Ecotoxicology of heavy metal contamination of Neotropical bats.

Although bats are responsible for many ecosystem services on which humans depend, they are frequently exposed to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Heavy metal (HM) exposure is an emerging threat of great significance to bats, yet the toxicity threshold for most metallic elements remains unknown. The greatest diversity of bats worldwide is in the Neotropical region, where ecotoxicological studies are scarce.

Testis and brown adipose tissue xenografts from yellowish myotis (Myotis levis).

Yellowish myotis present a seasonal reproduction, influenced by rainfall distribution, in which the testis mass, germ cell composition, and brown adipose tissue mass change along the reproductive stages. In the present study, tissue xenografts were performed in immunodeficient mice to investigate spermatogenesis development in a stable endocrine milieu and the possible androgenic role of brown adipose tissue. Forty-one adult male bats were captured in the Santuário do Caraça, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Migratory testis, spermatogenesis and reproductive cycle of the neotropical broad-eared bat Nyctinomops laticaudatus (Molossidae).

We describe for the first time the displacement mechanism of migratory testis in Nyctinomops laticaudatus, which is little known in bats, in addition to histological analysis of its gonads. Data on testis anatomy and activity were obtained from 20 males. Males had migratory testes as they are displaced in the inguinal canals between intra and external abdominal positions.

Sperm production and seminal analyses in a Neotropical sperm-storing vespertilionid bat yellowish myotis (Myotis levis).

Yellowish myotis is a Neotropical vespertilionid bat that presents a seasonal reproduction. The sperm is produced in the Mature stage, stored in the Regressed stage and released in the Rest stage (mating period). Aiming to understand, for the first time, the relationship between testis and epididymis physiology in yellowish myotis reproduction, the spermatogenesis length, sperm production, and seminal parameters were herein evaluated.

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics.

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae.

Male reproductive morphofunctional evaluation of a Neotropical sperm-storing vespertilionid bat (Myotis levis) in an environmental context.

Myotis levis (yellowish myotis) is a small Neotropical insectivorous vespertilionid bat that provides valuable ecosystem services, such as control of disease vectors and agricultural pests. Aiming to describe the fluctuations of the reproductive organs throughout the year, the gonads and epididymis from 124 adult bats were histologically evaluated. These animals were captured in Santuário do Caraça, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Heavy metals in hair of wild canids from the Brazilian Cerrado.

In this study, we aimed to assess whether free-ranging wild canids are exposed to heavy metals in one of the most developed and populated regions of Brazil. Hair of 26 wild canids (maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus, crab-eating foxes Cerdocyon thous, and hoary foxes Lycalopex vetulus) from the Cerrado biome in Southeast Brazil were analyzed by spectrophotometry to detect cadmium, chromium, and lead, and also the essential copper, iron, manganese, and zinc traces. All samples showed traces of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc.

Wild canids, domestic dogs and their pathogens in Southeast Brazil: disease threats for canid conservation.

Wild canids are under many pressures, including habitat loss, fragmentation and disease. The current lack of information on the status of wildlife health may hamper conservation efforts in Brazil. In this paper, we examined the prevalence of canine pathogens in 21 free-ranging wild canids, comprising 12 (crab-eating fox), 7 (maned wolf), 2 (hoary fox), and 70 non-vaccinated domestic dogs from the Serra do Cipó National Park area, Southeast Brazil.