Geographic distribution of Rhyncholestes raphanurus Osgood, 1924 (Paucituberculata : Caenolestidae), an endemic marsupial of the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest
Gabriel M. Martin
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
CONICET and Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Evolución y Biodiversidad, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, Sarmiento 849, Esquel, Chubut 9200, Argentina. Email: gmartin_ar@yahoo.com
Australian Journal of Zoology 59(2) 118-126 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO11038
Submitted: 31 May 2011 Accepted: 9 August 2011 Published: 10 October 2011
Abstract
The Chilean shrew opossum (Rhyncholestes raphanurus) is the southernmost representative of the family Caenolestidae (Marsupialia : Paucituberculata). The species lives in temperate forests of southern Chile and Argentina and is currently known from <25 localities, spanning a latitudinal and longitudinal range of 2°44′ (~320 km) and 2°20′ (~190 km), respectively. Species distribution was analysed in a historical, geographic and biogeographic context, with the use of maps at different scales (region, subregion, province, ecoregion, forest types), and two potential distribution models were generated with MaxEnt. The models show a few isolated areas of high prediction values (>50%) in coastal Chile and the Andes from 39°30′ to ~42°S, and most of Chiloé Island, plus a northern and southern expansion of medium to low (<50%) prediction values. The most important environmental variables identified from the models include precipitation and some temperature-related variables. The species occurrence lies within the Andean region, Subantarctic subregion, and Valdivian biogeographic province. At a smaller scale, most of the localities occur in eight of the 22 forest types described for the Valdivian ecoregion, implying narrow ecological requirements. Identification of critical areas through potential distribution modelling may have implications for species conservation and identification of biogeographic patterns.
Additional keywords: Chilean shrew opossum, distribution records, forest types, marsupial biogeography, MaxEnt, Valdivian Temperate Forests ecoregion.
References
Albuja, L., and Patterson, B. D. (1996). A new species of northern shrew-opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador. Journal of Mammalogy 77, 41–53.| A new species of northern shrew-opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Anderson, S. (1997). Mammals of Bolivia, taxonomy and distribution. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 231, 1–652.
Birney, E. C., and Monjeau, J. A. (2003). Latitudinal variation in South American marsupial biology. In ‘Predators with Pouches. The Biology of Carnivorous Marsupials’. (Eds M. Jones, C. Dickman and M. Archer.) pp. 297–317. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
Birney, E. C., Sikes, R. S., Monjeau, J. A., Guthmann, N., and Phillips, C. J. (1996). Comments on Patagonian marsupials from Argentina. In ‘Contributions in Mammalogy: a Memorial Volume Honoring Dr. J. Knox Jones Jr’. (Eds H. H. Genoways and R. J. Baker.) pp. 149–154. (Museum of Texas Tech University: Lubbock, TX.)
Brown, B. (2004). Atlas of New World marsupials. Fieldiana Zoology, n.s. 102, 1–308.
D‘Elía, G., Ojeda, A. A., Mondaca, F., and Gallardo, M. H. (2006). New data of the long-clawed mouse Pearsonomys annectens (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) and additional comments on the distinctiveness of Pearsonomys. Mammalian Biology 71, 39–51.
| New data of the long-clawed mouse Pearsonomys annectens (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) and additional comments on the distinctiveness of Pearsonomys.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Donoso, C. (1995). ‘Bosques templados de Chile y Argentina. Variación, estructura y dinámica.’ 3rd edn. (Editorial Universitaria: Santiago, Chile.)
Donoso, C. (1996). Ecology of Nothofagus forests in central Chile. In ‘The Ecology and Biogeography of Nothofagus Forests’. (Eds T. Veblen, R. Hill and J. Read.) pp. 271–290. (Yale University Press: New Heaven, CT.)
Farías, A., Wolodarsky, A., Pliscoff, P., and Tecklin, D. (2008). ‘Análisis de conservación a escala de paisaje en la Cordillera de la Costa entre el río Toltén y Cucao.’ (WWF-Chile: Valdivia, Chile.).
Gallardo, M. H. (1978). Hallazgo de Rhyncholestes raphanurus (Marsupialia, Caenolestidae) en el sur de Chile. Archivos de Biologia y Medicina Experimentales 2, 181.
