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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-100--887540665 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Hans, On 3-Nov-10, at 12:34 PM, Hans Toom wrote: > Hi Christopher, > > According to S. E. Woods, Jr., "The Squirrels of Canada", in > reference to the Southern Flying Squirrel, " Until the 1950's it was > generally believed the little flying squirrel was restricted to > southern Ontario. Yes, that's correct. In 1971 in a study of the small mammals of Kejimkujik National Park, the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) was discovered there (Wood & Tessier 1974), the first record of the species in Atlantic Canada [I happen to know rather a lot about this since in 1974 I was working from Tom Woods (the senior author of the paper) when Britt Roscoe and I conducted the similar small mammal survey of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.]. There were five sites in Kejimkujik where they were found. Then (in 1984 I believe) a second population was discovered in the Gaspereau Valley of Nova Scotia. Until recently this was all that was known about them in the province, in large part because they are very difficult to differentiate, even in the hand. Lavers et al. (2006) say a close examination of the ventral hairs is the only method differentiate between the species. In any event, in 2006 Amanada Lavers and colleagues at Acadia University (Lavers et al. 2006) published a superb study of flying squirrels in Nova Scotia. Based on 135 specimen records collected between 2001-2003 they were able to much more precisely determine the distribution of the species, in large part because they were able to use genetic markers (specifically the cytochrome-b gene) to differentiate between the two species. They found centers of population in both the area around Kejimkujik and the Gaspereau Valley but also in between, and along the Annapolis Valley southwest to Bear River. For anyone who may be interested, a copy of the southern flying squirrel's distribution map from this study is available here: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/Images5/G_volans-distribution.jpg The shaded area shows the distribution of the southern flying squirrel; the square dots are records of southern flying squirrels; the round dots are localities where flying squirrels were tested as part the study and proved not to be southern flying squirrels (i.e., they were northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus)). What determines the distribution of the southern flying squirrel? Laver's et al. (2006) say that, "This range [of the southern flying squirrel] is largely coincident with the regional distribution of abundant masting red oak, Quercus rubra, used by G. volans for storable food." Thus, there are no records of of the southern flying squirrels from Halifax (indeed, from anywhere in Halifax County). It's not impossible, of course, that one could turn up, but it's unlikely given the relative scarcity of red oak in this area compared to other portions of the province. And the Gaspereau Valley (45.12 degrees N) is even slightly to the north of Halifax (44.65 degrees N) so it is certainly correct to say that the northern extremity of its range is on the same latitude as Halifax. Lavers, A.J., Petersen, S.D., Stewart, D.T., and Herman, T.B. 2006. Delineating the Range of a Disjunct Population of Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys volans). American Midland Naturalist 155(1): 188-196. Wood, T.J., and Tessier, G.D. 1974. First records of eastern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) in Nova Scotia. Canadian Field Naturalist: 88: 83-84. > We now know that the northern extremity of his Canadian range > roughly corresponds with a line drawn on the map from Sudbury > through Montreal to Halifax". I suggest you rethink your certainty > as stated, "It's almost certainly a northern flying squirrel". It's not a certainty and its not mine. It's the result of research conducted on this species in the province by scientists at Acadia University. > > This is my last word on this subject. > All the best! Chris Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada * Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm * Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/ * Subject Editor: ZooKeys | http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index * Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html * Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html "Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet." - Charles Darwin --Apple-Mail-100--887540665 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Hans,<div><br><div><div>On = 3-Nov-10, at 12:34 PM, Hans Toom wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; = font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; = line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div = bgcolor=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: = space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial">Hi Christopher,</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"></font> </div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial">According to S. E. Woods, Jr., "The Squirrels of Canada", = in reference to the Southern Flying Squirrel, "<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Until the 1950's it was = generally believed the little flying squirrel was restricted to southern = Ontario. = </em></font></div></div></span></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Yes, = that's correct. In 1971 in a study of the small mammals of Kejimkujik = National Park, the southern flying squirrel (<i>Glaucomys = volans</i>) was discovered there (Wood & Tessier 1974), the = first record of the species in Atlantic Canada [I happen to know rather = a lot about this since in 1974 I was working from Tom Woods (the senior = author of the paper) when Britt Roscoe and I conducted the similar small = mammal survey of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.]. There were five = sites in Kejimkujik where they were found. Then (in 1984 I = believe) a second population was discovered in the Gaspereau Valley of = Nova Scotia. </div><div><br></div><div>Until recently this was all = that was known about them in the province, in large part because they = are very difficult to differentiate, even in the hand. Lavers et al. = (2006) say a close examination of the ventral hairs is the only method = differentiate between the species. </div><div><br></div><div>In any = event, in 2006 Amanada Lavers and colleagues at Acadia University = (Lavers et al. 2006) published a superb study of flying squirrels in = Nova Scotia. Based on 135 specimen records collected between 2001-2003 = they were able to much more precisely determine the distribution of the = species, in large part because they were able to use genetic markers = (specifically the cytochrome-<i>b</i> gene) to differentiate between the = two species.