Ecological signal in the size and shape of marine amniote teeth

Amniotes have been a major component of marine trophic chains from the beginning of the Triassic to present day, with hundreds of species. However, inferences of their (palaeo)ecology have mostly been qualitative, making it difficult to track how dietary niches have changed through time and across clades. Here, we tackle this issue by applying a novel geometric morphometric protocol to three-dimensional models of tooth crowns across a wide range of raptorial marine amniotes. Our results highlight the phenomenon of dental simplification and widespread convergence in marine amniotes, limiting the range of tooth crown morphologies. Importantly, we quantitatively demonstrate that tooth crown shape and size are strongly associated with diet, whereas crown surface complexity is not. The maximal range of tooth shapes in both mammals and reptiles is seen in medium-sized taxa; large crowns are simple and restricted to a fraction of the morphospace. We recognize four principal raptorial guilds within toothed marine amniotes (durophages, generalists, flesh cutters and flesh piercers). Moreover, even though all these feeding guilds have been convergently colonized over the last 200 Myr, a series of dental morphologies are unique to the Mesozoic period, probably reflecting a distinct ecosystem structure.

[Young reptile lover bitten by viper]

In the summer, an 11-year-old boy is bitten in his hand by a viper during survival camp. With extreme pain, swelling, vomiting and eventually loss of consciousness, he ends up in the emergency room. In the medium care, the arm swelling appears to be progressive. Antiserum delivered by express courier is finally given. Tourniquets, ice, incising and aspiration are obsolete. Gentle bandages with mild compression and a splint are an option. Immobilization is also important and haste depends on the symptoms (in 2 to 50% there is a 'dry bite'). Antiserum is given immediately in case of systemic effects such as coagulation disorder, dyspnoea, hypovolemic shock and renal insufficiency. In case of swelling, one should wait and see and determine the extent and progression of the swelling when antiserum is used. When administering the antiserum, a solid anticipation of anaphylaxis belongs.

Gene synteny, evolution and antiviral activity of type I IFNs in a reptile species, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis

Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical cytokines for the establishment of antiviral status in fish, amphibian, avian and mammal, but the knowledge on type I IFNs is rather limited in reptile. In this study, seven type I IFN genes, designed as IFN1 to IFN7, were identified from a reptile species, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). These identified type I IFNs have relatively low protein identity, when compared with those in human and chicken; but they possess conserved cysteines, predicted multi-helix structure and N-terminal signal peptide. The Chinese soft-shelled turtle IFN1 to IFN5 have two exons and one intron, but IFN6 and IFN7 are the single-exon genes. Chinese soft-shelled turtle type I IFNs are located respectively on the two conserved reptile-bird loci, named as Locus a and Locus c, and are clustered into the four of the five reptile-bird groups (named as Groups I-V) based on phylogenetic evidence, due to the lack of IFNK in the turtle. Moreover, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle type I IFNs can be induced by soft-shelled turtle iridovirus (STIV) infection and show antiviral activity in soft-shelled turtle artery (STA) cells, except IFN6. In addition, due to the difference in genome organizations, such as the number of exons and introns of type I IFN genes from fish to mammal, the definition and evolution of 'intronless' type I IFN genes were discussed in lineages of vertebrates. Thus, the finding of type I IFNs on two different loci in P. sinensis sheds light on the evolution of type I IFN genes in vertebrates.

Digitizing Wildlife: The Case of a Reptile 3-D Virtual Museum

In this article, we design and develop a 3-D virtual museum with holistic metadata documentation and a variety of reptile behaviors and movements. First, we reconstruct the reptile's mesh in high resolution, and then create its rigged/skinned digital counterpart. We acquire the movement of two subjects using an optical motion capture system, accelerometers, and RGB-vision cameras; these movements are then segmented and annotated to various behaviors. The 3-D environment, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) functionalities of our online repository serve as tools for interactively educating the public on animals, which are difficult to observe and study in their natural environment. It also reveals important information regarding animals' intangible characteristics (e.g., behavior), that is critical for the preservation of wildlife. Our museum is publicly accessible, enabling motion data reusability, and facilitating learning applications through gamification. We conducted a user study that confirms the naturalness and realism of our reptiles, along with the ease of use and usefulness of our museum.

