Academic literature on the topic 'Semi-aquatic mammal'

Although the American mink is extremely dependent on water and has evolved a range of aquatic characteristics, its structural adaptation to water is still less obvious than that of other typical semi-aquatic mammals, such as otters. Therefore, many scholars consider it not to be a semi-aquatic mammal. In order to make the point that minks are semi-aquatic mammals more convincing, we provide evidence at the micro (genome)-level. In particular, we used the genomes of the American mink and 13 mammalian species to reconstruct their evolutionary history, identified genes that affect aquatic adaptation, and examined the evolution of aquatic adaptation. By analyzing unique gene families, the expansion and contraction of gene families, and positive selection genes, we found that the American mink genome has evolved specifically for aquatic adaptation. In particular, we found that the main adaptive characteristics of the American mink include the external structural characteristics of bone and hair development, as well as the internal physiological characteristics of immunity, olfaction, coagulation, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism. We also observed that the genomic characteristics of the American mink are similar to those of other aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals. This not only provides solid genomic evidence for the idea that minks are semi-aquatic mammals, but also leads to a clearer understanding of semi-aquatic species. At the same time, this study also provides a reference for the protection and utilization of the American mink.

We previously showed that registration efforts and traffic intensity explain 90% of variation in mammal roadkill numbers, 70% of variation in the numbers of recorded species and 40% of diversity variation. Here we analyze semiaquatic mammal roadkill in Lithuania in 2002–2021, relating these to the monitoring effort. From 39,936 analyzed roadkill, the European beaver (Castor fiber) was registered 60 times, American mink (Neovison vison) 26 times, otter (Lutra lutra) 22 times and muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) 3 times. The average roadkill indexes were 0.000065, 0.00076, 0.00061 and 0.00010 ind./km/day, and the extrapolated annual roadkill for the country was 44–357, 36–456, 49–464 and 89–144 individuals, respectively. Beaver roadkill numbers correlated with the registration effort and traffic intensity, otter roadkill with registration effort only and mink with hunting bag (number of hunted individuals per year). Roadkill was not always related to proximity to water, with 38–54% of roadkill occurring over 200 m from the nearest water source. With American mink and muskrat being invasive species in the EU and otter protected in many countries, it is valuable to enhance the registrations of their roadkill (using targeted efforts by drivers, hunters or other citizen scientists) to obtain the extrapolated amount of roadkill and to use this knowledge in species management.

All small mammals have prominent facial whiskers that they employ as tactile sensors to guide navigation and foraging in complex habitats. Nocturnal, arboreal mammals tend to have the longest and most densely packed whiskers, and semi-aquatic mammals have the most sensitive. Here we present evidence to indicate that many small mammals use their whiskers to tactually guide safe foot positioning. Specifically, in 11, small, non-flying mammal species, we demonstrate that forepaw placement always falls within the ground contact zone of the whisker field and that forepaw width is always smaller than whisker span. We also demonstrate commonalities of whisker scanning movements (whisking) and elements of active control, associated with increasing contact with objects of interest, across multiple small mammal species that have previously only been shown in common laboratory animals. Overall, we propose that guiding locomotion, alongside environment exploration, is a common function of whisker touch sensing in small, quadrupedal mammals.

Semi-aquatic mammals occupy a precarious evolutionary position, having to function in both aquatic and terrestrial environments without specializing in locomotor performance in either environment. To examine possible energetic constraints on semi-aquatic mammals, we compared rates of oxygen consumption for the Australian water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) using different locomotor behaviors: swimming and running. Aquatic locomotion was investigated as animals swam in a water flume at several speeds, whereas water rats were run on a treadmill to measure metabolic effort during terrestrial locomotion. Water rats swam at the surface using alternate pelvic paddling and locomoted on the treadmill using gaits that included walk, trot and half-bound. Water rats were able to run at twice their maximum swimming velocity. Swimming metabolic rate increased with velocity in a pattern similar to the ‘humps’ and ‘hollows’ for wave drag experienced by bodies moving at the water surface. Metabolic rate increased linearly during running. Over equivalent velocities, the metabolic rate for running was 13–40 % greater than for swimming. The minimum cost of transport for swimming (2.61 J N-1 m-1) was equivalent to values for other semi-aquatic mammals. The lowest cost for running (2.08 J N-1 m-1) was 20 % lower than for swimming. When compared with specialists at the extremes of the terrestrial-aquatic continuum, the energetic costs of locomoting either in water or on land were high for the semi-aquatic Hydromys chrysogaster. However, the relative costs for H. chrysogaster were lower than when an aquatic specialist attempts to move on land or a terrestrial specialist attempts to swim.

