The Small Mammal Specialist Group (SMSG) is happy to report the recent publication of a paper in the open-access journal Diversity detailing the process, and results, of species prioritization exercises for conservation planning and action. The exercises were carried out by the SMSG as well as a second IUCN SSC specialist group, the Antelope Specialist Group (ASG). 

Given the limited resources and finances available in conservation, strategically determining which species to focus on can be the most fair and effective way to guide conservation efforts. But how do we do this? Simply selecting species based on the level of threat they face, for example, ignores the importance of functional and phylogenetic diversity.  

It can therefore be helpful to use systematic prioritization methods that incorporate multiple criteria. Previous examples have included the ranking of species based on e.g., the cost and logistics of a project, the likelihood of conservation success, and/or metrics of species value, such as their status as an umbrella species, evolutionary distinctness, or cultural significance. Sometimes, these criteria are assigned different weightings depending on their relative importance. There exists no universal method for selecting and using such criteria, however. 

Selecting small mammals 

For large taxonomic groups such as small mammals (encompassing over 2,800 rodents, eulipotyphlans and tree shrews), prioritization approaches are invaluable in identifying how to best allocate already-stretched conservation resources. As such, in 2018, the SMSG developed and undertook a species prioritization exercise in Mexico. Mexico had been previously highlighted as a region with high aggregations of both globally threatened and data deficient small mammals. 

Mexico species prioritization workshop

Experts in Mexico first undertook a high level review of the Red List status of each of the 76 small mammal species found in the country. Those identified as Critically Endangered were then assessed against variables such as threat status, the proportion of a population falling within protected areas, and extent of existing captive breeding or conservation management efforts. Species were then scored based on urgency of conservation action, feasibility (i.e., the capacity to implement conservation action and research), and the number of other threatened small mammals that would also benefit from conservation action for said species.  

The top six species identified were those with the highest scores – all were rodents with highly restricted ranges, three of which are found only on islands (Cozumel Harvest, Catalina Deer and Angel Island mice). Based on these scores, draft action plans have since been developed and channeled into attempts to secure conservation funds. Proposals for the Cozumel Harvest Mouse and Angel Island Mouse have, however, been unsuccessful, something which the authors describe as “a recurring difficulty in supporting rodent conservation”.

Nevertheless, the Diversity paper sets out a framework that proved to be effective in selecting species to prioritize. It also underlines the importance of participation from regional experts; without local expertise, the feasibility of working on particular fauna can be misjudged. Some species, for example, might occur in regions where local experts know that opportunities to conduct field research or conservation activities are limited by economic or safety considerations. 

One of the top 6 species: Magdalena Rat

Overall, the framework jointly developed by the ASG and SMSG was successfully fed into prioritization exercises for the respective groups, with the results leading to new proposals and increased interest in certain species of conservation concern. The framework will be applied again in future workshops; for small mammals, there are plans to conduct a similar assessment in Sulawesi later this year. 

Lacher T.E., Mallon, D., Kennerley, R.J., Relton, C. and Young, R.P. (2022) Tools and metrics for species prioritization for conservation planning and action: Case studies for antelopes and small mammals. Diversity 14(9) 704. 

Author: Abi Gazzard (SMSG Programme Officer)

The chinchilla, a small, nocturnal South American rodent, has previously been pushed to the brink of extinction for its prize fur. It is now protected from hunting but remains at risk as demand increases for another high-value product  –  gold. 

Chinchilla sp.

The two species of chinchilla (the long-tailed Chinchilla lanigera and the short-tailed Chinchilla chinchilla) were once widespread across the coastal regions and foothills of the Andes in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia. Commercial hunting for fur drove their numbers down dramatically from the 19th century, and at one point, half a million skins were being exported per year. A ban on hunting in 1929 increased the value of their fur even more and intensified demand. By the mid-1900s, it was thought that chinchillas had been hunted to extinction. 

Fortunately, C. lanigera and C. chinchilla populations were rediscovered in northern Chile by the turn of the century, and a colony of C. chinchilla was additionally found in Bolivia in 2017. However, the rediscovered chinchilla populations are small and isolated – chinchillas live in colonies made of modest family groups, hundreds of kilometres away from the next. Numbers continue to decline and, currently, they are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.  

Sitting on a gold mine 

Camera trap images of long-tailed chinchillas. Source: Amy Deane.

In addition to poaching and habitat loss associated with agricultural and grazing activities, mining has become a substantial threat to chinchillas. Multiple colonies in Chile are known to be living on top of huge quantities of extractable gold.  

According to the Chilean government’s national chinchilla conservation plan, mining activities lead to the loss and degradation of habitat, and directly impact individuals or colonies through noise or vibration disturbance, death or displacement of individuals, and loss of food resources.  

