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Dr. Luca Luiselli
President of IDECC – Institute for Development Ecology Conservation and Cooperation Via G. Tomasi di Lampedusa 33 I, 00144 Rome, Italy

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0 Community Ecology
0 Reptile biology and conservation
0 Tropical reptile ecology
0 Chelonian conservation
0 Reptile population biology

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Editorial
Published: 26 August 2021 in Diversity
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Tropical regions host a large variety of animal species, representing the richest concentrations of biological diversity across the Earth

ACS Style

Luca Luiselli; Giovanni Amori. Community Ecology, Macro-Ecological Patterns, and Conservation of Tropical Beetles: An Introduction. Diversity 2021, 13, 406 .

AMA Style

Luca Luiselli, Giovanni Amori. Community Ecology, Macro-Ecological Patterns, and Conservation of Tropical Beetles: An Introduction. Diversity. 2021; 13 (9):406.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Luiselli; Giovanni Amori. 2021. "Community Ecology, Macro-Ecological Patterns, and Conservation of Tropical Beetles: An Introduction." Diversity 13, no. 9: 406.

Communication
Published: 18 August 2021 in Diversity
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The Goliath beetle (Goliathus goliatus) is one of the largest and most commercially valuable (for collection exports) beetle species worldwide, and occurs in West and Central Africa, with polymorphic populations being found in Benin, Eastern Nigeria, and Western Cameroun. The white morph is the most commercially valuable, and therefore is actively searched for by hunters and dealers. In a long-term, opportunistically conducted study in south-eastern Nigeria, we documented a substantial decline of the white morph compared to the normally coloured brown morph, although an overall decline in the number of observed beetles was evident for both colour morphs. Although a combination of reasons may have caused the white form decline, it is likely that overcollecting was the primary threat behind the observed pattern. Therefore, we urge the competent authorities to better protect the polymorphic populations of these giant beetles and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to make a quick assessment for eventual inclusion of the species among the threatened taxa Red List.

ACS Style

Daniele Dendi; Stephanie N. Ajong; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. Decline of the Commercially Attractive White Morph in Goliath Beetle Polymorphic Populations. Diversity 2021, 13, 388 .

AMA Style

Daniele Dendi, Stephanie N. Ajong, Giovanni Amori, Luca Luiselli. Decline of the Commercially Attractive White Morph in Goliath Beetle Polymorphic Populations. Diversity. 2021; 13 (8):388.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Dendi; Stephanie N. Ajong; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Decline of the Commercially Attractive White Morph in Goliath Beetle Polymorphic Populations." Diversity 13, no. 8: 388.

Short communications
Published: 26 July 2021 in Tropical Ecology
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The composition and structure of antelope assemblages were analyzed by using data from wild meat markets in three distinct study stations in the southern Niger Delta, Nigeria. The relative abundance of the different species coming into the markets was analyzed, and various diversity metrics were used to describe the different antelope communities. Sex ratios of these populations as well as the effect of season on the abundance of the various species in the markets were examined. It was observed that a single recently described species (Philantomba walteri) was the dominant species in the three localities, contributing about 70% of all the antelope individuals. The relatively low number of antelope carcasses observed in this study (less than the number of carcasses of small carnivores in the same sites) suggests that the ungulate fauna is already very depleted in the eastern Niger Delta region, with these mammals being hunted more intensely in the wet season.

ACS Style

I. Georgewill; G. C. Akani; L. Luiselli; F. Petrozzi; D. Dendi; A. P. Ugbomeh; J. E. Fa; G. C. Onuegbu. Determining the composition and structure of antelope communities in three study sites within the Niger Delta (Nigeria) based on bushmeat market data. Tropical Ecology 2021, 1 -6.

AMA Style

I. Georgewill, G. C. Akani, L. Luiselli, F. Petrozzi, D. Dendi, A. P. Ugbomeh, J. E. Fa, G. C. Onuegbu. Determining the composition and structure of antelope communities in three study sites within the Niger Delta (Nigeria) based on bushmeat market data. Tropical Ecology. 2021; ():1-6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I. Georgewill; G. C. Akani; L. Luiselli; F. Petrozzi; D. Dendi; A. P. Ugbomeh; J. E. Fa; G. C. Onuegbu. 2021. "Determining the composition and structure of antelope communities in three study sites within the Niger Delta (Nigeria) based on bushmeat market data." Tropical Ecology , no. : 1-6.

Research article
Published: 22 July 2021 in Canadian Journal of Zoology
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A body plan (= bauplan) is a suite of morphological characters shared by phylogenetically related animals at some point during their development. Despite its value, the bauplan concept is still rarely employed to characterize functional groups in community ecology. Here, we examine habitat use and spatio-temporal activity correlates of an entire seven-species community of lizards with different bauplans. The study was carried out in three locations in central Italy, encompassing a complex landscape with a patchy mosaic of a wide variety of habitats and microclimates. We tested four hypotheses regarding niche breadth, habitat use and activity patterns. The first hypothesis, niche complementarity, in which species with similar body shapes should non-randomly partition available habitats, was not supported. By contrast, the hypotheses that larger-bodied species should have a wider niche breadth, that slower species should inhabit habitat types of higher cover, and species inhabiting open sunny habitats should exhibit more seasonally variable activity patterns, were all supported by the data. Sympatric lizard communities in our study area were clearly organized by autecological constraints and eco-physiological attributes.

