Carlos A. Mancina

• PhD
• Group Leader at Instituto de Ecologia y Sistemática

In this study we combine analyses of wing morphology, echolocation calls, and temporal and spatial activity patterns to explore mechanisms of ecological partitioning among 4 syntopic Antillean mormoopids (Pteronotus macleayii, P. parnellii, P. quadridens, and Mormoops blainvillei). We captured bats with mist nets and harp traps, and monitored bat a...

La presente obra ofrece un compendio de métodos para el inventario y el monitoreo de diferentes grupos de la biota terrestre en Cuba. Realizada con la colaboración de 71 especialistas, fue escrita fundamentalmente para estudiantes, biólogos de campo, profesionales y técnicos de la conservación, que desarrollen trabajos relacionados con las ciencias...

Butterflies, field guide, west índies butterflies, Cuban butterflies, distribution, ecology, conservation, description

Climate change, Climate exposure, Spatial conservation planning, protected areas, spatial conservation prioritization, Zonation, Maxent, Distribution models, Caribbean, Antilles, mammals, frogs, reptiles, butterflies, birds, bats, mollusks, plants, fungus, amphibians, polymitas, Cuba

Este libro es el corolario de muchos años de trabajo y dedicación de los miembros de la RELCOM (Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para la Conservación de los Murciélagos), cuyo objetivo es poner a disposición de la comunidad los resultados de una actividad de carácter regional, que se viene realizando de manera ininterrumpida desde 2011, cuando el p...

Eleutherodactylus bartonsmithi is a critically endangered Cuban frog with an extremely restricted range, found only in the evergreen forest surrounding the Yumurí River Canyon, Baracoa, Guantánamo. The region has undergone significant disturbances due to Hurricane Matthew and the construction of a 4.5 km road, yet the impact of these disturbances o...

Small island states and territories are often seen as particularly vulnerable to climate change, which affects the shape of the land, its ecosystems and the resources that people depend on. Nature Climate Change asked a selection of scientists from different island states and territories to discuss the role that climate science and action has in su...

In Cuba is verified the circulation of several flaviviruses such as Dengue, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, Zika, among others. Viruses of the Flaviviridae family are the cause of diseases in birds and mammals, including humans. Bats could be important reservoirs of these viruses; several flaviviruses have been isolated from infected bats, inclu...

Lasiurus pfeifferi (Pfeiffer’s red Bat). In Allen Kurta and A. Rodríguez-Duran “Bats of the West Indies: A Natural History and Field Guide” (pp. 342-343). Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Chilonatalus macer (Cuban lesser Funnel-eared Bat).

Capromys pilorides (Say, 1822), Desmarest’s hutia, is one of the world’s largest rodents; body mass of adults typically exceeds 3 kg. It occurs only on Cuba, although fossil remains from the late Quaternary Period have been found on the Cayman Islands. Capromys pilorides is widely distributed throughout the Cuban archipelago where it occurs at elev...

El término meta-archipiélago emerge a partir de un análisis socio-cultural y geofilosófico de los pueblos del Caribe insular. Durante dos décadas, este concepto, así como el de islas oceánicas, han sido objeto de reflexiones sobre todo desde el ámbito social y filosófico. En fechas recientes, varios autores definieron el término dentro del ámbito d...

Geographical ranges and physiological tolerances of species are correlated, and it can be expected that widespread species encounter higher climatic variation across their distributions than restricted species. Widespread species should consequently be more tolerant to extreme or variable weather conditions, and may have the ability to better conse...

Una de las herramientas para medir la efectividad de la gestión y el manejo de las áreas protegidas es la evaluación del índice de integridad ecológica (IIE), desarrollado por The Nature Conservancy (TNC) desde 1992. Este enfoque proporciona una base rigurosa no sólo para medir el éxito, sino también para establecer objetos de conservación (OC), ev...

Presentamos la experiencia de la Red Latinoamericana para la Conservación de los Murciélagos (RELCOM) y los frutos que ha cosechado. RELCOM nace 15 años, en Mérida, Yucatán, México, donde un grupo de especialistas de murciélagos y líderes en sus países, se reunieron en un congreso internacional. Hoy la RELCOM reúne a 23 Programas para la Conservaci...

Although growing evidence suggests that natural and sexual selection pressures may differ between natural and urban habitats, their consequences in terms of morphological differentiation, extent of sexual dimorphism and sex ratio remain poorly studied. Anolis lizards are an ideal model to study the phenotypic effects of urbanization, as they are we...

Although growing evidence suggests that natural and sexual selection pressures may differ between natural and urban habitats, their consequences in terms of morphological differentiation, extent of sexual dimorphism and sex ratio remain poorly studied. Anolis lizards are an ideal model to study the phenotypic effects of urbanization, as they are we...

