bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure du terrier, reproduction et comportement des jeunes chez le poisson amphibie Periophtalmus sobrinus Eggert
Authors: Brillet Charles
Published: November 2022

Les observations faites à Madagascar sur le comportement reproducteur de P. sobrinus ont permis de préciser un certain nombre de points.

1°) Le terrier comprend deux courtes galeries d’accès dont l’orifice est surmonté d’un rempart. Elles confluent en une troisième galerie qui s’enfonce verticalement dans la vase et peut atteindre une profondeur de 80 cm (moyenne : 36 cm). Du tiers inférieur de cette galerie profonde part un diverticule latéral, long d’une dizaine de centimètres, orienté obliquement vers le haut.

2°) A l’issue de la parade nuptiale, la ponte est déposée sur les parois du diverticule.

3°) Le mâle assure la garde des œufs.

4°) Le développement complet des œufs exige des périodes d’émersion de la ponte. A la limite, si l’atmosphère est saturée d’humidité, une seule immersion est indispensable, celle qui permet la libération très rapide (2 à 10 secondes) des alevins.

5°) Dès l’éclosion, les larves font preuve d’un phototropisme positif. Elles ne sont pas grégaires.

6°) L’apparition dans les mangroves de Tulear des jeunes Periophtalmes fraîchement métamorphosés s’étage de fin octobre à fin juin. On les rencontre souvent par groupes denses, très localisés.

7°) Dès la métamorphose, le comportement des Periophtalmes immatures diffère de celui des adultes par la moindre ritualisation de leurs conduites apressives, ainsi que par l’absence des activités de creusement.
Les populations néoténiques de Triturus helveticus des Causses et du Bas-Languedoc. I. Répartition et caractéristiques
Authors: Gabrion J. , Sentein P. , Gabrion C.
Published: November 2022

Neoteny is common in some populations of Palmate newts Triturus helveticus of Southern France.

Population samples have been collected from 117 pools, at three different seasons of the year. Percentages of neotenic individuals have been calculated for 29 of these pools where neotenic newts were found.

Neoteny is not evenly distributed over the whole study area. It is more prevalent in the S.E. part of the Causse du Larzac and in the Causse de Blandas, than in the coastal plains of Languedoc. On the “causses” (arid limestone tablelands), neoteny only occurs among palmate newts, no neotenic individual having ever been found among the sympatric Triturus marmoratus population.

Morphological differences between neotenic and normal populations of Triturus helveticus are described. None of them is consistent enough to allow sub-specific status to be given to the neotenic population.

Breeding takes place later in the season among the Larzac population and the duration of the aquatic phase of the yearly cycle is also longer in the plateau population than among the newts of the coastal plains. All these differences, morphological as well as biological, disappear when the newts are kept in laboratory conditions.

Metamorphosis occurs normally when the progeny of both newt populations are bred in the laboratory. However mortality is much higher among the progeny of neotenic females, during their first three months of life.
Démographie et régime alimentaire d’une troupe de Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus en habitat marginal au Nord Sénégal
Authors: Galat Gérard , Galat-Luong Anh
Published: November 2022

A troop of Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus has been studied in the sahelian zone of Northern Senegal from February 1975 to July 1976, a period during which a Nile rat (Arvicanthis niloticus) outbreak took place.

The demographic structure of the troop at the start of the observation period and the changes which occured subsequently are described in detail, together with the seasonal and yearly variations in diet. The 1975 breeding season was very successfull, all the adult females bearing and successfully raising an infant. On the contrary, the breeding success was very low and the mortality rate very high, in 1976.

This low production of young and high mortality of infants and adults can probably be ascribed to competition with the Nile rats, whose food was similar to that of the monkeys, and to the delayed rains of 1976. Competition with rodents led to an increased consumption of animal foods, including predation upon the rats themselves.
Thermorégulation comparée des vipères d’Europe. Etude biotélémétrique
Authors: Saint Girons H.
Published: November 2022

A biotelemetric study of thermoregulation under semi-natural conditions in six species of temperate and cool temperate eura-siatic vipers (112 days of continuous recordings of stomach temperature) has given the following results :

1) When a thermal gradient is available during digestion, vipers keep their internal temperature within rather narrow limits (± 1.5 to 2.0° C of a certain temperature, the “preferred temperature”).

2) Between 8 May and 26 August, this preferred temperature remained the same for the six species studied, independent of sex or stage of annual cycle.

3) The preferred temperature of a large viper gradually changes during digestion, from 32.42 ± 0.09° C at the beginning of digestion to 30.51 ± 0,20° C at the end of it.

4) The maximum stomach temperatures observed in field conditions range between 35.0 and 35.5° C. The daily maximum temperature averages 34.46 ± 0.09° C at the beginning of digestion, and 32.32 ± 0.20° C at the end of it.

5) The different species use different micro-environments for thermoregulation but achieve similar results. Vipera berus stays longer in the open than other species. Its preferred temperature is the same as that of other vipers, but it takes a longer time for an animal to reach it.

Almost certainly, the preferred temperature does not correspond to the physiological optimum for a given function ; it likely results from a compromise between different and even contradictory constraints.

