Buuvei is an EDGE Fellow researching the effect of domestic dogs on Mongolian saiga calf mortality - he sent us this update on his work:
Mongolian saiga (Saiga tatarica mongolica) are one of the last great migratory species of Asia. Their population size and range, however, have declined dramatically during the past half-century. This decline in numbers and distribution has been attributed to illegal hunting, increased number of livestock and natural disaster.
Understanding the effects of predation and other mortality factors on Mongolian saiga calf is critical to the long-term survival of the species. The saiga is endangered across its entire range, and in Mongolia very little is known about adult survival and no information exists about calf survival or causes of mortality.
Summer habitat of the Mongolian saiga
In May 2008, the Wildlife Conservation Society, in collaboration with Mongolian Academy of Sciences, initiated calf survival study in Shargyn Gobi, western Mongolia. The study on calf survival of saiga is the integral part of field research of the EDGE Programme. The team successfully captured 40 new born saiga calves (22 males, 18 females) and fitted with them expandable VHF radio-collars.
Collaring captured saiga calf
Eleven collared calves were solitary and the rest of the calves were twins. Of the captured twins, 4 were male-male pairs, 4 were female-female pairs, and 7 were mixed sexes. Male calf mass was greater than that of females.
Collared saiga calf
In order to evaluate an effect of domestic dog on spatial distribution of birth sites, we located the herders’ camp and birth sites using GPS unit. During the survey, we located in total 49 calves (46 live and 3 dead) and 9 herders’ camp.
Map of calf capture site and herders’ camp locations
Monitoring of the collared calves is still underway and each calf is located for three days each week.
If you would like to support Buuvei’s research towards the conservation of the Mongolian saiga, please click here or become an EDGE Champion.
Osé is an EDGE Fellow working on conservation of the Hispaniolan solenodon in the Massif de la Hotte, Haiti. Here he reports on some of his findings from recent fieldwork:
The solenodon seen as a pest
As you already know, the Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. However, according to the findings of different scientists, in Haiti they can be found only in the Massif de la Hotte. This is for several reasons - because of the elevation, the temperature, the remaining forest area; in one word because of the very special habitat.
Unfortunately, some inhabitants consider the Hispaniolan Solenodon and the Hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis) as pests; others consider them as wild animals that they can hunt and eat. And others barely consider it or don’t even know it as an important species for biodiversity.
A big problem identified up to Duchity (a town in the Massif de la Hotte) and the surrounded communities is that they confuse the hutia and the Hispaniolan solenodon; when you ask them about the “Nez longue” (solenodon), immediately, they refer to hutia; or sometimes some people confuse it with mongoose. We know this because of the description they make and the picture they identified for the solenodon. So, we know that they don’t really make the difference among those three species; especially between the “Zagouti” (hutia) and the “Nez Longue”. That means the work requires a good sense of humour, wisdom, and patience to find accurate information.
When the taro plantation of the subsistence agriculturalists has been devastated by the hutia they think this is the solenodon. According to several people interviewed, a long time ago they used to use dogs and traps to hunt these species because they considered them as pests. Some people even stated that if they could they would kill them. It isn’t that easy to convince them of the importance of the species. So, there is a need for an environmental education program in the region.
Other causes of the decline of the Hispaniolan solenodon
The species have their own predators including mongoose, cats, dogs, and others. Then, the excessive rate of deforestation and the fragmentation of the land for subsistence agriculture is one of the most dangerous threats for the habitat of the solenodon. There are no activities other than agriculture, charcoal making, home construction; all those activities are big factors of deforestation.
Then, from our observation, the birth control can be considered also as a big factor of deforestation. How? The more the population increase, the more the land will be fragmented and the higher the rate of deforestation, because parents tend to separate land to their children before they die. As a matter of fact, a stable community development program in the area will be more than helpful to conserve the habitat of the Hispaniolan solenodon in the wild.