There were 59 butterfly species were found among 11 sites of playas del Este, from Tarará to Rincón de Guanabo. The dominant element of this landscape is the Vegetation Complex of Sandy Coast, with relict areas of wetlands, mangroove forests and terrains cover of flora basically sinantrope. The environmental matriz is characterized by urbanizations...

Las áreas protegidas son las zonas donde se conservan y manejan los principales recursos naturales de un país. Cuba presenta el 17% de la superficie terrestre protegida. A pesar de esto pudieran existir áreas de importancia para la conservación aún sin detectar. Se emplearon 149 especies de moluscos terrestres para realizar un análisis de zonas de...

Leptodactylus fragilis is a recently introduced frog in Cuba, where it may impact local populations of amphibians in different ways. Here, we combined two methods to predict the invasion of the acoustic niche of Cuban amphibians by L. fragilis. We first use species distribution models to predict the spread and establishment of L. fragilis in Cuba....

Over the last two decades, there have been several longevity records of bats that have exceeded 20 years, mostly corresponding to Holarctic hibernating species. Whereas such data of tropical bats is still scarce. Here we report the first longevity record for the Gervais´s funnel-eared bat, Nyctiellus lepidus (Gervais, 1837) (family Natalidae). We r...

Historically, some of the most successful biodiversity data sharing initiatives have been developed particularly in North America, Europe, and Australia. In parallel, and driven by necessity, tools, practices and standards were shared across othes communities. In the last decade, great efforts have been made by countries in other regions to join th...

DISTRIBUTION OF FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN SKULL SHAPE OF CAPROMYS PILORIDES (MAMMALIA: RODENTIA) ACROSS CUBAN ARCHIPELAGO. The fluctuating asymmetry (AF) is a pattern of random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry, that can be used as a measure of developmental instability and could be an indicator of environmental stress. In species with wide...

New localities and distribution models inform the conservation status of the endangered lizard Anolis guamuhaya (Squamata: Dactyloidae) from central Cuba. Anolis guamuhaya is known from seven localities restricted to the Guamuhaya Massif in central Cuba and is always associated with mountane ecosystems above 300 m a.s.l. Previous evaluations of the...

Phyllonycteris poeyi is endemic to Cuba and Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, and it is among the most common and widespread bats of the Cuban archipelago. This species is an obligate cave dweller and forms the largest aggregations of bats found in Cuban caves; and could be considered a hot cave specialist. This high gregariousness could increase...

ABSTRACT. The moist forest of the eastern region of Cuba are key sites for conservation because they harbor higher values of endemism and biodiversity. However, this type of ecosystem could suffer the effects of climate change by causing significant changes in its composition, structure and distribution. This study evaluates the possible changes in...

Nectarivorous vertebrates might include sugar-dilute nectar in their diet and they are expected to undergo compensatory feeding. However, physiological constraints might limit the intake of sugar-dilute nectar, affecting energy budgets. Among other physiological processes, the limiting role of osmoregulation is supported by enhanced intake rate of...

Potential exposure of terrestrial biota to climate change obtained from the assembly of climate niche models for the year 2050 and RCP 2.6 (conservative scenario).

Potential exposure of terrestrial biota to climate change obtained from the assembly of climate niche models for the year 2050 and RCP 8.5 (pessimistic scenario).

The discovery of a new species, Periglischrus empheresotrichus, was determined through a review of museum collections, as well as a field survey of ectoparasites of island bats. This new species parasitizes on two bat species of the genus Monophyllus Leach, the Greater Antillean Long-tongued bat Monophyllus redmani Leach and the Lesser Antillean Lo...

Climate change has modified the distribution and abundance of numerous species. Being ectotherms, reptiles are especially susceptible to this phenomenon, which worldwide threatens almost 40 % of known species of lizards. Its impact on the herpetofauna of Cuba has been little studied. Therefore, we estimate the possible effects of climate change on...

Capromys pilorides (Say, 1822) (Rodentia, Capromyidae) is the most widely distributed and abundant endemic rodent of the Cuban archipelago. This study aims to quantify and analyze morphological variation in mandible size and shape among populations of this rodent, and to evaluate the reliability of mandible shape as a taxonomic predictor. 2D landma...

Se presenta el resultado de inventarios de murciélagos realizado en la última década por miembros del Programa para la Conservación de los Murciélagos de Cuba (PCMCu). El objetivo de éstos fue la identificación de sitios de una elevada riqueza y llenar vacíos de información, sobre todo en aquellas localidades cubiertas por el Sistema Nacional de Ár...

