Aberrant pelage color patterns such as albinism have been reported in some mammal groups including rodents, but in spite of the group’s richness, the phenomenon is relatively poorly documented in the literature. Albino specimens are reported in <2% of the species of rodents, four records of neotropical species were found (Delomys dorsalis, Heteromys anomalus, Octodon degus, Phyllotis andium). Of New World porcupines (Erethizontidae), albinism was documented only in the North American species Erethizon dorsatum. Here we report the first albino record from the Neotropics for this group, a stump-tailed porcupine (Coendou rufescens) in northern Ecuador.

We provide insights into the diversity of small non-volant mammals (SNVMs) in the Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua, a peri-urban natural area of Quito, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Based on Sherman-like traps and pitfall traps, we recorded 21 species of SNVMs. They represent 40% of the total species reported for the entire province, and include six species that are endemic to the northwestern slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. Despite its proximity to the city of Quito (less than 5 km), Pululahua seems to have an average richness compared with other similar localities in the Ecuadorian Andes. Our results are a baseline for future conservation plans for SNVMs.

The nurse effect is a positive interaction in which one plant (the nurse) provides conditions that enhance the establishment and growth of another plant species (Callaway 1995). Increased environmental severity appeared to increase the strength of nurse effects (Brookeret al. 2008, Lortie & Callaway 2006). On the one hand, the impact of the nurse effect depends on the magnitude of the environmental changes exerted by the nurse plant. On the other hand, the impact could depend on the number of plant species in the regional pool that respond to such changes. For example, better conditions beneath the crowns of nurse plants might allow the occurrence of species that are sensitive to environmental stress and that occur infrequently in open areas. Thus, if a nurse plant modulates environmental conditions that are critical for the persistence of other plant species, it seems likely that such nurse plants would have greater effects in stressful habitats, where they cause relatively larger environmental mitigation (Badanoet al. 2006, Callawayet al. 2002).

Natural history collections serve as crucial infrastructure for both basic and applied scientific research, providing temporal and spatial specimen data needed to understand biodiversity, environmental change, and emerging pathogens. This study surveyed mammal collections across South America to assess the scope and quality of this infrastructure. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to curators and collection managers from May 2021 to February 2022, gathering information on institutional characteristics, collection size, taxonomic and geographical scope, preservation methods, genetic resource availability, percentage digitization, financial support, and challenges such as funding limitations. Our survey identified 141 collections; more than twice the number reported by the American Society of Mammalogists in 2018. South American collections house ∼746 000 catalogued specimens, including 452 primary type specimens, representing only a modest proportion of the vast mammalian diversity of South America. Collections are geographically concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with a significant gap in the Guianas region and a decline in responses from Venezuela. The survey highlights four major challenges facing South American collections: staffing shortages, minimal cryogenic infrastructure, incomplete digitization, and sustainability issues. This initiative aims to raise awareness of collections in South America, plan for strategic growth, and strengthen research capacity to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, zoonotic disease transmission, and long-term conservation strategies.