Honyurui Kagaku (Mammalian Science)
Online ISSN : 1881-526X
Print ISSN : 0385-437X
ISSN-L : 0385-437X
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Volume 55, Issue 2
Displaying 1-23 of 23 articles from this issue
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Original Articles
  • First record of the Japanese long-eared bat, Plecotus sacrimontis, in the Kyushu District, Japan, with special reference to variations in their external characters, skulls, echolocation calls and mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences
    Kimitake Funakoshi, Kuniko Kawai, Masashi Harada, Shusei Arai, Hirofum ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 125-132
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.125
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    There has so far been no record of the Japanese long-eared bat, Plecotus sacrimontis, in the Kyushu District. We confirmed their presence by observing and capturing these bats on the ceiling of the adit or abandoned mine in Notsuhara-machi, Oita Prefecture in 2003–2012, and in the weep hole of the tunnel in Kusu-Machi in the same prefecture in 2013. We identified them as P. sacromontis. This was supported by phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial gene (Cyt b) sequences. Forearm lengths in Kyushu were smaller than those in Honshu. Skulls from Kyushu were relatively small, and snouts were slightly shortened. These results were further supported by principal component analysis. Echolocation calls were low intensity FM calls with a second harmonic. SF, PF and EF averaged 45.8, 40.6 and 22.7 kHz, respectively, and D averaged 2.49 ms.
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  • Relationship between dead wood as ant nesting material and coniferous forest use by Japanese black bears in summer
    Yuuma Yasue, Toshiki Aoi, Takashi Kunisaki, Koji Harashina, Hirokazu T ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 133-144
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.133
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    Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus) use coniferous forests in the summer, but details of their behavior remain unclear. Ants use dead wood as a nesting material, and a strong association is believed to exist between the distribution of ants and the use of ants by Japanese black bears in coniferous forests areas with dead wood. To clarify that relation, we tracked two Japanese black bears using a newly developed telemetry system (GPS-TX) for 13 days and 6 days in June–August 2012. We also examined the distribution of dying wood in forests. Results show that Japanese black bears used coniferous forest areas in summer frequently and ate ants that nested in dead wood there. Furthermore, coniferous planted forests included numerous areas with dead wood. Japanese black bears often used such areas as wood decay progressed. Conifer plantation forests are therefore important contributing factors to the supply of ants. Furthermore, our results suggest that forest practices in planted coniferous forests strongly influence the food resources of Japanese black bears in summer.
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  • Influence of evacuation orders on the occurrence of the wild boar Sus scrofa in farmlands in the northern evacuation zone of the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
    Ryusuke Fujimoto, Takayuki Mitsunaga, Masahiko Takeuchi
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 145-154
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.145
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    During the resumption of agriculture in the evacuation zone of the accident of the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, concerns were raised about the emergence of wildlife damage. We monitored the occurrence of animals in farmlands in this area. Additionally, we addressed the effectiveness of countermeasures by evaluating the influence of evacuation orders on the occurrence of the wild boar Sus scrofa. Our survey was conducted from August 2013 to July 2014. Ten study sites (evacuation zone: 7, outside the zone: 3) were established, and 3 sensor-cameras were activated at each site. Forty-two groups of animals were detected. Boars represented 31% of all identified events, at the highest rate. Little influence of evacuation orders was recorded on the frequency of appearance of the boar. However, the timing of boar appearance was clearly influenced by the decrease in human activity. Boars occurred at a closer time to daytime in the evacuation zone than outside the zone. The increasing risk of wildlife damage in this area is similar to other localities. Therefore, the required countermeasures for the resumption of agriculture would be common management and system for its promotion.
