Intraspecific aggression is one of the most common causes of death in leopards. Here, we report f... more Intraspecific aggression is one of the most common causes of death in leopards. Here, we report four cases of intraspecific killing amongst Persian Leopards (<i>Panthera pardus saxicolor</i>) in Iran. A young male leopard was found on 7 June 2008 which, according to camera trap images, had been killed by an adult male over a Red Deer (<i>Cervus elaphus)</i> kill, with trauma to his neck in Dorfak No-Hunting Area. A young female that had been fitted with a satellite GPS collar on 6 December 2015 in Tandoureh National Park died on 29 January 2016 at a site where an Urial Sheep (<i>Ovis orientalis</i>) ram had been freshly killed. Necropsy results, footprints at the scene of death and camera trap footage all supported the deduction that the animal was killed by a larger female leopard at the kill site. On 13 January 2017, a young, partially eaten female leopard was found with double puncture on the side of her throat. Finally, a rehabilitated adult f...
The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most imp... more The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in that region. It consists of lagoons, marshes, temporary flooded grasslands, ten bigger rivers, fifteen tributary rivers and 550 fish farms. Throughout 2015, otters were surveyed there by searching for tracks and spraints, and also by using rafts, camera traps and interviews with fish farmers. Otter distribution was found to be not uniform and there are also obvious temporal changes of presence. It is more frequent in quiet and less polluted areas with enough food availability. Open water bodies aren't used away from the banks, and edges with weedy vegetation, particularly reeds, are not attractive to this species. These nocturnal animals were observed solitary or in groups of up to three individuals. Signs of otter pups, as the indicator of reproduction, were recorded in August and September. However, environmental degradation, eutrophication and other...
Information on the feeding habits of species is essential to develop appropriate conservation act... more Information on the feeding habits of species is essential to develop appropriate conservation actions. This study aimed to assess spatial and temporal variation in the diet of the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra in the Anzali Wetland, through fecal and stable isotope analysis. Seven main prey items were observed in the analysis of 300 fresh spraints. The highest feeding index was observed for fish, followed by snakes. Among the fish species consumed, the index of preponderance of Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) was the highest followed by pike (Esox lucius) and white bream (Blicca bjoerkna). Results of Shannon diversity index suggest spatial variation of species diversity within and between feeding items (p < 0.05); snakes, frogs, and oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) showed a seasonal variation. The otter’s trophic level (TL) (3.79) was higher than the TLs of other Anzali Wetland predators, such as pike. Bayesian mixing model showed source proportion contributions of...
There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildli... more There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh W.R&I.W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a species presence index on the coast of Amirkelayeh (W.R&I.W). During a nine month period of monthly surveys, 673 signs were identified of which the majority were spraints. The number of spraints during different months differed significantly (χ 2 =408.732, P<0.05). The results indicated a close negative correlation between frequency of fish and frequency of spraints (r = -1, P<0.01). Shorelines of the wetland showed significant differences in the mean value of spraint number (K=19.628, P<0.05). There were two hot spots with values greater than 66% "Spraint Presence Intensity" (SPI) during the nine month period. The number of spraints and SPI were correlated significantly (r=0.793, P<0.01). In addition, signi...
The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most imp... more The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in that region. It consists of lagoons, marshes, temporary flooded grasslands, ten bigger rivers, fifteen tributary rivers and 550 fish farms. Throughout 2015, otters were surveyed there by searching for tracks and spraints, and also by using rafts, camera traps and interviews with fish farmers. Otter distribution was found to be not uniform and there are also obvious temporal changes of presence. It is more frequent in quiet and less polluted areas with enough food availability. Open water bodies aren't used away from the banks, and edges with weedy vegetation, particularly reeds, are not attractive to this species. These nocturnal animals were observed solitary or in groups of up to three individuals. Signs of otter pups, as the indicator of reproduction, were recorded in August and September. However, environmental degradation, eutrophication and other...
Abstract: There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkela... more Abstract: There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh WR &I. W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a ...
