Variation in ectoparasite load in the Mehely’s horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus mehelyi (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in a nursery colony in western Iran

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mozafar Sharifi ◽  
Najmeh Taghinezhad ◽  
Fatema Mozafari ◽  
Somaye Vaissi
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Species ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Western Iran ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Solitary Males ◽  
Horseshoe Bat ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Forearm Length ◽  
Ectoparasite Load

AbstractWe studied variation of ectoparasite load in a free ranging populations of Mehely’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi) on five successive occasions in a nursery roost in western Iran. In total, 87 Rhinolophus mehelyi were captured. The patterns of abundance differed greatly among parasite species but total parasite load was markedly higher in pregnant females in spring and early summer and lower in solitary males. On average, 90% of bats were infested by Eyndhovenia sp. with a mean intensity of 13.79 individuals per bat. Penicillidia sp. and one species from Streblidae were found in 66.7% and 11.49% of bats with parasite load of 2.31 and 1.8 parasite per bat, respectively. Using ratio of forearm length to body mass as an indication of bat health the correlation coefficient between parasite load and the health indicator was 0.002 for males and 0.06 for females indicating that parasite load has no apparent impact on bat’s health.

scholarly journals Seasonal variation in prevalence, parasite load and mean intensity of ectoparasites in Pipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-194
Author(s):  
Mozafar Sharifi ◽  
Somaye Vaissi ◽  
Hossein Javanbakht
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Reproductive Condition ◽  
Mean Intensity ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Mist Net ◽  
Ectoparasite Load

We studied quantitatively the seasonal variation in prevalence, parasite load, and mean intensity of two species of ectoparasites in free ranging populations of Kuhl's bat, Pipistrellus kuhlii in western Iran. In total, 348 live bats (230 males and 118 females) were collected using mist net during May to November 2013. All bats identified as to sex and the number of ectoparasite species in each bat was counted. On 348 P. kuhlii captured, 5355 ectoparasites were observed. Two species of ectoparasites belonging to Argas vespertilionis (Argasidae) and Steatonyssus sp. (Macronyssidae) were identified. In late May and at the beginning of June, the peaks of ectoparasite load in bats were recorded and then dropped during June to November. The number of ectoparasites in pregnant female bats in May-June during pregnancy was significantly higher than non-pregnant females (p ≤ 0.05). A significant correlation was found between ectoparasite load and the ratio of body mass to the length of forearm (W/FA), as an index of body condition, indicating that parasite load has apparent impact on bat’s health. Our findings indicated that parasite loads correlate with season, sex and reproductive condition of the host.

Body size, not age, predicts parasite load in Clark’s Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus clarkii)

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 220-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.V. Watkins ◽  
G. Blouin-Demers
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Fundamental Goal ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Ectoparasite Load

Determining the factors that influence parasite load is a fundamental goal of parasitology. Body size often influences parasite load in reptiles, but it is unclear whether higher levels of parasitism are a result of greater surface area of individuals (a function of size) or of longer periods of exposure to parasites (a function of age). Using skeletochronology in a wild population of Clark’s Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus clarkii Baird and Girard, 1852), we tested the hypotheses that (i) larger individuals have higher parasite loads due to increased surface area available for colonization by parasites and their vectors and that (ii) older individuals have higher parasite loads because they have had longer exposure to parasites and their vectors. Males harboured more ectoparasites than females. Males and females differed in how body size influenced chigger (Acari: Trombiculidae) load; larger males harboured more chiggers than smaller males, but this was not the case in females. Age did not affect ectoparasite load in either sex. These results emphasize the importance of disentangling the effects of size and age in models of parasitism to gain a clearer understanding of intraspecific variation in parasite load.

Testosterone levels of free-ranging resident mantled howler monkey males in relation to the number and density of solitary males: A test of the challenge hypothesis

2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgi Cristóbal-Azkarate ◽  
Roberto Chavira ◽  
Lourdes Boeck ◽  
Ernesto Rodríguez-Luna ◽  
Joaquim J. Veàl
Keyword(s):  
Howler Monkey ◽  
Challenge Hypothesis ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Mantled Howler ◽  
Solitary Males ◽  
Mantled Howler Monkey ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals A predictive model to diagnose pregnancy in guanacos (Lama guanicoe) using non-invasive methods

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
A. Marozzi ◽  
V.I. Cantarelli ◽  
F.M. Gomez ◽  
A. Panebianco ◽  
L.R. Leggieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Model ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
Lama Guanicoe ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Metabolite Concentrations ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
Pregnancy Status ◽  
Free Ranging

Pregnancy status is usually not included in ecological studies because it is difficult to evaluate. The use of non-invasive methods to determine pregnancy, without physically restraining individuals, would enable pregnancy to be included in population studies. In this study, we evaluated sex steroid hormones in plasma and fecal samples from pregnant and non-pregnant females to develop a pregnancy predictive model for guanacos (Lama guanicoe (Müller, 1776)). Samples were obtained during live-shearing management (i.e., capture, shear, and release) of guanacos. Enzyme immunoassays were used to evaluate progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) concentrations in plasma and pregnanediol glucuronides (PdG) and conjugated estrogens (EC) in feces. Mean hormonal and fecal metabolite concentrations were significantly higher in pregnant females than in non-pregnant females. A linear relationship was found between each hormone and its fecal metabolite. Finally, hormonal data were combined with an independent source of pregnancy diagnosis such as abdominal ballottement to develop a logistic regression model to diagnose pregnancy in non-handled individuals. The use of predictive models and non-invasive methods might be suitable to incorporate pregnancy information in large-scale population studies on guanaco and other free-ranging ungulates.

