Molecular detection and characterization of Bartonella spp. in rodents from central and southern Chile, with emphasis on introduced rats (Rattus spp.).

Bartonella spp. was screened in 155 rodents from Chile, mainly the invasive rats Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus. A total of 155 spleen and 50 blood samples were analyzed through real-time PCR for Bartonella spp.

Activity patterns and interactions of rodents in an assemblage composed by native species and the introduced black rat: implications for pathogen transmission.

Background: The degree of temporal overlap between sympatric wild hosts species and their behavioral interactions can be highly relevant to the transmission of pathogens. However, this topic has been scantly addressed. Furthermore, temporal overlap and interactions within an assemblage of wild rodents composed of native and introduced species have been rarely discussed worldwide.

Urban noise and surrounding city morphology influence green space occupancy by native birds in a Mediterranean-type South American metropolis.

Urban green spaces provide natural habitat for birds in urban landscapes, yet the effects of noise and surrounding urban morphology on bird community structure and distribution are not well understood in Latin America, the second most urbanized region in the world. Santiago of Chile is the single city belonging to the Mediterranean ecosystem in South America and is subject to extensive urbanization as seen throughout Latin America. We examined the role of 65 urban green spaces-6 large urban parks (PAR) and 59 small green spaces (SGS)-in harboring native birds during winter 2019, analyzing the quality of green areas in terms of vegetation (i.

Livestock-Carnivore Coexistence: Moving beyond Preventive Killing.

Livestock predation is a global problem and constitutes the main source of conflict between large carnivores and human interests. In Latin America, both jaguar and puma are known to prey on livestock, yet studies in Mesoamerica have been scattered and few have been carried out in Honduras. We interviewed ranchers in a biosphere reserve where jaguars and pumas are present.

Behavioral Responses of Wild Rodents to Owl Calls in an Austral Temperate Forest.

Ecologically based rodent management strategies are arising as a sustainable approach to rodent control, allowing us to preserve biodiversity while safeguarding human economic activities. Despite predator signals being known to generally repel rodents, few field-based studies have compared the behavioral effects of several predators on different prey species, especially in Neotropical ecosystems. Here, we used camera traps to study the behavior of rodent species native to the Chilean temperate forest ( spp.

Biodiversity Conservation Requires Management of Feral Domestic Animals.

The proliferation of feral domestic animals (FDAs) has been favored by human-induced landscape changes, a world population becoming increasingly urban, and by inappropriate management of domestic animals. Here, we describe the impact of FDAs and the opposing views in societies that affect the decision-making process and management actions. We provide general recommendations for the participatory management of this emerging threat to biodiversity and rural ecosystems.

Bird diversity along elevational gradients in the Dry Tropical Andes of northern Chile: The potential role of Aymara indigenous traditional agriculture.

Understanding diversity patterns along environmental gradients lies at the heart of community ecology and conservation. Previous studies have found variation in bird diversity and density along "natural" elevational gradients in the Tropical Andes Hotspot. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about how bird communities respond to traditional land-use patterns, in association with other multiple drivers, along elevations.

Humanity's Dual Response to Dogs and Wolves.

Dogs were first domesticated 31 000-41 000 years ago. Humanity has experienced ecological costs and benefits from interactions with dogs and wolves. We propose that humans inherited a dual response of attraction or aversion that expresses itself independently to domestic and wild canids.

Ovarian follicular dynamics and hormonal secretory profiles in guanacos (Lama guanicoe).

The objective of the present study was to describe ovarian activity in 11 adult non-mated guanacos, evaluated every second day for 40 days by transrectal ultrasonography and by plasma estradiol-17beta and progesterone concentrations. An inverse relationship (r = -0.29, P < 0.

Conservation challenges for the Austral and Neotropical America section.

The Austral and Neotropical America (ANA) section of the Society for Conservation Biology includes a vast territory with some of the largest relatively pristine ecosystems in the world. With more than 573 million people, the economic growth of the region still depends strongly on natural resource exploitation and still has high rates of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. A survey among the ANA section membership, with more than 700 members, including most of the section's prominent ecologists and conservationists, indicates that lack of capacity building for conservation, corruption, and threats such as deforestation and illegal trade of species, are among the most urgent problems that need to be addressed to improve conservation in the region.

Endocrine changes during pregnancy, parturition and post-partum in guanacos (Lama guanicoe).

Plasma concentrations of progesterone (P4), estradiol-17beta (E2), estrone (E1) and estrone sulfate (E1S) were measured during gestation in eight guanacos kept in captivity. Gestational length was 346.1+/-9.