Abstract To date, the large-scale distribution of the endangered Pyrenean desman, Galemys pyrenaicus, has been related to various abiotic factors (e.g. riverbed and riverbank characteristics, hydrology, topography, climate). However, none could fully explain the recent observed range contraction of the species, suggesting the influence of other drivers. In this study, the potential effect of some unexplored variables on the Pyrenean desman presence was investigated at the local scale (i.e. stream reaches) in the French Pyrenees. They described not only the riverbed, riverbanks, water chemistry, topography and pedology but also the presence of potential interacting species. Generalised linear models were implemented to select the best drivers of the Pyrenean desman presence. Our results stressed the relevance of considering human impacts at the riverbed scale, river narrowing and water chemistry to explain the local distribution of the Pyrenean desman. The presence of two potential competitors, the Eurasian water shrew Neomys fodiens and the dipper Cinclus cinclus, was also highly correlated to the species presence in stream reaches. This suggests that all three species may use the same resources within streams, which could be a potential source of competitive interactions. This study not only highlights the importance of maintaining the riverbed integrity for the Pyrenean desman but also stresses the need to assess the extent to which biotic interactions may affect its distribution in order to understand its current decline.

Throughout midwestern North American ecosystems, semi-aquatic mammals including beaver (Castor canadensis), mink (Neovision vision), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and river otter (Lontra canadensis) co-exist in wetlands. These species are ecologically important through their manipulation of habitats and interactions with other species present. The Lake County Forest Preserve District (Lake County, Illinois) is actively restoring forest preserves using several restoration practices and are interested in how these efforts may affect semi-aquatic mammal occupancy. We studied impacts of restoration practices and other environmental covariates on detection and occupancy of the 4 aforementioned focal species. Sign surveys were conducted during December-April in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Single species, multi-season models were run in RStudio using the package unmarked. Muskrat detection (p̂ = 0.60 ± 0.03) was positively affected by survey replicate, and negatively impacted by last precipitation amount and bank angle. Beaver detection (p̂ = 0.76 ± 0.03) was positively affected by survey replicate and previous 2-week precipitation amount, and negatively influenced by bank angle. Mink detection (p̂ = 0.26 ± 0.04) was positively impacted by survey replicate, and negatively affected by last precipitation amount and previous 2-week precipitation amount. River otter detection (p̂ = 0.10 ± 0.07) was not influenced by any covariates sampled. Muskrat had the highest occupancy (ψ ̂= 0.90 ± 0.05), followed by beaver (ψ ̂ = 0.57 ± 0.07), mink (ψ ̂ = 0.57 ± 0.10), and river otter (ψ ̂ = 0.28 ± 0.18). Both muskrat and river otter occupancy were not affected by any covariates sampled. Beaver occupancy was positively impacted by stream density and number of saplings. Mink occupancy was positively affected by stream density. No focal species’ occupancies were influenced by restoration practices. From these findings, I provide recommendations for future surveys and management for semi-aquatic furbearers in urban landscapes. Thank you to the Lake County Forest Preserve District for funding my research.

