This paper initially describes the evolution of body shape in the raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). I explain how their similarities are the result of convergent evolution, the process by which unrelated organisms come to resemble one another in form, function, or both. This is the first examination of this phenomenon in these two species. In addition, I consider how their convergent traits and habits as omnivores have contributed to their astounding success as invasive species in Europe. Problems have arisen from these introductions, including impacts on prey species. Considering their broad adaptability as “stout” shaped mesocarnivores should aid in understanding their behavior and ecology, and could assist in addressing their management in Europe. Last, I offer suggestions for the control of raccoons given their compensatory versus additive mortality patterns, a practice that may also have implications for the regulation of raccoon dog populations.

To evaluate the genetic quality and provide available management strategies for Blue-crowned laughingthrush (BCLT), fifteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and applied. The genetic diversity of wild individuals was indicated to be higher than the two captive populations. The average number of alleles (5.50 ± 0.317), the number of effective alleles (3.417 ± 0.222), observed heterozygosity (0.828 ± 0.04), and genetic differentiation index (0.028 ± 0.007) of 64 wild individuals showed high genetic diversity despite drastic bottleneck and low genetic differentiation. The number of effective migrants (22.737 ± 8.318) indicated the intriguing wintering grounds may be surrounded by the breeding sites where the syncheimadia occurred in Wuyuan. Efficient conservation, winter flocking, and cooperative breeding may facilitate gene exchange and inclusive fitness. We recommend that monitoring concentrated distribution areas for BCLT should be strengthened, and geographical barriers, interference types, and the inner mechanism of distribution patterns should be further explored.

Baits are often used to increase wildlife capture rates; however, there has been little work exploring the effect of varying environmental conditions on bait effectiveness. Here we show that environmental food availability influences wildlife detection probability when using food baits. We sampled small mammals in Borneo with live traps baited with fruit before, during and after the rainforest experienced a mast fruiting event, which drastically altered environmental food availability. Compared to sampling before the mast, community-wide trap success plummeted by 94% during the mast when fruit resources were abundant then increased back 10-fold the month following peak masting. We conclude that environmental food availability can strongly influence bait effectiveness and thus detectability. Therefore, researchers using food baits should control for background food conditions when sampling. Alternatively, population models need to account for these variations in detection probability. These methodological insights are especially important in ecosystems where resources strongly fluctuate.

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is an emerging transboundary contagious disease that affected concomitantly two different marine hot spots in the Northern Atlantic Ocean and in the South China Sea at the beginning of the twentieth century. FP reached a panzootic status in the 1990s in green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations, with increased risks of emergence and spread of the disease which have been correlated with climate induced terrestrial and oceanic physical and chemical changes. During 2023-2024, scientific experts performed a bibliographic review and recommend the consensus definition of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis. FP is an emerging transboundary viral terrestrial and aquatic contagious neoplastic syndrome involving cancerous molecular transmission pathways, which may affect all species of sea turtles at all life stages. The diagnosis of the most common verrucous form of FP is pathognomonic by visual examination of a sea turtle. We summarize the main clinical characteristics of FP, moderated by a degree of confidence of research findings adapted from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports. We recommend the implementation of a universal and transparent monitoring strategy of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis in sentinel bays, under the governance of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Feral foxes Vulpes vulpes are a major threat to Australian wildlife and assessing the success of control programs requires comparison of abundance before and after control. While camera traps are often used to assess fox activity, estimating abundance is difficult due to the inability to distinguish individuals requiring an “unmarked” methodology. We tested the “simultaneous count method” which requires samples to be independent during the sampling period, that is, 24 h, while allowing lack of independence between sampling periods. This enables repeat detections of animals to estimate abundance. We tested the method on camera data collected over 5 years at Oolambeyan National Park, New South Wales, during a fox control program and conclude that the method has merit. We were able to statistically measure an effect of change in abundance from a median of 57 to 2, however, estimation of detectability was erratic.