scholarly journals Impacts of sudden winter habitat loss on the body condition and survival of redshank Tringa totanus

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
NIALL H. K. BURTON ◽  
MARK M. REHFISCH ◽  
NIGEL A. CLARK ◽  
STEPHEN G. DODD
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Tringa Totanus

scholarly journals Relation of Automated Body Condition Scoring System and Inline Biomarkers (Milk Yield, β-Hydroxybutyrate, Lactate Dehydrogenase and Progesterone in Milk) with Cow’s Pregnancy Success

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1414
Author(s):  
Ramūnas Antanaitis ◽  
Vida Juozaitienė ◽  
Dovilė Malašauskienė ◽  
Mindaugas Televičius ◽  
Mingaudas Urbutis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lactate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
The Body ◽  
Time Analyzer ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Pregnancy Status ◽  
Body Condition Scoring

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relation of automatically determined body condition score (BCS) and inline biomarkers such as β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), milk yield (MY), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and progesterone (mP4) with the pregnancy success of cows. The cows (n = 281) had 2.1 ± 0.1. lactations on average, were 151.6 ± 0.06 days postpartum, and were once tested with “Easy scan” ultrasound (IMV imaging, Scotland) at 30–35 d post-insemination. According to their reproductive status, cows were grouped into two groups: non-pregnant (n = 194 or 69.0% of cows) and pregnant (n = 87 or 31.0% of cows). Data concerning their BCS, mP4, MY, BHB, and LDH were collected each day from the day of insemination for 7 days. The BCS was collected with body condition score camera (DeLaval Inc., Tumba, Sweden); mP4, MY, BHB, and LDH were collected with the fully automated real-time analyzer Herd Navigator™ (Lattec I/S, Hillerød, Denmark) in combination with a DeLaval milking robot (DeLaval Inc., Tumba, Sweden). Of all the biomarkers, three differences between groups were significant. The body condition score (BCS) of the pregnant cows was higher (+0.49 score), the milk yield (MY) was lower (−4.36 kg), and milk progesterone in pregnant cows was (+6.11 ng/mL) higher compared to the group of non-pregnant cows (p < 0.001). The pregnancy status of the cows was associated with their BCS assessment (p < 0.001). We estimated that cows with BCS > 3.2 were 22 times more likely to have reproductive success than cows with BCS ≤ 3.2.

scholarly journals Ecological and Physiological Factors Affecting Brood Patch Area and Prolactin Levels in Arctic-Nesting Geese

The Auk ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jón Einar Jónsson ◽  
Alan D. Afton ◽  
Ray T. Alisauskas ◽  
Cynthia K. Bluhm ◽  
Mohamed E. El Halawani
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Nest Size ◽  
Patch Area ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Brood Patch ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Ross's Geese

AbstractWe investigated effects of ecological and physiological factors on brood patch area and prolactin levels in free-ranging Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens; hereafter “Snow Geese”) and Ross's Geese (C. rossii). On the basis of the body-size hypothesis, we predicted that the relationships between prolactin levels, brood patch area, and body condition would be stronger in Ross's Geese than in the larger Snow Geese. We found that brood patch area was positively related to clutch volume and inversely related to prolactin levels in Ross's Geese, but not in Snow Geese. Nest size, nest habitat, and first egg date did not affect brood patch area in either species. Prolactin levels increased as incubation progressed in female Snow Geese, but this relationship was not significant in Ross's Geese. Prolactin levels and body condition (as indexed by size-adjusted body mass) were inversely related in Ross's Geese, but not in Snow Geese. Our findings are consistent with the prediction that relationships between prolactin levels, brood patch area, and body condition are relatively stronger in Ross's Geese, because they mobilize endogenous reserves at faster rates than Snow Geese.Factores Ecológicos y Fisiológicos que Afectan el Área del Parche de Incubación y los Niveles de Prolactina en Gansos Nidificantes del Ártico

Implications of body condition and seasonality on morphological and functional parameters of testes of Myotis nigricans (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1029
Author(s):  
Marcelo Ferreira ◽  
Aline Soldati ◽  
Sirlene S. S. Rodrigues ◽  
Laércio dos Anjos Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
The Body ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
The Mean