ACS Style

Lorenzo Rugiero; Massimo Capula; Daniele Dendi; Fabio Petrozzi; Julia Elizabeth Fa; Stephan M. Funk; Russell L. Burke; Luca Luiselli. Testing hypotheses of habitat use and temporal activity in relation to body plan in a Mediterranean lizard community. Canadian Journal of Zoology 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Lorenzo Rugiero, Massimo Capula, Daniele Dendi, Fabio Petrozzi, Julia Elizabeth Fa, Stephan M. Funk, Russell L. Burke, Luca Luiselli. Testing hypotheses of habitat use and temporal activity in relation to body plan in a Mediterranean lizard community. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Rugiero; Massimo Capula; Daniele Dendi; Fabio Petrozzi; Julia Elizabeth Fa; Stephan M. Funk; Russell L. Burke; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Testing hypotheses of habitat use and temporal activity in relation to body plan in a Mediterranean lizard community." Canadian Journal of Zoology , no. : 1.

Conservation news
Published: 06 July 2021 in Oryx
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ACS Style

Luca Luiselli; Daniele Dendi; John Sebit Benansio; Gift Simon Demaya; Craig B. Stanford. An additional threat to the recently rediscovered Nubian flapshell turtle in South Sudan. Oryx 2021, 55, 490 -490.

AMA Style

Luca Luiselli, Daniele Dendi, John Sebit Benansio, Gift Simon Demaya, Craig B. Stanford. An additional threat to the recently rediscovered Nubian flapshell turtle in South Sudan. Oryx. 2021; 55 (4):490-490.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Luiselli; Daniele Dendi; John Sebit Benansio; Gift Simon Demaya; Craig B. Stanford. 2021. "An additional threat to the recently rediscovered Nubian flapshell turtle in South Sudan." Oryx 55, no. 4: 490-490.

Wetland animals
Published: 27 May 2021 in Wetlands
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Despite increasing pressures on freshwater resources worldwide, and the threatened status of most freshwater turtles, there is still limited knowledge of habitat use and niche partitioning in Afrotropical freshwater turtle communities. In this study, we describe habitat associations, community diversity, and temporal patterns of occurrence of freshwater turtle species in the Dahomey Gap ecoregion of Ghana (West Africa). We gathered data from 13 sites in central Ghana and along the Sene Arm of Lake Volta in the Digya National Park (Bono East Region). We employed opportunistic short-term surveys (at seven sites) together with longer-term (six-months duration) standardized evaluations of turtle presence and numbers in different habitats (at six sites). Overall, a total of 210 turtle individuals of four species (Trionyx triunguis, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Pelomedusa sp. and Pelusios castaneus) were recorded; precise capture sites and habitat type were recorded for 139 individuals, but the 71 individuals observed in marketplaces were not considered in our analyses. At a local scale, we observed three sympatric species in various study sites. In each of these sites, the dominant species was either C. senegalensis or Pelomedusa sp., with the latter species being more abundant in temporary waterbodies and C. senegalensis more numerous in permanent ones. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis suggested that, in permanent waterbodies all species were associated with similar physical habitat variables. In a Canonical Correspondence Analysis, we showed that the density of herbaceous emergent vegetation was more important for P. castaneus than for C. senegalensis. Comparisons of diversity metrics between our study sites and previous studies revealed that turtle community composition was similar across savannah sites.

ACS Style

Suleman B. Gbewaa; S. Kobby Oppong; Brian D. Horne; Paul Tehoda; Fabio Petrozzi; Daniele Dendi; Godfrey C. Akani; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Stephanie N. Ajong; Nic Pacini; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. Community Characteristics of Sympatric Freshwater Turtles from Savannah Waterbodies in Ghana. Wetlands 2021, 41, 1 -13.

AMA Style

Suleman B. Gbewaa, S. Kobby Oppong, Brian D. Horne, Paul Tehoda, Fabio Petrozzi, Daniele Dendi, Godfrey C. Akani, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Stephanie N. Ajong, Nic Pacini, Julia E. Fa, Luca Luiselli. Community Characteristics of Sympatric Freshwater Turtles from Savannah Waterbodies in Ghana. Wetlands. 2021; 41 (5):1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Suleman B. Gbewaa; S. Kobby Oppong; Brian D. Horne; Paul Tehoda; Fabio Petrozzi; Daniele Dendi; Godfrey C. Akani; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Stephanie N. Ajong; Nic Pacini; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Community Characteristics of Sympatric Freshwater Turtles from Savannah Waterbodies in Ghana." Wetlands 41, no. 5: 1-13.

Journal article
Published: 25 May 2021 in Diversity
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Terrestrial species from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) are under high threat due to deforestation and overhunting. Previous studies have even defined these forests as subjected to an “empty forest syndrome”, a condition in which forests that are apparently well preserved are instead almost deprived of vertebrate faunas due to extreme exploitation by local communities. Forest specialists, including several primates, are among the most threatened species in the country. The Laotian langur (Trachypithecus laotum) is endemic to Lao PDR, is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, and it is one of the least studied species in the region. A survey on the local distribution, life history and conservation status of the Laotian langur was carried out in Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area, Khammouane Province of Lao PDR. The survey consisted of an initial phase with interviews to select key informants on the Laotian langur and the other primate species of the area. Then, a phase of field surveys along forest transects, totaling 64.1 km of 21 transects, yielded a record of 35 individuals in 9 groups. The highest encounter/detection rate of the Laotian langur was 1 group per km at one sector of the park. In contrast, it was much lower (0.18–0.34 groups/km) in the rest of the protected area. The group sizes were much lower than those observed in the same area between 1994 and 2010, thus suggesting a decline in the population size of langurs. This decline may be linked to habitat loss (timber extraction and mining). Still, also overhunting, as signs of poaching were observed during our field surveys. This was also supported by the reports of our interviewees. Laotian langurs were observed to be sympatric and interact while foraging with the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis). In the cases of sympatric occurrence between the two species, we observed that subtle mechanisms of niche partitioning may occur to reduce interspecific competition for food. Further research on the population and ecology of this endangered langur should be conducted to understand the species and aid its conservation.