Northern and southern European vipers have similar preferred temperatures ; the adaptation of northern species to cool environments must therefore be explained in another way. This adaptation is most likely mainly achieved through different circadian rhythms of activity and differences in the use of cover. However, the interspecific differences are always small and the present-day species distribution is most likely the result of historic factors and subsequent interspecific competition.
Les populations néoténiques de Triturus helveticus Raz. des Causses et du Bas-Languedoc. II. Écologie
Authors: Gabrion J. , Sentein P. , Gabrion C.
Published: November 2022

The physical, chemical, and biotic characteristics of the ponds where neotenic populations of Palmate newts are found in Southern France are described.

The frequency of neoteny is high in permanent ponds, at an altitude ranging from 400 to 700 m, on arid limestone plateaux with a yearly rainfall of 1500-2000 mm. In such areas there are large seasonal variations of water temperature, ranging from + 1 to + 28°C, water remaining cold (below + 15°C) for 8 to 10 months during the year. The saline content of water is low, as shown by conductivity figures (less than 200 μmhos/cm/cm²).

No iodine deficiency was ever found in the ponds of the study area. A correlation has been found between the frequency of neoteny and the water concentration in Ca, Mg and particularly K (which may account for 35-40 % of the cations).

The aridity of the area surrounding the pools can also contri¬ bute to the selection of neotenic individuals, paedogenesis being of obvious adaptive value in such an environment.
Les peuplements de Fourmis et les peuplements d’ Acridiens du Mont Ventoux. III. Les peuplements d’Acridiens
Authors: Luquet Gérard Christian , Du Merle Paul , Mazet René
Published: November 2022

The composition of the grasshopper communities was studied and an estimate made of the maximum density of each species during the year : in addition, their ecological and altitudinal amplitudes were described. The adults of some species were found to migrate to areas where they were unable to reproduce, so that the breeding sites are only a part of the total area of distribution. The richness and/or composition of these communities differ between vegetation zones. All the communities have a hierarchical structure and are very varied, but three species are predominant : Chorthippus biguttulus, and (to a lesser extent) Stauroderus scalaris and Myrmeleotettix maculatus. Altitudinal and seasonal changes in the communities are discussed, as is the pullulation of certain species.

Temperature is the most important of the environmental features, producing an altitudinal zonation of species and communities (less marked, however, than among the ants). Aridity leads to vertical discontinuities in the ranges of certain species on the southern slope of the mountain.
Etude des budgets-temps d’un groupe de Macaques de Java (Macaca fascicularis) : Mise en évidence d’une synchronisation des activités
Authors: Deputte Bertrand
Published: November 2022

The time-budget of a captive group of crab-eating monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) has been established for every age-and sex-category. Several activities can be considered as characte¬ ristic of certain categories. A number of activities occurred at the same time in different age-and sex-categories, while others, such as rest and locomotion, took place simultaneously in the whole group. Simultaneous grooming was most often observed among juveniles of both sexes and adult females.

The time-budget of the captive crab-eating monkeys did not differ greatly from that of free-living groups of other species. This might suggest that the roles of the various age-and sex-categories are much more influenced by social parameters than by environmental ones. The “structure of attention” as defined by Chance (1967) might be one of the factors involved in the differentiation of the social roles and in the synchronization of activities.
Age structure of a population of Praomys tullbergi in Nigerian rainforests
Authors: Happold David C. D.
Published: November 2022

1) This paper analyses the age structure of a population of Praomys tullbergi (Thomas) (Rodentia, Muridae) living in the tropical rain forest zone of western Nigeria. The age-class of each individual was assessed by the amount of wear on the three upper left molar teeth.
Réponses de la Musaraigne muselle Crocidura russula aux marquages odorants d’individus de son espèce (Insectivora, soricidae)
Authors: Hausser J. , Juhlin-Dannfelt B.
Published: November 2022

Pour évaluer les réactions de Crocidura russula, musaraigne peu territoriale, face aux traces odorantes de congénères, on a procédé à différents tests de choix entre deux cheminements. Crocidura russula préfère un cheminement marqué à un cheminement non marqué, les traces d’un inconnu aux siennes propres, les traces d’un individu de sexe opposé à celles d’un individu du même sexe et celles de son partenaire sexuel à celles d’un autre individu du même sexe. Les choix entre deux traces donnent un résultat moins net que les choix entre un cheminement marqué et un autre non marqué. Les implications écologiques et sociales de ces résultats sont discutées.
Structure et dynamique du peuplement avien d’un mattoral aride (Bolson de Mapimi, Mexique)
Authors: Thiollay Jean-Marc
Published: November 2022

The shrub desert avian community of a Southern Chihuahuan desert of North Western Mexico has been studied during the breeding season and in early spring. An index of the abundance of every species was obtained by sampling the five main habitats. In the two seasons, densities, species richness and species diversity, increase from the low plain (playa) to the mountain slopes (cerro), with a winter optimum around the drying ponds (lagunas), where many local birds and most of the migrants concentrate. Only 12 % of the breeding species disappear completely in winter, 29 % are partial migrants and 59 % are sedentary, enlarging or narrowing in winter their range of habitats. Outside mere seasonal movements, year to year fluctuations, probably due to differences in annual rainfall, seem important.