Does urbanization impact terrestrial vertebrate ectotherms across a biodiversity hotspot?

Urbanization is increasing at an alarming rate altering biodiversity. As urban areas sprawl, it is vital to understand the effects of urbanization on biodiversity. Florida is ideal for this research; it has many reptile species and has experienced multiple anthropogenic impacts. Herein, we aim to evaluate human impacts on registered reptile richness across an urbanization gradient in Florida. The expectation is that highly urbanized areas would harbor a lower number of species. To represent urbanization, we used Venter et al. (2016) human footprint index. We downloaded georeferenced occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to collate species richness. We ran generalized linear regressions controlling for spatial autocorrelation structure to test the association between urbanization and reptile records across Florida. We found a positive association between urbanization and registered reptiles across Florida for total and non-native species richness; however, a lack of association occurred for native species. We performed rarefaction curves due to an inherent bias of citizen science data. The positive association was supported for non-native reptile species richness with greater species richness located at urban centers. Interestingly, total and native species richness were largest at low as well as moderate levels of urbanization. Thus, moderately urbanized areas may have the potential to harbor a similar number of reptile species compared to areas with low urbanization. Nevertheless, a difference exists in sample completeness between the urbanization categories. Thus, a more systematic monitoring of reptile species across an urbanization gradient, not only focusing on urban and wild areas but also including moderate levels of urbanization, is needed to provide informed conservation strategies for urban development planning. Advances in environmental sensors, environmental DNA, and citizen science outreach are necessary to implement if we are to effectively monitor biodiversity at the accelerated rate of urbanization.

Automatic identification of intestinal parasites in reptiles using microscopic stool images and convolutional neural networks

Captive environments trigger the propagation and multiplication of parasites among different reptile species, thus weakening their immune response and causing infections and diseases. Technological advances of convolutional neural networks have opened a new field for detecting and classifying diseases which have shown great potential to overcome the shortcomings of manual detection performed by experts. Therefore, we propose an approach to identify six captive reptiles parasitic agents (Ophionyssus natricis, Blastocystis sp, Oxiurdo egg, Rhytidoides similis, Strongyloides, Taenia) or the absence of such parasites from a microscope stool images dataset. Towards this end, we first use an image segmentation stage to detect the parasite within the image, which combines the Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) technique, the OTSU binarization method, and morphological operations. Then, we carry out a classification stage through MobileNet CNN under a transfer learning scheme. This method was validated on a stool image dataset containing 3616 images data samples and 26 videos from the six parasites mentioned above. The results obtained indicate that our transfer learning-based approach can learn a helpful representation from the dataset. We obtained an average accuracy of 94.26% across the seven classes (i.e., six parasitic agents and the absence of parasites), which statistically outperformed, at a 95% confidence level, a custom CNN trained from scratch.

Reptile research shows new avenues and old challenges for extinction risk modelling

This Primer explores the implications of a new PLOS Biology study that presents an innovative method for estimating extinction risk in reptile species worldwide; this method represents a promising avenue to support Red List assessment, alongside some well-known challenges.

Many reptiles under threat of extinction

Georgina Mills reports on new research that assessed the risk of extinction for more than 10,000 reptile species.

