The patterns of morphometric variation in skulls among different species and among intraspecies geographic populations, of five taxa (four species and one subspecies) of the mole genus Euroscaptor from Vietnam were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted based on 16 measurements of 140 specimens. Four groups based on skull size and shape were identified: 1. E. kuznetsovi + E. orlovi, 2. E. subanura, 3. E. parvidens ngoclinhensis, and 4. E. p. parvidens. Euroscaptor p. parvidens and E. p. ngoclinhensis clearly differed in overall size, proportions, and allometry trends. Therefore, E. p. parvidens and E. p. ngoclinhensis likely represent distinct species. Our analysis also revealed remarkable interspecies and geographic variations in 18 Vietnamese populations of studied taxa. Based on morphological divergence patterns, previous molecular evidence, and data on geographic distribution, we discuss the importance of geographical isolation caused by rivers, mountains, and altitudinal distribution.

We examined whether masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) would leave claw marks on wooden poles by having them climb poles experimentally. We also examined the features of civet's claw marks that are generally mistaken for claw marks of racoons (Procyon lotor). The test sessions included two conditions: square and round poles of different sizes (10, 15, and 20 cm). Civets climbed wooden poles regardless of the shape and usually left short claw marks on the pole surface. The claw marks that are generally mistaken for those of a raccoon (five fingers, claw marks over 4 cm in width and over 1 cm in length) occurred in 7.6% of tracks with the 10-cm square pole, 4.1% of tracks with the 15-cm square pole, and 0.6% of tracks with the 20-cm square pole. In the round pole experiments, claw marks generally mistaken for those of a raccoon occurred in 0.0% of tracks with the 10-cm diameter pole, 0.4% of tracks with the 15-cm diameter pole, and 2.1% with 20-cm diameter pole. These results suggest that the presence of masked palm civets would have little impact on the use of claw marks to assess raccoon distribution.

Ratufa bicolor is a diurnal, arboreal, and herbivorous rodent occurs mainly in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of north-eastern India and known to be one of the forest health indicator species. The present study was conducted to enumerate the climatic factors governing the distribution of R. bicolor in its habitat range in India and their climatic refuge in the middle of the 21st century, based on the approach of Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). Currently, 56.62% area of the distributional range of R. bicolor in India is unsuitable and with only 43.38% area as favorable for the species. With changing climate by 2050, only 2.94% area of the present range of R. bicolor will remain suitable habitat and remaining 97.06% area will become unsuitable for the species and by then, the species will lose more than 90% of its distribution range gaining only 1.45% area as newly suitable habitat in India. Thus, suitable conservation and management strategies need to be developed to save this species which will be on the verge of extinction in the wild at least locally including ex-situ conservation techniques or conservation breeding programs that may be initiated for protecting this squirrel species from north-eastern India.

Extrapolation of spatio-temporal association in the guild of vulnerable wetland species like the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus Bennet, 1833) can inform strategies for conservation action. Camera trap study was conducted at Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWLS) and the adjoined mangroves located in the East Godavari River Estuarine system (EGREE) which harbours the second largest population of fishing cats in India. The study recorded fishing cats (n = 495), jackals (n = 472), rhesus macaques (n = 186), smooth-coated otters (n = 24), jungle cats (n = 13), mongooses (n = 3), rodents (n = 49), birds (n = 62), and humans (n = 793). A predominant nocturnal activity was observed for the fishing cat and jungle cat, while the jackal showed bimodal activity. The fishing cat showed a high temporal overlap with rodents and considerable spatio-temporal segregation towards human disturbances. The overall structure of spatio-temporal relations indicates segregation in the guild and maybe an effective strategy to avoid competition. The anthropogenic stress and the negative interactions lead to conflicts which are detrimental in sustaining a viable fishing cat population in EGREE. Our study accentuates this fact and substantiates that EGREE delta region is a benign fishing cat habitat if human disturbances are abridged.

Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial D-loop region were examined in three wild rodents (Apodemus argenteus, Apodemus speciosus, and Myodes smithii) on the northern slope of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, to elucidate the past evolutionary and present anthropogenic processes shaping their genetic diversity. Nucleotide diversity, median-joining network, and mismatch distribution analyses suggested that A. argenteus has multiple divergent lineages, possibly due to multiple previous expansion events, whereas A. speciosus and M. smithii are younger lineages that could be derived from single expansion events. These findings indicate that Mt. Fuji plays an important role as a reservoir maintaining lineages through multiple past expansion events. Artificial infrastructure also affected the genetic diversity of the two Apodemus species, as populations of these species on the two sides of the Fuji Subaru Line roadway were genetically distinct. To construct a proper conservation strategy based on genetic diversity, we suggest that the past and present contributors to genetic diversity must be clarified. Such clarification is especially important for the Mt. Fuji environment, which harbors rich biodiversity but also incurs much human impact as a national park.

Canopy subsidies have been attracting attention as food resources sustaining high-density deer populations in heavily browsed habitats; however, evaluation of the contribution of canopy subsidies to deer diets is still limited. We investigated the seasonal variation in and the nutritional value of the diet composition of a sika deer population in the Tanzawa Mountains using 126 rumen content samples collected from May 2015 to June 2016. The deer population depended more on evergreen tree leaves in the winter than it did in the other seasons. In the summer and autumn, the occupancy ratio of woody tissues (e.g., twigs) was relatively high compared with other seasons. Even in the spring, woody tissues and deciduous tree leaves accounted for a certain proportion of the sika deer diet. The crude protein (CP) content of the rumen content samples collected in spring (9.56–22.69%) satisfied the minimum dietary CP requirement estimates for maximum growth. The CP content of the rumen content samples collected in the other three seasons satisfied the minimum dietary CP requirement for maintenance. We suggested that canopy subsidies make high quantitative and qualitative contributions to the sustainment of high-density deer populations in heavily browsed habitats.

Hair biomarkers have been widely used to study wildlife physiology and ecology. To apply this technique to practical studies, detailed information on hair growth is needed for each study species. This study measured hair growth patterns, including growth rate, periods of growth and shedding, and hair bulb structural changes in the brown bear. Hair growth was examined monthly in captive bears, and gross observations of fur were performed in wild bears. Guard hairs grew from late April to early October at an approximate rate of 0.5 mm/day for captive bears, and from late May to late September at an approximate rate of 0.7 mm/day for wild bears. Underfur began growing in August and continued into winter. The growth periods for intermediate hairs began at different times and lasted 3–5 months, depending on individuals. Most shedding was complete by August, and all shedding was complete by the end of September. Hair bulbs were classified into three types: white spheres (WS-type), black hooks (BH-type), and white hooks (WH-type). This classification can be used to discriminate between previous year's hair (WS-type) and current year's hair (BH-type or WH-type). The current findings will enhance the understanding of brown bear ecology in the wild.

Colobine monkeys generally spend less time each day engaged in social interactions than other primates. However, a notable feature of their social interaction involves females exchanging infants (i.e., infant handling). Here, we report on the handling of an infant in relation to pelage color change in a group of black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) housed in the Japan Monkey Centre. We found large variation in the speed of infant pelage color change among body parts (range 100–216 days) and documented that infant handling by non-mothers was related to the infant pelage color and/or moving ability (infant independence). Non-mothers, especially females, were clearly attracted to the newborn infant and often handled the infant in a few weeks of its birth, but handling decreased with infant age and corresponded both with the loss of the natal coat color and the infant acquiring effective locomotory independence. We document interesting patterns, but the conclusions we can draw are limited and future research should consider separating effects of infant pelage color and infant locomotory independence and evaluate the effect of infant body mass.

Pipistrelles of the genus Hypsugo are among the rarest bats in Japan, known from a handful of records. In June 2018, a sequence of echolocation calls apparently by a bat of this genus was recorded by an automatic ultrasound recorder on the island of Okinawa. The calls closely resemble H. pulveratus, a Chinese species never before recorded in Japan, and H. alaschanicus, a very rare species in Japan. They also resemble calls of Hypsugo sp. bats from a small population recently discovered on nearby Amami-Oshima Island. The extreme rarity in our recordings, combined with lack of detection in Okinawa by other surveys, suggests that the individual was a vagrant. However, given the cryptic nature of the species on Amami, it remains possible that there is a small and likely endangered resident population, underlining the need for further bat surveys on Okinawa and other Nansei Islands.