First record of a least weasel in Nunavik
The spatial distributions of several small mammals in Nunavik, Québec, Canada, currently do not rely on any recorded observations due to the rarity of wildlife surveys in that area. This is concerning because understanding changes in wildlife populations in response to the rapidly warming Arctic req...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Arctic Science |
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| Online Access: | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2022-0029 |
| _version_ | 1797729038864744448 |
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| author | Dominique Fauteux |
| author_facet | Dominique Fauteux |
| author_sort | Dominique Fauteux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The spatial distributions of several small mammals in Nunavik, Québec, Canada, currently do not rely on any recorded observations due to the rarity of wildlife surveys in that area. This is concerning because understanding changes in wildlife populations in response to the rapidly warming Arctic requires knowledge of prior population states. On 18 July 2021, my assistant and I captured a least weasel (Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766) alive, 11 km southwest of Salluit during a live-trapping session of lemmings and voles. Identification was done with the small body mass (44 g), the presence of prominent testicles indicating maturity, short length of the tail, and pale colour at the tip of the tail. All these criteria combined fit only the description of least weasels. According to the available records for this species, this observation is the first one confirmed in Nunavik. This Low Arctic area was already included in the species distribution described in the literature, but no record supported it up to now. It is of particular importance considering this species is susceptible to be designated as threatened or vulnerable in the province of Quebec according to the Centre de données sur le patrimoine naturel du Québec. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:24:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-87af5516f16740babd9c9eb1d301a011 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2368-7460 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:24:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-87af5516f16740babd9c9eb1d301a0112023-09-01T13:03:34ZengCanadian Science PublishingArctic Science2368-74602023-09-019371071310.1139/as-2022-0029First record of a least weasel in NunavikDominique Fauteux0Centre for Artic Knowledge and Exploration, Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4, CanadaThe spatial distributions of several small mammals in Nunavik, Québec, Canada, currently do not rely on any recorded observations due to the rarity of wildlife surveys in that area. This is concerning because understanding changes in wildlife populations in response to the rapidly warming Arctic requires knowledge of prior population states. On 18 July 2021, my assistant and I captured a least weasel (Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766) alive, 11 km southwest of Salluit during a live-trapping session of lemmings and voles. Identification was done with the small body mass (44 g), the presence of prominent testicles indicating maturity, short length of the tail, and pale colour at the tip of the tail. All these criteria combined fit only the description of least weasels. According to the available records for this species, this observation is the first one confirmed in Nunavik. This Low Arctic area was already included in the species distribution described in the literature, but no record supported it up to now. It is of particular importance considering this species is susceptible to be designated as threatened or vulnerable in the province of Quebec according to the Centre de données sur le patrimoine naturel du Québec.https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2022-0029MustelidaeArctictundradistributionrare occurrencespecies at risk |
| spellingShingle | Dominique Fauteux First record of a least weasel in Nunavik Arctic Science Mustelidae Arctic tundra distribution rare occurrence species at risk |
| title | First record of a least weasel in Nunavik |
| title_full | First record of a least weasel in Nunavik |
| title_fullStr | First record of a least weasel in Nunavik |
| title_full_unstemmed | First record of a least weasel in Nunavik |
| title_short | First record of a least weasel in Nunavik |
| title_sort | first record of a least weasel in nunavik |
| topic | Mustelidae Arctic tundra distribution rare occurrence species at risk |
| url | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2022-0029 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dominiquefauteux firstrecordofaleastweaselinnunavik |