Intrusion Detection System for IoT Based on Deep Learning and Modified Reptile Search Algorithm

This study proposes a novel framework to improve intrusion detection system (IDS) performance based on the data collected from the Internet of things (IoT) environments. The developed framework relies on deep learning and metaheuristic (MH) optimization algorithms to perform feature extraction and selection. A simple yet effective convolutional neural network (CNN) is implemented as the core feature extractor of the framework to learn better and more relevant representations of the input data in a lower-dimensional space. A new feature selection mechanism is proposed based on a recently developed MH method, called Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA), which is inspired by the hunting behaviors of the crocodiles. The RSA boosts the IDS system performance by selecting only the most important features (an optimal subset of features) from the extracted features using the CNN model. Several datasets, including KDDCup-99, NSL-KDD, CICIDS-2017, and BoT-IoT, were used to assess the IDS system performance. The proposed framework achieved competitive performance in classification metrics compared to other well-known optimization methods applied for feature selection problems.

Automated assessment reveals that the extinction risk of reptiles is widely underestimated across space and phylogeny

The Red List of Threatened Species, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is a crucial tool for conservation decision-making. However, despite substantial effort, numerous species remain unassessed or have insufficient data available to be assigned a Red List extinction risk category. Moreover, the Red Listing process is subject to various sources of uncertainty and bias. The development of robust automated assessment methods could serve as an efficient and highly useful tool to accelerate the assessment process and offer provisional assessments. Here, we aimed to (1) present a machine learning–based automated extinction risk assessment method that can be used on less known species; (2) offer provisional assessments for all reptiles—the only major tetrapod group without a comprehensive Red List assessment; and (3) evaluate potential effects of human decision biases on the outcome of assessments. We use the method presented here to assess 4,369 reptile species that are currently unassessed or classified as Data Deficient by the IUCN. The models used in our predictions were 90% accurate in classifying species as threatened/nonthreatened, and 84% accurate in predicting specific extinction risk categories. Unassessed and Data Deficient reptiles were considerably more likely to be threatened than assessed species, adding to mounting evidence that these species warrant more conservation attention. The overall proportion of threatened species greatly increased when we included our provisional assessments. Assessor identities strongly affected prediction outcomes, suggesting that assessor effects need to be carefully considered in extinction risk assessments. Regions and taxa we identified as likely to be more threatened should be given increased attention in new assessments and conservation planning. Lastly, the method we present here can be easily implemented to help bridge the assessment gap for other less known taxa.

Influence of the sociodemographic profile of hunters on the knowledge and use of faunistic resources

BACKGROUND

Hunting wild animals is essential for nutrition, clothing, predator control and disease treatment. As part of a system based on food choices and uses, it is influenced by ecological, economic and sociocultural patterns. In this context, the aim is to identify the game fauna of interest in the Brazilian semiarid region; indicate the methods, uses, patterns of choices and cultural importance of the fauna and identify which sociodemographic variables influence the knowledge and use of faunal resources.

METHODS

Information on hunting and fauna use was obtained through semi-structured interviews, complemented with free interviews and informal conversations. The cultural importance of the species was calculated through the current use value. The generalized linear model was created to verify whether the sociodemographic profile of hunters influences the knowledge and use of game species.

RESULTS

The results showed a representativeness of 56 species. The group of birds was the most representative in terms of taxonomic richness (48.2%), followed by the group of mammals (26.8%), reptiles (21.4%) and amphibians (3.6%). The animals mentioned are used for food, trade, control hunting (slaughter of animals considered invaders of property or harmful to humans), pets, zootherapy and ornamentation. Sociodemographic variables shaped the knowledge of faunal resources, in which the age of hunters showed a negative correlation with the number of known species.

CONCLUSIONS

The meaning and forms of use attributed to each species depend on ecological, economic and sociocultural factors, which dictate the relationship between human communities and natural resources. Socioeconomic variables shape hunting patterns in all its aspects, whether in perception that hunters have of the resources, forms of use and utilization of hunting strategies.

Heart Diseases in Reptiles: Diagnosis and Therapy

The notion that poikilotherms do not suffer from cardiovascular conditions is being increasingly challenged as diagnostic tools used in companion animal practice are applied to reptiles. However, the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiac conditions in reptiles is difficult because of the scarcity of published literature. Auscultation, electrocardiography, radiography, and ultrasonography are helpful diagnostic techniques in herpetologic practice. Although the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cardiovascular drugs are poorly understood in these animals, basic principles remain applicable; these include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. Further research is needed to establish species-specific cardiac reference ranges and evidence-based treatment options.

