Wild, Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2026) – 6 articles

The Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) has a small geographic range in the USA and faces threats from habitat loss and alteration. Despite being a Texas state threatened reptile, it is surprisingly understudied. We conducted extensive road cruising surveys focused on the eastern part of the Texas tortoise range, but only seven Texas tortoises were observed. Limitations to our study included inaccessible large private landholdings with potential tortoise habitat. Georeferenced tortoise locations, along with museum records, were compiled from online databases and used to model habitat suitability with Maxent. The model predicted relatively small patches of suitable habitat in the eastern region, while the largest extent of suitable habitat was detected in the western region and far south Texas, as well as some patches outside the historical range. This spatial analysis redirects conservation efforts toward highly suitable habitat patches at risk of fragmentation and alteration in Texas. Future monitoring will improve our understanding of ongoing and increasing disturbances in the region and aid in the protection of this imperiled species in the US. Full article

Conservation translocations have become a mainstream tool for species recovery but their capacity for delivering enhanced ecological function has been broadly overlooked despite the potential for increasing functional diversity and consequent ecosystem resilience. I argue that concepts such as functional rarity and functional distinctiveness are valuable for prioritizing species for conservation translocation and present a case study that demonstrates the ecological value of two species of annual hemiparasite from the genus Melampyrum. The data consist of species presence across 17 sites combined with trait data for each of the 82 species identified. I apply various methods to calculate functional distinctiveness and identify which traits deliver significant ecological benefit to the surrounding communities. In doing so, I aim to show that obscure and overlooked species might be more substantive in their functional role than their biomass and appearance might otherwise imply. Finally, I acknowledge caveats in this approach and suggest a way forward that navigates any limitations to effectively use ecological role and functional distinctiveness to prioritize species for conservation translocation and incur benefits to species and ecosystems in need of restoration and rehabilitation. Full article

Detailed knowledge of biodiversity is fundamental to supporting conservation and management strategies in protected natural areas, especially in mountain systems located in biogeographic transition zones (Chihuahuan Desert and Sierra Madre Oriental regions). The Sierra de Zapalinamé State Natural Reserve is a priority system in northeastern Mexico; however, comprehensive long-term inventories of its terrestrial vertebrate fauna have been limited. The objective of this study was to comprehensively characterize the richness and composition of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Sierra de Zapalinamé State Natural Reserve using a long-term, multi-source dataset integrating systematic field surveys, biological collections, and citizen science records, and to assess the extent to which the reserve represents the vertebrate diversity of northeastern Mexico. A total of 415 terrestrial vertebrate species were recorded, comprising 299 birds, 67 mammals, 42 reptiles, and 7 amphibians. Despite its proximity to urban areas and industrial activities, the reserve maintains high levels of biodiversity, harboring a substantial proportion of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of northeastern Mexico. The results emphasize the importance of the Sierra de Zapalinamé State Natural Reserve as a regional biodiversity hotspot and support the strengthening of long-term monitoring and management strategies to improve wildlife conservation in underrepresented ecoregions facing increasing environmental pressures. Full article

The coast redwood forest, populated by the ancient relict species Sequoia sempervirens, provides unique and essential ecological services along the Pacific coast of California. It is a haven for endemism and ecological diversity, offers habitat for threatened species, and is an important global terrestrial carbon sink. However, a long history of resource extraction has significantly impacted this ecosystem. Complex old-growth forests have largely been replaced with managed timber stands, and biological diversity has been reduced through the loss of habitat and basic ecological functions. Under natural conditions, coast redwood is highly resilient to disturbance, due to its propensity for basal and epicormic sprouting. The primarily clonal reproductive strategy of S. sempervirens allows for natural thinning as a stand matures, generally leading to the development of late-seral characteristics without the need for active restoration. The increasingly pervasive use of active silvicultural tools for restoration, such as forest thinning and commercial timber harvest, can create a density-driven cycle that requires periodic re-application of the treatment and hinders natural successional processes. In order to restore forest health and resiliency, natural successional processes inherent to coast redwood can be supported as a restoration alternative. Full article

La Paz Bay is one of the most important destinations for recreational fishing events in Baja California Sur, Mexico, with significant tourist activity that supports ecosystem services and provides economic benefits to participants, benefits that have not yet been economically measured. The aim of this study was to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) of anglers who participated in sport-fishing events and to propose tourism promotion and recreational fisheries management strategies. Applying 184 face-to-face surveys at sport fishing events in LPB held in 2022 and 2023 to collect information regarding fishers’ and fishing trips characteristics, and using the individual travel cost method to estimate the individual WTP per angler, which ranges from USD 50.96 to 625.63, and the recreational economic value of fishing events in La Paz was estimated at USD 0.89 to 1.11 million. Strategies for conserving species reserved for sport fishing and promoting tourism are discussed, which could help improve tournament activity and promote the rational use of natural resources. This study represents the first effort aiming to value sport fishing events in Mexico. Also, demonstrates the economic relevance of sport fishing events for recreational fisheries management and tourism-promoting policies in LPB. It provides evidence that conserving sport-fishing species could enhance management strategies and sustainable tourism promotion policies for this recreational activity. Full article

Eligmodontia dunaris is a small rodent endemic to the Atacama Desert, discovered in the Los Choros dunes (La Higuera, Coquimbo Region, Chile). This study documents new records of the distribution, as well as relevant data on the natural history of this species. Records of geographic distribution were obtained in the field and from published data. The standardized number of captures was calculated by the IDR index. The ability to concentrate urine was evaluated using the RMT renal index. Reproduction and development data were obtained from pregnant females in the field and from animals that mated in the laboratory. Fourteen new locations between the type locality “Los Choros” (Coquimbo Region) and “Diego de Almagro” (Atacama Region) were recorded. In all these localities, captures of E. dunaris were low, except during periods of the flowering desert. In the laboratory, this rodent had two to three consecutive litters in a single breeding season, producing three to five pups per litter. Renal indices measured in five adult specimens (RMT = 7.9 ± 0.8) indicated that E. dunaris can concentrate urine around 4059 ± 120 mOsm/kg. These results may suggest that this species has developed physiological and ecological strategies to colonize the extreme arid environments of northern Chile, allowing it to spread across 11,267 km² in the Atacama Desert. Full article