Gallardo, M. H., and Patterson, B. D. (1987). An additional 14-chromosome karyotype and sex-chromosome mosaicism in South American marsupials. In ‘Studies in Neotropical Mammalogy: Essays in Honor of Philip Hershkovitz’. (Eds B. D. Patterson and R. M. Timm.) pp. 111–115. (Fieldiana Zoology: Chicago, IL.)
Hijmans, R. J., Cameron, S. E., Parra, J. L., Jones, P. G., and Jarvis, A. (2005a). Very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas. International Journal of Climatology 25, 1965–1978.
| Very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hijmans, R. J., Guarino, L., Mathur, P., Jarvis, A., Rojas, E., Cruz, M., and Barrantes, I. (2005b). DIVA-GIS manual. ww.diva-gis.org. [Accessed 25 November 2010.]
Kelt, D. A. (2000). Small mammal communities in rainforest fragments in central southern Chile. Biological Conservation 92, 345–358.
| Small mammal communities in rainforest fragments in central southern Chile.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kelt, D. A., and Martínez, D. R. (1989). Notes on the distribution and ecology of two marsupials endemic to the Valdivian Forests of southern South America. Journal of Mammalogy 70, 220–224.
| Notes on the distribution and ecology of two marsupials endemic to the Valdivian Forests of southern South America.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kelt, D. A., Meserve, P. L., and Lang, B. K. (1994). Quantitative habitat associations of small mammals in a temperate rainforest in southern Chile: empirical patterns and the importance of ecological scale. Journal of Mammalogy 75, 890–904.
| Quantitative habitat associations of small mammals in a temperate rainforest in southern Chile: empirical patterns and the importance of ecological scale.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kelt, D. A., Meserve, P. L., Patterson, B. D., and Lang, B. K. (1999). Scale dependence and scale independence in habitat associations of small mammals in southern temperate rainforest. Oikos 85, 320–334.
| Scale dependence and scale independence in habitat associations of small mammals in southern temperate rainforest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lara, A., Bran, D., Rutherford, P., Pérez, A., Clayton, S., Montory, C., Ayesa, J., Barrios, D., Gross, M., and Iglesias, G. (1999). ‘Mapeo de la eco-región de los bosques valdivianos, Escala 1 : 500.000.’ Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, Boletín Técnico No 51.
Martin, G. M. (2008). Sistemática, Distribución y Adaptaciones de los Marsupiales Patagónicos. Ph.D. Thesis, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
Martin, G. M. (2010). Geographic distribution and historical occurrence of Dromiciops gliroides Thomas (Marsupialia, Microbiotheria). Journal of Mammalogy 91, 1025–1035.
| Geographic distribution and historical occurrence of Dromiciops gliroides Thomas (Marsupialia, Microbiotheria).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Martínez, D. R., and Jaksic, F. (1997). Selective predation on scansorial and arboreal mammals by rufous-legged owls (Strix rufipes) in southern Chilean rainforest. The Journal of Raptor Research 31, 370–375.
Meserve, P. L., Lang, B. K., and Patterson, B. D. (1988). Trophic relationships of small mammals in a Chilean temperate rainforest. Journal of Mammalogy 69, 721–730.
| Trophic relationships of small mammals in a Chilean temperate rainforest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morrone, J. J. (2000). The Subantarctic subregion and its provinces. Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, n.s. 2, 1–15.
Morrone, J. J. (2001). ‘Biogeografía de América Latina y el Caribe.’ (Manuales y Tesis SEA 3: Zaragoza, España.)
Morrone, J. J. (2006). Biogeographic areas and transition zones of Latin America and the Caribbean Islands based on panbiogeographic and cladistic analyses of the entomofauna. Annual Review of Entomology 51, 467–494.
| Biogeographic areas and transition zones of Latin America and the Caribbean Islands based on panbiogeographic and cladistic analyses of the entomofauna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28XptlCmtA%3D%3D&md5=9865a8d4d5fb5bd36483c6deef36f27aCAS |
Murúa, R. (1997). Comunidades de mamíferos del bosque templado de Chile. In ‘Ecología de los Bosques nativos de Chile’. 2nd edn. (Eds J. J. Armesto, C. Villagrán and M. K. Arroyo.) pp. 113–133. (Editorial Universitaria: Santiago, Chile.)
Myers, P., and Patton, J. L. (2007). Genus Lestoros Oehser, 1934. In ‘Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats’. (Ed. A. Gardner.) pp. 124–126. (Chicago University Press: Chicago, IL.)
Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., Wikramanayake, E. D., Burgess, N. D., Powell, G. V. N., Underwood, E. C., D’Amico, A. J., Itoua, I., Strand, H. E., Morrison, J. C., Loucks, C. J., Allnutt, T. F., Ricketts, T. H., Kura, Y., Lamoreux, J. F., Wettengel, W. W., Hedao, P., and Kassem, K. R. (2001). Terrestrial ecoregions of the world: a new map of life on Earth. Bioscience 51, 933–938.
| Terrestrial ecoregions of the world: a new map of life on Earth.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Osgood, W. H. (1924). Review of living caenolestids with description of a new genus from Chile. Field Museum of Natural History Zoological Series 14, 165–173.
Osgood, W. H. (1943). The mammals of Chile. Field Museum of Natural History Zoological Series 30, 1–268.
Patterson, B. D. (2007). Genus Rhyncholestes Osgood, 1924. In ‘Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats’. (Ed. A. Gardner.) pp. 126–127. (Chicago University Press: Chicago, IL.)
Patterson, B. D., and Gallardo, M. H. (1987). Rhyncholestes raphanurus. Mammalian Species 286, 1–5.
| Rhyncholestes raphanurus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Patterson, B. D., Meserve, P. L., and Lang, B. K. (1989). Distribution and abundance of small mammals along an elevational transect in temperate rain forests of Chile. Journal of Mammalogy 70, 67–78.
| Distribution and abundance of small mammals along an elevational transect in temperate rain forests of Chile.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Patterson, B. D., Meserve, P. L., and Lang, B. K. (1990). Quantitative habitat associations of small mammals along an elevational transect in temperate rain-forests of Chile. Journal of Mammalogy 71, 620–633.
| Quantitative habitat associations of small mammals along an elevational transect in temperate rain-forests of Chile.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pearson, O. P. (1995). Annotated keys for identifying small mammals living in or near Nahuel Huapi National Park or Lanin National Park, southern Argentina. Mastozoología Neotropical 2, 99–148.
Pearson, O. P., and Pearson, A. K. (1982). Ecology and biogeography of the southern rainforests of Argentina. In ‘Mammalian Biology in South America’. (Eds M. A. Mares and H. H. Genoways.) pp 129–142. The Pymatuning Symposia in Ecology, Special Publication Series, No. 6. (Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology, University of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, PA.)
Phillips, S. J., and Dudik, M. (2008). Modeling of species distributions with MaxEnt: new extensions and a comprehensive evaluation. Ecography 31, 161–175.
| Modeling of species distributions with MaxEnt: new extensions and a comprehensive evaluation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Phillips, S. J., Anderson, R. P., and Schapire, R. E. (2006). Maximum entropy modeling of species geographic distributions. Ecological Modelling 190, 231–259.
| Maximum entropy modeling of species geographic distributions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pine, R. H., Miller, S. D., and Schamberger, M. L. (1979). Contributions to the mammalogy of Chile. Mammalia 43, 339–376.
| Contributions to the mammalogy of Chile.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rau, J. R., Martínez, D. R., Low, J. R., and Tillería, M. S. (1995). Depredación por zorros chilla (Pseudalopex griseus) sobre mamíferos cursoriales, escansoriales y arborícolas en un área silvestre protegida del sur de Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 68, 333–340.
Timm, R. M., and Patterson, B. D. (2007). Genus Caenolestes O. Thomas, 1895. In ‘Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats’. (Ed. A. Gardner.) pp. 120–124. (Chicago University Press: Chicago, IL.)
Turiscom (2001). ‘Turistel 2002.’ (Santiago, Chile.)
Watson, R. T., Zinyowera, M. C., and Moss, R. H. (1998). The regional impacts of climate change: an assessment of vulnerability. A Special Report of IPCC Working Group II, Cambridge University Press, UK.
Wisz, M. S., Hijmans, R. J., Li, J., Peterson, A. T., Graham, C. H., Guisan, A., NCEAS Predicting Species Distributions Working Group (2008). Effects of sample size on the performance of species distribution models. Diversity & Distributions 14, 763–773.
WWF, APN, CEAN, CODEFF, FSD, FVSA, INTA, UACH, UNCOMA, ULAG, UDEC (1999). A biodiversity vision for the Valdivian Temperate Rain Forest ecoregion of Chile and Argentina. Washington, DC.