Mammals in freshwater aquatic systems play important roles as ecosystem engineers, trophic transfer agents, and apex predators, thus acting as indicators of freshwater ecosystem function. Watersheds inhabited by semi-aquatic mammals have increased links between adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems compared to watersheds where they are not present. Semi-aquatic mammals not only exert top-down influences on streams, but are affected by bottom-up forces from the riparian system itself. The goal of this study was to identify variables that correlate with the presence of beaver (Castor canadensis), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), mink (Neovison vison), and river otter (Lontra canadensis), including their interactions, resulting in a better understanding of the areas where these semi-aquatic mammals occur and their effects on the riparian system. The objectives of this study were (1) to identify variables related to the probability of detection, initial occupancy, colonization, and extinction of the 4 semi-aquatic mammals in southern Illinois; and (2) to test if the reintroduction of river otter has changed stream food webs. To address my first objective, I sampled 120 bridge sites in 2 periods (winter: Jan-Feb; and spring: Mar-Apr) during 2012–2014 in 11 major watersheds in the southern third of Illinois (44,526 km2) to estimate multi-season occupancy. Each survey unit was a 400-m stream segment visited twice by 2 observers for a total of 4 observations per site per period. Observers recorded all mammal signs found, including sign species and type. Sites were Intensive Basin Survey Sites sampled by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), allowing data collected by the state to be available for explanatory variables for mammal occupancy. Data collected by the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) also were available for a subset of sites. I collected local- and landscape-scale habitat and weather variables for each site. I developed hypotheses regarding occupancy of sites based on land-cover, human disturbance, and stream attributes for each species. I developed additional hypotheses regarding prey availability and water quality for river otter and mink. Sites used in each analysis were dependent on data available to address the hypotheses of interest. Beaver and muskrat were present at ≥100 of 103 sites for ≥1 observation. Naïve occupancy was high (≥82%) every year for both species. Detection probabilities for beaver and muskrat were best predicted by survey period. Beaver detection remained fairly constant across survey periods except for a decrease in winter 2014, whereas muskrat detection was generally lower during winter and higher during spring. Beaver were more likely to occupy larger streams than smaller streams during the initial survey period. Sites that lacked a dominant land-cover had a lower probability of beaver colonization than sites dominated by agriculture or woody vegetation at the landscape scale. In addition, the probability that a site would be colonized by beaver during the study increased with availability of water within 1 km of the surveyed segment, increased stream density, sites at larger streams, and river otter presence during the previous period. The probability of site extinction decreased as stream size, stream density within 1 km, and water availability within 500 m of the survey segment increased. Occupancy of muskrat during the initial survey period was negatively predicted by % forest in the 1-km riparian area, channel incision, and amount mercury in the sediment. Colonization by muskrats was lower during the long spring to winter intervals than the short winter to spring intervals, and was positively related to the amount of organic carbon in the sediment. The probability of site extinction by muskrat increased with increasing % forest within the riparian area around the stream segment, decreasing 1-km stream density, and when land-cover within 1 km of sites was dominated by agriculture or woody vegetation. Multi-season occupancy of river otter and mink were assessed in 2 separate analyses that used either land-cover and management variables or prey availability and riparian community composition, respectively. In the first analysis, river otter and mink were present at ≥84 of 103 sites. Naïve occupancy was higher every year for mink (≥88.3%) than for river otter (≥55.3%). Detection of river otter and mink in the first analysis increased as substrate availability increased. Occupancy of river otter during the initial survey period was predicted by large stream size, low % developed area within 250 m of the surveyed segment, and proximity to nearest river otter reintroduction point. Probability of colonization by river otter varied by survey period and was higher at sites with larger streams, higher stream density, lower % developed area, and within a known river otter population area. Site extinction by river otter in the first analysis varied by survey period and was linked to increased organic carbon in the sediment, and decreased road density within 1 km of the surveyed segment. River otter harvest was not found to affect site colonization or extinction. Mink occupancy during the initial period was negatively associated with water availability within 100 m of the survey segment. Site