Amy Deane, who is a member of the Small Mammal Specialist Group and founder of Save The Wild Chinchillas, has stressed that gold mines pose a grave threat, particularly given the slow reproductive rate of this species (one or two young are produced per litter, once or twice a year).

 “Both species of wild chinchillas are paper protected, meaning that they are protected by laws and treaties,” says Amy. “However, the reality is that their protection in disputed areas, such as mining concessions, is continually under threat, and there is growing pressure to ease some of the restrictions safeguarding those populations.” 

Challenges for chinchilla mitigation

Effort has been made to mitigate the impact of mining developments on chinchillas by translocating individuals out of sites earmarked for gold extraction. However, these attempts have not yet been successful: in northern Chile, at a site owned by the company Gold Fields, translocation plans were halted in 2020 after two of four relocated chinchillas died in a soft-release enclosure and a third was found injured. This might have been down to acute stress caused by a disruption to the chinchillas’ social structure, handling procedures and movement to a new site.  

Such negative outcomes are not unusual in small mammal translocation attempts (e.g. Matějů et al. 2010; Tennant and Germano 2017, Rayner et al. 2021). Some rodents, for example, have shown high levels of homing behaviour when relocated short distances from their original range, and increased mortality when translocated over larger distances. Strong justification is therefore needed for translocation projects and, at the very least, there should be sufficient species knowledge to inform such projects. 

Case studies of chinchilla translocations are unfortunately lacking. In fact, relatively little is known about the basic biology of these animals. Without this fundamental information, it’s not clear how mining developments will move forward, only that they are indeed expected to move forward: Gold Fields intends to commence gold production when construction is completed later this year. 

It is not yet known whether the government will be allowing further translocation attempts or pushing for alternative mitigation measures. In the meantime, Amy and her colleagues at Save The Wild Chinchillas are working hard to spread awareness of the plight of the chinchillas, and to find a way to ensure the protection of the dwindling colonies that live atop unmined gold. 

Author: Abi Gazzard (SMSG Programme Officer)

The annual British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) awards celebrate the achievements of zoo associations in fields such as Education, Conservation and Research. This year, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has received a silver BIAZA award for research exploring global hotspots of, and research priorities for, the world’s Rodentia and Eulipotyphla. The project titled “Scaling up small-mammal conservation: setting global priorities for understudied and overlooked species”, was led by the Small Mammal Specialist Group (SMSG) with partners at Durrell – who host the SMSG Co-Chair and Programme Officer roles – as well as Texas A&M University, the Zoological Society of London and Re:wild. 

Small mammals exhibit remarkable functional, morphological and phylogenetic diversity. They include some of the world’s most primitive mammal taxa and can be found in virtually every terrestrial ecosystem. Yet, despite this, they are frequently overlooked in conservation science: research confirms that the poorly studied and largely ignored mammal species are those present in countries with limited scientific capacity, those that have been described only recently, or those that are small in size.

The SMSG’s award-winning project has therefore been an important step forward for the small mammal field. Using information gathered from the IUCN Red List, the aim of this project was to identify small mammal hotspots across the globe where conservation actions could have the greatest impact. The work focuses on the orders Eulipotyphla (e.g. hedgehogs, shrews, moles and solenodons) and Rodentia (e.g. rats, mice, squirrels, beavers and porcupines) which, together, make up nearly half of all living mammal species.  

Project outcomes 

In total, 76 of 454 known eulipotyphlan species and 324 of 2,231 known rodent species are classified as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List. By analysing the distribution and richness of these groups, multiple hotspots were identified: for eulipotyphlans, three regions (Sri Lanka, Western Ghats and Cameroonian Highlands) were found to contain disproportionately more at-risk species than expected. For rodents, six regions (in Mexico, Cameroonian Highlands, Southwestern Ghats, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia) are inhabited by disproportionately more at-risk species than would be expected.  

The researchers further reported that much of the globe’s small mammal diversity does not fall within protected areas. Protected areas are considered “the single most important conservation tool” yet are very rarely set up with small mammals in mind. In fact, five eulipotyphlans and 44 rodents were found to occur in regions completely outside of any protected site. 

The study additionally highlighted regions with the highest numbers of ‘data deficient’ small mammals, i.e. species for which insufficient population or distribution information is available to make a Red List assessment. These areas – within Central and South America – require urgent research attention.  

Moving forward, the SMSG have used these results to inform action on the ground. The SMSG recently hosted a small mammal workshop in one of the identified priority regions, Mexico, with plans to replicate this in more key regions in the future. Such workshops bring together experts from government, academia, NGOs and other stakeholders, facilitating the development of prioritisation methods and species action plans. 