Dynamic Neural Graphs Based Federated Reptile for Semi-Supervised Multi-Tasking in Healthcare Applications

AI healthcare applications rely on sensitive electronic healthcare records (EHRs) that are scarcely labelled and are often distributed across a network of the symbiont institutions. It is challenging to train the effective machine learning models on such data. In this work, we propose dynamic neural graphs based federated learning framework to address these challenges. The proposed framework extends Reptile, a model agnostic meta-learning (MAML) algorithm, to a federated setting. However, unlike the existing MAML algorithms, this paper proposes a dynamic variant of neural graph learning (NGL) to incorporate unlabelled examples in the supervised training setup. Dynamic NGL computes a meta-learning update by performing supervised learning on a labelled training example while performing metric learning on its labelled or unlabelled neighbourhood. This neighbourhood of a labelled example is established dynamically using local graphs built over the batches of training examples. Each local graph is constructed by comparing the similarity between embedding generated by the current state of the model. The introduction of metric learning on the neighbourhood makes this framework semi-supervised in nature. The experimental results on the publicly available MIMIC-III dataset highlight the effectiveness of the proposed framework for both single and multi-task settings under data decentralisation constraints and limited supervision.

A novel group of negative-sense RNA viruses associated with epizootics in managed and free-ranging freshwater turtles in Florida, USA

Few aquatic animal negative-sense RNA viruses have been characterized, and their role in disease is poorly understood. Here, we describe a virus isolated from diseased freshwater turtles from a Florida farm in 2007 and from an ongoing epizootic among free-ranging populations of Florida softshell turtles (Apalone ferox), Florida red-bellied cooters (Pseudemys nelsoni), and peninsula cooters (Pseudemys peninsularis). Affected turtles presented with similar neurological signs, oral and genital ulceration, and secondary microbial infections. Microscopic lesions were most severe in the softshell turtles and included heterophilic/histiocytic meningoencephalitis, multi-organ vasculitis, and cytologic observation of leukocytic intracytoplasmic inclusions. The virus was isolated using Terrapene heart (TH-1) cells. Ultrastructurally, viral particles were round to pleomorphic and acquired an envelope with prominent surface projections by budding from the cell membrane. Viral genomes were sequenced from cDNA libraries of two nearly identical isolates and determined to be bi-segmented, with an ambisense coding arrangement. The larger segment encodes a predicted RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRP) and a putative zinc-binding matrix protein. The smaller segment encodes a putative nucleoprotein and an envelope glycoprotein precursor (GPC). Thus, the genome organization of this turtle virus resembles that of arenaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the RdRP of the turtle virus is highly diverged from the RdRPs of all known negative-sense RNA viruses and forms a deep branch within the phylum Negarnaviricota, that is not affiliated with any known group of viruses, even at the class level. In contrast, the GPC protein of the turtle virus is confidently affiliated with homologs from a distinct group of fish hantaviruses. Thus, the turtle virus is expected to become the founder of a new taxon of negative-sense RNA viruses, at least with a family rank, but likely, an order or even a class. These viruses probably evolved either by reassortment or by intrasegment recombination between a virus from a distinct branch of negarnaviruses distant from all known groups and a hanta-like aquatic virus. We suggest the provisional name Tosoviridae for the putative new family, with Turtle fraservirus 1 (TFV1) as the type species within the genus Fraservirus. A conventional RT-PCR assay, targeting the TFV1 RdRP, confirmed the presence of viral RNA in multiple tissues and exudates from diseased turtles. The systemic nature of the TFV1 infection was further supported by labeling of cells within lesions using in situ hybridization targeting the RNA of the TFV1 RdRP.

