Posts

Gamboa Area (Panama): mammal records

Paul Carter; 26 Mar 2022 (v1); revised 8 July 2023 (v2) – removed Margay record.
This post summarizes my mammal records (30 species) in the Gamboa area, Panama, from six nights in Feb 2022 (6-10th and 18-20th). Species included Ocelot, Panama Mouse Opossum, Geoffroy’s Tamarin, Western Lowland Olingo, Gabb’s Cottontail, Quichua Porcupine, Tomes’s Spiny Rat and 9 bat species (including images of Mesoamerican Mustached Bat).

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Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum (Marmosa alstoni) in Boquete, Panama

By Paul Carter (22 Feb 2022). Revised 22 March 2022 to match the open access report lodged on Zenodo as:
CARTER, Paul. (2022). Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum, Marmosa alstoni (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae), in Boquete, Panama. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6374907

SUMMARY
On 17 Feb 2022 at 9:00 PM I photographed Marmosa alstoni (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in the Boquete area, Panama. Mammal Diversity Database (2022 v1.8) treat M. alstoni as endemic to Costa Rica, following the recent review of the M. alstoni complex by Voss et al. (2021). Following the taxonomy in Voss et al (2021) and their review of previous records in Panama it appears that this record in Boquete is the first photographic record of M. alstoni in Panama; and possibly the first confirmed record in Panama.

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Boquete (Panama): mammal records (2022)

Paul Carter, 21 Feb 2022

This post summarizes key mammal records (six species) from five nights (13-18 Feb 2022) in Boquete, Panama; staying at Los Naranjos Cottage; part of a two-week trip with Chi Phan. The record of Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum (Marmosa alstoni), currently listed as endemic to Costa Rica, is seemingly the first confirmed record for Panama. The Los Naranjos cottage is recommended as a place to stay if wanting to see Cacomistle; I don’t know of it being reported at any other accommodation in Boquete. These records are mostly from the two dry nights of our visit.
Contents below: 1) Sites; 2) Mammal List; 3) Images.

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Arctic Fox at Modrudalur (Northern Iceland)

Arctic Fox

In August 2020, midway through a 3,300 km drive around Iceland and about 65 km from Lake Myvatn, I was driving east on the ring-road when I came across a remote cafe – Fjalladýrð Kaffi. It was the only building at the intersection with a dirt road (#901) to the south. I stopped for a coffee and randomly picked up a brochure on “one of the most isolated farms” in Iceland; the brochure included a photo of an Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus). This was of interest as it appeared that they were locally protected, unlike many other parts where they are hunted. I had seen habituated Arctic Fox earlier at Heydular and when I mentioned that later to the owner of another farm-stay she replied that it was not right to encourage foxes; she also said she had been to a mink farm and “the mink seemed happy” **. So instead of continuing east on the ring-road I headed south on the track to Modrudalur/Fjalledyrd, about 7 km south of the ring-road. Modrudalur at 469 meters above sea level is the highest inhabited farm in Iceland and it includes turf houses, a church, restaurant, campground and an Arctic Fox den. The den is easily found on a grassy bank about 50 meters north of the restaurant and just off the wooden boardwalk that leads to some accommodation.

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Dunedin Farm: Mammal Guide (2021)

Revised 23 Dec 2022

Introduction

Dunedin Farm is an excellent place to look for Riverine Rabbit, although sightings are not guaranteed. Other species of interest include Large-eared Mouse, Spectacled Dormouse, Karoo Rock Sengi and Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat.
This 2021 guide updates my 2016 report and includes data from 13 nights over 3 trips (19-22 March 2016; 6-11 March 2018 and 9-14 March 2021; the first two trips with Clide Carter). The Mammal Checklist (List 1) shows 51 native species recorded and is based on records by the Moolmans, myself and other mammal-watchers (as indicated). List 3 notes the 2 species introduced. List 2 describes 17 species that are possible and/or known in the region. The 13 species on the reptile list are my records only.

Riverine Rabbit (19 Mar 2016)
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Wilderness (Western Cape, South Africa): mammal records

Paul Carter. Posted Feb 2021; revised 5 Mar 2021 (additional sightings)

MAMMAL LIST
On visits to Wilderness (2019 to 2021) I photographed the following small mammals:
1. Brants’ Climbing Mouse (Dendromus mesomelas). @ Fairy Knowe Backpackers.
2. Woodland Thicket Rat (Grammomys dolichurus). @ Fairy Knowe Backpackers. These two sightings (6 weeks apart) are at the western extreme of its range in South Africa (field guides do not show it west of Port Elizabeth; but Monadjem et al (2015) show it as far west as the Knysna area).
3. Southern Africa Vlei Rat (Otomys irroratus). @ The Wallow Guesthouse.
4. African Mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus). @ The Wallow Guesthouse.
5. Cape Dune Mole-rat (Bathyergus suillus). @ Wilderness Ferry Waterside Jetty.
Images and site information on these sightings are given by location below.

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Strandfontein (Western Cape, South Africa): mammal records

Paul Carter. Posted 7 Jan 2021

Strandfontein is a small coastal town about 300 km (four hours drive) north of Cape Town (and not to be confused with Strandfontein of False Bay). When visiting friends there (2018 Feb; 2020 Feb+Dec) I found it to be a good place to see Haviside’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) and Brants’ Whistling Rat (Parotomys brantsii); a total of 11 mammal species seen.

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Bryde’s Whales in False Bay (Western Cape, South Africa)

Original post dated 13 April 2019; updated Oct 2021. Last sighting added 20 Feb 2021. Contact: paulcarter @ pacapix.com

In April 2019 I posted a mammal-watching report on searching from land for Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera brydei) in False Bay; from along the 20 km long stretch of the R44 coastal road between Gordon’s Bay and Rooiels. That report was based on 2 sightings in Feb 2019. This update (Jan 2021) is is based on over 15 sightings from the R44. The section on the taxonomy of Bryde’s Whale in Southern Africa (Balaenoptera edeni vs Balaenoptera brydei) is also revised.
Appendix 1 is a summary of my records.
Appendix 2 is an account of the dead Bryde’s Whales found annually; at least in part related to the long-line octopus fishing industry. In Nov 2019 The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries lifted the suspension of exploratory octopus fishing in False Bay and stated that “Should there be at least one mortality of any of these whales, the fishery will be terminated”. The most recent record of dead Bryde’s Whale in False Bay is that in Sep 2020 at Pringle Bay; the reported cause of death was from entanglement. Continue reading

Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel in the San Bernardino Mountains, California (June 2020)

By Paul Carter – July 2020

In June 2020 I took three one-night trips to the Big Bear Lake area in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles; spending about 3 hours each night looking for Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis), seen on the Castle Rock Trail. The trip list of 15+ mammals included a Black Bear with three cubs seen on Skyline Drive.

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