IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
© IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group

Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 1- 57 (April 1999)

New Books
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Mustelids in Belarus
Evolutionary ecology, demography and interspecific relationships
Sidorovich, Vadim E.
1997, Minsk, Zolotoy uley publisher, 263 pp. Format A4, 33 photographs in colour

The text is in Russian and for each item there are extended English summaries, which cover 10-90%, on average about 50% of the Russian text. All tables and figures are given in English.
Information on the nine mustelid species (Lutra lutra, Mustela lutreola, M. vison, M. putorius, M. erminea, M. nivalis, Meles meles, Martes martes, M. foina) is presented in the book.

Chapter 1 describes methods and sample sizes for the study of spatial structure of populations of mustelids, their diets and interspecific relationships, as well as methods to study mustelid carcasses. Drawings of mustelid helminths from Europe are accompanied by identification keys.
Chapter 2 gives an analysis of intrapopulation variation and interpopulation metric and non-metric differences in otters.
Chapter 3 deals with mustelid habitat diversity and density in Belarus, the distribution of mustelids as a function of habitat carrying capacity, and the factors of habitat carrying capacity.
Chapter 4 deals extensively with the diet of the riparian mustelids, i.e. otter, European mink, American mink and polecat. There is a special item related dietary overlap and resource competition in the riparian mustelid guild. Other subjects treated in greater detail are:comparative analyses of feeding habits of pine marten and polecat; habitat separation of the generalist mustelids in forests; the high dietary similarity and habitat separation of stoat and weasel; ecological separation in the mustelid guild preying on small mammals; the feeding similarity of stone marten and polecat in villages; and the feeding habits of the badger in mixed forests of Belarus.
Chapter 5 gives the current state of studies of the trophic structure of the vertebrate predator community and status of mustelids in the predator relationships. It contains tables with data of vertebrate prey and diet similarity tree diagrams for carnivores and birds of prey.
Chapter 6 presents results on demography of the semiaquatic mustelids. Reproductive regulation and decline, structure of overexploited population, and cases of extinction are described in the chapter. This part gives an analysis of the non-cyclic breeding of otters in relation to prey abundance and availability, the demography of overexploited populations of otters, the plasticity and decline of reproduction in the American mink, the variation in structure of exploited American mink populations, and a discussion of hypotheses and original ideas on the disappearance of the European mink.
Chapter 7 deals with the helminth diversity in populations of otter, European mink, polecat, and pine marten.
Chapter 8 gives analyses of mustelid populations in relation to habitat pollution, treats the Chernobyl fallout, heavy metals, organochlorine pesticides, and pollutant concentrations in the European mink and rivers with implications for the decline of its population in Belarus.
Chapter 9 gives tables with comparative analyses of trace element concentrations in mustelids in connection with their phylogenetic similarity.

Vadim Sidorovich (mustbel@mustbel.belpak.minsk.by)
Institute of Zoology, F. Skoriny St. 27, Minsk - 220600, BYELORUSSIA

Mamiferos del Ecuador
Diego Tirira S.

This book is a synthesis of the knowledge accumulated by a team of mammalogists, presented in a single tome all the available information about Ecuadorian Mammals. It includes: an introduction to mammals; a historical summary of the mammalogy in Ecuador; a discussion of the diversity and characteristics of all orders and families; a checklist of scientific and common names; and information on the geographical distribution of the 369 species known to occur in Ecuador. A guide to the tracks of terrestrial mammals, and drawings and color photos of about 40% of the species. This book is a pioneering work and the most inclusive treatise on Ecuadorian mammals that has been published to date.

The price for the book is 30 US$ plus postage.
For further information please contact:
SIMBIOE
Av. Amazonas 2915. Ed. Inglaterra, piso 2
Apdo./POB 17-11-6025
Ecuador
e-mail: mamiferosdelecuador@yahoo.com
http://mamiferos.cjb.net/

Proceedings of the 16th Mustelid Colloquium
9th - 12th October 1997, Århus, Denmark
Aksel Bo Madsen, Tommy Asferg, Morten Elmeros, Kirsten Zaluski (eds.)
NERI Technical Report No. 262

In the book several aspects of otter biology such as habitat use and home range, reproductive timing, territoriality, otters and fish farms, urolithisasis, age determination etc. are covered. In addition contributions cover various aspects of stone and pine marten, mink, weasel, stoat, polecat and badger biology.

For further information please contact:
Aksel Bo Madsen
NERI, Dept. of Wildlife Ecology
Kalo, Grenavej 12
DK-8410 Ronde
DENMARK

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