In the playa, granivorous birds are three times more abundant than insectivores in summer, and decrease by 50 % in winter, as do the other birds. In the wooded habitats, insectivores have the same overall density as granivores in the breeding season, but decrease much more in winter. Only some granivorous species become gregarious outside the breeding season, the size of their groups being correlated to the amount of food available. They begin to breed mostly during the summer rains, while many insectivores nest earlier in the spring.

Interspecific competition, presumably high in this relatively species-rich desert environment (47 breeding species, 18 wintering species and 56 occasional migrants), is reduced by a very sharp ecological segregation of the niches (habitat selection, strata used, foraging behavior, diet, breeding periods, etc.). This is further enforced by interspecific territoriality and aggressive behavior, as well as by a high taxonomic diversity (all the major sympatric genera are monospecific). The number of species per family decreases with increasing density or species richness.
Contribution à l’étude du peuplement d’oiseaux de mer de la réserve des Sept-îles
Authors: Penicaud Philippe
Published: November 2022

An estimate has been made of the numbers of the ten species of sea birds breeding on the Sept-Iles Archipelago, North Brittany, in 1976. The evolution of these populations from 1950 to 1978 is documented, and the decline of Puffins, Guillemots, and Razorbills due to oil pollution in the English Channel is emphasized.
La faune ichtyologique d'un récif corallien de Moorea de Polynésie française : échantillonnage et premiers résultats
Authors: Galzin R.
Published: November 2022

The fish population along a reef transect in Moorea, French Polynesia, has been studied using direct counts made by SCUBA diving and rotenone poisoning. Both techniques are shown to be complementary. Fish communities are described in different parts of the reef and diversity indices compared.
Chapitre 3. Transferts et stockage de l'eau et des sels dans le système nappe aquifère-sol-plante
Authors: Heurteaux Pierre , Servant Jean
Published: November 2022

La répartition spatiale des différentes espèces de salicornes en Camargue est conditionnée, 1) par les variations de la composition chimique et la dynamique saisonnière des solutions salines dans la zone d’aération des sols halomorphes, 2) par la salinité et la dynamique des eaux souterraines, 3) par la durée de la submersion des sols en période pluvieuse. Ces conditions sont à leur tour régies par les facteurs de la pédogénèse locale : morphologie de basse plaine littorale sub-horizontale (nappe aquifère peu profonde et salée), héritage sédimentaire holocène (texture fine du matériau) et climat (évaporation > précipitations).

Les mouvements verticaux des solutions du sol se traduisent par des profils salins et hydriques relativement simples à établir, mais qui ne permettent pas de quantifier directement la salinité et la pression osmotique des solutions, car toute l’eau présente dans le sol n’est pas disponible pour la solubilisation des sels et tous les sels présents ne sont pas toujours à l’état dissous, surtout dans les horizons proches de la surface du sol où se manifestent en été des accumulations de NaCl (salant blanc et salant pulvérulent), de CaC12 (salant humide) et de gypse souvent associé au calcaire.

Pour accéder aux solutions du sol, deux méthodes ont été employées suivant les valeurs du pF. Pour les pF bas (période hivernale), l’extraction des solutions en place par des batteries de bougies poreuses, a permis de connaître les variations saisonnières de salinité (tableau 3.11) et d’établir un modèle du processus de dessalement au cours de la période automne-hiver. Pour les fortes valeurs du pF, une méthode indirecte a consisté à essayer de reconstituer les solutions du sol à partir des profils hydriques et salins et des lois réglant la composition ionique des solutions salines en voie de concentration.

La faible profondeur de la nappe aquifère et la texture fine du matériau, favorables à l’ascension capillaire des solutions du sol assurent, dans la plupart des cas, une bonne alimentation en eau des zones rhizosphériques même en été, malgré la forte sollicitation vers le haut (E et ET). Les contraintes hydriques qu’ont à subir les halophytes résultent plus du potentiel osmotique des solutions salines (50 à 100 bars) que du potentiel capillaire.

D’autre part, les différences de salinité des premiers décimètres des sols en été ne sont pas assez nettes sous les différentes espèces de salicornes pour expliquer leur répartition spatiale. Par contre, les différences de salinité des eaux souterraines sont bien marquées (35 à 70 g.l-1 sous Salicornia fruticosa, 80 à 110 g.l-1 sous Arthrocnemum glaucum) et l’exploitation de la nappe aquifère par un réseau racinaire profond, associée à la résistance plus ou moins grande à la submersion hivernale, peut expliquer cette répartition spatiale.
Chapitre 10. Influence du parcours d’un pâturage halomorphe de Camargue par un groupe de chevaux camarguais sur la structure de la végétation et sur les communautés des invertébrés
Authors: Corre Jean-Jacques , Bigot Louis , Poinsot-Balaguer Nicole
Published: November 2022

The impact of a small herd of horses upon the “sansouire” biotic community has been studied over three years, by comparison of grazed and ungrazed (enclosed) plots.