If you would like to support OsĂ©’s work to conserve the Hispaniolan solenodon, please donate here or become an EDGE Champion here.
Scientists have described a new species of mouse lemur from Madagascar, bringing the total number of known species to 16.
Madagascar is famous for its exceptional biodiversity, and has an incredibly rich endemic fauna in relation to its limited surface area. Many of the mammals, amphibians, birds and plants are extremely evolutionarily distinct; a result of having evolved in isolation for 165 million years.Â
Like all other lemurs, mouse lemurs are unique to Madagascar. They are small nocturnal solitary foragers that can be found in all habitats of Madagascar. The genus Microcebus includes the smallest of the lemurs and indeed the smallest of all living primates (the pygmy mouse lemur, Microcebus myoxinus, weighing around 50g with a head-body length of just 12-13cm). The newly described species, named Microcebus macarthurii, belongs to a group of larger bodied mouse lemurs, about the size of a grey squirrel. Scientists discovered the species whilst carrying out an inventory of the poorly-known montane rainforests of the Makira region of northeastern Madagascar.
To date, this generally unknown species has been sighted only in the Makira region. The scientists suspect that the natural range of the MacArthur`s mouse lemur is very small, as several large rivers and a mountain range cut through the region - these natural barriers could limit the mouse lemur’s distribution.
The new species is genetically distinct from the smaller Mittermeier`s mouse lemur, that occurs sympatrically in the same region. The study also indicated that there may be a second, as yet undescribed species of mouse lemur occurring in the region.
The research was carried out by Dr. Ute Radespiel from the Institute of Zoology of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (TiHo), in collaboration with Malagasy scientists and students of the GERP organisation (Groupe d`Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar). The results were published on the internet page of the American Journal of Primatology (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/ajp, on July, 14th).
The Makira region, after these new findings, is one of the areas with the richest lemur fauna on Madagascar. Several EDGE lemurs also occur in the region, including the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascriensis), indri (Indri indri) and hairy-eared dwarf lemur (Allocebus trichotis)
Dr. Radespiel said “Unfortunately, this exceptional centre of biodiversity is in real danger. As in many other regions of Madagascar, too, deforestation activities, slash-and-burn cultivation, hunting and mining of mineral resources pose an enormous threat to the remaining forests and their inhabitants. Conservation activities are urgently needed to ensure the long-term survival of these animals.”
The Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG)Â is an international collaboration of zoos and related organizations that work together to conserve the unique animals of Madagascar. To find out more about the organisation please click here.
The EDGE of Existence programme is hoping to work with Malagasy conservationists to develop an educational programme focusing on one of the top EDGE amphibians, the Malagasy rainbow frog (Scaphiophryne gottlebei). Number 37 on the EDGE Amphibians list, this colourful frog is found in the rocky canyons of the Isalo Massif in southwestern Madagascar. The frog’s brightly coloured appearance makes it a popular target for the pet trade, and thousands of individuals are captured each year, threatening populations in the wild. We aim to help develop educational programmes to raise awareness of the importance of conserving the species, and to encourage more sustainable harvesting for the pet trade.
 
To support our work in Madagascar please click here
For further information on Microcebus macarthurii please contact:
Dr. Ute Radespiel, Institute of Zoology
E-mail: ute.radespiel@tiho-hannover.de
Our EDGE Fellow John Konie monitors the pygmy hippopotamus and other threatened mammal species in Liberia. He has sent us the following information about Sapo National Park, where he carries out his monitoring work:
Sapo National Park, Liberia’s first national park, is under serious threat from poachers. Quite recently, about 27 bodies of various animal species were confiscated by rangers from a meat trader within a town located near the park. Hunting and mining are order of the day by poachers within and around the park; thus, posing serious threat to biodiversity of the park.
Despite these threats, bio-monitoring and camera trapping programmes are succeeding. In recent times, camera trapping was done in one zone of the park. Various species of duikers and other interesting animal species’ photos were captured.
