scholarly journals Testing the maintenance of natural responses to survival-relevant calls in the conservation breeding population of a critically endangered corvid (Corvus hawaiiensis)

2022 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne C. Sabol ◽  
Alison L. Greggor ◽  
Bryce Masuda ◽  
Ronald R. Swaisgood
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Population ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Conservation Breeding

scholarly journals Testing the maintenance of natural responses to survival-relevant calls in the conservation breeding population of a critically endangered corvid (Corvus hawaiiensis)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne C Sabol ◽  
Alison L Greggor ◽  
Bryce Masuda ◽  
Ronald R Swaisgood
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Alarm Call ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Vocal Behavior ◽  
Vocal Response ◽  
Human Care ◽  
Territorial Intrusion ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Individual Consistency ◽  
Conservation Breeding

Vocal communication serves an important role in driving animals' social interactions and ultimately their survival. However, natural vocal behavior can erode in human care. Determining if animals in conservation breeding programs exhibit and respond appropriately to species-specific vocalizations is therefore important for ensuring their survival post-release. We tested whether endangered 'alala (Corvus hawaiiensis), which are extinct in nature, have retained their natural responses to survival-relevant vocal calls. We conducted our studies on breeding populations derived from a small number of founding 'alala maintained in human care since their extinction in the wild in 2002. We presented pairs of 'alala with alarm, territorial intrusion, and two types of control playback calls (a non-threatening territorial maintenance call and a novel heterospecific call). 'Alala were significantly more likely to approach the speaker following alarm call playback than other call types, and were more likely to respond to territorial intrusion calls with the same aggressive territorial calls. Males were more likely to make these aggressive calls than females, mirroring their roles in territory defense. We also found individual consistency in the level of vocal behavior response across all call types, indicating that some individuals are more vocal than others. These results are encouraging, showing that 'alala exhibit relevant, species-specific behaviors despite generations under human care. It does illustrate, however, that all individuals do not respond uniformly, so vocal response may be an important factor to consider in determining the release suitability of individuals.

Renewing hope: the rediscovery of Atelopus varius in Costa Rica

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
José F. González-Maya ◽  
Jerrold L. Belant ◽  
Sarah A. Wyatt ◽  
Jan Schipper ◽  
Josué Cardenal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Single Location ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Remnant Population ◽  
Protected Zone

More than 90% of harlequin frog species (Atelopus spp.), endemic to the Americas, are currently threatened with extinction. We report the discovery of the only currently known breeding population of the Critically Endangered A. varius in Costa Rica. This population was located in 2008 on a private property in Las Tablas Protected Zone near San Vito, Coto Brus at 1300 m elevation. Previously, the only known remaining/remnant population of this species and genus was a single location near Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where two individuals were documented in 2004. Subsequent searches at this location have yielded no additional sightings. Delineating the spatial limits of this population, quantifying demographics and resource use, and implementing conservation actions are necessary to ensure persistence of this population. Conducting additional surveys in this region to ascertain occurrence of additional populations is warranted.

scholarly journals Ecology and demography of the Critically Endangered Kandian torrent toadAdenomus kandianus: a long-lost endemic species of Sri Lanka

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 619-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suranjan Karunarathna ◽  
Sujan Henkanaththegedara ◽  
Dinesh Gabadage ◽  
Madhava Botejue ◽  
Majintha Madawala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Population Monitoring ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Management Actions