There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildli... more There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh W.R&I.W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a species presence index on the coast of Amirkelayeh (W.R&I.W). During a nine month period of monthly surveys, 673 signs were identified of which the majority were spraints. The number of spraints during different months differed significantly (χ 2 =408.732, P<0.05). The results indicated a close negative correlation between frequency of fish and frequency of spraints (r = -1, P<0.01). Shorelines of the wetland showed significant differences in the mean value of spraint number (K=19.628, P<0.05). There were two hot spots with values greater than 66% "Spraint Presence Intensity" (SPI) during the nine month period. The number of spraints and SPI were correlated significantly (r=0.793, P<0.01). In addition, significant differences among "Types Of Sprainting Places" (χ 2 =130.723, P<0.05) and also in "Height of Sprainting places" (χ 2 = 459.408, P< 0.05) were observed. More than 89% of spraints were within 200 cm of the nearest cover. Association between the presences of spraints and canals (χ 2 = 21.547, P<0.05 and λ=0.086), and also "chars" (access routes through reed beds between land and open water) (χ 2 = 63.691, P<0.05 and λ=0.210) were shown. "Reed Bed Breadth" in places with and without spraints differed significantly (U=495, P<0.05).
There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildli... more There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh W.R&I.W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a species presence index on the coast of Amirkelayeh (W.R&I.W). During a nine month period of monthly surveys, 673 signs were identified of which the majority were spraints. The number of spraints during different months differed significantly (χ 2 =408.732, P<0.05). The results indicated a close negative correlation between frequency of fish and frequency of spraints (r = -1, P<0.01). Shorelines of the wetland showed significant differences in the mean value of spraint number (K=19.628, P<0.05). There were two hot spots with values greater than 66% "Spraint Presence Intensity" (SPI) during the nine month period. The number of spraints and SPI were correlated significantly (r=0.793, P<0.01). In addition, significant differences among "Types Of Sprainting Places" (χ 2 =130.723, P<0.05) and also in "Height of Sprainting places" (χ 2 = 459.408, P< 0.05) were observed. More than 89% of spraints were within 200 cm of the nearest cover. Association between the presences of spraints and canals (χ 2 = 21.547, P<0.05 and λ=0.086), and also "chars" (access routes through reed beds between land and open water) (χ 2 = 63.691, P<0.05 and λ=0.210) were shown. "Reed Bed Breadth" in places with and without spraints differed significantly (U=495, P<0.05).
Intraspecific aggression is one of the most common causes of death in leopards. Here, we report f... more Intraspecific aggression is one of the most common causes of death in leopards. Here, we report four cases of intraspecific killing amongst Persian Leopards (<i>Panthera pardus saxicolor</i>) in Iran. A young male leopard was found on 7 June 2008 which, according to camera trap images, had been killed by an adult male over a Red Deer (<i>Cervus elaphus)</i> kill, with trauma to his neck in Dorfak No-Hunting Area. A young female that had been fitted with a satellite GPS collar on 6 December 2015 in Tandoureh National Park died on 29 January 2016 at a site where an Urial Sheep (<i>Ovis orientalis</i>) ram had been freshly killed. Necropsy results, footprints at the scene of death and camera trap footage all supported the deduction that the animal was killed by a larger female leopard at the kill site. On 13 January 2017, a young, partially eaten female leopard was found with double puncture on the side of her throat. Finally, a rehabilitated adult f...
The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most imp... more The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in that region. It consists of lagoons, marshes, temporary flooded grasslands, ten bigger rivers, fifteen tributary rivers and 550 fish farms. Throughout 2015, otters were surveyed there by searching for tracks and spraints, and also by using rafts, camera traps and interviews with fish farmers. Otter distribution was found to be not uniform and there are also obvious temporal changes of presence. It is more frequent in quiet and less polluted areas with enough food availability. Open water bodies aren't used away from the banks, and edges with weedy vegetation, particularly reeds, are not attractive to this species. These nocturnal animals were observed solitary or in groups of up to three individuals. Signs of otter pups, as the indicator of reproduction, were recorded in August and September. However, environmental degradation, eutrophication and other...
Information on the feeding habits of species is essential to develop appropriate conservation act... more Information on the feeding habits of species is essential to develop appropriate conservation actions. This study aimed to assess spatial and temporal variation in the diet of the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra in the Anzali Wetland, through fecal and stable isotope analysis. Seven main prey items were observed in the analysis of 300 fresh spraints. The highest feeding index was observed for fish, followed by snakes. Among the fish species consumed, the index of preponderance of Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) was the highest followed by pike (Esox lucius) and white bream (Blicca bjoerkna). Results of Shannon diversity index suggest spatial variation of species diversity within and between feeding items (p < 0.05); snakes, frogs, and oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) showed a seasonal variation. The otter’s trophic level (TL) (3.79) was higher than the TLs of other Anzali Wetland predators, such as pike. Bayesian mixing model showed source proportion contributions of...
