Reuven Yosef

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | bgu · Eilat Campus

The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is considered “Near Threatened” globally and “Vulnerable” in the Middle East. In Israel, the species has experienced extreme population fluctuations owing to poisoning campaigns during the British Mandate (1918–1948) which were also further exacerbated by the Israeli authorities in the mid-twentieth century. We col...

The suitability of the camera trap–retrap method was explored for identifying territories and studying the spatial distribution of leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) in the Jhalana Reserve Forest, Jaipur, India. Data from two years (November 2017 to November 2019, N = 23,208 trap-hours) were used to provide estimates of minimum home-range size and ov...

The Steppe Eagle is a migratory species in Mongolia that breeds in the forest, high mountains, and different types of steppes. We studied 49 breeding pairs for a decade, 1998-2007. Of the total of 49 nests evaluated, 22 (47.8%) were placed on the ground, 15 (32.6%) were on rock columns and large boulders, 4 (8.7%) on cliffs, one on a tree (2.2%), a...

We investigated the survival of cubs in a wild Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) population in the Jhalana Forest Reserve, India. The research focuses on analyzing the survival of leopard cubs during their first two years of life and identifying the critical periods within this early life stage that influence survival. Survival functions were...

Herein are all of the 16 papers published in the proceedings of the 5th International Shrike Symposium, held in July 2023 in Portugal. It is exactly 30 years since the International Shrike Working Group was established at the 1st International Shrike Symposium that was help at Archbold Biological Station, Florida, in January 1993. We are sad to los...

ABSTRACT In human-dominated landscapes, large carnivores are often slandered due to the possible threat to domestic animals and human life. However, carnivores sharing resources with human populations can provide beneficial services, especially in urban landscapes. We studied the ecosystem services provided by the leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) t...

The Common Swift (Apus apus) has adapted over the centuries to human habitations and structures. They breed in the northern hemisphere but migrate to, and winter in, sub-Saharan Africa. Owing to modern architectural techniques and restorations of old buildings, the Common Swifts are disadvantaged in that crack and crevices that existed are oblitera...

This study documents a rare aggressive interaction between two striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) observed in northern Israel. Agonistic behaviors, which include aggression, submission, and threat displays, are essential for managing social hierarchies and mitigating harm in animal societies. Although striped hyenas typically engage in ritualized behav...

Urban wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance within city environments, contributing significantly to biodiversity and offering essential ecosystem services. These species help control pest populations, pollinate plants, and decompose organic matter, which are vital for urban agriculture and the health of green spaces. Addit...

Citizen Science (CS) is currently widely used to collect data to assess large geographical areas and is advantageous in that the observations are random and independent, which collectively offer a database that is eclectic and free of professional biases. We availed of such a BioGIS database of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and evaluated the s...

Over the past 30 years, research on shrikes has made significant strides, driven by technological advancements, long-term ecological studies, and an increasing focus on conservation. Shrikes (Laniidae), a fascinating group of passerines with predatory behaviors, are studied globally; however, research remains heavily concentrated on a limited numbe...

Israel’s nationwide multiyear campaigns, particularly in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, involved deforestation and the development of natural areas for agriculture and human settlement, and resulted in the local extirpation of several animal species. However, reforestation began in the 1940s and promoted the resurgence of extirpated popula...

This study investigates the dietary habits and breeding behaviors of the Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) in central Israel, highlighting its reliance on rodent populations, particularly Günther's vole (Microtus guentheri), as a primary food source. In 260 pellets, we identified 385 individual prey items, with mammals constituting 98.2% of the diet,...

Since ancient times, humans have used nets for a variety of purposes, including catching prey. Here we consider the likely uses of a large net unearthed by Yadin (1963) in the Cave of Letters in Nahal Hever, in the Judean Desert. Like all finds in the cave, the net dates from the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135/6 CE). It was brought into the...

We utilized camera traps to evaluate animal diversity, relative abundance, and the extent of anthropogenic activities in the Jhalana Reserve Forest (JRF), located in Jaipur, with a population of 3.9 million people. Between November 2017 and November 2019, camera traps were strategically deployed in the tourist zone and peripheral areas, capturing 1...

Roadkill is a global conservation problem, and India is no exception. Animal-vehicle accidents on roads are a leading cause of death for a variety of animal species both within and near protected areas. However, documentation of roadkills remains sparse due to field constraints and the absence of dedicated IT platforms. The lack of documentation an...