ACS Style

Johnny Souwideth; Phaivanh Phiapalath; Hai Thanh; Peter Brakels; Thong Van; Luca Luiselli. Ecology and Conservation of the Laotian langur Trachypithecus laotum in a Protected Area of Laos (Southeast Asia). Diversity 2021, 13, 231 .

AMA Style

Johnny Souwideth, Phaivanh Phiapalath, Hai Thanh, Peter Brakels, Thong Van, Luca Luiselli. Ecology and Conservation of the Laotian langur Trachypithecus laotum in a Protected Area of Laos (Southeast Asia). Diversity. 2021; 13 (6):231.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Johnny Souwideth; Phaivanh Phiapalath; Hai Thanh; Peter Brakels; Thong Van; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Ecology and Conservation of the Laotian langur Trachypithecus laotum in a Protected Area of Laos (Southeast Asia)." Diversity 13, no. 6: 231.

Preprint content
Published: 14 April 2021
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Studies on habitat gradients are particularly interesting for the community ecology theory, but almost no investigation has been carried out on community structure of any vertebrate groups along gradients of habitat that were modified by humans in historical or prehistorical times, such as for instance the Dahomey Gap in West Africa. Here, we analyze the community structure of lizards in suburban Lomé (Togo) and in comparison with nearby savannah and forest sites, with a suite of statistical methods. Overall, we recorded 25 lizard species, with a heavy reduction in species richness from forest (18 taxa) to savannah (13) and suburbs (9). 24% of the species occurred in all habitat types, 40% exclusively in forest, and only two were exclusive of suburban habitats. Suburban habitat types were relatively homogeneous in terms of number of observed species (maximum number of taxa per habitat = 6). There were significant interspecific differences in both substratum type preferences and vertical spatial niche by species, but with no evidence of a nonrandom niche partitioning pattern, and hence with a competitively assembled community structure. There was a nonrandom “clustered” distribution of the various species along the available resource categories, thus indicating that species-specific preferences instead of community-driven mechanisms are more likely to explain the observed patterns. We concluded that lizard communities in tropical cities are (i) less species-rich than in the surrounding more natural habitats, (ii) usually clustered into specific habitat/substratum types (often artificial ones), and (iii) not assembled through competitive interactions.

ACS Style

Luca Luiselli; Daniele Dendi; Fabio Petrozzi; Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto. The City in the Tropics: Lizard Community Structure and Spatial Resource Use Along an Habitat Gradient of the Dahomey Gap (West Africa). 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Luca Luiselli, Daniele Dendi, Fabio Petrozzi, Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto. The City in the Tropics: Lizard Community Structure and Spatial Resource Use Along an Habitat Gradient of the Dahomey Gap (West Africa). . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Luiselli; Daniele Dendi; Fabio Petrozzi; Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto. 2021. "The City in the Tropics: Lizard Community Structure and Spatial Resource Use Along an Habitat Gradient of the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 12 April 2021 in Diversity
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Pelusios (Testudines: Pleurodira) is an Afrotropical endemic genus of freshwater turtles that have adapted to a variety of habitats, with savannahs and forests being their two main habitat types. Although considered generally carnivorous, these turtles have rarely been subjected to detailed field surveys for determining their quantitative diet. In this paper, by using both the literature and original data, we analyze the diet of several Pelusios populations: three P. adansonii populations from South Sudan, one P. nanus from Zambia, seven P. castaneus from Nigeria, Benin and Togo, and four P. niger from Nigeria. All species were omnivorous but with a clear preponderance of the prey items being of animal origin (e.g., amphibians, fish, arthropods and annelids). Saturation curves revealed that the diet composition of all the surveyed populations was adequately assessed, and the diversity profiles indicated that all the populations were relatively similar in terms of overall dietary diversity. General Linear Models (GLM) showed a negative effect of vegetation cover on Anura adult consumption by turtles, and showed that the frequencies of Anura tadpoles, fish, reptiles and birds on Pelusios diets increased with the increase in vegetation cover. The GLM model also showed positive effects of individual body size on algae, Bivalvia, reptiles, birds and small mammal consumption by turtles, and underlined that the predation on Arachnida decreased with the increase in turtle body size. In all species, there were no significant intersexual dietary differences, whereas there were substantial ontogenetic dietary changes in three out of four species. Small-sized individuals of P. castaneus, P. niger and P. adansonii tended to feed mainly upon insects, with the adults also taking many fish and adult frogs, and in the case of P. niger, also birds and small mammals. Conversely, in P. nanus, the diet composition did not vary substantially from the juvenile to the adult age. All species appeared substantially generalist in terms of their diet composition, although the effects of season (wet versus dry) were not adequately assessed by our study.