AbstractThe tropical island nation of Sri Lanka is a biodiversity hotspot with a high diversity and endemism of amphibians. The endemic, stream-dwelling Kandian torrent toadAdenomus kandianusis Critically Endangered and was considered to be extinct until its rediscovery in 2012. The species is now known from two localities in tropical montane forests. We conducted a 4-year study using transect surveys and opportunistic excursions to assess habitat associations, demographics and abundance ofA. kandianusin and around Pidurutalagala Conservation Forest. We recorded a mean of 44.25 post-metamorphs per year, with a density of < 1 individual per 100 m2, with occurrence within a narrow extent (c. 0.005 km2) of the stream channel. Behaviour and microhabitat selection varied depending on sex and stage of maturity. The species preferred moderately sized montane streams with rocky substrates and woody debris, colder temperatures, and closed-canopy, intact riparian forests. We noted size-based reversed sexual dimorphism and a strong ontogenetic relationship between snout–vent length and body weight. Anthropogenic activities such as intensive crop farming deterred the species; proximity to croplands had a negative influence on abundance. We recommend re-delineation of the boundary of Pidurutalagala Conservation Forest to incorporate the toad's habitat into the core of the reserve and thus limit the impacts of human activities. Conservation and management actions such as ex-situ breeding, population monitoring, and restoration of degraded habitats could also contribute towards the persistence of this toad. Our findings provide useful insights into ecological research on and conservation of range-restricted aquatic amphibians.

scholarly journals Molecular phylogeny of the South American sheldgeese with implications for conservation of Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and continental populations of the Ruddy-headed Goose Chloephaga rubidiceps and Upland Goose C. picta

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIANA BULGARELLA ◽  
CECILIA KOPUCHIAN ◽  
ADRIÁN S. DI GIACOMO ◽  
RICARDO MATUS ◽  
OLIVIA BLANK ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Data ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Crop Damage ◽  
Falkland Islands ◽  
Continental Population ◽  
Population Size Estimates ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Upland Goose

SummarySheldgeese of the genus Chloephaga are waterfowl (Anatidae) endemic to mainland South America and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Continental populations of three species C. picta, C. poliocephala, and C. rubidiceps breed in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego and migrate northwards to winter in central Argentina and Chile. These continental populations have declined by > 50% in the past 30 years due to direct hunting to control crop damage and by the introduction of the grey fox Dusicyon griseus to their breeding grounds in Tierra del Fuego. The continental population of C. rubidiceps is critically endangered, estimated to be < 1,000 individuals. While no historic population size estimates exist for C. rubidiceps in its wintering grounds, the breeding population in Tierra del Fuego was estimated to number several thousand individuals in the 1950s. In contrast, the C. rubidiceps population in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) is non-migratory and stable with > 42,000 individuals, as is the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) population of C. picta leucoptera with > 138,000 individuals. Here we use sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA control region to quantify genetic divergence between insular and continental populations of these two species of sheldgeese. Chloephaga rubidiceps and C. picta showed significant intraspecific differentiation of 1.0% and 0.6%, respectively. In both cases, mainland and insular populations were reciprocally monophyletic and did not share mtDNA haplotypes. These results suggest that the insular and continental populations of C. rubidiceps and C. picta are genetically distinct and that female-mediated gene flow is restricted. We recommend a reevaluation of the threat category status of the continental C. rubidiceps population, under IUCN guidelines. It is necessary to implement urgent actions for the conservation of this critically endangered population.

An update of the breeding population status of the critically endangered Mariana Crow Corvus kubaryi on Rota, Northern Mariana Islands 2013–2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 416-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDRIA KRONER ◽  
RENEE ROBINETTE HA
Keyword(s):  
Total Population ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Population Recovery ◽  
Mariana Islands ◽  
Population Status ◽  
Single Population ◽  
Direct Count ◽  
Northern Mariana Islands ◽  
Viable Population

SummaryThe critically endangered Mariana Crow now exists in a single population on the island of Rota, Northern Mariana Islands. Targeted management requires an accurate measure of the population status of this species. In Mariana Crows the breeding population is both the easiest cohort to accurately survey and the most important segment of the population in terms of population recovery. The total number of Mariana Crow territorial pairs was estimated on the island of Rota using a direct count method, and total population size was calculated using a Chapman estimate. From September 2013 to April 2014, 46 crow pairs were found and up to an additional eight pairs were estimated in unsearched areas. The total population was estimated to be 178 individuals. This represents a 10–23% decline in pairs in the six years since 2007 and a 46–53% decline since 1998. This number is also considerably lower than the minimum 75 pairs recommended to maintain a viable population on Rota.