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  • How far have reduction and expansion progressed? The latest distribution of the native sable and introduced Japanese marten in Hokkaido
    Hirofumi Hirakawa, Gohta Kinoshita, Daisuke Sakata, Takahiro Murakami, ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 155-166
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.155
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    We collected records of the native sable Martes zibellina and the introduced marten M. melampus in Hokkaido from 2000 to 2014 to assess the latest distribution of the two species. We found that the marten was widely distributed in the southwestern part and that the sable in the rest of Hokkaido. These two areas were divided by the Ishikari Lowland, which is mostly composed of non- or poorly-forested areas that stretch from the Ishikari Bay in the north to the Pacific Ocean in the south. Records of the sable were also obtained from three areas in the Ishikari Lowland. They were all located in the west side of the lowland with rivers as a reference line. Based on these results and some additional old records, we suggest that: 1) the marten expelled the sable in expanding its range; 2) the marten may not have reached the western edge of the lowland in the south of the watershed, but it will not be long before it does so; 3) the marten might be able to cross the lowland in the south of the watershed and expand its range to the east.
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  • Probable achievement of eradication of the small Indian mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus and survival state of native animals in Kagoshima prefecture mainland, Japan
    Kimitake Funakoshi, Shigeru Okada, Ayumi Nagasato, Aika Arai
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 167-181
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.167
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    We confirmed the presence of the small Indian mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus, an invasive alien species, in 2 areas (Kagoshima City and Satsumasendai City) in Kagoshima prefecture mainland in 2006–2011. In Kagoshima City, mongooses were captured from July 2009 to August 2012. Auto-sensor cameras and hair traps were set at their habitat and its peripheral area in order to monitor the remaining mongooses or native animals during the same period. These results indicated that mongooses may have been extinct since March 2011. The size of the mongoose population in the city was as small as a total of 115 captured for two years. On the other hand, one mongoose was observed in Satsumasendai City in December 2011, and captured in February 2012. The mongoose in this city practically disappeared from the subsequent monitoring. The habitats of mongooses ware limited within the agricultural lands and thickets, and they did not exist in the peripheral forests for at least 30 years. This may be due to their limit of physiological adaptability for a low temperature in winter, and to the pressure of native Martes melampus as a competitor or predator. As the mongooses decreased by trapping, some native animals may be recovered.
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  • Occurrence of the narrow-ridged finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) in the northern part of Harima Nada in the eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan
    Shigenori Kondo
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 183-193
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.183
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    In order to elucidate the occurrence of narrow-ridged finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) in the northern part of Harima Nada, line-transect sighting surveys were conducted on the car ferry route between Himeji and Fukuda of Shodoshima Island in 2010–2012. A single observer detected a total of 167 individuals in 93 groups, while on ferries that ran a total of 5482.5 km under the conditions of the Beaufort wind force scale < 3 and without glare. There were more finless porpoise sightings in the survey area from March to June. The sighting rate in the coastal waters of Shodoshima Island was higher than in other waters in April–June. Sightings in the survey area also tended to increase in August. In this season, a high sighting rate was recorded off the coast of Himeji. The density in the survey area was estimated at 0.304 individuals/km2 (CV = 0.287) in April–June, 2011 and at 0.276 individuals/km2 (CV = 0.372) in March–May, 2012. The mean number of porpoises per one way ferry trip under the conditions of the Beaufort wind force scale < 3 in March-June was 1.88 individuals in 2011 and 1.78 individuals in 2012. These sighting rates were higher than values evaluated from similar surveys in the 1970s and 1999–2000 (Kasuya et al. 2002).
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Short Communications
  • A comparison between frequency and point-frame for fecal analysis of the Japanese marten Martes melampus
    Seiki Takatsuki, Yui Yasumoto, Yamato Tsuji
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 195-200
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.195
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    Since the frequency method for animal food habits over-estimates or under-estimates food compositions, it is necessary to find the relationship between frequency evaluation and occupation evaluation. This analysis adopted the point-frame method for the Japanese marten Martes melampus. The results of both methods were compared against 289 fecal samples. Among the 12 food categories, fruits showed the greatest values for both frequency and occupancy, followed by insects, seeds, and stems-leaves, and others showed small frequency and occupancy values. The occupancies of insects, seeds, and stems-leaves were apparently smaller than the frequency values. The occupancy values (x) of seeds, stems-leaves, and mammals positively correlated with frequency values. The coefficients a in y = ax equation were < 0.2 for the former two, but around 0.4 for mammals. Occupancy values for fruits and insects did not correlate with frequency values because of great seasonal variations in availability. Accordingly, it seems possible to read frequency values of martens’ foods as far as we were cautious of overestimation in insects, seeds, and stems-leaves.