The insectivorous bat Myotis nigricans is widely distributed throughout the Neotropics, including Brazil, and has a reproductive biology that is affected by climate and food availability. To evaluate the reproductive capacity of this species, morphofunctional parameters of the testes were correlated with environmental variables and the body condition of individuals captured. After bats had been killed, their testes were removed, fixed in Karnovsky’s fluid for 24 h and embedded in resin for evaluation by light microscopy. The mean annual tubulosomatic index (0.58%) and the percentage of seminiferous tubules in the testes (88.96%) were the highest ever recorded for the Order Chiroptera. The percentage of Leydig cells and volume of the cytoplasm of Leydig cells were higher in the rainy than dry season (80.62 ± 3.19% and 573.57 ± 166.95 μm, respectively; mean ± s.d.). Conversely, the percentage of nuclei of the Leydig cells in the dry season (26.17 ± 3.70%; mean ± s.d.) and the total number of Leydig cells (6.38 ± 1.84 × 109; mean ± s.d.) were higher in the dry season. The results of the present study could help in future conservation of these bats because they provide a better understanding of the bats’ reproductive strategies and how the species can adapt to changes.

scholarly journals Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-273
Author(s):  
Céline Cunen ◽  
Lars Walløe ◽  
Kenji Konishi ◽  
Nils Lid Hjort
Keyword(s):  
Model Selection ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
The Body ◽  
Antarctic Minke Whale ◽  
Minke Whales ◽  
Balaenoptera Bonaerensis ◽  
The Antarctic

AbstractChanges in the body condition of Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) have been investigated in a number of studies, but remain contested. Here we provide a new analysis of body condition measurements, with particularly careful attention to the statistical model building and to model selection issues. We analyse body condition data for a large number (4704) of minke whales caught between 1987 and 2005. The data consist of five different variables related to body condition (fat weight, blubber thickness and girth) and a number of temporal, spatial and biological covariates. The body condition variables are analysed using linear mixed-effects models, for which we provide sound biological motivation. Further, we conduct model selection with the focused information criterion (FIC), reflecting the fact that we have a clearly specified research question, which leads us to a clear focus parameter of particular interest. We find that there has been a substantial decline in body condition over the study period (the net declines are estimated to 10% for fat weight, 7% for blubber thickness and 3% for the girth). Interestingly, there seems to be some differences in body condition trends between males and females and in different regions of the Antarctic. The decline in body condition could indicate major changes in the Antarctic ecosystem, in particular, increased competition from some larger krill-eating whale species.

scholarly journals Reproductive strategies of two Curimatidae species in a Mogi Guaçu impoundment, upper Paraná River basin, São Paulo, Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Peressin ◽  
Cristina da Silva Gonçalves ◽  
Francisco Manoel de Souza Braga
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
The Body ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Upper Paraná River ◽  
Upper Paraná River Basin ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

Considering that reproduction studies are fundamental to understand the life cycle of organisms, this study aimed to investigate the reproductive strategies of saguirus Cyphocharax nagelii and Steindachnerina insculpta in a dam of Mogi Guaçu River, (SP). Specimens were collected between August 2005 and July 2006 using gillnets with mesh sizes ranging from 1.5 to 5.0 cm between adjacent knots. Reproductive dynamics, body condition, reproductive period, spawning type and fecundity were analyzed in both species. The body condition reflected the reproductive dynamics, and differed significantly between the wet and dry seasons. During the dry season, the feeding activity and the accumulation of fat in the visceral cavity were higher. The reproductive period of both species covered the months between August and February, with peaks in October and December, and the distribution of the diameters of oocytes allowed to classify them as total spawners. The fecundity increased with weight and length, reaching 28,800 and 27,906 oocytes per female for C. nagelii and S. insculpta, respectively, whereas the amplitude of oocyte diameters varied between 50-1025 µm for the former and 75-975 µm for the later species. Taking into account that species with different reproductive strategies also respond differently to environmental impacts, our findings provide important information to subsidize management plans for these curimatid species.

scholarly journals Rodent helminths in fragmented Atlantic Forest areas in the western region of the state of Paraná

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danise Benatti ◽  
Luis Felipe Andrietti ◽  
José Flávio Cândido Júnior ◽  
Alexandre Vogliotti ◽  
Marcela Figueirêdo Duarte Moraes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Condition Index ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
The Body ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Body Condition Index ◽  
Intensity Of Infection ◽  
New Host ◽  
The Western Region