colonization by mink varied by month and increased with increasing developed area within 100 m of the surveyed segment, increasing channel incision, and decreasing rainfall. Probability of site extinction for mink increased as stream size and developed area within 500 m of the surveyed segment increased, and when woody vegetation was the dominant land-cover type within 1 km of the surveyed segment. The second analysis of multi-season occupancy of river otter and mink used 77 sites, 81.8% of which had ≥1 river otter detection in the study and 98.7% of which had ≥1 mink detection. Naïve occupancy differed between years but gradually increased for river otter and remained high (≥93.5%) for mink. Increasing substrate availability increased the probability of river otter detection, whereas mink detection varied by survey period. Occupancy during the initial survey period was higher in sites closer to the reintroduction points for river otter. Probability of colonization of river otter was positively associated with macroinvertebrate IBI and fish species richness, sites with high fish species richness of fish families preferred by river otter also had reduced otter extinction probability. No tested variables predicted initial occupancy for mink, but mink were more likely to colonize sites with increased fish richness and when muskrat were present during the previous period. Mink had decreased probability of extinction in sites with increasing mussel community index. My results indicate that semi-aquatic mammals in Illinois were affected by a riparian habitat, water availability, and stream community variables at both the landscape and local scale. I found high occupancy of mink, beaver, and muskrat across the entire landscape of southern Illinois, and my results suggest that the geographic range of river otter continues to expand. Relationships of occupancy of these semi-aquatic mammals to measurements of urban areas and human disturbance were not consistent across all species. Mink and river otter occupancy were both predicted by aspects of prey availability, indicating the importance of predator-prey relationships in occupancy dynamics of riparian predators. Hypotheses regarding predator pressure and changes in environmental variables were used to test the effects of river otter reintroduction on stream communities. For this objective, I used structural equation models. I compared fish and macroinvertebrate communities from before (1982-1995) and after (2005-2013) reintroduction of river otter, which occurred in 1994–1996. Fish and macroinvertebrate community data for 35 sites located throughout 6 major watersheds in southern Illinois (25,550 km2) were obtained from state agencies. Changes in stream communities were evaluated using 4 metrics (species richness, species dominance, skewness in size distribution of prey, and proportion of individuals in the size class preferred by river otter). Neither the inclusion of river otter site use nor change in stream quality, measured by change in % forest, improved models over the simple model which only included fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Overall, I found no evidence that river otter presence or change in forest cover affected stream fish and macroinvertebrate communities.

Se déplacer dans l’eau ou sur terre implique de faire face à des contraintes mécaniques extrêmement différentes. L’eau est sensiblement plus dense et visqueuse que l’air et, par le fait, la locomotion aquatique est dominée par la traînée et la poussée d’Archimède alors que la locomotion terrestre est dominée par la gravité et l’inertie. Si les adaptations les plus extrêmes à la locomotion dans chacun de ces milieux sont bien documentées, les espèces semi-aquatiques qui se déplacent fréquemment dans ces deux milieux restent peu étudiées.Les mustélidés présentent une large diversité de spécialisations locomotrices tant du point de vue du type de milieu fréquenté que du point de vue du degré de spécialisation.Cela inclut trois événements indépendants d’apparition d’un mode de vie semi-aquatique avec pour représentants actuels : le vison d’Europe, le vison Américain et les loutres. En utilisant la morphométrie géométrique pour quantifier l’ensemble de la forme de l’humérus, du radius, de l’ulna, du fémur, du tibia et de la fibula, j’ai étudié les différences morphologiques de l’appareil locomoteur des mustélidés terrestres et semi-aquatiques. Étant donné que les visons et les loutres font face aux mêmes contraintes fonctionnelles liées à une locomotion à la fois terrestre et aquatique, j’ai testé si leur morphologie convergeait. Enfin, étant donné la différence de contraintes fonctionnelles induites par les deux milieux, j’ai testé si le milieu de locomotion avait un impact homogène sur l’appareil locomoteur ou si une spécialisation de certains os pouvait être observée.Si les visons diffèrent peu de leurs parents terrestres, les loutres montrent d’importantes différences en termes de taille, forme et proportions relatives des os. Les visons présentent une morphologie similaire à celle observée chez tous les Mustelinae.Néanmoins, la morphologie de l’humérus est convergente entre les deux visons, avec une courbure plus grande que chez leurs parents terrestres. La morphologie des visons résulte de spécialisations récentes de la morphologie versatile propre