The recognition of this work in the BIAZA annual awards is a great achievement for the SMSG and shines a light on the group’s contributions to raising the profile of, researching and conserving small mammals – congratulations to everyone involved! 

You can read the full research paper here.

Author: Abi Gazzard (SMSG Programme Officer)

The Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat – endemic to Madagascar – has been under pressure from habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation for years. Now, in the latest IUCN Red List update, this species has been moved to a higher threat category, from Endangered to Critically Endangered.

The Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat is the only living species in the ‘jumping rat’ genus Hypogeomys. As its name suggests, this forest-dwelling rodent has an impressive jumping ability. Its disproportionately large back feet help it to spring almost one metre into the air when evading predators. Such rabbit-like quirks of the jumping rat can also be seen in its nesting behaviour; during the day, it rests in an underground burrow complex. At night, it becomes active to forage for fallen fruit, leaves and seeds. The burrows of the Malagasy giant jumping rat are relatively high maintenance with entrances that are excavated and re-sealed every time a rat leaves and returns. Rather unusually, this rodent lives in its burrows in social monogamy: a male and female pair will remain together until one mate dies. 

Today, this unique species is found in only two isolated fragments of the Menabe region on the west coast of Madagascar, occupying a total area of less than 200km². Fossil evidence indicates that a millennium ago the range of the Malagasy giant jumping rat would have extended much further south. 

Substantial habitat loss across this species’ historical range has been the result of climate-related aridification as well as human activities. Slash and burn agriculture, logging, charcoal production and illegal maize and peanut production have all contributed to unprecedented rates of deforestation in the now protected Menabe Antimena area: by 2014, approximately 4,000 hectares of forest was being lost per year. 

Habitat loss is not the only threat the giant jumping rat faces. It may be susceptible to hantaviruses recently detected in other rodents in Madagascar, as well as the negative impacts of feral cats and dogs which pose a risk as predators as well as carriers of disease. 

These challenges have driven a severe and ongoing drop in numbers of the giant jumping rat. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust undertook urgent survey work in the field in 2019 (even capturing rare footage of the rodents) and, based on the results of such surveys, the population was estimated to have declined by 88% between the years 2007-2019. In the northern fragment of its range, this decline reached 92% over the same period. Approximately just 5,000 individuals remain and the alarming reduction in numbers is what qualifies the Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat for Critically Endangered status. 

Can the Malagasy giant jumping rat bounce back from the brink of extinction? 

This rodent has a slow reproductive strategy. Only one or two young are produced per litter and sexual maturity of females is likely not reached until after two years. Its low reproductive output in combination with rapid habitat destruction and other fast-acting threats highlights the urgency of conservation efforts for this species. 

In captivity, conservation action for the giant jumping rat has been ongoing since the 1990s when Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust established the first ‘safety net’ population in Jersey Zoo. In the wild, the forest in which the jumping rat resides was granted statutory protection in 2006, though this has not alleviated the significant threat of illegal deforestation. 

There is now a need to focus efforts on stricter habitat protection measures, investigate the potential pathogens threatening this species, control feral dogs and cats and, ideally, establish a comprehensive action plan for saving the species. Without any intensive conservation intervention or habitat security, the Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat could disappear forever. 

Author: Abi Gazzard (SMSG Programme Officer)

The IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group is delighted to welcome Abi as the new SMSG Programme Officer. Abi joined the team in May 2022 and will be based at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Her role will involve working alongside the team to deliver Red List assessments and other key activities. Abi’s interest in small mammals grew from her MSc project, in which she conducted an occupancy study of the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) using footprint tracking tunnels in the UK. She then went on to complete a PhD at the University of Reading in 2022 again focusing on West European hedgehogs, but specifically in urban areas. Her research incorporated a range of methodological approaches, such as radio tracking and citizen science surveys, to study conservation actions and hedgehog activity primarily in residential gardens. Beyond hedgehogs, Abi has previously worked on projects with wildlife researchers in Malaysia and Europe. She hopes to continue expanding her knowledge of, and contributing to the conservation of, Eulipotyphlans and other small mammals.

Welcome to the team Abi!