This study examines the phenological shifts of Common Swifts' (Apus apus) arrival dates in Givatayim, central Israel, from 2015 to 2023. Utilizing data from closed-circuit television (CCTV ) camera footage in urban nest boxes, we observed a significant advancement of 16 days in the species' arrival from 2015 - 2023 . Our methodological framework in...

From a behavioral adaptation perspective, lateralization in gregarious species likely evolved to maintain cohesiveness among individuals, particularly in behaviors related to social life that require higher levels of cognitive capabilities. Thus, we hypothesized that motor coordination (lateralization) would be observed at the population level rath...

We documented alloparenting and social group behavior within a leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) population in the Jhalana Reserve Forest (JRF), northwest India. Our observations revealed subadult offspring assisting their mothers in raising their newborn litters, exhibiting previously undocumented alloparenting behaviors. We propose that the familia...

We investigated the cub’s survival in a wild Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) population in the Jhalana Forest Reserve, India. The research focuses on the survival analysis of leopard cubs during their first two years of life and determining the critical period of the reproductive cycle that influences survival. Survival functions were estima...

We utilized camera traps to assess animal diversity, relative abundance, and anthropogenic activities in the Jhalana Reserve Forest (JRF), located amidst Jaipur, with a population of 3.9 million people. Between November 2017 and November 2019, camera traps were strategically deployed in both the tourist zone and peripheral areas, capturing 16,328 p...

This study presents the development and application of a prototype Decision Support System (DSS) for tree selection specifically for Punjab, India, a region facing challenges of low forest cover and increasing demand for sustainable land use practices. The DSS developed using the R Shiny framework integrates ecological, social, and agro-commercial...

Simple Summary We conducted the first extensive review of shorebird species in Mongolia, examining their ecological status, population trends, threats, and conservation efforts. Mongolia is home to 62 shorebird species, including 6 globally threatened ones like the Sociable Lapwing and Siberian Sandplover. The country plays a crucial role in the br...

Tourism pressure on the Red Sea ecosystem have posed significant threats to numerous endemic species, including the Ghost Crab Ocypode saratan, which is exclusively found along a small stretch of beach in the Eilat/Aqaba Red Sea Gulf. Due to the limited understanding of their ecology, we investigated how tourism impacts the behavior of this species...

The Bonelli’s Eagle exhibits a wide geographic distribution yet remains relatively understudied on the island of Cyprus. Between 1999 and 2002, we examined 32 pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles, totaling 64 breeding attempts. During this period, a total of 116 eggs were laid, with an average clutch size of 2.0 ± 0.1 eggs per pair. Incubation, predominantly...

The striped hyena is one of the most secretive and enigmatic mammal species. Despite some success in describing their distribution and analyzing population trends, further understanding of the factors affecting reproductive success is needed. Therefore, we present the first analysis of the reproductive success of this species in the wild. We measur...

Appropriate growth of a nestling determines its subsequent reproductive ability. Numerous studies the influence of various factors on the growth rate; only a few deal with nocturnal species. Furthermore, no analyses have been carried out for this species group to show how the three parameters of the growth function, i.e., the expected final size, t...

In Israel, Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) were considered primarily a wintering species with documented sporadic breeding. However, by the turn of the last century, it became an increasingly numerous breeding species in the north and central parts of the country. Based on the analysis of population trends conducted in the Judea region, we found that t...

Despite previous concerns regarding the survival of Asiatic Lions confined to the Gir Protected Area, their dispersal into surrounding landscapes has become a subject of considerable research and discussion. This study employs species distribution modeling, corridor analysis, and additional landscape assessment using satellite-based temperatures an...

Humans increase the limited number of daylight hours available to them by using artificial light at night (ALAN) to improve their ability to continue functioning under light conditions. Several studies found that ALAN has multiple impacts on wildlife, and even humans. We examined whether the prey of striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena), a commensal of hu...

In this study, tree-selection/plantation decision support systems (DSSs) were reviewed and evaluated against essential objectives in the available literature. We verified whether existing DSSs leverage multiple data sources and available online resources such as web interfaces. We compared the existing DSSs, and in this study mainly focused on five...

The study addresses the impact of urbanization on fragile ecosystems such as the Western Himalayas. One rapidly growing city in the Himalayan region is Haldwani, Uttarakhand, which has been subject to human encroachment and subsequent loss of ecosystem services. Several environmental parameters such as Nighttime light (NTL), Land Surface Temperatur...

Global degradation of coral reefs is reflected in the destruction of shelters in various environments and threatens the stability of marine ecosystems. Artificial shelters offer an alternative, but their design could be more challenging due to limited knowledge regarding desired inhabitants' shelter characteristics and preferences. Investigating th...

