Tag:
Articles in ‘Mammals’
March 17th, 2010
The largest surviving monk seal population in the world, at Cabo Blanco (between Western Sahara and Mauritania), has broken its modern record with 51 pups born in 2009. The breeding season began in May and the maximum number of births took place in August and September with 13 births each. Also, a new group of young females were identified this year as reproductive individuals, increasing the reproductive potential of the colony. Crónica Verde Blog
The conservation project is led by Spanish scientists. Spain sees the conservation of Cabo Blanco colony of monk seals a priority as the species was once common off its coasts. A small group of monk seals survived in Cabo de Gata, Almeria until the 1960s. In 2009, for the time in 50 years a Monk seal was spotted off coast of Mallorca.
The Cabo Blanco colony saw the birth in 2008 of 46 pups, practically the same as in 2006, and doubling those of previous years. The colony is now made up of 180? individuals of which some 50 are breeding females, demonstrating that it is finally beginning to recover from the mass epidemic caused by a toxic seaweed of the late 1990s which killed off 75% of the colony.
Distribution of monk seals. From The Monachus Guardian.
Mammals, Sea mammals of Spain | Tags: Cabo Blanco monk seal colony, Isla del Toro, Mallorca, Mauritania, Monachus monachus, monk seal|
March 15th, 2010
The Alpine Marmot is successfully spreading into the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees, and there may now be as many as 10,000 individuals in the region. Read the rest of this entry
Catalonia, Mammals, Pyrenees | Tags: Alpine marmots, golden eagle, Marmites in the Pyrenees, Marmots in Spain, Marmots in the Pyrenees, Pre-Pyrenees guide, ptarmigan, Spanish marmot, valley of Otal|
March 8th, 2010
Radio interview on Canal Ser with Carlos Sanz, perhaps the biggest expert on wolves in Spain and livestock farmer Rodrigo Peñalosa, looking at both sides of the debate around wolves in Spain.
Listen here.
Mammals, Wolves | Tags: Carlos Sanz, Radio programmes about wolves, Radio programmes in Spanish about nature, Rodrigo Peñalosa|
February 3rd, 2010
Garfio, the Iberian lynx who was captured in 2003 and begat the first brood of lynx cubs to be bred in captivity, has died this week from a chronic renal infection at the age of ten. In all he sired 11 little lynxes. El País
Photo of Garfio in action from Lynxexsitu.es. Thanks to TP on the forum who I’ve paraphrased here.
Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | |
January 5th, 2010
A new study by Sergi Garcia (who I do wildlife trips with) and Antonio Navarro has found that wolf tourism has become far more economic than wolf hunting in the Sierra de la Culebra. The study, presented at the Sociedad Española para la Conservación y el Estudio de los Mamíferos, simply adds up the earnings from both sectors . Earnings from wolf tourism (hotels, restaurants, varous purchases), brings in a remarkable 500,000 euros a year compared to 150.000 euros for all forms of hunting (including deer). ” Rural lodgings have increased from just 2 in 2002 to 15 in 2009. However, the study warns against the massification of tourism in the area and criticises the new wolf visitor’s centre to be opened this year in Sanabria.
More here (Estimación del impacto económico del turismo lobero en la Sierra de la Culebra).
News and photo from La Crónica Verde
Castilla y León, Mammals, Wolves, hunting in Spain | Tags: Sergi Garcia, wolf hunting in Spain|
December 4th, 2009
The transfer of captive Iberian lynx from Spain to Portgual has been completed with the arrival of two males, bringing to a total of 16 animals (11 males and 5 females) at the new breeding centre in Silves in the Algarve.
According to the latest figures from the Andalucian government, there are now some 223 lynxes in the wild in Andalucia, 63 in Doñana and 160 in the Sierra Morena. This is remarkable increase from the low point of an estimated 120 animals in 2004 (42 in Doñana and 78 in Sierra Morena). This year 21 cubs were raised in Doñaña with a total of 16 female territories. As far I know, these total figures do not include the 15 odd animals recently discovered in Castilla-La Mancha.
As for the recent deaths of two female lynxes, it seems that a violent death has been ruled out in both cases. El País
Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals, Portugal | Tags: Algarve wildlife, Conservation in Portugal, Iberian lynx in 2009, Iberian lynx in Portugal, Iberian lynx in the Algarve, latest Iberian lynx numbers, Lynx in Algarve, Portuguese lynx, Silves|
November 19th, 2009
The European mink, the most endangered mammal in Europe after the Iberian lynx, appears to be recovering. There are now some 500 European mink in Spain divided between La Rioja, Castilla y Leon, Aragón, the Basque Country and Navarra. The animal was once common across Europe but was brought to the edge of extinction in the 1990s by the release of American mink which outcompetes it. A national strategy is aimed at eradicating the American mink in Northern Spain where the European mink should be present. Elimination of American mink from some rivers in Burgos and Álava is allowing the European mink to recover. El Mundo
More on mink on Iberianature
European mink photo: source Gobierno Vasco
Castilla y León, La Rioja, Mammals, Navarra | Tags: Carnivores in Spain, European mink numbers, European mink reintroduction|
October 23rd, 2009
A Spanish researcher has shown that wolves in the Macizo Central Orensano, Galicia prefer roe deer, deer and wild boar, rather than sheep, goats, cows and horses. The researcher, who identified the food type of wolves through their faeces, found “in 87.1% of cases the carcasses of wild hoofed animals appeared, while domestic animals were only found in 11.3%. Lower amounts of remains of carnivorous animals, such as badgers, dogs, cats and rabbits were also found”.