ACS Style

Luca Luiselli; Gift Demaya; John Benansio; Fabio Petrozzi; Godfrey Akani; Edem Eniang; Stephanie Ajong; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Nioking Amadi; Daniele Dendi. A Comparative Analysis of the Diets of a Genus of Freshwater Turtles across Africa. Diversity 2021, 13, 165 .

AMA Style

Luca Luiselli, Gift Demaya, John Benansio, Fabio Petrozzi, Godfrey Akani, Edem Eniang, Stephanie Ajong, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Nioking Amadi, Daniele Dendi. A Comparative Analysis of the Diets of a Genus of Freshwater Turtles across Africa. Diversity. 2021; 13 (4):165.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Luiselli; Gift Demaya; John Benansio; Fabio Petrozzi; Godfrey Akani; Edem Eniang; Stephanie Ajong; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Nioking Amadi; Daniele Dendi. 2021. "A Comparative Analysis of the Diets of a Genus of Freshwater Turtles across Africa." Diversity 13, no. 4: 165.

Preprint content
Published: 17 March 2021
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Despite increasing pressures on freshwater resources worldwide, and the threatened status of most freshwater turtles, there is still limited knowledge of habitat use and niche partitioning in Afrotropical freshwater turtle communities. In this study, we describe habitat associations, community diversity, and temporal patterns of occurrence of freshwater turtle species in the Dahomey Gap ecoregion of Ghana (West Africa). We gathered data from 13 sites in central Ghana and along the Sene Arm of Lake Volta in the Digya National Park (Bono East Region). We employed opportunistic short-term surveys (at seven sites) together with longer-term (six-months duration) standardized evaluations of turtle presence and numbers in different habitats (at six sites). In addition, we interviewed fishers in the Lake Volta area to explore their perception about turtle abundance trends. Overall, 210 turtle individuals belonging to four species (Trionyx triunguis, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Pelomedusa sp. and Pelusios castaneus) were recorded; for 139 individuals the precise capture sites and habitat type were recorded, whereas 71 individuals were observed in market places and were not considered in our analyses. We observed three sympatric species at the local scale of the various study sites. In each site, the dominant species was either C. senegalensis or Pelomedusa sp. However, Pelomedusa sp. was the most abundant species in temporary waterbodies whereas C. senegalensis was more numerous in permanent ones. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis visualized that, in permanent waterbodies all species were associated with similar physical habitat variables. C. senegalensis and T. triunguis were more abundant in localities containing woody emergent vegetation and inorganic substrate. In a Canonical Correspondence Analysis, we show that the density of herbaceous emergent vegetation was more important for P. castaneus than for C. senegalensis. Interviews with local people suggested that freshwater turtles do not have any special marketing interest for them, but that overfishing may have considerably affected the population density of these semiaquatic reptiles. Overall, Comparisons of diversity metrics between our study areas and previous literature revealed that turtle community composition was substantially the same, both qualitatively and quantitatively, all throughout the savannahs of West Africa.

ACS Style

Suleman B. Gbewaa; S. Kobby Oppong; Brian D. Horne; Paul Tehoda; Fabio Petrozzi; Daniele Dendi; Godfrey C. Akani; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Stephanie N. Ajong; Nic Pacini; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. Community Characteristics of Sympatric Freshwater Turtles From Savannah Waterbodies in Ghana. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Suleman B. Gbewaa, S. Kobby Oppong, Brian D. Horne, Paul Tehoda, Fabio Petrozzi, Daniele Dendi, Godfrey C. Akani, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Stephanie N. Ajong, Nic Pacini, Julia E. Fa, Luca Luiselli. Community Characteristics of Sympatric Freshwater Turtles From Savannah Waterbodies in Ghana. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Suleman B. Gbewaa; S. Kobby Oppong; Brian D. Horne; Paul Tehoda; Fabio Petrozzi; Daniele Dendi; Godfrey C. Akani; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Stephanie N. Ajong; Nic Pacini; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Community Characteristics of Sympatric Freshwater Turtles From Savannah Waterbodies in Ghana." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 23 February 2021 in Ethology Ecology & Evolution
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Most species of lizard are either diurnal or nocturnal, and it is extremely rare to find species that operate both diurnally and nocturnally, or that may shift from diurnality to partial nocturnality when conditions allow. However, niche expansion from diurnal to nocturnal habits (often referred to as the night-light niche) has rarely been reported in lizards (mainly in Anoles), and mostly through anecdotal reports. In West Africa, the rainbow lizard Agama agama is a conspicuous species across the region but also lives in suburban areas of towns and villages. It is a diurnal sun-basker operating at relatively high body temperatures of 36 °C and higher. In this paper, we describe a night-light niche expansion, i.e. nocturnal foraging and thermoregulation, in a small number of A. agama populations living in suburban areas. These lizards utilised radiant heat from incandescent light bulbs situated on the walls of buildings to mostly achieve target body temperatures and forage for and fed on five different groups of invertebrates. Foraging lizards had significantly higher body temperatures than inactive lizards. However, variance in body temperature was significantly greater in foraging lizards than in inactive lizards probably due to the necessity to shuttle between the incandescent night lights and cooler foraging areas during activity, a known cost of thermoregulation. Regression analysis of body temperatures against time of night in foraging lizards supported the notion that the lizards were maintaining body temperatures by actively thermoregulating whilst in inactive non-basking resting lizards during the same time period body temperatures declined. Although our results indicate a potential thermoregulatory benefit from using the night-light shift, we cannot be certain that this benefit is the direct cause of the shift, rather than an additional advantage when foraging.