The changes in the vegetation cover and soil fauna are described. Five categories of changes are distinguished : a decrease in frequency of some plant or animal species following grazing and/or trampling, a recolonization of patches of bare ground, an increase in species frequency following grazing, and quantitative variations not related to grazing.

Trampling during one year did not significantly change the structure of the communities of invertebrates living within the soil or above ground. Some differences, however, were noted in the equitability of the soil fauna. Collembola and mites reacted differently to the grazing and trampling pressure of the horses.
Chapitre 11. Le système social en Camargue. Dynamique actuelle
Authors: Degenne Alain
Published: November 2022

Throughout its history, drastic changes have occurred in the Camargue. Progress in agriculture has been characterized by an increased productivity and mechanization. This region is no longer an isolated area ; it is directly affected by general social trends and is directly dependent on the economic changes at the national and even international level.

Environmental conservation in the Camargue is made difficult for a number of reasons peculiar to the area : connections between agricultural and industrial capital investments, lack of relationships between landowners and labour, political connections of local “ elites ” with the central government, emergence of a so-called regional power, and increased dependence of the local economy upon international markets. The present situation is characterized by three features : continuous investment in agricultural production, land speculation, and increased social inequalities.

A big surge in agricultural profits has characterized the post-war period. This is why land investments in the Camargue have been maintained in spite of the industrial boom. More recently, profitability has decreased, but the general economic trend has also sharply slackened. The land now appears to offer strong incentive for land speculation and for social differentiation. A significant economic recovery could lead to the division of some large estates and to an increase in tertiary activities. There is no reason why the Regional Park should slow down such a change ; it could become the locus for dialogue it was meant to be. In any case, the future of the Camargue now depends more upon changes in the national economy than upon regulations of any kind.
Chapitre 2. Aperçu de l’histoire socio-économique de la Camargue
Authors: Picon Bernard
Published: November 2022

Following the development of agriculture (wine and rice production) in the «upper» areas of the Camargue, and the development of salt-pans in the «lower» areas of the delta during the xixth century, a buffer-zone of brakish lagoons was established between these two areas subjected to different (if not antagonistic) land-use policies. The first French nature reserve was privately set up in 1928 in this central part of the Camargue, considered at first as an unproductive zone which could well be left to the care of naturalists.

However, following the growing public interest in outdoor recreation, nature and wildlife, former marginal areas are now increasingly considered as valuable assets for the future : the former natural history reserve has thus became a National Nature reserve, and many large estates are now mostly used for upper-class recreational activities (mostly hunting). A complete reversal of values has now taken place to satisfy the need of crowded urbanites for «free» space and «virgin» grounds. This new interest in what was formerly unproductive ground, and the conflicting interests between private and public recreational activities, might well give rise to social conflicts at the regional level in the near future.
Méthodes d’étude du régime alimentaire du Lapin de garenne Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) par l’analyse micrographique des fèces
Authors: Chapuis Jean-Louis
Published: November 2022

Two methods of identifying dietary items in the fecal pellets of the European Wild Rabbit are compared : one based on identification of the epidermal cells of the consumed plants, the other on identification of plant silica bodies. The validation study has been carried out in Brittany, western France, in a heath and a dune-heath ecotone.

The epidermal cells technique has been found to be most useful in identifying the plant components of the Rabbit diet, and to follow their seasonal changes in occurence. The identification of 200 plant fragments taken at random in a mixture of five fecal samples collected in different parts of a given warren is shown to be sufficient to give a reliable picture of the diet of the colony members at a given time. Silica bodies determination is time consuming and costly ; it allows the identification of a number of plant species, but cannot be recommended as a routine technique.
Distribution et abondance des oiseaux terrestres de l’île de la Réunion (Océan Indien)
Authors: Barré Nicolas
Published: November 2022

The species richness of the existing avifauna of Réunion (Mascarene archipelago) is low : only 29 species of land birds, of which 11 endemics.

The habitat selection, diet, breeding periodicity, altitudinal range and seasonal movements of both the native and introduced species are compared, based on personal observations made from December 1979 to August 1981. The density estimates of most of the terrestrial species were made along existing paths, through the most characteristic habitats of the island. The effects of a major hurricane («Hyacinthe», January 1980) on the bird fauna are described.

Whereas most of the introduced species are granivorous and restricted to the open and cultivated parts of the island, all the surviving native species feed on insects, fruit or nectar. The latter arc now limited to the various forested habitats, which still cover a large part of the island. There are two exceptions. Among the introduced species Foudia madagascariensis is the only one to enter the forests areas ; and, among the endemic species only Zosterops borbonica has invaded man-modified environments in the lowlands. This last species has apparently filled all the available new habitats created by man during the past few centuries.

Among the endemics, Saxicola tectes has a very wide distribution, found in the few relict patches of lowland rain forest, close to sea level, as well as on the bare top of the Piton des Neiges (3 069 m). Terpsiphone bourbonnensis and Coracina newtoni have well defined ecological niches, but some competition occurs between the two species of white-eyes Zosterops olivacea and Z. borbonica wherever their respective ranges overlap. The single native raptor, a harrier Circus maillardi, is not limited to the more open habitats of the island ; it occurs in forested areas as well, hunting for small birds in the forest canopy.