scholarly journals First formal estimate of the world population of the Critically Endangered spoon-billed sandpiper Calidris pygmaea

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel A. Clark ◽  
Guy Q. A. Anderson ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Evgeny E. Syroechkovskiy ◽  
Pavel S. Tomkovich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
World Population ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Population

AbstractThe spoon-billed sandpiper Calidris pygmaea is a Critically Endangered shorebird that breeds in the Russian arctic and winters in coastal and estuarine habitats in South-east Asia. We report the first formal estimate of its global population size, combining a mark–resighting estimate of the number of leg-flagged individuals alive in autumn 2014 with an estimate of the proportion of birds with flags from scan surveys conducted during the same period at a migration stop-over site on the Jiangsu coast of China. We estimate that the world breeding population of spoon-billed sandpipers in 2014 was 210–228 pairs and the post-breeding population of all age classes combined was 661–718 individuals. This and related methods have considerable potential for surveillance of the population size of other globally threatened species, especially widely dispersed long-distance migrants.

scholarly journals Conservation breeding of Northern River Terrapin Batagur baska (Gray, 1830) in Sundarban Tiger Reserve, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 18544-18550
Author(s):  
Nillanjan Mallick ◽  
Shailendra Singh ◽  
Dibyadeep Chatterjee ◽  
Souritra Sharma
Keyword(s):  
West Bengal ◽  
Breeding Program ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Tiger Reserve ◽  
Northern River ◽  
Conservation Breeding

The population of Northern River Terrapin Batagur baska is ‘Critically Endangered’ and threatened with extinction.  In India, the species was once known to occur in the mangroves of West Bengal and Odisha.  The sub-population in Odisha is suspected to have been wiped out.  The Sundarban Tiger Reserve and the Turtle Survival Alliance launched a modest conservation breeding program in 2012 to recover the species using a small number of adults as founders.  Gravid adult females are kept in a dedicated breeding enclosure with minimal disturbance, eggs are incubated outdoor on an artificial nesting beach, and hatchlings are raised to develop assurance colonies for purposes of reintroduction in future.  Currently, the project holds 12 adults and over 350 juveniles of various size classes.  Three additional assurance colonies were developed for 70 sub-adults from 2012–13 batches, using rain-fed ponds within STR. 

scholarly journals A comparison of pedigree, genetic, and genomic estimates of relatedness for informing pairing decisions in two critically endangered birds

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Galla ◽  
Roger Moraga ◽  
Liz Brown ◽  
Simone Cleland ◽  
Marc P. Hoeppner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Pedigree Data ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
Conservation Breeding

AbstractConservation management strategies for many highly threatened species include conservation breeding to prevent extinction and enhance recovery. Pairing decisions for these conservation breeding programmes can be informed by pedigree data to minimise relatedness between individuals in an effort to avoid inbreeding, maximise diversity, and maintain evolutionary potential. However, conservation breeding programmes struggle to use this approach when pedigrees are shallow or incomplete. While genetic data (i.e., microsatellites) can be used to estimate relatedness to inform pairing decisions, emerging evidence indicates this approach lacks precision in genetically depauperate species, and more effective estimates will likely be obtained from genomic data (i.e., thousands of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs). Here, we compare relatedness estimates using pedigree-, genetic-, and genomic-based approaches for making pairing decisions in two critically endangered birds endemic to New Zealand: kakī/black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi). Our findings indicate genetic-based estimates of relatedness are indeed the least precise when assessing known parent-offspring and full sibling relationships. Furthermore, our results show that relatedness estimates and subsequent pairing recommendations using PMx are most similar between pedigree- and genomic-based approaches. These combined results indicate that in lieu of robust pedigrees, SNPs are an effective tool for informing pairing decisions, which has exciting implications for many poorly pedigreed conservation breeding programmes worldwide.

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