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The major task for the group in 2014 is the re-assessment
of the conservation status of the four species of sirenia for The
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Helene Marsh, Benjamin Morales
Co-chairs, Sirenia Specialist Group
Small Carnivore Specialist Group (SCSG)
Small carnivores represent over half of all species in the order
Carnivora. This diverse group includes over 150 species in
nine families (Ailuridae, Eupleridae, Herpestidae, Mephitidae,
Mustelidae, Nandiniidae, Prionodontidae, Procyonidae, and
Viverridae). A central theme of the SCSG is to improve the
dissemination of information on this incredible group of
species. The goals of the SCSG, as established by IUCN, are
to: 1) Provide leadership for the conservation of all small
carnivore species, 2) Determine and review on a continuing
basis the status and needs of small carnivores, and support
effective research, conservation, and management programs,
and 3) Make known the status and conservation needs of
small carnivores, and promote their wise management.
Two issues of the journal Small Carnivore Conservation
(SCC) were produced; one dedicated to African species
(volume 48) and another focusing globally (volume 47). Both
can be accessed via the journal website. In addition, group
members were convened at a symposium during the 11th
International Mammalogical Congress 2013 (Belfast, Ireland),
entitled “Small Carnivores in Space and Time”. Group
members have been working to produce two published
proceedings; a book resulting from the collection of chapters
presented at the IMC2013 Congress and another proceeding
of the ‘Borneo Conservation Symposium’ from an earlier
conference. Additionally, the SCSG was among the sponsors
of ‘A conference on the biology and conservation of wild
mustelids, skunks, procyonids and Red Panda’ held at the
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. Finally, several
group members were involved in the description of a new
small carnivore species, the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina),
the first new mammal species in the order Carnivora described
in the Americas in 35 years.
We are thankful to a great number of donors and
sponsoring organizations, as well as the group itself and to the
journal specifically. We are indebted to the Nature
Conservation Foundation for maintaining the group and journal
website, to the Zoological Society of Southern Africa,
University of Fort Hare and Southern African Wildlife
Management Association for contributions to the Africa
Special Edition of the SCC journal, and to the Houston Zoo,
Greenville Zoo and Missisippi State University (MSU) for
contributions towards the previous SCC issue. We are also
grateful to MSU, Arizona State University, Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México, and the Sierra to Sea Institute for their
in-kind sponsorship of SCSG chairs.
Jan Schipper and José F. González-Maya
Chair, Small Carnivore Specialist Group
Small Mammal Specialist Group
Formed in 2011, the Small Mammal Specialist Group (SMSG)
is an expanding global network of scientists and
conservationists who specialize in the world’s rodents, shrews,
moles, solenodons, hedgehogs and tree-shrews. Our mission
is to serve as the “global authority on the world’s small
mammals through developing a greater scientific
understanding of their diversity, status and threats, and by
promoting effective conservation action to secure their future”.
Our volunteer members conduct fieldwork and lab research to
improve the world’s scientific understanding of the taxonomy,
ecology and conservation status of over 2,800 of these often
poorly known species. We promote conservation actions on
the ground for species of conservation concern, and develop
strategies to enable more effective conservation of small
mammals.
In 2013, we conducted a global analysis of small mammal
distributions to pinpoint sites and regions around the world that
support globally important small mammal assemblages. This
underpinned a conservation prioritisation process to guide
membership recruitment, and focus our knowledge gathering
for Red Listing and action-planning for conservation. With Dr
Kris Helgen, we completed a rapid taxonomic review of the
rodents, tree-shrews and eulipotyphlan insectivores, listing
around 120 or so species that have been described since 2008
with many other sub-species taxonomic revisions. With the
Global Mammal Assessment Team of Rome’s Sapienza
University, we launched a major project to assess or reassess
the 2,800 small mammal species for The IUCN Red List by end
of 2015. So far, we have completed 50 assessments of new
small mammal species – now on the Global Mammal Forum –
and will have completed roughly 200 species reassessments by
the end of the year. In October, we launched our new website
Olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina). © Miguel Pinto
Hispaniolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus). © Jose Nunez-Mino
82 IUCN species Annual Report 2013