All the insectivorous and frugivorous species, including the introduced Acridotheres tristis, breed seasonally from the end of August to the beginning of January, whereas the granivorous species tend to reproduce more or less continuously throughout the year. Circus maillardi breeds from the middle of January to the end of May.
Sexe et âge ratios chez le Canard siffleur Anas penelope L. en période hivernale en Europe de l'Ouest
Authors: Campredon Pierre
Published: November 2022

Data on the sex-and age-ratios of Wigeon were collected over five years. In the Camargue, data from three winters show that adult males arrived earlier than other birds ; that immature males passed through the delta in autumn and spring ; and that the sex-ratio remained remarkably stable (1.5 males per female). Short term observations over two winters covering western Europe (Spain-Holland, and Morocco-Holland) provided evidence for spatial segregation of the main sex-and age-classes. Adult males tended to remain further north in the wintering area, with immature males and the females further south. This difference in distribution was more pronounced between age-classes than between the sexes. It is suggested that aggression, through social hierarchies, may be one factor which causes these differences in distribution. Males dominate the Wigeon population numerically even in the south of the wintering area. It is suggested that this unequal distribution of the ages and sexes, whatever its cause, may have important consequences for the species’ demography.
La pollinisation des fleurs de Baobab est-elle seulement le fait des mâles de la Roussette paillée Eidolon helvum?
Authors: Duxoux E.
Published: November 2022

All the Starw-coloured fruit bats Eidolon helvum observed pollinating Baobab flowers in July 1982, near Dakar, were males (12/12). This observation, together with an older one by Brosset (1966) on Megaloglossus woermanii in Gabon, suggests that male fruit bats might be attracted by certain flowers whose odor are reminiscent of (or similar to) mammalian female pheromones.
Etude complémentaire sur la biologie de l’amphibien déserticole Bufo pentoni : données de squelettochronologie et d’écodémographie
Authors: Francillon H. , Barbault R. , Castanet Jacques , Ricqlès A. de
Published: November 2022

Afin de compléter les données concernant la structure d’une population de Bufo pentoni, amphibien déserticole de la région sahélienne, l’âge individuel d’un échantillon de 74 individus adultes (mâles et femelles) d’une population du Sénégal a été déterminé par la méthode squelettochronologique.

Diverses difficutés d’interprétation liées à la variabilité individuelle ont été rencontrées mais l’utilisation conjointe des données histologiques, morphométriques et statistiques a permis de proposer une interprétation cohérente de la structure d’âge de l’échantillon.

La confrontation des résultats squelettochronologiques et des données écologiques logiques suggère que Bufo pentoni atteint l’état adulte à deux ans environ, que le recrutement annuel de nouveaux individus au sein de la population reproductrice est très variable et que la structure d’âge de la population est donc hétérogène, toutes caractéristiques démographiques en rapport avec le caractère variable du milieu. L’espérance de vie est plus élevée que celle envisagée précédemment avec une longévité in natura pouvant être égale ou supérieure à 6 ans.
Les plantes à tubercules de la forêt dense d’Afrique Centrale
Authors: Hladik Annette , Bahuchet Serge , Ducatillion Catherine , Hladik C.M.
Published: November 2022

The different species of rain-forest plants developing starchy tubers were studied around Makokou (N.E. Gabon) and in the Lobaye River district (S.W. Central African Republic).

A detailed description of the tuberous parts is given, particularly in wild yams (Dioscorea spp.) to help to elucidate the taxonomic status of a number of species. The unusual morphology of yams belonging to the Enanthiophyllum section required the use of three new descriptive terms borrowed from the Aka pygmies, namely «Mbolo» for a lignified plateau, «Mosway» for the fingerlike expansions, and «Yoko» for the spherical terminal edible parts.

The different underground storage structures are considered as adaptive to the rain-forest environment. During the long period that most plants spend in the shade of the undergrowth (as the «set of the future», Oldeman, 1974), the energy stored in tubers is more likely to escape insect and/or vertebrate predation than the aerial parts of other plant species. Accordingly, many tuberous plant taxa, both dicots and monocots, might well have originated in rain-forest areas rather than in more seasonal woodlands or savannas.

Counts were made along very narrow transects to estimate the number per hectare of stems visible above ground level (Tables III to V). The number of stems averaged 97/ha in the closed forest of the Lobaye, but can reach locally higher values (up to 24,000/ha) in open areas. In the latter places the distribution of tuberous plants was clumped, and therefore more likely to be successfully exploited by animal consumers ; most of their tubers, however, were poisonous. By contrast, the tuberous plants found in the closed forest did not contain highly toxic alkaloids and were rich in starch (up to 80 %, dry weight) and protein (up to 10 %) (Tables VII to IX). Stem densities were lower in Gabon than in the Central African Republic.

An estimate of the underground tuber biomass has been made at Makokou (Table VI). The tuber biomass was even higher in the Lobaye District ; a standing crop of more than 5000 kg of wild yams can remain available throughout the year on the home range of an Aka pygmy group.