ACS Style

Nioking Amadi; Luca Luiselli; Robert Belema; Grace Awala Nyiwale; Chimela Wala; Nwaiwu Urubia; Roger Meek. From diurnal to nocturnal activity: a case study of night-light niche expansion in Agama agama lizards. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 2021, 1 -13.

AMA Style

Nioking Amadi, Luca Luiselli, Robert Belema, Grace Awala Nyiwale, Chimela Wala, Nwaiwu Urubia, Roger Meek. From diurnal to nocturnal activity: a case study of night-light niche expansion in Agama agama lizards. Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 2021; ():1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nioking Amadi; Luca Luiselli; Robert Belema; Grace Awala Nyiwale; Chimela Wala; Nwaiwu Urubia; Roger Meek. 2021. "From diurnal to nocturnal activity: a case study of night-light niche expansion in Agama agama lizards." Ethology Ecology & Evolution , no. : 1-13.

Journal article
Published: 20 February 2021 in Biological Conservation
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Ebola virus disease, EVD, has been linked with wild meat. In Nigeria, strict restrictions on wild meat sales were applied after the first case in July 2014. We quantified wild meat trade in nine markets in southern Nigeria, during Oct. 2010 – Dec. 2019, and undertook consumer interviews during 2018–2019. Wild meat sales fell to low levels between during EVD (Jul. - Oct. 2014), after which Nigeria was declared Ebola-free. Prior to EVD (2012–2014), reptile carcass numbers declined markedly, collapsed during EVD, but rebounded immediately post-EVD until 2017 to values exceeding pre-EVD (especially true for turtles and tortoises). Reptile consumption increased as mammal numbers declined. After 2017, reptile numbers fell and remained low until the end of the study, indicating population collapses and depletion. Fruit bats and primates did not recover after EVD, but ungulates, rodents and carnivores increased significantly after EVD though never reached pre-EVD levels. Interviews revealed strong rural versus urban and age-specific differences regarding wild meat consumption and attitudes. Most people worried about Ebola and more than half of interviewees agreed that wild meat poses a transmission risk. Except urban males, over-60-year olds were least informed about the Ebola risk of wild meat, indicating that any future behavioural change campaign should focus on the younger age classes. Unlike other studies, our research clearly shows that changes in purchasing behaviour of consumers and education campaigns were effective in reducing the trade of bats and primates, animal groups likely to be implicated in the transmission of Ebola.

ACS Style

Stephan M. Funk; Julia E. Fa; Stephanie N. Ajong; Edem A. Eniang; Daniele Dendi; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Fabio Petrozzi; Nioking Amadi; Godfrey C. Akani; Luca Luiselli. Pre- and post-Ebola outbreak trends in wild meat trade in West Africa. Biological Conservation 2021, 255, 109024 .

AMA Style

Stephan M. Funk, Julia E. Fa, Stephanie N. Ajong, Edem A. Eniang, Daniele Dendi, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Fabio Petrozzi, Nioking Amadi, Godfrey C. Akani, Luca Luiselli. Pre- and post-Ebola outbreak trends in wild meat trade in West Africa. Biological Conservation. 2021; 255 ():109024.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stephan M. Funk; Julia E. Fa; Stephanie N. Ajong; Edem A. Eniang; Daniele Dendi; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Fabio Petrozzi; Nioking Amadi; Godfrey C. Akani; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Pre- and post-Ebola outbreak trends in wild meat trade in West Africa." Biological Conservation 255, no. : 109024.

Editorial
Published: 16 February 2021 in Conservation
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We are pleased to launch the new peer-reviewed open access journal, Conservation, published by MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), which offers an exciting new opportunity to publish comprehensive reviews, original research articles, communications, case reports, letters, commentaries, and other perspectives related to the biological, sociological, ethical, economic, methodological, and other transdisciplinary dimensions of conservation

ACS Style

Antoni Margalida; Luca Luiselli; José Tella; Shuqing Zhao. Conservation: A New Open Access Journal for Rapid Dissemination of the Transdisciplinary Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation. Conservation 2021, 1, 17 -20.

AMA Style

Antoni Margalida, Luca Luiselli, José Tella, Shuqing Zhao. Conservation: A New Open Access Journal for Rapid Dissemination of the Transdisciplinary Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation. Conservation. 2021; 1 (1):17-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antoni Margalida; Luca Luiselli; José Tella; Shuqing Zhao. 2021. "Conservation: A New Open Access Journal for Rapid Dissemination of the Transdisciplinary Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation." Conservation 1, no. 1: 17-20.