</div><div><br></div><div>They found centers of population = in both the area around Kejimkujik and the Gaspereau Valley but = also in between, and along the Annapolis Valley southwest to Bear River. = For anyone who may be interested, a copy of the southern flying = squirrel's distribution map from this study is available = here:</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/Images5/G_volans-distrib= ution.jpg">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/Images5/G_volans-dist= ribution.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><div>The shaded area shows the = distribution of the southern flying squirrel; the square dots are = records of southern flying squirrels; the round dots are localities = where flying squirrels were tested as part the study and proved not to = be southern flying squirrels (i.e., they were northern flying = squirrels (<i>Glaucomys = sabrinus</i>)).</div><div><br></div><div>What determines the = distribution of the southern flying squirrel? Laver's et al. (2006) = say that, "This range [of the southern flying squirrel] is = largely coincident with the regional distribution of abundant = masting red oak, <i>Quercus rubra</i>, used by <i>G. volans</i> for = storable food."</div><div><br></div><div>Thus, there are no records = of of the southern flying squirrels from Halifax (indeed, from = anywhere in Halifax County). It's not impossible, of course, that one = could turn up, but it's unlikely given the relative scarcity of red oak = in this area compared to other portions of the province. And the = Gaspereau Valley (45.12 degrees N) is even slightly to the north of = Halifax (44.65 degrees N) so it is certainly correct to say that = the northern extremity of its range is on the same latitude as = Halifax. </div><div><br></div><div><div align=3D""><font = class=3D"Apple-style-span" face=3D"Arial">Lavers, A.J., Petersen, S.D., = Stewart, D.T., and Herman, T.B. 2006. Delineating the Range of a Disjunct Population of Southern = Flying Squirrels (</font><i><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = face=3D"Arial">Glaucomys volans</font></i><font = class=3D"Apple-style-span" face=3D"Arial">). American Midland Naturalist 155(1): = 188-196.</font></div></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = face=3D"Arial"><br></font></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = face=3D"Arial">Wood, T.J., and Tessier, G.D. 1974. First records of = eastern flying squirrel (</font><i><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = face=3D"Arial">Glaucomys volans</font></i><font = class=3D"Apple-style-span" face=3D"Arial">) in Nova Scotia. = Canadian Field Naturalist: 88: 83-84.</font></div><br><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; = "><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><em>We now know that the northern = extremity of his Canadian range roughly corresponds with a line drawn on = the map from Sudbury through Montreal to Halifax".</em> <em><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span></em> I suggest you = rethink your certainty as stated,<em> "It's almost certainly a = northern flying = squirrel". </em></font></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I= t's not a certainty and its not mine. It's the result of research = conducted on this species in the province by scientists at Acadia = University.</div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff" = style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><em><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"></font></em> </div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial">This is my last word on this = subject.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"></font> </div></div></blockquote><br></div><div>All = the best!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><br></div><br><br><div = apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: = none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = size=3D"3"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; = ">Christopher Majka <<a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>> = | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada</span></font></div><div><font = class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><br></span></font></div><div><font = class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">* Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum = | <a = href=3D"http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm">http://museum.gov.n= s.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm</a></span></font></div><div><font = class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">* Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin = | <a = href=3D"http://www.coleopsoc.org/">http://www.coleopsoc.org/</a></span></f= ont></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">* Subject Editor: = ZooKeys | <a = href=3D"http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index">http://p= ensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index</a></span></font></div><d= iv><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">* Associate = Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | <a = href=3D"http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html">http://www.acadianes.org/jo= urnal.html</a></span></font></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = size=3D"3"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; = ">* Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | <a = href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html= ">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html</a></= span></font></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; = "><br></span></font></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" = size=3D"3"><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" size=3D"3"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><i>"Whenever I = hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war-horse = at the sound of a trumpet."</i></span></font><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>- = Charles Darwin</span></font></div></div></span></div></span></div></s= pan></div></span></div></span></div></span> </div><br></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-100--887540665--
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