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  • Dispersal of juvenile Japanese squirrels (Sciurus lis) in a fragmented urban forest
    Anna Kikuchi, Chiaki Nishi, Yoshitaka Deguchi
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 201-207
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.201
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    Dispersal affects settlement and gene flow in wild populations. Thus, an understanding of dispersal is an essential element of conservation planning. We reported the dispersal patterns of juvenile Japanese squirrels in a fragmented urban forest within the municipality of Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Nest-sites were obtained by radio-tracking from July 2013 to June 2014. We compared nest site movement distances (excursions among nest sites before and after changes) between juvenile and adult squirrels, and between dispersal and non-dispersal periods. Nest site movement distances of juvenile were significantly greater than those of adults. Nest site movement distances during dispersal were significantly greater than those during pre- and post-dispersal periods. Furthermore, the home range sizes of juveniles during dispersal exceeded those in other periods. We found that individual juveniles used several nests, and that nest site movement distances increased with increasing home range size. Thus, we may conclude that dispersal is by gradual expansion of home range size.
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  • Food habits of Japanese dormouse (Glirulus japonicus) by fecal analysis in Nagano Prefecture
    Nachika Ochiai, Seishi Kadowaki, Erika Tamaki, Masanori Sugiyama
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 209-214
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.209
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    We examined seasonal variation of food habits in the Japanese dormouse (Glirulus japonicus) by fecal analysis. We inspected 164 nest boxes that had been putted up on trees along forestry roads and a stream in Kawakami Forests, University of Tsukuba, Nagano, and feces evacuated in the nest boxes were collected about every ten days from May to October, 2011. A point-frame method was used to evaluate contents of feces quantitatively. We classified the contents into the following five categories; arthropods, fruits, pine pollens, other pollens and seeds. In June and July, the proportion of arthropods occupied over 50%, and also accounted for about 30% in the other seasons. The proportion of fruits and seeds was higher in September and October. Pine pollens, other pollens, and seeds were contained in some seasons. Pine pollens accounted for 20% in May. Fecal analysis showed that dormice fed on arthropods and fruits during all active periods but their diets varied seasonally. This suggests that some arthropods, which accounted for over 25% in dormice’s feces throughout their active periods in this study, are especially important food items for them.
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Special Reports “The current status of and perspectives of the conservation and management of bears in Japan, 2012–2013”
  • A preface for the feature “The current status of and perspectives of the conservation and management of bears in Japan, 2012–2013”
    Chinatsu Kozakai, Mami Kondo, Isao Arimoto, Tetsuji Ito, Yusuke Goto, ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 215-217
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.215
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    The aim of this report is for researchers and officers to organize and share information in order to conduct a “feasible proposal” so that they can advance to the next stage in managing bears in Japan. We, therefore, have outlined the current situation and outstanding challenges regarding the nationwide management of bears, by using (i) results of a survey carried out during the 2012–2013 term, to understand the relevant initiatives and challenges across Japan, and (ii) the outcomes of mini symposium and workshop discussions at the 2013 and 2014 conferences of The Mammal Society of Japan. Our outline is from 3 perspectives: background of bear conservation and management and the relevant legal structure; the current situation and challenges regarding the management of bear populations, damages, and habitats; and the current situation and challenges regarding monitoring and evaluation of the bear population. Our special report also includes a 4th section outlining the situation in the western Chugoku area, as an example of concrete measures being taken in a region facing a turning point in conservation and management of bears. We have also noted the survey methods common to each section.
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  • I. Background and legal structure on conservation and management of bears
    Chinatsu Kozakai, Mami Kondo, Isao Arimoto, Tetsuji Ito, Yusuke Goto, ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 219-239
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.219
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    In order to achieve progress in wildlife conservation and management, we require people who can accurately perceive the relevant problems and who are familiar with the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks and capable of making realistic proposals individually tailored to each region. Here, we organize the background and problems related to conservation and management of bears (Ursus arctos and U. thibetanus) in Japan and the relevant legal structures. We followed features of the revised law in 2014. We also organized the current situation regarding the formulation of Specified Wildlife Conservation and Management Plans (SWCMP) of the bears. After the mass intrusions of the 2000s, the number of SWCMP has increased significantly, with a particular increase in the number of plans formulated in the east of Japan. Until in the 2000s, the main focus of bear conservation and management has been the endangered populations in the west of Japan; however, currently in both eastern and western Japan, the objective is to simultaneously reduce the damage to the population and maintain its population.