Review article
Published: 16 February 2021 in Journal for Nature Conservation
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The chelonian fauna of West Africa is relatively understudied and experiencing a multitude of threats. Moreover, the IUCN Red List status of several African species is both outdated and, we believe, underestimated. Herein, we cover projections for freshwater turtle and tortoise status trends in West Africa over the next decade. This geographic prioritization was chosen based on our current understanding of the greatest urgency for turtle conservation in Africa. Broadly, we recommend that priority projects focus on the following threats: bushmeat consumption (Trionychidae and Kinixys spp.); habitat degradation and potential shifts in habitat use (primarily Kinixys spp. in the rainforest belt of West Africa); effects of livestock overgrazing and climate change (specifically in regards to desertification impacting the Sahel region) on behaviors and species sex ratios (Centrochelys sulcata, Kinixys belliana and K. nogueyi). Possible efforts to mitigate these threats include; (1) enhanced capacity building, outreach, and training to promote turtle conservation to wildlife professionals, fisheries stakeholders, local communities, etc; (2) alternative livelihoods and sources of protein (provide locals with goats, sustainable farming options, aquaculture practices); (3) community engagement and citizen science; (4) connecting fragmented habitats (e.g. corridors); (5) enhancing community protected areas with local enforcement (local employment and benefits, eco-tourism potential); (6) youth and consumer/collector targeted education programs; and (7) reinforcement of international policy (CITES) for species negatively affected by the pet trade (K. homeana and K. erosa). Based on witnessed range-wide declines and exploitation, on a species level we suggest priority attention be aimed at A) Cyclanorbis elegans (assessment of population strongholds, if any, threats, and mitigation options) and B) Kinixys homeana and K. erosa (use in the illegal bushmeat trade, long-term population trends). Field studies on several under-studied Pelusios species (e.g., P. cupulatta, P. adansonii) are also warranted, along with increased sampling of the severely declined and elusive Trionyx triunguis in West Africa. Finally, we believe turtle and tortoise conservation in Africa would greatly benefit from collaboration and integration of research efforts with programs and scientists in Eastern and Southern Africa, for instance via a novel IUCN/SSC TFTSG continental symposium focused on red list status assessments/reassessments.

ACS Style

Luca Luiselli; Tomas Diagne; Pearson Mcgovern. Prioritizing the next decade of freshwater turtle and tortoise conservation in West Africa. Journal for Nature Conservation 2021, 60, 125977 .

AMA Style

Luca Luiselli, Tomas Diagne, Pearson Mcgovern. Prioritizing the next decade of freshwater turtle and tortoise conservation in West Africa. Journal for Nature Conservation. 2021; 60 ():125977.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Luiselli; Tomas Diagne; Pearson Mcgovern. 2021. "Prioritizing the next decade of freshwater turtle and tortoise conservation in West Africa." Journal for Nature Conservation 60, no. : 125977.

Journal article
Published: 09 February 2021 in Conservation
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Habitat modification is a major factor in the decline of reptile populations. The degree of the decline has been shown to be directly related to the intensity of habitat modification. Farming practices and urbanization are just two of the factors involved indicating that the development of practices that minimize or cancel anthropogenic impacts is urgently needed to prevent further declines. This requires knowledge of population ecology of reptiles in both disturbed and pristine habitats. In this paper, we describe aspects of green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) population ecology in a forest–pasture relatively pristine mosaic habitat in central Italy and a fragmented habitat in western France. In Italy, habitat niche overlap was very high between males and females but very low between males and juveniles. For male and female abundances, general linear models showed that the adult abundances increased with the increase of Rubus bushes, whereas juvenile abundance increased with the increase of Spartium bushes. Contingency table analysis showed that juveniles were also much more frequently observed in grasslands than adults of either sexes. The observed ontogenetic structural niche pattern was likely due to intraspecific competition avoidance, competition interference, and cannibalism. The persistence of the same patterns across years demonstrates a temporal stability of the ontogenetic structural niche pattern. Over the length of the study period, population densities were stable in the Italian population, but densities were much higher by around five times in the hedgerow in the fragmented habitat in France. In the hedgerow, monthly lizard presence was uneven, with the greatest number of sightings in June and July. Overall, our study provided no support for the notion that lizard abundance/density should be lower in modified compared to unmodified habitats, and clearly revealed that a careful management of the hedgerows is crucial for the conservation of this lizard species in agro-forest ecosystems.

ACS Style

Lorenzo Rugiero; Massimo Capula; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Daniele Dendi; Roger Meek; Luca Luiselli. Ontogenetic Habitat Use and Density of the Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata) in Contrasted Landscapes in France and Italy. Conservation 2021, 1, 1 -16.

AMA Style

Lorenzo Rugiero, Massimo Capula, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Daniele Dendi, Roger Meek, Luca Luiselli. Ontogenetic Habitat Use and Density of the Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata) in Contrasted Landscapes in France and Italy. Conservation. 2021; 1 (1):1-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Rugiero; Massimo Capula; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Daniele Dendi; Roger Meek; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Ontogenetic Habitat Use and Density of the Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata) in Contrasted Landscapes in France and Italy." Conservation 1, no. 1: 1-16.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2021 in Diversity
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Resource partitioning, the division of limited resources by species to help avoid competition, has been observed in freshwater turtle assemblages in several natural systems but has rarely been studied in tropical African ecosystems. Here, we investigate habitat preferences of two congeneric species in the family Pelomedusidae, Pelusios castaneus and P. cupulatta, in riverine/wetland habitats in the southern Ivory Coast (West Africa). Pelusios castaneus is a widespread species across West-central African savannahs and open forests, whereas P. cupulatta is endemic to the Upper Guinean forest region in West Africa. The two species have a similar diet composition (mainly carnivorous) but diverge considerably in body size, P. cupulatta being much larger. We use hand-fishing-nets and fishing funnel traps to record turtles in 18 distinct sites and analyze habitat preferences by species at two spatial scales. At a macro-habitat scale, P. castaneus is captured mainly in marshlands, whereas P. cupulatta is found in both rivers and wetlands. The two species differ significantly in their use of: (i) banks (P. castaneus being found primarily in spots with grassy banks, whereas P. cupulatta is found in spots with forested banks), and (ii) aquatic vegetation (P. cupulatta prefers spots with more abundant aquatic vegetation than P. castaneus), but both species select sites with no or moderate current. Additionally, in sites where P. cupulatta is not found, P. castaneus expands its spatial niche at multiple habitat scales, notably invading waterbodies with forested banks. Our results suggest that these two Pelomedusid turtle species potentially compete in the freshwater habitats in the southern Ivory Coast.