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The study sheds light on the impact of urbanization on fragile ecosystems such as the western Himalayas. We use Haldwani in Uttarakhand as an example of human encroachment and loss of ecosystem services. Several environmental parameters such as Nighttime light (NTL), Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs), Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and forest cover are...

Anthropogenic changes in the natural environment have led to the need to find alternative resources to ensure the persistence of biodiversity. In birds, nest sites can be a limiting resource in stenotopic populations. A method of active protection is the building of nest boxes. However, attractive nest sites attract target species and their competi...

The western Himalayan region is a biodiversity hotspot. Although much of the flora and fauna has been documented, there are very few studies on fungal diversity. We present the statistical analyses of the sample collections from the last 150 years of data in the fungarium of the Forest Research Institute. We found that the host tree species—pine, o...

In recent decades, reports on responses to death and dying individuals in non-human animals have been increasing. Here, we report the case of a striped hyena who refrained from eating a juvenile conspecific carcass in its territory. We inferred that the juvenile was an offspring of the individual. Although the hyena discovered the carcass several d...

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In this paper we describe first breeding of Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea in Cyprus. Twenty-three nests were found during the 2020 and 2021 breeding seasons in riparian habitats adjacent to major river systems in the Paphos State Forest. Most nests were located on roadside banks at a height of 2.38 m above the ground and at a distance of about 0–1...

Simple Summary: Helpers are important to help breeding females raise their young in secure and safe surroundings. The helpers are usually young from a previous litter/brood, i.e., the siblings of the cubs being reared. However, grandmothers who are past the breeding stage also help their daughters raise their grandchildren. Here, we present the fir...

The striped hyena is an enigmatic species that is little studied. It is mainly found in semiarid and arid regions and is described as elusive, cryptic, nocturnal, and solitary. The global distribution is disjunct, and the species suffers from human persecution. However, specific communities consider them to be commensals. Owing to their scavenging...

The sex ratio of nestlings is a crucial population determinant in rare and/or endangered species. We investigated the role of female body condition and female-related traits in Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) nestling sex allocation at a nest-box colony in central Greece. We used the total clutch volume and size, female weight, hatching dates, body...

Even though birds are some of the most common road-killed animals, it remains to be determined whether avian roadkills are related to breeding numbers and breeding success, mainly due to a lack of study areas that monitor breeding populations and roadkills. We studied whether barn owl breeding numbers and breeding success are related to roadkills....

The ability to change colors or appearance to blend into the background habitat is essential to ensure an individual’s survival. This is especially challenging in a heterogeneous habitat such as the intertidal zone of a seashore, which is the primary habitat of crabs. The Red Sea Ghost Crab (RSGC) is endemic to the Red Sea, and in Israel, it is fou...

We studied and found that the populations of two gastropod species in the inter-tidal zone of the Red Sea at Eilat demonstrate a predominantly dextral chirality of their shells. We identified lateralization sinistral/dextral shell torsion for 675 live Tenguella granulata (left = 114, 16.9%; right = 561, 83.1%) and 405 Clanculus pharaonius (left = 1...

The ability to change colors or appearance to blend into the background habitat is essential to ensure an individual’s survival. This is especially challenging in a heterogeneous habitat such as the intertidal zone of a seashore, which is the basic habitat of crabs. The Red Sea Ghost Crab (RSGC) is endemic to the Red Sea and in Israel is found only...

We studied and found that the populations of two gastropod species in the inter-tidal zone of the Red Sea at Eilat demonstrate a predominantly dextral chirality of their shells. We identified lateralization sinistral/dextral shell torsion for 675 live Tenguella granulata (left = 114, 16.9%; right = 561, 83.1%) and 405 Clanculus pharaonius (left = 1...

To date, in diurnal raptors, most reports of intra-specific fostering are either from eagles, kestrels, Osprey, and vultures. In Buteos, we found only one study wherein Red-shouldered Hawk (B.lineatus) were fostered following rehabilitation. Although this may be a common practice in rehabilitation centers it appears that the information is not publ...

Although Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs) are on the rise globally, the distribution of LSTs varies depending on the land cover type. Urban Heat Island and Urban Cool Island effects act differently, especially in semi-arid regions. Therefore, we identify demi-decadal, seasonal, and zonal differences in LSTs in a semi-arid region, in the city of Jai...

Those requesting reprint please access till 6 Jan 2023 at the publishers for free https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1g5qV_anFkLDhj. Anthropogenic structures and installations in wild areas are known to directly and indirectly affect wildlife populations, especially apex predators such as Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo). To understand the situation at the nati...