The study, recently published in Wildlife Biology, shows that roe deer are the main prey, and were eaten all seasons of the year though particularly during the summer (52%) and spring (26.2%). 62.8% of prey were roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 12.6% deer (Cervus elaphus) and 10% wild boar (Sus scrofa). The consumption of domestic sheep and goats only represented 7.7% and 2.9%, respectively.
The fact that livestock remains are present in excrement samples of wolves is explained by their scavenging habits in the area. No attacks on livestock were reported during the study. One of the most important points in the study that the consumption of wild and domestic animals does not depend on their availability. Wolves preferred roe deer, deer and wild boar ahead of livestock, “in spite of the fact that both food types can be found in large quantities”, Barja adds.
“In areas with a low density and diversity of wild hoofed animals where wolves feed on domestic animals, an increase in the number of wild prey, livestock vigilance and limited access to carcasses could force wolves to specialise in the consumption of wild prey and transmit this behaviour to their offspring. Without doubt, this would help to minimise conflict between humans and wolves, and would support the conservation of canidae”, the researcher concludes.
Wildife Biology from Eureka Alert
Photo by Wil Luiif who organises trips to watch wolves in Spain. More here at Aragonnatuur
Galicia, Mammals, Wolves | Tags: Iberian wolf diet, Isabel Barja, Macizo Central Orensano, What do wolves eat?|
October 22nd, 2009
Spanish photographer Jose Luis Rodriguez has won the prestigious 2009 Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his picture of an Iberian wolf leaping a fence as it pursues its prey. Rodriguez says that he had planned for years, and even sketched out on a piece of paper. He used a custom-built infrared trap to snap the wolf as it leapt into the air. He told the BBC, “I wanted to capture a photo in which you would see a wolf in an act of hunting – or predation – but without blood,” He went onto say that he hoped his picture, “showing the wolf’s great agility and strength”, will become an image that can be used to show just how beautiful the Iberian wolf is and how the Spanish can be proud to have such an emblematic animal. More from the BBC
Mammals, Wolves, photography | Tags: Iberian wolf photos|
September 29th, 2009
Here’s the latest lynx brief by Dan Ward. This edition includes news about the Iberian Lynx captive breeding programme, the use of poison in Spain, and proposals for lynx reintroductions “, it is hoped that proposed lynx reintroductions of between 20-40 individuals per year can begin in 2010. Essential reading. Here
See also Dan’s lynx blog
Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | |
September 19th, 2009
Very interesting
24-minute documentary about wolves in Spain here. La huella del lobo looks at the conflicts around wolves in Castilla y León where wolves are being increasingly hunted legally (113 this year will be shot at up to 9,000 euros each). The film does not take sides and gives a voice to hunters, conservationists and politicians. See also the
iberianatureforum’s discusssion on this.
Castilla y León, Mammals, Wolves, hunting in Spain, videos | Tags: La huella del lobo|
August 28th, 2009
Research in five degraded landscapes in the National Park of Sierra Nevada (Granada) appears to show that field mice base their diet on holm oak and pine seeds, causing a deterioration of the habitats and an extension of scrubland in the forests. Science Daily
Mammals, Spanish forests, Spanish rodents | Tags: Field mice in Spain, Granada, Rodents in spain|
August 18th, 2009
Great news from biologists at Oviedo University; they now have positive DNA tested proof that two young bears are the progeny of a female bear from the east and a male from the west. Two hair/faeces samples taken in Redes Natural Park (Asturias) in November last year found two siblings, one male and of one unidentified sex. Another sample taken this spring in the Picos de Europa National Park has confirmed the analysis. More on this soon. Europa Press
Many thanks to Lisa on the forum for letting me know about this news, which is key to guaranteeing genetic diversity for Cantabrian bears, whose twin populations were separated more than 60 years ago.
Asturias, Cantabria, Cantabrian mountains, Castilla y León, Mammals, bears | |
August 7th, 2009
According to the latest survey there are now 150 lynxes in the Sierra Morena in Andújar and Cardeña-Montoro.With the 50 in Doñana this brings the total population up to 200 animals, a remarkable increase form the 100-120 nadir of 2002.
Ideal Digital
See also
Spain to cede 20 lynxes to Portugal (El Mundo)
Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | Tags: Iberian lynx in 2009, Iberian lynx in Portugal, latest Iberian lynx numbers|
The rainfall records for Spain keep tumbling. According to the latest provisional figures 
I’ve just come across 
Three Iberian lynxes of the captive breeding programme have died in recent weeks from a renal disease. Lynxes in the wild are thought not to suffer from this disease.