ACS Style

Fabio Petrozzi; Stephanie Ajong; Nic Pacini; Daniele Dendi; Sery Gonedele Bi; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. Spatial Niche Expansion at Multiple Habitat Scales of a Tropical Freshwater Turtle in the Absence of a Potential Competitor. Diversity 2021, 13, 55 .

AMA Style

Fabio Petrozzi, Stephanie Ajong, Nic Pacini, Daniele Dendi, Sery Gonedele Bi, Julia E. Fa, Luca Luiselli. Spatial Niche Expansion at Multiple Habitat Scales of a Tropical Freshwater Turtle in the Absence of a Potential Competitor. Diversity. 2021; 13 (2):55.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabio Petrozzi; Stephanie Ajong; Nic Pacini; Daniele Dendi; Sery Gonedele Bi; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. 2021. "Spatial Niche Expansion at Multiple Habitat Scales of a Tropical Freshwater Turtle in the Absence of a Potential Competitor." Diversity 13, no. 2: 55.

Journal article
Published: 15 January 2021 in Diversity
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Natural aquatic sites are disappearing worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean region where amphibians are frequently forced to move for reproduction to artificial sites designed for irrigation and cattle watering (i.e., wells, tanks and drinking troughs). In artificial aquatic sites, where resources (space and food) are usually limited, trophic niche information can be particularly useful to infer the suitability of habitats for amphibian conservation especially when more than one species co-occurs. In this paper, we focused on three newt species: The Italian newt (Lissotriton italicus), the Italian smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis) and the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) inhabiting man-made wells widespread in an area in Central Italy characterized by few available natural aquatic sites. Specifically, we analyzed the trophic spectrum of the species, their interactions and overlap, and discussed the potential role of wells in amphibian conservation. Overall, 550 newt individuals occurring in 16 distinct wells were sampled. The study species consumed similar resources, mainly of aquatic origin, with Diptera larvae and Cladocera representing the most important preys. The high degree of diet overlap observed may be due to site oligotrophy and high availability of small-sized prey, and it does not necessarily lead to competition. Newts had similar narrow niche width values and a generalist feeding pattern with high diversity among individuals. Lissotriton italicus and T. carnifex showed wider niche width in isolation than in syntopy condition, probably as a result of interspecific competition and/or intraguild predation. We showed that artificial aquatic sites are important for newt ecology and conservation since they allow up to three species to cohabit, thus representing a good surrogate of natural habitats. The study wells apparently provided suitable trophic conditions for newts in terms of prey availability and catchability. To date, just a few studies have contributed to a greater understanding of newts’ diet in artificial aquatic sites and this gap of knowledge has to be filled to clarify their role in amphibian ecology and conservation.

ACS Style

Luca Stellati; Jennifer Mirabasso; Luca Luiselli; Marco A. Bologna; Leonardo Vignoli; Alessandra Maria Bissattini. Can We Share? Feeding Strategy in Three Syntopic Newts in Artificial Habitats. Diversity 2021, 13, 32 .

AMA Style

Luca Stellati, Jennifer Mirabasso, Luca Luiselli, Marco A. Bologna, Leonardo Vignoli, Alessandra Maria Bissattini. Can We Share? Feeding Strategy in Three Syntopic Newts in Artificial Habitats. Diversity. 2021; 13 (1):32.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Stellati; Jennifer Mirabasso; Luca Luiselli; Marco A. Bologna; Leonardo Vignoli; Alessandra Maria Bissattini. 2021. "Can We Share? Feeding Strategy in Three Syntopic Newts in Artificial Habitats." Diversity 13, no. 1: 32.

Journal article
Published: 31 December 2020 in Tropical Zoology
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The assessment of habitat selection and temporal patterns of activity rhythms is paramount for wildlife conservation. Studies on behavioural ecology of wild mammals are particularly challenging in tropical areas, mostly when involving rare or elusive species. Despite being a common species in Italy, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is threatened of extinction throughout most of its sub-Saharan range. All available information on the ecology of this species has been collected in Italy, whereas no data is present in the scientific literature on spatiotemporal behaviour of this large rodent in Africa. In this work, we attempted to determine habitat selection and temporal patterns of activity rhythms of the crested porcupine in northern Benin and neighbouring countries, through intensive camera-trapping. We collected a total of 146 records of crested porcupine, 91 in the dry season (October-March) and 55 in the rainy season (April-September). Porcupines used most habitats in proportion to their local availability, while selecting rock outcrop formations (possibly used as shelter sites) and avoiding open areas, wetlands and gallery forests. A mostly nocturnal behaviour was confirmed throughout the year, with some diurnal activity at the start and at the end of the rainy season. The importance of rains in determining birth peak has been also showed, with juvenile individuals always observed at the start and at the end of the rainy season. Full moon always inhibited activity of this large rodent, most likely evolved as an antipredatory behaviour to limit encounters with potential predators (common leopard Panthera pardus, spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta and honey badger Mellivora capensis) and humans. Poaching pressure towards porcupines in West Africa is strong. Porcupines are killed for the traditional medicine, for their meat and because they are widely considered as a crop pest. This assessment should therefore be used as a basic tool to design conservation plans to preserve this rodent species in its native range.