Se estudiaron los patrones de variación ecogeográfica en Cuba de tres especies de murciélagos insectívoros: Molossus molossus (familia Molossidae), Eptesicus fuscus (Vespertilionidae) y Macrotus waterhousei (Phyllostomidae). Se emplearon puntos anatómicos claves y puntos deslizantes para describir tres vistas del cráneo y la mandíbula en vista late...

El cambio climático ha modificado la distribución y abundancia de numerosas especies. Siendo ectotermos, los reptiles son especialmente susceptibles a este fenómeno, que amenaza mundialmente a casi el 40_% de las especies conocidas de lagartos. Su impacto para la herpetofauna de Cuba ha sido poco estudiado. Por tanto, estimamos los posibles efectos...

Las especies de amplia distribución se enfrentan a ambientes heterogéneos que varían espacialmente, resultando en diferentes niveles de estrés y presiones selectivas. En la periferia de su rango de distribución se incrementan los niveles de asimetría fluctuante (AF) respecto a las zonas núcleo, lo que sugiere altos niveles de estrés ambiental. Phol...

We report the first record of the Choco broad-nosed bat (Plathyrrhinus chocoensis Alberico & Velazco, 1991) in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province in northwestern Ecuador. This voucher specimen represents the southernmost record of the species and expands its distribution ca. 120 km south. The animal was caught at a farm, specifically in a live...

RESUMEN Dendrocereus nudiflorus es una especie amenazada de cactus cubano cuyas poblaciones muestran una distribución disyunta y están integradas principalmente por individuos adultos. El conocimiento sobre la ecología de esta especie es muy escaso y las causas naturales de su reducido número de individuos se desconocen. El presente estudio exploró...

Land mammals of the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot have suffered a high rate of extinction since human arrival, principally in the last 500 years since colonialism began. Here, we present an extensive review and bibliography of this topic in Cuba, including details regarding the surviving endemic species of volant and terrestrial mammals an...

Pholidoscelis auberi es la única especie de la familia Teiidae presente en Cuba, donde sus 28 subespecies son endémicas. Poco se conoce sobre su ecología, por lo que analizamos la relación entre los niveles de AF y factores ambientales en sus poblaciones. Se colocaron 35 landmarks en vista dorsal para describir el tamaño y la forma de la cabeza de...

There is evidence that climate change will become one of the major drivers of extinction in the 21st century. The Caribbean region is among the global areas with the highest concentration of species vulnerable to climate change (Pacifici, 2015). However, there are few assessments of the possible effects of climate change on biodiversity in Cuba, in...

Generalist avian nectarivores visit flowers that produce copious sugar-dilute nectar, and some species can not compensate energy intake when fed solutions with low sugar content ( 5% w/w). Intake of dilute sugar diets by specialist avian nectarivores is limited by salt content, but the potential role of salt on nectar intake of generalist nectarivo...

In islands of the West Indian zoogeographical region, rabbits are not native, and wild populations are the result of introductions.Oryctolagus cuniculus is the only lagomorph listed among the introduced mammals of the Cuban archipelago.We analyzed specimens of wild rabbits and we report the occurrence of Sylvilagus floridanus for the first time in...

Nectar is a main energy source to many birds. Its composition and concen-tration are adaptive for polinization in many plants. In current paper we as-sess preference for nectar composition in six birds of Cyanerpes cyaneus, through an experimental procedure, using nectar type (sucrose vs hexoses), and concentration as treatments. To each bird we me...

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the National Park Alejandro de Humboldt, the city of Baracoa, and the Outstanding Natural Element Yara-Majayara, Cuba. The National Park Alejandro de Humboldt and the Outstanding Natural Element Yara-Majayara represent a hotspot for the Cuban biodiversity; nevertheless, the knowledge about their bat fauna is limited....

Teniendo en cuenta que en algunos grupos de la fauna del ASC se conoce más acerca de la distribución geográfica y ecológica, se seleccionaron los moluscos, anfibios, reptiles y aves para realizar un análisis preliminar desde un enfoque biogeográfico.

Using distribution data of 131 terrestrial bird species on 17 islands of the Archipelago Sabana-Camagüey, Cuba, we tested for non-randomness in presence-absence matrices with respect to co-occurrence and nestedness. We conducted separate analyses for the whole assemblage and sub-matrices according to trophic levels and residence status (breeding an...

We assessed the differences and similarities in diel activities among five phytophagous bat species at two habitats over two seasons within the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve in Cuba. We characterized temporal patterns of activity and overlap of temporal activity for frugivore and nectarivore bat species (Artibeus jamaicensis, Monophyllus red...

Comparative correlational studies of brain size and ecological traits (e.g. feeding habits and habitat complexity) have increased our knowledge about the selective pressures on brain evolution. Studies conducted in bats as a model system assume that shared evolutionary history has a maximum effect on the traits. However, this effect has not been qu...