Abstract Rodents are small mammals that can be parasitized by various helminths. This study aimed to identify and describe the ecological indicators of infection in rodents captured in fragments of the Atlantic Forest in the western region of Paraná State, Brazil. Sixty-eight specimens of five rodent species were collected, necropsied, and inspected in search of helminths. The parasites were stored in 70% ethanol, morphologically identified, and counted for calculation of infection indicators. Fourteen species of helminths and one species of Crustacea were recorded: ten in Akodon montensis, four in Mus musculus, two in Thaptomys nigrita, two in Oligoryzomys nigripes, and one in Euryoryzomys russatus. The registered species of parasites were: Rodentolepis akodontis, Angiostrongylus sp., Protospirura numidica criceticola, Trichuris navonae, Syphacia alata, Syphacia criceti, Syphacia evaginata, Trichofreitasia lenti, Stilestrongylus aculeata, Stilestrongylus eta, Stilestrongylus gracielae, Stilestrongylus franciscanus, Stilestrongylus moreli, Stilestrongylus sp., and Pentastomida gen. sp. A positive correlation between the intensity of infection of T. navonae and T. lenti was observed with the body condition index of the host A. montensis. For all species, this study represents a new register of locality, and for eight of them a new host.

scholarly journals Unravelling causality from correlations: revealing the impacts of endemic ectoparasites on a protected species (tuatara)

Parasitology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHANIE S. GODFREY ◽  
JENNIFER A. MOORE ◽  
NICOLA J. NELSON ◽  
C. MICHAEL BULL
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protected Species ◽  
Manipulative Experiments ◽  
Sphenodon Punctatus ◽  
Correlative Studies ◽  
Experimental Structure

SUMMARYUnderstanding the impacts of endemic parasites on protected hosts is an essential element of conservation management. However, where manipulative experiments are unethical, causality cannot be inferred from observational correlative studies. Instead, we used an experimental structure to explore temporal associations between body condition of a protected reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) and infestation with ectoparasites (ticks and mites). We surveyed tuatara in a mark-recapture study on Stephens Island (New Zealand), which encompassed the pre-peak, peak and post-peak infestation periods for each ectoparasite. Tick loads during the peak infestation period were negatively related to body condition of tuatara. Body condition before the peak was not related to subsequent infestation rates; however, tick loads in the peak were negatively related to subsequent changes in body condition. Mite loads during the peak infestation period were not correlated with body condition of tuatara. Body condition before the peak had no effect on subsequent mite infestation rates, but mite loads of small males during the peak were negatively related to subsequent changes in body condition. Our results suggest that both ectoparasites reduce the body condition of tuatara, which has implications for the long-term conservation management of this host and its parasites.

Do House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) add spider egg cases to their nests for heterospecific cleaning?

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-56
Author(s):  
C.L. Gable ◽  
T.J. Underwood ◽  
G.P. Setliff
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
The Body ◽  
Troglodytes Aedon ◽  
House Wren ◽  
Late Season ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Significant Difference

House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon Vieillot, 1809) regularly add spider egg cases (Arachnida: Araneae) to their nests, which may be an example of heterospecific cleaning. This behavior involves one animal employing another to remove parasites from their nests. In House Wren nests, juvenile spiders hatching from egg cases may facilitate the reduction of mites that feed on nestlings. We tested this ectoparasite reduction hypothesis by monitoring House Wren nests for spider egg cases and by collecting completed nests to compare the number of spider egg cases and Dermanyssus hirundinis (Hermann, 1804) mites. No significant relationship was found between the number of spider egg cases and number of D. hirundinis mites in nests. We also found no significant relationship between the number of D. hirundinis mites in nests and the body condition of nestlings. Finally, no significant difference was found between the number of D. hirundinis mites in early versus late season nests, but significantly more spider egg cases were added to late season nests. Of a subsample of spider egg cases dissected, we found that 28% contained spider eggs or embryos. We also identified three species of juvenile spiders from House Wren nests using DNA barcoding. Overall, we found no evidence that spider egg cases reduce the number of D. hirundinis mites or engender better quality offspring in House Wren nests.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document