The terrestrial mammalian fauna of the North Japanese island, Hokkaido, is more similar to that of Southern Siberia than to the main island of Japan, Honshu. Three species of the genus Myodes (Muridae, Rodentia) are found on Hokkaido, but not on Honshu. While Myodes rufocanus and M. rutilus are widely distributed across Hokkaido as well as the Eurasian continent, M. rex, which is endemic to Hokkaido and its adjacent islands, shows a discontinuous distribution pattern. We analyzed the phylogeographic history of M. rex using the mitochondrial DNA control region in order to interpret their discontinuous distribution pattern. Phylogenetic relationships among 54 distinct haplotypes showed that M. rex can be divided into four clades that occur on the northern, central, and southern regions of the Hokkaido mainland and on Rishiri Island, respectively. The phylogroups in the northern and central regions were largely separated in space, although several areas of sympatry were found. The phylogroup in the southern region, which was clearly separated from other phylogroups, showed markedly low genetic variability. All analyzed individuals from the population on Rishiri belonged to a separate lineage. Across a range of divergence rate estimates, we dated the basal divergence of all phylogroups to the mid to late Pleistocene, with subsequent signals of population expansion within lineages. We conclude that current phylogeographic structure in M. rex likely reflects Pleistocene survival in several separate refugia in situ. Past glacial ages have thus played an important role in shaping the current distribution patterns of mammalian species on Hokkaido.

This study determined the relative abundance of Cebu black shama (Copsychus cebuensis Steere) in selected isolated forest fragments in Cebu Island, Philippines and their genetic diversity based on 619 bp cytB gene. Mist nets were used to capture the bird in these forest fragments. Four contour feathers were plucked from the body of the caught birds, before they were released, and were stored in tubes with 70% ethanol before DNA extraction. Fifty-nine black shama (C. cebuensis) individuals were encountered from the visited territories. At least 13 black shama individuals were estimated to inhabit one hectare of forest habitat. For the first time, analyses of mitochondrial genes revealed that C. cebuensis had a long evolutionary history from an initially large and stable population that went through recent expansion resulting from a recent isolating or bottleneck event as indicated by high haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (πn), i.e. Hd>0.50 and πn>0.005, and non-significant values of Tajima’s D test, Fu and Li’s D*, and Fu’s Fs statistics. It is hypothesized that this bottleneck event was habitat fragmentation. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses of C. cebuensis supported its monophyly.

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A knowledge, attitude & perception (KAP) survey was conducted in four important bird areas (IBAs) in Cebu island, Philippines towards the protection and conservation of the Cebu black shama (Copsychus cebuensis) and its habitat. Similarly, the habitat quality of the black shama in the island was also assessed in terms of vegetation composition and diversity. A total of 193 households were interviewed from July 2013 to December 2013. Most of the respondents only finished elementary and high school levels. However, their mean knowledge score was above 6.50 while their attitude mean score was above 9.40. Their perception scores, on the other hand, were highly positive. Regardless of their educational attainment, people living near the identified black shama territories were highly knowledgeable, aware and positive towards the protection and conservation of the endangered bird and its habitat. Forty-five black shama territories were sampled employing 20 m x 20 m quadrats from September 2013 – February 2014. The black shama habitat is characterized with high plant species diversity (H’>3.50), even plant distribution (e >0.75), and low dominance index (D >0.01). In terms of vegetation composition, the black shama habitats were not similar. Integrating the social and ecological knowledge to conservation will likely promote a wider perspective of effective conservation program implementation than social or ecological knowledge alone.

Three non-native species (Rattus exulans, R. tanezumi and Mus musculus) of small non-volant mammals were recorded along various elevational gradients of Mount Makiling. Invertebrate remains and plant matter comprised the bulk of their diets based on the food items identified. The identified plant matter were leaves and seeds while invertebrates were easily identifiable through body parts such as legs, head and antennae. Other contents identified including vertebrate remains such as hair/fur, feathers and bones, plastics, rubber, stones, and intestinal worms were noted. Based on the calculated relative abundance of each food type, there is no significant difference in the diets of the three non-native rodent species. Preliminary results suggest that introduced rodents in Mt. Makiling have broad diets and there are no indications that their main diet includes native wildlife species. Traces of vertebrate remains, however, may indicate potential predation on wildlife species and further studies are needed to clarify this.

This study determined the occurrence and distribution of Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis) in Mt. Banahaw de Tayabas using camera trapping and indirect signs. The Philippine warty pig is an endemic species of wild pig in the Philippines and is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of the presence of several threats such as hunting, habitat fragmentation, and the current outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). Camera trap stations were established with 10 camera traps functioning 24 h for 17 d along different elevations. Different species distribution models (BIOCLIM, DOMAIN, and MAXENT) were constructed using 19 bioclimatic predictors to determine the potential distribution of the species in Mt. Banahaw. Results from three different SDMs suggested that Philippine warty pigs prefer to occupy secondary growth forests, as a high probability of occurrence was observed within 600–800 m above sea level (masl). Models also predicted that Philippine warty pigs occupy large portions of Mt. Banahaw de Tayabas, although sparsely in the extreme southern and northern sections of the mountain. The most reliable model that predicted the distribution of the species was MAXENT, as it acquired the highest area under curve (AUC) among the three SDMs. This study confirmed the presence of Philippine warty pigs in Mt. Banahaw de Tayabas and its preferred habitat. The data and information generated here will be useful for the local community’s plans in conserving and managing this endemic species. Additional recommendations also include investigating the population size within and outside the protected area and establishing baseline data to assess the impact of ASF.