The benefits of energy storage in tubers and the reproductive strategies of the various plant species concerned are discussed in relation to the selective pressures exerted by animal consumers, not forgetting human traditional hunter-gatherers.
La réaction aux traumatismes : comparaison entre les arbres et les coraux
Authors: Dauget Jean-Marc
Published: November 2022

Observations and in situ experiments carried out between 1981 and 1983 near Pari Island, Seribu Archipelago, Java Sea, showed that reef-building corals can reiterate their specific colony architecture after being subjected to an environmental trauma which irreversibly alters their characteristic appearance.

Besides trees (Oldeman, 1974 ; Hallé, Oldeman and Tomlinson, 1978) many fixed colonial organisms such as hydroids, gorgonians, sponges and corals, display this process of architectural adjustment. Reiteration appears to be a fundamental characteristic of sessile organisms.
Le Sanglier (Sus Scrofa scrofa L.) et les diaspores dans le sud de la France
Authors: Genard Michel , Lescourret Françoise
Published: November 2022

Le devenir des diaspores consommées par le Sanglier (Sus scrofa scrofa L.) en été dans un secteur de l’Hérault (Sud de la France) est abordé par analyse des fèces. La majorité des graines ingérées (glands dans les taillis de Chêne vert (Quercus ilex), grains de blé (Triticum vulgare) dans les cultures à gibier) ont une grande taille et sont détruites par la consommation. La part des autres diaspores dans les fèces n’acquiert quelque importance que dans les milieux ouverts. Le pourcentage des graines détruites lors du transit décroît avec leur taille. Bien que le Sanglier reste typiquement un prédateur de graines, on émet l’hypothèse qu’il peut aussi exercer une certaine action disséminatrice.
A propos des stratégies d’infestation chez les protozoaires parasites ou endocommensaux des amphibiens anoures du Cameroun
Authors: Amiet Jean-Louis , Affa'a Félix-Marie
Published: November 2022

The way protozoan parasites and commensals enter the intestinal tract of Anurans is still poorly understood. The observations and preliminary experiments reported in this paper were made in Cameroon, whose rich and varied Amphibian fauna opens new possibilities to test the hypothesis so far put forward.

The favoured, if not unique, hosts of these protozoans are the tadpoles. Not a single case of transmission at the egg stage was noticed. Contamination of adult animals is unlikely, except for Xenopine frogs.

Encystment was seldom observed, never within the intestinal tract itself. On the contrary, some experiments tend to indicate that cysts enter the host by ingestion at the tadpole stage, and remain quiescent until metamorphosis.

An aquatic environment seems to be a necessary condition for the transmission of these parasites ; they were never found in species whose eggs undergo direct development. The case of those tree frogs of genera Chiromantis, Afrixalus and Hyperolius which build foam-or leaf-nests is typical ; young tadpoles hatching from eggs laid in natural conditions were never found infected with protozoan parasites.

As for the protozoans which are restricted to adult’s intestinal tracts, they have to enter their hosts before metamorphosis, at the tadpole stage, and remain quiescent for a time.

Adult Phrynodon sandersoni, a species whose tadpoles have a non-functional gut, never harbour parasitic protozoans.
Coadaptation entre rythmes de fructification et frugivorie en forêt tropicale humide du Gabon : mythe ou réalité ?
Authors: Gautier-Hion Annie , Duplantier Jean-Marc , Emmons L. , Feer F. , Heckestweiler P. , Moungazi A. , Quris R. , Sourd C.
Published: November 2022

Fruiting patterns were studied for a year in lowland evergreen forest at Makokou, Gabon. Temporal patterns of fruiting were analysed according to vegetative life-form of the parent, morphological fruit type, seed dispersal mode and seed weight. In addition, fruiting cycles of 109 individuals of 13 species were monitored for two years. The results are summarized as follows :

1. Fruiting at Makokou is seasonal : fruiting peaks occur during the major rainy season and minor dry season, while the major dry season and minor rainy season are periods of fruit scarcity. A comparison with data from earlier years shows that there can be large inter-year variations in fruiting patterns.

2. There are some differences in the amplitude of fruiting seasonality depending on the parental life-form : as a group, medium-sized trees are the most strongly seasonal, emergent trees are less so. The monthly patterns of numbers individuals fruiting also differ between life-forms, as does the timing of fruiting peaks.

3. There is no clear seasonal difference in the amplitude of fruiting seasonality for different morphological types of fruits, or seed dispersal modes. Moreover, the yearly maxima in numbers of fruiting species are the same for anemochores, zoochores and autochores ; however, seasonal patterns differ depending on the fruit type (dehiscent vs indehiscent ; dull-colored fleshy fruit vs brightly-colored fleshy fruit).

4. There is no clear difference in amplitude of seasonality for fruits with different seed weights.

5. Analysis by species shows that regardless of dispersal mode, there is a complete gradient from species with strong seasonality, either annually uni-modal, or bi-modal, to those with weak seasonality and fruit production throughout most of the year.