El Libro Rojo de Vertebrados de Cuba contiene hojas de datos de 165 especies. Este libro está organizado en dos secciones principales: en la primera se presentan los capítulos introducción, metodología, diversidad de vertebrados cubanos y sus amenazas de extinción, regiones cubanas y su diversidad de vertebrados, listas previas de especies amenazad...

The list of terrestrial mammals of the West Indies in the orders Pilosa, Soricomorpha (Insectivora in part), Primates, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, and Rodentia is updated. Comments on taxonomy, systematics, new synonyms, distribution and conservation status are included. RESUMEN Se actualiza la lista de los mamíferos terrestres de las Antillas, exce...

We tested the role of increased ammonia in urine as an energy- and/or nitrogen (N)-saving mechanism in the great fruit-eating bat Artibeus lituratus (Phyllostomidae). We compared N excretion in two groups of bats fed energy-rich (2.75 kJ g(-1) wet mass) or energy-poor diets (0.7 kJ g(-1) wet mass). Within each diet, bats were assigned to different...

To determine food habits of Barn Owl, Tyto alba, we analyzed 1232 pellets collected from 24 localities in central Cuba from 1994 to 2001. The pellets yielded 3943 prey items, with introduced rodents (Mus musculus and Rattus spp.) being the primary prey, accounting for 80% of items in the diet. Other prey classes were of minor frequency; e.g., insec...

To determine food habits of Barn Owl, Tyto alba, we analyzed 1232 pellets collected from 24 localities in central Cuba from 1994 to 2001. The pellets yielded 3943 prey items, with introduced rodents (Mus musculus and Rattus spp.) being the primary prey, accounting for 80% of items in the diet. Other prey classes were of minor frequency, e.g., insec...

Los roedores son importantes depredadores de semillas dispersadas por otros grupos de vertebrados (Janzen 1986, Terborgh & al. 1993). No obstante, algunas especies de roedores pueden jugar un papel importante como dispersores secundarios de algunas especies de plantas, al acumular y enterrar semillas en sus madrigueras (Forget & Milleron 1991, Wang...

Protein is essential for growth and reproduction. We used nitrogen stable isotope analysis to reconstruct protein (i.e., nitrogen) dietary origin in 2 Antillean nectarivorous bats with contrasting morphology of the masticatory apparatus: the Greater Antillean long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani, Glossophaginae) and Poey's flower bat (Phyllonycter...

Size-standardized craniometric variation was investigated among species of the genus Artibeus. Eleven extant and one extinct species were examined using geometric and linear morphometric analyses to evaluate morphological differences among species. Based on 19 landmarks located in the ventral side of the cranium, 29 size-standardized linear measure...

Analizamos la variación sexual y geográfica en la forma de la mandíbula de Monophyllus redmani mediante métodos de morfometría geométrica. Las diferencias en el tamaño y la forma de la mandíbula fueron examinadas usando 10 "landmarks" o puntos de referencia sobre la vista lateral de la mandíbula de 69 individuos. La significación de la variación de...

Phyllonycteris poeyi Gundlach, 1861, a medium-sized bat, is a phyllostomid commonly called the Cuban flower bat or Poey’s flower bat. Phyllonycteris is endemic to the Greater Antilles and P. poeyi is endemic to Cuba and Hispaniola. P. poeyi is characterized by a rudimentary nose leaf, median groove on lower lip ridged with papillae, and ears that a...

We analyzed sexual and geographic variation in the mandible of Monophyllus redmani using two-dimensional landmark data. Differences in size and shape of mandible were examined using 10 landmarks plotted on lateral view of 69 individuals. The region, sex, and interaction effects were analyzed with a two-way MANOVA on the shape variables (weight matr...

The subgenus Artibeus includes 8 species of frugivorous bats of widespread neotropical distribution. The only fossil species, Artibeus anthonyi, was described from deposits of the Cuban Quaternary, and its taxonomic status has been debated in the literature. Based on exceptionally well-preserved new fossil material, an emended diagnosis and a detai...

Using mist-nets, we studied the composition of bat assemblages in four distinct secondary habitats of the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve, Cuba. For each individual captured we recorded reproductive condition, seeds in feces, and pollen species. Of the 550 bats captured during 41 nights of sampling, 97% belonged to six species of Phyllostomida...

Phyllops falcatus (Gray, 1839), a medium-sized short-faced bat, is a phyllostomid commonly called the Cuban white-shouldered bat or the Cuban fig-eating bat. This single extant species of Phyllops is characterized by distinct patches of white hair on each shoulder and just behind the posterior insertion of the ears, and a transparent dactylopatagiu...