Resilience of reptiles to megafires

Extreme climate events, together with anthropogenic land-use changes, have led to the rise of megafires (i.e., fires at the top of the frequency size distribution) in many world regions. Megafires imply that the center of the burnt area is far from the unburnt; therefore, recolonization may be critical for species with low dispersal abilities such as reptiles. We aimed to evaluate the effect of megafires on a reptile community, exploring to what extent reptile responses are spatially shaped by the distance to the unburnt area. We examined the short-term spatiotemporal response of a Mediterranean reptile community after two megafires (>20,000 ha) that occurred in summer 2012 in eastern Spain. Reptiles were sampled over 4 years after the fire in burnt plots located at different distances from the fire perimeter (edge, middle, and center), and in adjacent unburnt plots. Reptile responses were modeled with fire history, as well as climate and remotely sensed environmental variables. In total, we recorded 522 reptiles from 12 species (11 species in the burnt plots and nine in the unburnt plots). Reptile abundance decreased in burnt compared with unburnt plots. The community composition and species richness did not vary either spatially (unburnt and burnt plots) or temporally (during the 4 years). The persistence of reptiles in the burnt area supported their resilience to megafires. The most common lizard species was Psammodromus algirus; both adults and juveniles were found in all unburnt and burnt plots. This species showed lower abundances in burnt areas compared with the unburnt and a slow short-term abundance recovery. The lizard Psammodromus edwarsianus was much less abundant and showed a tendency to increase its abundance in burnt plots compared with unburnt plots. Within the megafire area, P. algirus and P. edwarsianus abundances correlated with the thermal-moisture environment and vegetation recovery regardless of the distance from the fire edge. These results indicated the absence of a short-term reptile recolonization from the unburnt zone, demonstrating that reptiles are resilient (in situ persistence) to megafires when environmental conditions are favorable.

Sex-specific splicing of Z- and W-borne nr5a1 alleles suggests sex determination is controlled by chromosome conformation

Pogona vitticeps has female heterogamety (ZZ/ZW), but the master sex-determining gene is unknown, as it is for all reptiles. We show that nr5a1 (Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 5 Group A Member 1), a gene that is essential in mammalian sex determination, has alleles on the Z and W chromosomes (Z-nr5a1 and W-nr5a1), which are both expressed and can recombine. Three transcript isoforms of Z-nr5a1 were detected in gonads of adult ZZ males, two of which encode a functional protein. However, ZW females produced 16 isoforms, most of which contained premature stop codons. The array of transcripts produced by the W-borne allele (W-nr5a1) is likely to produce truncated polypeptides that contain a structurally normal DNA-binding domain and could act as a competitive inhibitor to the full-length intact protein. We hypothesize that an altered configuration of the W chromosome affects the conformation of the primary transcript generating inhibitory W-borne isoforms that suppress testis determination. Under this hypothesis, the genetic sex determination (GSD) system of P. vitticeps is a W-borne dominant female-determining gene that may be controlled epigenetically.

Sensitivity of a Model Reptile, the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina), to In Ovo Exposure to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin and Other Dioxin-Like Chemicals

Reptiles represent the least-studied group of vertebrates with regards to ecotoxicology and no empirical toxicity data existed for dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs). This lack of toxicity data represents a significant uncertainty in ecological risk assessments of this taxon. Therefore, the present study assessed early-life sensitivity to select DLCs and developed relative potencies in the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) as a model reptile. Specifically, survival to hatch and incidence of pathologies were assessed in common snapping turtle exposed in ovo to serial concentrations of the prototypical reference congener 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and three other DLCs of environmental relevance, namely, 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126). In ovo exposure to TCDD, PeCDF, TCDF, and PCB 126 caused a dose-dependent increase in early-life mortality, with median lethal doses (LD50s) of 14.9, 11.8, 29.6, and 185.9 pg/g-egg, respectively. Except for abnormal vasculature development, few pathologies were observed. Based on the measured LD50, common snapping turtle is more sensitive to TCDD in ovo than other species of oviparous vertebrates investigated to date. The potencies of PeCDF, TCDF, and PCB 126 relative to TCDD were 1.3, 0.5, and 0.08, respectively. These relative potencies are within an order of magnitude of World Health Organization (WHO) TCDD-equivalency factors (TEFs) for both mammals and birds supporting these TEFs as relevant for assessing ecological risk to reptiles. The great sensitivity to toxicities of the common snapping turtle, and potentially other species of reptiles, suggests a clear need for further investigation into the ecotoxicology of this taxon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:175-183. © 2021 SETAC.