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  • II. Implementation status and issues of policy evaluation based on monitoring results
    Chinatsu Kozakai, Mami Kondo, Isao Arimoto, Tetsuji Ito, Yusuke Goto, ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 241-263
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.241
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    Adaptive management of wildlife requires a monitoring method that will last for a period sufficient to provide necessary results and that can be applied to regional human communities and animal populations. The aim of this report is to assist in selection of such a monitoring program. We reviewed the implementation status and issues related to monitoring the conservation and management of bears in Japan. We researched the degree of utilization of monitoring results in management policies. We also researched the status of assessment organization of the Specified Wildlife Conservation and Management Plans in each prefecture and the status of regional cooperation among prefectures. Our review showed that various types of monitoring were implemented. However, some monitoring data, especially those employed in the management of economic damage and human injury, were underutilized. Policy evaluation using the results of monitoring was not sufficient. It is necessary to reflect the results of policy evaluation in management in order to frame and implement plans and policies for the next period. Our review also exposed budgetary, systematic, and technical issues related to the collection of monitoring data, which need to be addressed by researchers in order to provide useful monitoring programs, including policy evaluation methods.
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  • III. Wildlife management: summarizing current situations and issues on the management of Japanese bears following the PDCA cycle
    Mami Kondo, Chinatsu Kozakai, Isao Arimoto, Tetsuji Ito, Yusuke Goto, ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 265-282
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.265
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    To manage Japanese bears (Ursus arctos and U. thibetanus) appropriately, it is important to understand the current situation and the issues surrounding them. Therefore, we summarized their current management status in Japan for review by researchers and/or government administrators. We developed this from questionnaires given to prefectures about their management plans. We categorized necessary responses into five categories: population management, conflict management, habitat management, public education and human resource development. Control killing depending on individual conflict risk was imported into population management strategy among many prefectures. However, capture control and accuracy improvement in assessment of population dynamics were still great issues. For conflict management, developing an index regarding conflict occurrences is needed. The concept of habitat management was written in plans for many prefectures, but few measures took shape. Ways to implement specific measures and evaluate them should be considered. Public education about conflict avoidance was conducted widely. Its effects should be evaluated. The training of wildlife managers was lacking. Researchers should give technical support to local governments and give advice to Ministry of the Environment so that they make the intelligible management guideline.
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  • IV. The progress and issues on the Specified Wildlife Conservation and Management Plan for Japanese black bears in the western Chugoku Mountains, Japan
    Seigo Sawada, Hiroyuki Tado, Takeshi Fujii, Tomoko Shizuno, Tomoki Nak ...
    2015 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 283-288
    Published: 2015
    Released on J-STAGE: January 28, 2016
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.55.283
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    The Wildlife Conservation and Management Plan for Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in the western Chugoku area has been enacted in three periods (2003–06, 2007–11, and 2012–16) by Hiroshima prefecture, Shimane prefecture and Yamaguchi prefecture under common policy. Arranging staffs called Experts in charge of Wild Animals Damage Prevention in Shimane and Bear Rangers in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, these prefectures have responded promptly to the call of encounter or capture of bears. We believe these community-based initiatives made residents’ anxiety clear and enabled staffs to build relationship of trust with residents. Further research and development of forestry activity method from medium- and long-term perspectives are needed to consider more detailed habitat management. In addition, deepening their collaboration, these three prefectures need to build consistent management system effectively to continue monitoring bear population, preventing bears from capturing by mistake and raising residents’ awareness.
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Guidelines for the Procedure of Releasing Live-Captured Bears
Reports on the Open Symposium “Present and future of Mammalogy” at the Annual Meeting of the Mammal Society of Japan 2014
Report on International Meeting
Report on 2015 Annual Meeting of Mammal Society of Japan and Vth International Wildlife Management Congress (IWMC2015)
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