According to rangers assigned with the park, during their regular monthly patrols, tracks and faeces of pygmy hippo are often seen, and hippos are occasionally seen.
During the bio-monitoring exercise in May of this year, we were fortunate to have seen zebra duiker, Jentink’s duiker, bongo, chimpanzee, pygmy hippo and different monkey species.
Indeed, the park is home to important animal species that need serious conservation attention, especially the pygmy hippo.
If you would like to support John Konie’s pygmy hippopotamus monitoring work in Sapo National Park, please click here.
Three top ranking Australian EDGE species have been given a fighting chance for survival following the Victorian government’s landmark decision to set aside 75,000 ha of forest for their protection.
 Leadbeater’s possum (54th on the mammal list), the long-footed potoroo (70th on the mammal list) and the Baw Baw frog (25th on the amphibian list) are three of Australia’s most iconic endangered species.
Announced yesterday, the plan includes a 30,000-hectare reserve in central Victoria for the possum, 40,000 hectares in East Gippsland and the state’s north-east to protect the long-footed potoroo, and 5500 hectares to protect the most significant habitat of the Baw Baw frog.
“This package is a powerful way of protecting the habitat of endangered species and ensuring their future protection,” Environment Minister Gavin Jennings said.
Environment groups have welcomed the announcement by the Brumby government and the Department of Sustainability and Environment for Victoria’s only native marsupial and amphibian species. The 75,000 hectares of reserves lifts protection for the species against extinction drivers such as woodchipping, fire management and feral animals.
In some cases, these reserves have taken a decade to design but it’s been worth the wait to get it right’ said Sarah Rees, Director of MyEnvironment.
The tiny nocturnal Leadbeater’s possum is endemic to Victoria, and is one of the state’s faunal emblems. The species’ relies on mature trees, such as the mountain ash, which can take up to 200 years to grow. These trees contain hollows in which the possums make their nests. Populations of the species have declined rapidly as a result of the loss of mature trees to logging, wildfires and other forest disturbances.
 The endangered long-footed potoroo, also known as “rat kangaroo”, plays an important role in its forest ecosystem, helping to disperse the spores of the underground-fruiting fungi on which it feeds. These fungi have developed a symbiotic relationship with the shrubs and trees of the forest, maintaining their health by supplying nutrients and helping to prevent disease. Previously, most of these rabbit-sized marsupials occurred within timber production forest.
 The Critically Endangered Baw Baw frog is Victoria’s only native amphibian. It has all but disappeared, with the population falling to just 250 individuals from a wild population of over 10,000 in the 1980s. Although the causes of the decline are still unclear, protecting the species’ habitat is a step in the right direction to ensuring the little frog has a future.
 ”Now that the reserve system is finalised we hope our State Government will turn its attention and further resources to the other critical actions that need to be done to preserve this endangered species and all of the other forest species it shares its habitat with for future generations” said Sera Blair, president of Friends of the Leadbeaters Possum group.
“The biggest threat for these and other endangered species is now climate change. What these species need now is the protection of all old growth forests from woodchipping”, said The Wilderness Society’s Victorian Campaigns Manager Gavan McFadzean.
“Forest protection against these threats will help secure their future. It’s not just about protecting animals, these areas are also our water supply catchments and carbon stores”, said Sarah Rees.
“The practical action by the Victorian government to protect our faunal emblem offers a sensible approach to the management of species under fire and provides for the continuation of ecosystems that enable us to live such producing water, oxygen, rain and climate regulation”.
“These new forest reserves are also critically important habitat for endangered animals like native owls, fish and gliders. Our frogs inhabit healthy water catchments, our ground and tree dwellers like the long-footed potoroo and Leadbeaters possum, require multi-aged forests that are still under threat from logging in eastern Victoria”.
Future actions required include linking protected forest patches and fundraising for monitoring the effectiveness of these mitigation efforts. For more information please contact Sarah Rees (sarah@tcha.org.au).