and form an important record against which other studies within the island and throughout the Caribbean can be compared to.