Ticks on reptiles and amphibians in Central Amazonia, with notes on rickettsial infections

Reptiles and amphibians are exceptional hosts for different ectoparasites, including mites and ticks. In this study, we investigated tick infestations on reptiles and amphibians trapped in Central Amazonia, and also assessed the presence of rickettsial infections in the collected ticks. From September 2016 to September 2019, 385 reptiles (350 lizards, 20 snakes, 12 tortoises, and three caimans) and 120 amphibians (119 anurans and one caecilian) were captured and examined for ectoparasites. Overall, 35 (10%) lizards, three (25%) tortoises and one (0.8%) toad were parasitized by ticks (124 larvae, 32 nymphs, and 22 adults). In lizards, tick infestation varied significantly according to landscape category and age group. Based on combined morphological and molecular analyses, these ticks were identified as Amblyomma humerale (14 larvae, 12 nymphs, 19 males, and one female), Amblyomma nodosum (three larvae, one nymph, and one female), and Amblyomma rotundatum (four larvae, three nymphs, and one female), and Amblyomma spp. (103 larvae and 16 nymphs). Our study presents the first records of A. nodosum in the Amazonas state and suggests that teiid lizards are important hosts for larvae and nymphs of A. humerale in Central Amazonia. Moreover, a nymph of A. humerale collected from a common tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) was found positive for Rickettsia amblyommatis, which agrees with previous reports, suggesting that the A. humerale-R. amblyommatis relationship may be more common than currently recognized.

Reptile assisted reproductive technologies: can ART help conserve 300million years of evolution by preserving extant reptile biodiversity?

Biodiversity loss is the greatest environmental problem threatening ecosystem, animal, and human health. Anthropogenic induced changes to climate, habitat, disease, species distributions, poaching, and unsustainable trade have accelerated extinction rates in all vertebrates, including reptiles. Preventing reptile extinctions will require humans to acknowledge these losses and develop ex situ and in situ plans to preserve them. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are management tools used to protect numerous vertebrate taxa; however, progress in developing ART for reptiles has lagged. Creating functional and sustainable reptile ART will strengthen our conservation capacity by capturing genetic material from select individuals to overcome natural or manmade boundaries. Utilising short-term gamete storage and genome resource banking, in conjunction with timed artificial insemination (AI) or ex ovo incubation, could lead to profound advances in reptile conservation, mitigating the loss of reptile biodiversity. In this article, we review ART reptile research completed since the 1970s. Topics include AI, hormonal control of reproduction, gamete collection, gamete storage, and genome resource banking. Additionally, we review the potential application of advanced reproductive methodologies, including in vitro/ex ovo fertilisation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer), and genetic editing.

Single cell atlas for 11 non-model mammals, reptiles and birds

The availability of viral entry factors is a prerequisite for the cross-species transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Large-scale single-cell screening of animal cells could reveal the expression patterns of viral entry genes in different hosts. However, such exploration for SARS-CoV-2 remains limited. Here, we perform single-nucleus RNA sequencing for 11 non-model species, including pets (cat, dog, hamster, and lizard), livestock (goat and rabbit), poultry (duck and pigeon), and wildlife (pangolin, tiger, and deer), and investigated the co-expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Furthermore, cross-species analysis of the lung cell atlas of the studied mammals, reptiles, and birds reveals core developmental programs, critical connectomes, and conserved regulatory circuits among these evolutionarily distant species. Overall, our work provides a compendium of gene expression profiles for non-model animals, which could be employed to identify potential SARS-CoV-2 target cells and putative zoonotic reservoirs.

