Briefly 143 AMERICAS


Good news for Union Island gecko A tiny, Critically Endangered Caribbean liz- ard has taken a step back from the brink of extinction. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the local community, re- gional government and a coalition of local andinternational conservation organizations, the Union Island gecko is making a come- back. Its population has grown from 10,000 in 2018 to c. 18,000. The entire population is confined to a single 50-ha fragment of old- growthforest,making it vulnerable tohuman disturbance and natural disasters such as hurricanes. Having quickly become coveted as an exotic pet after being described by sci- ence in 2005,by 2017 theUnion Island gecko was the most trafficked reptile in the region, and its fragile habitatwas being destroyed by those searching formore specimens to sell.A species recovery plan, developed with local residents in 2016, has since guided a range of conservation efforts including expansion and closer management of the gecko’spro- tected forest habitat, anti-poaching patrols and camera surveillance. Source: Fauna & Flora (2022) fauna-flora. org/news/gecko-good-news-treasure- island-celebrates-recovery-of-precious- caribbean-jewel


Glass frogs become see-through by hiding their blood Scientists have discovered how some glass frogs, which live in tropical forests throughout Central and SouthAmerica, keep their skin so clear: by diverting blood into their livers. Researchers have used highly calibrated cameras to capture the transparency of Fleischmann’sglass frogs Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni, which congregate near streams throughout Central America. At night, when the amphibians breed and feed, they are opa- que. But during the day, when they sleep on leaves, most of their body turns transparent. This helps the frogs to blend inwith their sur- roundings, protecting them from predators. The increased transparency of sleeping frogs appeared to be linked with a lack of red blood cells in their veins; when the frogs woke up, their blood started pumping again, reducing their transparency. The researchers also found that during the day, blood vessels in the frogs’ livers were full of red blood cells. Compared with other tree frogs, which can only store c. 12% of their red blood cells in their livers, glass frogs can hide away 89% of their red blood cells in this way. Source: Science (2022) science.org/content/ article/glass-frogs-become-see-through- hiding-their-blood


New study documents coalitions of male jaguars A study has found novel evidence of wild male jaguars forming coalitions and collab- orating with each other to secure prey, im- prove chances of mating and defend or expand their territories. Jaguars have long been regarded as a solitary species but these findings suggest the large felid is more social than previously believed. The project involved data analysis from five studies that used camera trapping, GPS tel- emetry and direct jaguar observations in the Venezuelan Llanos and Brazilian Pantanal. Out of . 7,000 records, the team recorded 105 interactions between males, 70 of which were classified as cooperation or forming of a coalition, nine were classified as social tolerance and only 18 were considered ag- gressive. Some male jaguar coalitions were long-lasting: in two studies, pairs of male jaguars formed stable partnerships that endured . 7 years. In one of these, the two males patrolled territories together, com- municated vocally with each other, shared a tapir kill and even rested side by side. The jaguar coalitions never involved more than two unrelated males, unlike those ob- served in cheetahs and lions. Source: Phys.org (2022) phys.org/news/ 2022-12-documents-male-jaguar- coalitions-idea.html


Protection of Peninsula Mitre to preserve vital carbon sink Legislators of Tierra del Fuego Province in Argentina have passed a law to permanently protectPeninsula Mitre, the extremetip of the continent. The 486,000-ha peninsula is home to intact kelp forests and one of the largest peat reserves of South America. Both kelp forests and peat bogs are ecosystems crucial to climate stability. A grassroots campaign spanning 3 decades has resulted in the new law. The new protected area will comprise 300,000 ha of land and 186,ooo ha of ocean, encompassing 30%ofArgentina’skelpfor- ests. The giant kelp found in these coastal waters grows particularly fast and captures 10 times more carbon than tropical forests. The peninsula is also home to 84%ofthe country’s peatlands. Peatlands are the largest terrestrial organic carbon sink on the planet. They store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests and also support biodiversity, includingmany threatened species. Peninsula Mitreisakeyrefuge for thesouthern river otter, the Andean condor, steamer duck, guanaco and red fox. Source: Tompkins Conservation (2022) tompkinsconservation.org/news/2022/12/ 23/peninsula-mitre-a-rare-global- climate-win


Action against totoaba trafficking helps vaquita conservation Mexico’s navy confirmed in a press confer- ence in January 2023 that members of car- tels dedicated to the trafficking of the Vulnerable totoaba Totoaba macdonaldi have been arrested and put in prison, ef- fectively dismantling some of the main organized crime groups contributing to declining fish populations in the Gulf of California. Since 2019, officials have ar- rested seven members of the Totoaba Cartel and the leader of the Cartel of the Sea, both of whom targeted the large fish species for its treasured swim bladder, con- sidered a delicacy when dried and sold at markets in China. Mexico’s Gulf of Cal- ifornia, where the illegal fishing of totoaba takes place, is also home to the vaquita, a porpoise c. 1.5 mlong that often gets caught in the fishing nets. There may be as few as nine vaquita left, and the government and conservation groups have set up patrols and monitoring systems to try and protect them. As such, it is hoped that the recent ar- rests of totoaba traffickers will also benefit vaquita conservation. Source: Hakai Magazine (2023) hakaimagazine.com/news/taking-down- mexicos-totoaba-cartel-helps-with- vaquita-conservation


The flat-headed bat: a species back from the dead The flat-headed bat Myotis planiceps is found exclusively in the ChihuahuaDesert of north- eastMexico in an area of,500 km2,which is the smallest distribution of anymammal.The IUCN declared the species Extinct in 1996, after there had not been any scientific docu- mentation of the bat for 21 years. Only three individuals had been collected since it was first documented in 1953.In 2004,however, a research team set out to the localities of Los Pinos, Las Armenias and Lontananza, based on the areas where the bat was first found, and discovered eight individuals, con- firming that the species was still alive and of- fering new hope that it could be saved. In 2021, another group of researchers ventured to a new location, the Sierra de Zapalinamé NatureReserve, and captured five flat-headed bats during their first night of mist-net sur- veys. Some individuals were subsequently tagged with radio transmitters, which helped the researchers to locate their summer roosts. Much is still unknown, however, such as the bats’ diet and where and how they hibernate in winter, which is one of the priorities for forming a conservation plan for the species. Source: Re:wild (2022) rewild.org/news/ the-flat-headed-bat-a-species-back- from-the-dead


Oryx, 2023, 57(2), 139–144 © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605323000121


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