ACS Style

Andrea Viviano; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli; Horst Oebel; Farid Bahleman; Emiliano Mori. Blessing the rains down in Africa: spatiotemporal behaviour of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the rainy and dry seasons, in the African savannah. Tropical Zoology 2020, 33, 1 .

AMA Style

Andrea Viviano, Giovanni Amori, Luca Luiselli, Horst Oebel, Farid Bahleman, Emiliano Mori. Blessing the rains down in Africa: spatiotemporal behaviour of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the rainy and dry seasons, in the African savannah. Tropical Zoology. 2020; 33 (4):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Viviano; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli; Horst Oebel; Farid Bahleman; Emiliano Mori. 2020. "Blessing the rains down in Africa: spatiotemporal behaviour of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the rainy and dry seasons, in the African savannah." Tropical Zoology 33, no. 4: 1.

Journal article
Published: 28 October 2020 in Tropical Zoology
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Gia Lai bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus gialaiensis) was firstly described in 2017, and is an endemic species with very restricted distributional range, estimated to be less than 10 km2 in coffee plantation in Gia Lai province, Central Highland of Vietnam. This species is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List. To date, the natural history of this species is totally unknown. In this paper, we provide the first-of-ever natural history data on this highly threatened gecko species, with emphasis on morphometrics, habitat preferences, thermal ecology, and activity patterns. In 23 days of surveys, we captured 42 C. gialaiensis individuals and recaptured 4 of them. Sex ratio was not skewed from equality and juveniles accounted for 23.8% of the observed individuals. The two sexes did not differ in terms of mean Snout-to-Vent Length, Tail Length and weight, but the adult females had longer head than adult males. Geckos were observed at a mean substratum temperature of 24.2±1°C (n=14), and exhibited a mean body temperature of 29.5±2.5°C (n=14). There was no significant correlation between substratum and body temperatures. Body temperatures were significantly higher than substratum temperatures. The study species exhibited a clearly nocturnal above-ground activity, with main peak occurring between 20:00-21:30 h.

ACS Style

Vinh Quang Luu; Oanh Lo Van; Tuoi Thi Hoang; Thong Pham Van; Olivier Le Duc; Cedric Bordes; Benjamin Leprince; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. Ecological characteristics of a recently described, critically endangered gecko species, endemic to Central Highland, Vietnam. Tropical Zoology 2020, 33, 1 .

AMA Style

Vinh Quang Luu, Oanh Lo Van, Tuoi Thi Hoang, Thong Pham Van, Olivier Le Duc, Cedric Bordes, Benjamin Leprince, Giovanni Amori, Luca Luiselli. Ecological characteristics of a recently described, critically endangered gecko species, endemic to Central Highland, Vietnam. Tropical Zoology. 2020; 33 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vinh Quang Luu; Oanh Lo Van; Tuoi Thi Hoang; Thong Pham Van; Olivier Le Duc; Cedric Bordes; Benjamin Leprince; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. 2020. "Ecological characteristics of a recently described, critically endangered gecko species, endemic to Central Highland, Vietnam." Tropical Zoology 33, no. 2: 1.

Original article
Published: 24 October 2020 in African Journal of Ecology
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Pangolins are considered among the most threatened mammal species, both globally and also in Africa. However, almost nothing is known on their status and distribution across wide areas of their range, particularly in West African countries. Here, we assess the status and distribution of pangolin species in Togo. Fieldwork was carried out in five localities around the Fazao Malfakassa National Park, five sites around the Togodo Protected Areas Complex (Togodo North and Togodo South National Parks), ‘Les Deux Béna’ and Missahohe Forest Reserves, Yikpa‐Dzigbe, Evou and Afagnan Community Forests. In all of these protected areas and forest islands, only one pangolin species was recorded: the white‐bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis); we found no evidence of the giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea), a species that now appears unlikely for Togo. Due to their nocturnal behaviour, we searched for pangolins by spotlighting and estimated their relative abundance using the Kilometric Index of Abundance. Our results show that P. tricuspis is still relatively abundant in suitable habitats in Fazao‐Malfakassa National Park, in Togodo North National Park and in the Assoukoko Forest Reserve. These habitats are dense remnant forest patches where numerous termite mounds and ant nests occur. The present study provides unprecedented information on the status of pangolins in Togo to help inform the development of a conservation programme for this species in this country.

ACS Style

Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto; Délagnon Assou; Eric Koffi G. Agbessi; Honam Komina Atsri; Neil D'Cruze; Mark Auliya; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa). African Journal of Ecology 2020, 59, 342 -349.

AMA Style

Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto, Délagnon Assou, Eric Koffi G. Agbessi, Honam Komina Atsri, Neil D'Cruze, Mark Auliya, Julia E. Fa, Luca Luiselli. Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa). African Journal of Ecology. 2020; 59 (2):342-349.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto; Délagnon Assou; Eric Koffi G. Agbessi; Honam Komina Atsri; Neil D'Cruze; Mark Auliya; Julia E. Fa; Luca Luiselli. 2020. "Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa)." African Journal of Ecology 59, no. 2: 342-349.