Drivers of human-wildlife impact events involving mammals in Southeastern Brazil

Annually millions of animals are killed as a result of human-wildlife impacts. Each year the NGO Associação Mata Ciliar (NGOMC), in Southeastern Brazil, receives and rehabilitates thousands of animals. We evaluated how natural and anthropogenic characteristics affect the risk of different types of human-wildlife impacts for mammals that arrive at the NGOMC; and explore the relationship between both the animal's size and the type of human-wildlife impact event, survival rates and the likelihood that these animals can be fully rehabilitated. To test our hypotheses regarding the drivers and consequences of the total number of human-wildlife impact events, traffic collisions, electrocutions, and requested removals, we used records of the mammals that arrived at the NGOMC between 2012 and 2018, and obtained data on environmental attributes and anthropogenic factors at the municipality level, as well as species weights. The total number of human-wildlife impact events and of requested removals were both positively correlated with deforestation rate and urban area. The number of traffic collisions was positively related to the number of fires. Municipalities with larger urban areas were more likely to have at least one electrocuted mammal. Temporally, the number of fires two months before was positively correlated with the number of human-wildlife impact events. Traffic collisions and electrocutions more frequently resulted in the death of the animal, than did other events. Animals that died were heavier on average than those that remained in captivity or were successfully released back into the wild. We conclude that human-wildlife impact event rates should decline with lower rates of deforestation, less anthropogenic fires and the adoption of other specific measures to avoid both traffic collisions with fauna and electrocutions.

Digital media reveal negative impacts of ghost nets on Brazilian marine biodiversity

Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is responsible for the entanglement of several marine species. Based on a search of digital media (i.e., Google and YouTube^BR), we assessed the negative impacts of ghost nets-a type of ALDFG-on Brazilian marine biodiversity. We found that ghost nets negatively affected crustaceans, fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals in different parts of the Brazilian coast. Our reports include marine megafauna, such as the Bryde's whale and Guiana dolphin. In addition, we found that ghost nets impacted seven threatened species and had negative effects on animals within marine protected areas. Here, we provide an update on the negative impacts of ghost nets on Brazilian marine biota, but the real situation remains underestimated and somewhat obscure.

Wildlife trade

Global trade of wildlife is a major driver of species decline. The trade in wildlife actually plays a much larger role in our daily lives than many people realize, and its use and legality are surprisingly complex. Wildlife trade includes the trade of any organism, including fungi, plants and animals, sourced from the wild. This comprises thousands of wild species, including over 7600, or nearly one quarter, of terrestrial vertebrate species. Trade in wildlife is worth billions annually via commercial fishing at $180 billion, timber at $227 billion and fashion at $2.5 billion - in addition to largely unquantified trade for meat, medicine, ornamental use and pets. Wildlife trade, such as that of ivory, is the subject of intense public debate, international regulation and criminal prosecution, while trade of other species is more often overlooked. How wildlife trade is regulated and what is legal and illegal varies both between and within taxonomic groups and depends on where and how trade occurs. Wildlife trade across most sectors has increased since monitoring began, for example, between 1996 and 2018 the global fish market rose from $40 billion to $180 billion, wood from $65 billion to $137 billion and reptile leather for fashion trade from $140 million to $600 million. In concert, the annual number of trades legally traded through CITES has also grown, from under 5000 transactions in 1977 to peaking at over 1.3 million in 2015, with shipment size increasing in parallel and seizures of illegally traded species showing similar trends. Balancing the needs of people for livelihood generation, especially with access and benefit-sharing rights, with the impact on species survival remains difficult. Issues like the role of trophy and sports hunting within conservation remain a topic of debate in the conservation community. Finding approaches that enable long-term species survival, are equitable and do not undermine livelihoods is a constant challenge.