My six month internship at Durrell Wildlife Trust and the IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group has been an exciting and fulfilling adventure. Despite having spent the majority of my time working remotely, the distance felt much shorter with a team that made me feel very much welcomed. I looked forward to our Durrell weekly Monday catch up sessions, always getting inspired by the exciting fieldwork my other colleagues have planned. Coming directly into the internship from my academic studies, this internship was great exposure to the working world of conservation. As my tasks were wide-ranged, I was able to experience what it was like to work in multiple dimensions of conservation and decide whether I enjoyed it. I not only acquired more knowledge of small mammals and their ecology, but I also further sharpened my research and writing abilities. From writing my first press release for the conservation status change of the Pyrenean Desman, to amending Red List accounts on the water vole and Sinharaja shrew, to submitting an article on the Southeast Asian rodent meat trade for publication, these tasks honed my ability to be an independent researcher. One of the perks of working in a reputable organisation such as this one is the connections I have made, especially with TRAFFIC and Wildlife Conservation Society. These connections will no doubt be useful in the future as I continue my journey as a conservation scientist. Finally, I would like to personally thank my supervisor, Ros, for her guidance and support throughout my internship, and for overall making my experience more pleasant and enjoyable. 

Our team are working in Cuba to learn more about the globally endangered and evolutionarily distinct Cuban Solenodon. Threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators, we will harness the expertise of local rural communities by producing a written plan for the conservation of the species.

BACKGROUND

The Cuban solenodon (Atopogale cubana), known locally as the ‘almiquí’, is one of the most evolutionarily unique species on the planet. Along with the Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), they are the only surviving members of a mammalian lineage that can be traced back virtually unchanged to the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago). Recent estimates suggest that the group’s nearest closest relatives are the true shrews (Eulipotyphla).

Nocturnal and weighing about 1kg, they are difficult to study and have been declared extinct on numerous occasions. Recent discoveries of living specimens have given hope to the continued survival of the almiqui. However, systematic studies are needed to determine an understanding of their current population dynamics, natural history and ecology as well as the threats they may face in an ever-changing world.

Cuban solenodons along with the Desmarest’s hutia (Capromys pilorides), are two out of 13 remaining endemic land mammals of the Caribbean. Solenodons are approximately the size of a football and despite having the ability to climb, are mainly ground dwelling. They have a rougher and darker coat differing from their Hispaniolan cousins. A long, flexible snout with a supporting bone allows them to forage for invertebrate prey, although they lack the ball and socket joint which is characteristic of the Hispaniolan solenodon. One of the species’ unique traits includes their venomous saliva which is injected into prey through specially modified teeth. The name “solenodon” originates from the Greek word for “grooved teeth”.

They can run and climb quickly, however, have a clumsy gait which leaves them vulnerable to introduced predators such as feral dogs. Predation by introduced predators, as well as habitat loss, are the two main threats to the species. Due to a lack of systematic scientific research, the extent of these threats remains unknown hindering vital conservation action.

Studying the almiquí presents some unique challenges that our partnership hopes to overcome. This species may still be found in the pristine mountains of the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. However, these areas are located at an altitude of 740 m above sea level and are extremely difficult to access. Our research team will need to carry everything they require for at least 20-30 days in the field, using pack animals since these areas are only accessible by foot. The team of researchers working to save this unique species not only have to face the difficulty of traversing the inaccessible terrain, they will also have to deal with limited resources including lab access to run samples which is only available in the capital, Havana.

PLANNED RESEARCH AND OUTCOMES

We plan to conduct a series of field surveys across the species’ range in the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. The knowledge of local rural communities will be used to identify and increase our understanding of the threats facing almiquí throughout its last remaining stronghold.

By the end of our first year, we aim to test the feasibility of detecting the almiquí using different field methods including camera trapping, indirect field signs and the use of scent dogs. From this point we will decide our approach to studying the almiquí. Deciding on the most appropriate sampling techniques and survey design, we aim to map the distribution of the species throughout the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. Finally, we will conduct a pilot study sampling across the suspected species’ range detecting almiquí presence or absence.

By the end of our third year, we aim to create a written plan for Cuban solenodon conservation by consolidating the findings of our research efforts from our first year. Next, we will prepare and pilot local ecological knowledge surveys, with the help from local communities, we will survey in at least three villages within or close to the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park to better understand the threats towards this species.

WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS?

Through a partnership with the IUCN Small Mammal Specialist Group, there are opportunities for collaborations with local biologists in Cuba. In Humboldt NP, Norvis Hernández from the Ministry of Sciences, Technology and Environment in Cuba will lead the fieldwork and has considerable expertise in the natural history of the study region. We are also partnering with Zoo New England, who have adopted the Cuban Solenodon Conservation Project as one of its new Conservation Partnerships, providing expertise and support for our fieldwork activities.

The SMSG core team have a wealth of experience working in the Caribbean, particularly on the sister species found on the island of Hispaniola. The Last Survivors project ran for several years researching the two remaining endemic non-flying mammals in neighbouring Haiti and the Dominican Republic. During the project activities ranged from developing survey methodology, understanding the genetic status and health of the populations, undertaking Local Ecological Knowledge surveys, all of which can be developed to study the Cuban species.