Although Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs) are on the rise globally, the distribution of LSTs varies depending on the land cover type. Urban Heat Island and Urban Cool Island effects act differently, especially in semi-arid regions. Therefore, we identify demi-decadal, seasonal, and zonal differences in LSTs in a semi-arid region in the city of Jaip...

On 25 November 1909, a grey shrike Lanius was purchased by Rijksmuseum voor Natuurlijke Historie (now Naturalis Biodiversity Center) at Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (skin RMNH.AVES.1663). The bird, a first-winter female, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands, in November 1909. It was at the time identified as Great Grey Shrike L excubitor. After recent s...

Censusing wintering raptors has proved useful in detecting changes in populations. Israel is a well-known bottleneck for soaring birds in the autumn and the spring. Despite the many studies on migratory raptors in Israel, none have undertaken the study of the overwintering raptors consistently over extended periods, such as 1985-2022, a period of 3...

(Download till 8/11/2022 https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1fnAk_,iw2Hjk7) The anthropopause, when humans were restricted to their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed wildlife to reoccupy areas that were previously used by humans. The coral reef at Eilat has been deteriorating for the past 50-years, and includes the sea anemones, that have...

We report two separate observations of adult male Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) killing and feeding upon second-year (SY) conspecifics in Israel. On 22 January 2022, while touring the Givat Et Nature Reserve, we observed an SY kestrel locked in aerial combat with an adult. They landed with the SY on his back, who was killed by decapitation by...

For many species, the artificial raising of orphaned nestlings is a time and cost-prohibitive task, usually accompanied by low survivability. The introduction of orphaned nestlings to other natural nests was found to be a successful technique wherein fostered nestling(s) developed better in the wild and imprinting on humans is avoided. To date, the...

The earth’s geomagnetic field (GMF) is known to influence the behaviour of a wide range of species, but remains one of the most enigmatic of animal senses. Animals are known to utilize the GMF for a wide range of survival capabilities such as navigation and orienteering, migration, territoriality, homing, etc. Despite a lot of study in this regard...

Following extensive renovation of urban areas of central Israel, and in the framework of a research project of supplying nest-boxes for urban breeding birds, especially Common Swifts Apus apus , we documented interspecific nest destruction by House Sparrows Passer domesticus . In two separate incidents the House Sparrows entered the nest chamber of...

Apex predators make excellent bioindicators of habitat quality and anthropogenic changes. Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo) are such apex, keystone predators that show preferential nest-site selection, usually away from human activities and habitation. However, Israel is a small country with a burgeoning human population. Hence, in order to understand the hab...

The diet and breeding success of eagle owls (Bubo bubo) have been suggested to vary at different latitudes; however, it is still unclear whether and how these relationships exist at lower latitudes outside of Europe. We therefore studied the diet and breeding success of eagle owls (Bubo bubo) during four breeding seasons at 14 nests in the Judea re...

Recent studies have shown that the endemic Cyprus Scops Owl (Otus cyprius) is monotypic and can be separated from Eurasian Scops Owl (O. scops) and other Otus species, by mtDNA, plumage, and vocalizations. Due to its uncertain population status, and evidence that it is hunted, we decided to initiate a nest box program in and adjacent to the Paphos...

Proceedings of the 6th World Owl Conference held in Pune, India in 2019.

International tourism and nature-recreation accounts for ca. > 10% of the international trade and has influenced urban planning, political thought, and land-use. Eilat, Israel, is just such a city of tourism-dependent development. We investigated whether beach tourism affected the ecology of the endemic Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan; RSGC). W...

Schooling is a concept that is as ancient as human history. Initially, offspring learnt to survive and subsist from their parents and immediate families/tribe. Later in history, with the evolvement of agricultural societies, they learnt trades. Eventually, with the industrial revolution in the mid-19th century that required concentrated man-power a...

Display, wherein males attempt to maximize fitness by attracting sexually mature females to mate, is known to drive speciation by Sexual Selection. We researched the Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan; RSGC), in which males build display pyramids to attract females. The study was conducted at the beach in Eilat, Israel. At each session, we measure...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a situation, the “anthropopause”, of lockdowns and distancing among individuals to reduce the spread of the disease. One of the major problems to surface is the inequality of the educational process in schools. We present a study of high school students who conduct a year-long research project with an academic. We...

Changes in ecosystems resulting from anthropopause caused by Covid-19 relate to both abiotic and biotic factors which have both a positive or negative effect on wildlife. The lockdown was manifested by reduced air and water pollution, lower mortality of animals on the roads, an increase in animals’ body condition and reproduction success. On the ot...