Mamm. biol. 66 (2001) 251-255 © Urban & Fischer Verlag http://www.urbanfischer.de/journals/mammbiol Mammalian Biology Zeitschrift für Säugetierl<unde Short communication Notes on the ecology of sympatric small carnivores in southeastern China By H. Wang and T. K. Füller Department of Natural Resources Conservation, UmVersity of Massachusetts, Amherst USA Receipt of Ms. 30. 10. 1998 Acceptance of Ms. 20. 02. 2001 Key words: Herpestes urva, Pagumo larvata, Viveniculo indica, activity, home ränge The civets are diverse and prominent ele- ments of old world tropical communities, demonstrating more ecological diversifica- tion in trophic specialization and Substrate use than any other family of carnivores (Eisenberg 1981). They are also the least known carnivore group in the world (Wem- MER and Watling 1986), especially in Asia, even though many species have ecological and economic significance and have long been harvested for their pelts, meat, and musk. We radio-tracked 5 masked palm ci- vets (Paguma larvata H. Smith, 1827), 2 smail Indian civets {Viverriciila indica Demarest, 1817) and 1 crabcating mon- goose {Herpestes urva Hodgson, 1836) in northern Jiangxi Province, southeastern China during April 1993-November 1994 to understand more about the small carni- vore Community there. The study site near Taohong Village is lo- cated in northern Jiangxi Province about 15 km south of the Yangtze River and about 490 km WSW of Shanghai. It is in a small, V-shaped vallev about 6 km long at the foot of Mount Taohong and surrounded by a Stretch of low and undulating hills (SO- SSO m above sea level). The climate is moist monsoon type with typical temperate ch- mate seasonal changes. The average annual temperature is around 16.3 °C, and the annual precipitation is 1 326 mm, of which Over 40% falls as rain during May-July. All the arable lands at the bottom of the Valley are under cultivation and many gen- tle hills and slopes also are now farmland. Above the farmland the major Vegetation is a combination of tall grasses {Themeda triandra, Imperala cylindirca, and Arundi- nella spp.) and secondary growth of shrub species {Lespecdeza bicolor, L. formosa, Rhiis chinensis, and Rhododendron simsii) that is maintained by annual firewood col- lection and frequent fires. Only in some re- mote areas or regions posted by the local forest farms do small patches of deciduous broadleaf and, in rarer frequency, ever- green-deciduous broadleaf forest remain. The northwest part of Taohong Village is included in the Taohongling Sika Deer Reserve that was estabhshed to protect a remnant population of the endangered sub- species of sika deer (Cervus nippon kopschi Swinhoe, 1873) in 1981. A general survey on the fauna and flora of the reserve was carried out in and near the reserve during 1988-89; this is the only source of back- ground Information for that area (Ding 1990). Most of the study animals were caught by the local trappers with traditional bamboo foot- hold snares (Han 1960); only one masked 1616-5047/01/66/04-251 $ 15.00/0. © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/