6. Monitoring individual trees showed that among zoochorous species there can be annual, biennal or multiannual cycles, with regular, irregular or without obvious periodicity, and with fruiting synchrony or asynchrony among individuals of the same species. These results are compared to those reported for other tropical rainforests. Although we showed in a simultaneous study that there are broad suites of morphological fruit characters associated with broad categories of consumers (Gautier-Hion and al., 1985), the results presented here do not suggest an evo¬ lutionary influence of consumers on the timing of fruiting. While it is possible by selecting appropriate species subsets to suggest correlations demonstrating the influence of dispersal agents on phenology, it is likewise possible by choo¬ sing different subsets to formulate hypotheses about fruiting phenology in which coadaptation with dispersers does not play any role.
Le régime alimentaire de Macaca sylvanus dans différents habitats d’Algérie : I. Régime en chênaie décidue
Authors: Ménard Nelly
Published: November 2022

The composition of the diet of a troop of Barbary macaques Macaca sylvanus was studied in Algeria, from February 1983 to October 1984, in a deciduous oak forest (Quercus faginea and Q. afares).

Eighty nine percent of the feeding time was devoted annually to feeding on plant material. The troop observed had a basically granivorous and folivorous diet (60 %), lichens and animal prey contributing to 14 and 10.5 percent of the diet respectively.

Great seasonal variations were observed : Barbary macaques were mainly carnivorous in spring, feeding on Geometrid moth caterpillars teeming on oak trees leaves ; in summer and autumn they essentially ate acorns, before turning to leaves of Dactylis glomerata and lichens in winter time.

Differences in the diet of the three age classes were apparent throughout the year. Young monkeys (0.5 to 3 year old) ate three times as many lichens and twice as many animal prey than adults. Adults (> 4 year old) were more folivorous, while the diet of sub-adults stood in-between.

Seventy three plant species, three kinds of lichens, some mushrooms and six kinds of prey were identified in the macaques’diet. However, 74 % of the food items were contributed by four plant species only (Dactylis glomerata, Quercus faginea, Q. afares and Cytisus triflorus), three lichens and the caterpillars. Furthermore, 2 species out of the 8 to 27 consumed each month contributed to more than half of the monthly diet. A little more than fifty per cent of the major food items (acorns, lichens and caterpillars) came from the arboreal layer of the oak forest, 12,4 % from the shrub layer, and 37.1 % from the grass layer. Therefore, half of the food items of this «terrestrial» monkey were dependent upon the presence of tress. Similarly, 44 % of the time spent feeding took place in trees. The variations of the relative levels of arboreality and terrestriality were well adjusted to the relative rates of consumption of different food types. However, significant differences did exist between age classes, since young monkeys spent twice as much time feeding in trees than adults. The adult macaques fed preferably on fallen acorns and on caterpillars moving down to the forest floor to pupate, whereas the young macaques gathered both acorns and caterpillars higher up in trees.
Vaccination du Renard roux (Vulpes vulpes L.) contre la rage par voie orale. Bilan d’essais en station expérimentale
Authors: Blancou Jean , Schneider Lothar G. , Wandeler A.I. , Pastoret Paul-Pierre
Published: November 2022

Des essais de vaccination par voie orale contre la rage ont été réalisés, utilisant 304 renards roux, quatre virus-vaccins modifiés «vivants» (S A D, Flury, GS/C et AVO1), et deux vaccins à virus inactivé.

Seuls les vaccins à virus vivant se sont révélés efficaces et en particulier la souche S AD (variant B 19) qui a protégé 15 renards sur 15 à partir d’un titre de 106,7 Unités Formant Plages.
Can the increase of Fox density explain the decrease in Lynx numbers at Doňana ?
Authors: Rau J.R. , Beltran Juan F. , Delibes Miguel
Published: November 2022

Some preliminary data are presented on the abundance, food habits and habitat use of Lynx and Fox in Doňana. The methods used were : scent-stations lines and faecal sample censues (Fox), radio tracking (Lynx) and faecal counts and analysis of droppings (both species). Foxes outnumber Lynx at Doñana, but the latter use the edge of the marshes (the most productive habitat in the area), more than foxes do. Food data reveal little dietary overlap : Lynx are food specialists (preying mainly on rabbits), whereas foxes are generalists. Common use of rabbits as prey during the Fox breeding season could indicate exploitative competition. Further data are however needed for a better understanding of this interaction. The increase in Fox numbers probably followed the decline of the Lynx population.
Régime alimentaire et domaine vital du Chien viverrin au Japon
Authors: Ikeda Hiroshi
Published: November 2022

Japanese raccoon dogs feed on a variety of dietary items, ranging from insects and marine organisms to fruits, depending on their seasonal abundance and availability. The home ranges of the raccoon dogs vary from 8 to 51 ha, and are smaller than those of other mammalian omnivores of comparable size. Within an home range, foraging and resting areas are connected by a network of paths. Home ranges of neighbouring individuals often overlap each other. The social structure of the Raccoon dog populations is briefly discussed, in connection with the diet and the spacing pattern of the species.
Behaviour of rabid foxes
Authors: Artois Marc , Aubert Michel F.A.
Published: November 2022