There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildli... more There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh W.R&I.W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a species presence index on the coast of Amirkelayeh (W.R&I.W). During a nine month period of monthly surveys, 673 signs were identified of which the majority were spraints. The number of spraints during different months differed significantly (χ 2 =408.732, P<0.05). The results indicated a close negative correlation between frequency of fish and frequency of spraints (r = -1, P<0.01). Shorelines of the wetland showed significant differences in the mean value of spraint number (K=19.628, P<0.05). There were two hot spots with values greater than 66% "Spraint Presence Intensity" (SPI) during the nine month period. The number of spraints and SPI were correlated significantly (r=0.793, P<0.01). In addition, signi...
The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most imp... more The Anzali wetland, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is considered as one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in that region. It consists of lagoons, marshes, temporary flooded grasslands, ten bigger rivers, fifteen tributary rivers and 550 fish farms. Throughout 2015, otters were surveyed there by searching for tracks and spraints, and also by using rafts, camera traps and interviews with fish farmers. Otter distribution was found to be not uniform and there are also obvious temporal changes of presence. It is more frequent in quiet and less polluted areas with enough food availability. Open water bodies aren't used away from the banks, and edges with weedy vegetation, particularly reeds, are not attractive to this species. These nocturnal animals were observed solitary or in groups of up to three individuals. Signs of otter pups, as the indicator of reproduction, were recorded in August and September. However, environmental degradation, eutrophication and other...
Abstract: There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkela... more Abstract: There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh WR &I. W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a ...
There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildli... more There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh W.R&I.W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a species presence index on the coast of Amirkelayeh (W.R&I.W). During a nine month period of monthly surveys, 673 signs were identified of which the majority were spraints. The number of spraints during different months differed significantly (χ 2 =408.732, P<0.05). The results indicated a close negative correlation between frequency of fish and frequency of spraints (r = -1, P<0.01). Shorelines of the wetland showed significant differences in the mean value of spraint number (K=19.628, P<0.05). There were two hot spots with values greater than 66% "Spraint Presence Intensity" (SPI) during the nine month period. The number of spraints and SPI were correlated significantly (r=0.793, P<0.01). In addition, significant differences among "Types Of Sprainting Places" (χ 2 =130.723, P<0.05) and also in "Height of Sprainting places" (χ 2 = 459.408, P< 0.05) were observed. More than 89% of spraints were within 200 cm of the nearest cover. Association between the presences of spraints and canals (χ 2 = 21.547, P<0.05 and λ=0.086), and also "chars" (access routes through reed beds between land and open water) (χ 2 = 63.691, P<0.05 and λ=0.210) were shown. "Reed Bed Breadth" in places with and without spraints differed significantly (U=495, P<0.05).
There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildli... more There has not been any study on otters in the wetlands of Iran particularly in Amirkelayeh Wildlife Refuge and International Wetland (Amirkelayeh W.R&I.W). In this investigation, we surveyed the quality of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) sign distribution as a species presence index on the coast of Amirkelayeh (W.R&I.W). During a nine month period of monthly surveys, 673 signs were identified of which the majority were spraints. The number of spraints during different months differed significantly (χ 2 =408.732, P<0.05). The results indicated a close negative correlation between frequency of fish and frequency of spraints (r = -1, P<0.01). Shorelines of the wetland showed significant differences in the mean value of spraint number (K=19.628, P<0.05). There were two hot spots with values greater than 66% "Spraint Presence Intensity" (SPI) during the nine month period. The number of spraints and SPI were correlated significantly (r=0.793, P<0.01). In addition, significant differences among "Types Of Sprainting Places" (χ 2 =130.723, P<0.05) and also in "Height of Sprainting places" (χ 2 = 459.408, P< 0.05) were observed. More than 89% of spraints were within 200 cm of the nearest cover. Association between the presences of spraints and canals (χ 2 = 21.547, P<0.05 and λ=0.086), and also "chars" (access routes through reed beds between land and open water) (χ 2 = 63.691, P<0.05 and λ=0.210) were shown. "Reed Bed Breadth" in places with and without spraints differed significantly (U=495, P<0.05).
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