aux Mustelinae, leur mode de nage est similaire à celui des Mustelinae terrestres et ils ne montrent que de subtiles différenciations morphologiques.A l’opposé, les loutres présentent des os longs dont la forme diffère nettement de celle de leurs parents terrestres. De plus, elles montrent une grande diversité de formes, en opposition avec l’hypothèse qui voudrait que de fortes contraintes fonctionnelles, telles que celles induites par la locomotion aquatique, devraient conduire à un nombre limité de réponses évolutives possibles. Les loutres montrent un ensemble de caractéristiques morphologiques en lien avec la locomotion aquatique: des os robustes, avec de larges épiphyses, un stylopode court relativement au zeugopode et un grand bras de levier pour les extenseurs du coude. Seule la loutre de mer (Enhydra lutris) montre une spécialisation différente entre les pattes avant et arrière. Les pattes arrière sont dédiées à la locomotion aquatique avec un grand bras de levier pour les muscles de la hanche et un pied transformé en palette natatoire. La patte avant, en revanche, présente une ulna gracile, avec un processus olécrane court et un radius courbé cranialement, produisant un patronde co-variation unique. Ces particularités permettent de plus grands degrés de liberté dans les mouvements de l’avant-bras, et de fait, les capacités de manipulation uniques chez cette espèce.Ainsi les mustélidés semi-aquatiques présentent une diversité qui n’était pas attendue étant donné la différence de contraintes mécaniques imposées par la locomotion dans l’eau et sur terre. Les mustélidés semi-aquatiques semblent avoir évolué depuis une morphologie ancestrale versatile jusqu’à des formes très spécialisées,où la réduction progressive de la locomotion terrestre a permis une spécialisation différente entre les membres antérieurs et postérieurs
Moving in water and on land implies coping with drastically different mechanicalconstraints. Water is substantially more dense and viscous than air and thus aquaticlocomotion is dominated by drag and buoyancy when terrestrial locomotion is dominatedby gravity and inertia. If extreme adaptations to locomotion in each of thesetwo media are well described, semi-aquatic species that move extensively in bothmedia remain poorly studied.Mustelids presents a large diversity of locomotor specializations involving differentkinds of locomotor environments and different degrees of specialization. It encompassthree independent evolutions of a semi-aquatic lifestyle: the European mink,the American mink, and the otters. Using geometric morphometrics to quantify theshape of the entire humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula I investigated morphologicaldifferences in the locomotor apparatus of terrestrial and semi-aquaticmustelids. As both minks and otters face functional pressures resulting from bothaquatic and terrestrial locomotion, I tested whether their morphology converged.Finally, considering the differences in the functional requirements of the two media,I explored whether the locomotor ecology has a homogeneous impact on thelocomotor apparatus or whether a functional specialization of certain parts can beobserved.Whereas minks show low morphological differentiation from their terrestrial relatives,otters diverged a lot in both shape, size, and the relative proportions of thelimb bones. Minks present a morphology that is similar to the one observed in otherMustelinae. Nevertheless, the shape of the humerus is convergent between thetwo minks, and shows a greater curvature than in their terrestrial relatives. Minksresult from recent specializations of the versatile morphology of Mustelinae witha swimming mode similar to the one of the terrestrial Mustelinae and only subtlemodifications of their long bone morphology.Conversely, otters present a long bone shape that is strongly divergent from theone of their terrestrial relatives. Additionally, they show very diverse long boneshapes in opposition to the hypothesis stating that strong functional requirements,as the ones induced by aquatic locomotion, should induce a limited number of potentialevolutionary responses. Otters show morphological features that are related to aquatic locomotion: robust bones with broad epiphyses, a short stylopodrelative to the zeugopod, and a long in-lever for elbow extensors. Only the sea otter(Enhydra lutris) presents a functional specialization that differs between hind andforelimb. The hind limb is dedicated to aquatic locomotion with a strong in-lever forthe hip muscles, and the feet that are modified into swimming paddles. Meanwhile,the forelimb presents a relatively gracile ulna with a short olecranon process and aradius that is curved more cranially, resulting in a drastic change in the pattern ofco-variation. These features are interpreted as providing greater degrees of freedomin the movements of the forearm, which allows the unique manipulative skillsof this species.Thus semi-aquatic mustelids present a diversity that was not expected given thestrong differences in the mechanical constraints imposed during locomotion in waterversus on land. Semi-aquatic mustelids appear to have evolved from the versatileancestral locomotor apparatus to highly specialized forms, where the progressivereduction of terrestrial locomotion allowed differential adaptation of the foreandhind limbs