Six foxes fitted with radio transmitters were radio tracked in the field while rabid. The rabid Fox loses its sense of time and space, but it does not travel far from its home range. Its overall level of activity is increased, mostly because of the numerous aimless day-time movements. The presence of recently acquired wounds on some foxes suggests that rabies transmission might be effected by highly aggressive contacts. Radio tracking is an invaluable tool for studying movements of rabid animals, but in this case, it has also its limitations, and an ideal strategy would be a combination of radio tracking and visual observation.
Preliminary results of a field trial in Hesse (FRG) to control Fox rabies by oral immunization
Authors: Wachendörfer Günter , Frost Jens W. , Gutmann Brygida , Eskens Ulrich , Schneider Lothar G. , Dingeldein Wolfgang , Hofmann Johannes
Published: November 2022

Une recherche appliquée de vaccination orale des renards a commencé dans le Land de Hesse. Elle a pour but d’évaluer la faisabilité et la sécurité de cette méthode de lutte contre la rage. Celle-ci sévit dans ce secteur depuis 1953. Les statistiques de destruction des renards montrent que le seuil critique permettant d’éviter l’entretien de la maladie n’a jamais été atteint.

Le vaccin employé sur le terrain est la souche SAD B19 placée dans des appâts (têtes de poules) distribués manuellement. A la suite de la seconde campagne, une diminution d’incidence rabique a été notée. Le virus rabique isolé dans la zone expérimentale n’appartient pas à la souche vaccinale. Soixante-deux à 82 % des renards ont consommé les appâts. Le pourcentage de renards présentant des anticorps neutralisants est passé de 43 à 68 % à la suite des deux campagnes de vaccination. Ces résultats sont encourageants et l’avenir dira si la protection immunitaire de la population permet l’extinction de la rage dans ce secteur.
La Loutre sur la Drôme : analyse des facteurs limitants
Authors: Erome Georges , Broyer Joël
Published: November 2022

Une prospection attentive des berges de la Drôme et du Rhône à proximité du confluent (260 km inventoriés) conduite parallèlement à une enquête active (interview direct des usagers riverains : gardes-pêche, gardes-chasses, naturalistes, pêcheurs, etc.) ont permis de circonscrire deux noyaux de population de loutres. Une première réflexion, d’ordre méthodologique, se dégage de ce travail : la corrélation entre les informations obtenues par enquête et celles résultant de la prospection des berges semble manifeste. Elle conduit les auteurs à recommander, dans le cas où les densités sont faibles, l’utilisation d’une enquête en préalable à tout effort de prospection.

Parallèlement à cet inventaire, différents paramètres écologiques ont été relevés à intervalles réguliers pour tenter de révéler les facteurs limitants expliquant la distribution actuelle de la Loutre dans ce secteur. Ni la nature du couvert ligneux, ni l’aspect qualitatif du peuplement piscicole ne semblent avoir une incidence appréciable. Par contre, la pression humaine, sous ses formes multiples, conditionne manifestement la présence du mustélidé. Dans la zone étudiée, c’est la «pénétrabilité» ou l’ouverture de l’arrière-pays qui paraît être le facteur déterminant. Il est intéressant à cet égard de souligner la relation entre la répartition de l’implantation humaine dans ce secteur, et la distribution de la Loutre.

Les auteurs concluent par une réflexion sur les mesures à envisager pour tenter d’enrayer le processus de disparition de cette espèce.
Croissance des plantes en sous-bois de forêt dense humide (Makokou, Gabon)
Authors: Hladik Annette , Blanc Patrick
Published: November 2022

The growth of tree saplings, juvenile lianas, and understorey shrubs was studied in a rain forest of north-east Gabon from 1980 to 1985. Five hundred individual plants belonging to more than one hundred species were marked along two transects, one located inside the undisturbed forest, and the other in a recent tree gap. The mortality of these plants during the 64 months’ time interval, the growth in height, the percentage occurence of traumas, and the average leaf lifespan, were measured.

The mortality of shrubs was lower (25 % in the understorey, and 51 % in the tree gap), than that of tree saplings (38 % and 50 % respectively), and of juvenile lianas (57 % and 72 % respectively). The overall mortality was higher in the tree gap (66 %) than in the undisturbed forest (49 %). The tallest individuals suffered a lower mortality than the smallest ones.

The overall growth increment of young plants in the tree gap was twice that of the plants in the undisturbed forest. The lianas displayed the best growth increment, followed by tree saplings. At the community level, however, the handicap of a slower growth rate for the trees is offset by the higher mortality rate of lianas.

The traumas observed in surviving individuals were, in 1985, slightly more frequent on the tree saplings than on shrubs, one replacement shoot was formed on the injured plants of the understorey, while extra new shoots were more frequent on plants of the tree gap. The average lifespan of leaves was 4.4 years in undisturbed forest, and 3.7 years in the tree gap ; it is slightly longer in shrubs than in trees. The maximum leaf lifespan estimated was 10 years.

It can therefore be concluded that growth rates vary a great deal from species to species in the rain forest studied. These variations are, however, limited in the understorey, owing to the long «resting periods» of many species. In a tree gap, many shrub species can die out, but the trees benefit from better growth conditions.