Ectoparasites of the whitespotted rabbitfish, Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835) off the Kenyan Coast: distribution within the host population and site selection on the gills

Parasitology ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. GEETS ◽  
H. COENE ◽  
F. OLLEVIER
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Species ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Site Preferences ◽  
Microhabitat Choice ◽  
Kenyan Coast ◽  
Gill Filaments ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Gill Parasites

Different populations of the whitespotted rabbitfish, Siganus sutor, were examined for ectoparasites: adults from the Mombasa area (sampled in December 1990) and different age classes (adult, subadult and juveniles) from Gazi Bay (sampled in December 1992 and August 1993). The most common gill parasites were: the monogeneans Pseudohaliotrema sp., Tetrancistrum sigani and Microcotyle mouwoi, the copepods Hatschekia sp., Pseudolepeophtheirus sp. and juvenile Caligidae, and prazina larvae of the isopod Gnathia sp. Adult siganids had a higher parasite load than subadults. Juvenile rabbitfish did not harbour any gill parasites. Temporal differences in the parasite load of subadult rabbitfish were observed for M. mouwoi (highest in the December samples) and for juvenile Caligidae (highest in August). The microhabitat of the 5 most common gill parasites was species specific. Most parasite species showed distinct site preferences with respect to both gill arches and gill sectors, within the gill arches. Niche breadth of the different gill parasite species was independent of the abundance of any of the other species present. However, niche breadths of M. mouwoi, Tetrancistrum sp. and Hatschekia sp. increased with their own abundance. This suggests that interspecific competition for space is low and that intraspecific factors could play an important role in the microhabitat choice of these gill parasites. The hypothesis that niche restriction leads to higher intraspecific contact and an enhancement of chances to mate was tested on 2 monogenean species, Pseudohaliotrema sp. and Tetrancistrum sigani. Their highly aggregated distribution over the gill filaments, leading to increased intraspecific contact, is consistent with the hypothesis.

scholarly journals Tubectomy of Pregnant and Non-pregnant Female Balinese Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis) With Post-operative Monitoring

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Deleuze ◽  
Fany Brotcorne ◽  
Roland Polet ◽  
Gede Soma ◽  
Goulven Rigaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Control ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Gravid Uterus ◽  
Wild Female ◽  
Minimal Invasiveness ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Reproductive Females ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Operative Monitoring

Worldwide, primates, and humans increasingly share habitats and often enter in conflict when primates thrive in human-dominated environments, calling for special management measures. Reproductive control is increasingly used to manage population growth but very few monitoring data are available. Therefore, the efficiency and implications of such programs require a careful examination. In the context of a contraception program in wild female long-tailed macaques in Ubud, Bali, conducted over four successive campaigns between 2017 and 2019, including 140 females (i.e., 41.9% of the reproductive females of the population in 2019), modifications of an endoscopic tubectomy procedure, a permanent sterilization method, clinical evaluation of this method, and the post-operative monitoring results of the neutered females after release are described. This surgical approach was applicable for pregnant females: 28.6% of the treated females were pregnant at the time of the surgery. The procedure used a single lateral port to reach and cauterize both oviducts in non-pregnant as well as in early to mid-term pregnant females. Pregnant females nearer to term required a second lateral port to access both oviducts masked by the size of the gravid uterus. Moreover, bipolar thermocauterization was utilized successfully without resection to realize the tubectomy. The average duration of the laparoscopic surgery was 14 min for non-pregnant females and 22 min for pregnant females. Animals were released 3 h 22 min in average following their capture. This short holding time, recommended for free-ranging primates, was made possible by the minimal invasiveness of the sterilization approach. A laparoscopic post-operative evaluation conducted on two patients during the following campaign confirmed that the oviducts were definitely disrupted and no longer patent. Moreover, no new pregnancies in sterilized females were recorded during the 3-year observation period. The survival rate of the treated females 6 months after sterilization was high (96.3%) with no major post-operative complications clinically recorded. Among females that were pregnant during surgery, 81.1% were confirmed to experience term delivery. This study demonstrates the safety and efficiency of endoscopic tubectomy, even for pregnant females, as a mean of wild macaques' population control.

scholarly journals Gastrointestinal parasites of the Polish primitive horses from the Biebrza National Park

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Slivinska ◽  
Z. Wróblewski ◽  
J. Gawor
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Gastrointestinal Parasites ◽  
Gastrointestinal Parasite ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Small Strongyle ◽  
Anoplocephala Perfoliata ◽  
Habronema Muscae ◽  
Free Ranging

Summary Thirty-one Polish primitive horses (Equus caballus) from three herds (two from the reserve and onefrom the stable) were dewormed with ivermectin+praziquantel and examined for the gastrointestinalparasite fauna. A total of 21.231 parasites were collected from the faeces at 24, 36 and 48 hoursposttreatment. There were 35 nematode species, one cestode and one botfl y larva. Strongyloideswesteri infection was confirmed pretreatment by faecal sample examination and no threadwormspecimens were found after deworming. Large and small strongyle prevalence was 90 % – 100 % and represented by 31 species. Among a total of 25 cyathostome species recovered (from 19 to 24in each group), five species (C. catinatum, C. minutus, C. longibursatus, C. nassatus and C. ashworthi)had a prevalence of 100 % in three groups of horses. Meanwhile 14 species were 100 % prevalent in one herd. A total of six large strongyle species were found in adult horses. Oxyuris equiwas recorded in 60 – 100 % of the horses while Parascaris equorum was detected in 100 % of foalsand 16.7 % – 30 % of adult mares. Habronema muscae was found in 30 % of the horses from onefree-ranging herd. Tapeworms (Anoplocephala perfoliata) were found in 90 % of the horses from onefree-ranging group, whereas botfl y larvae (Gasterophilus intestinalis) were found in 50 – 80 % of allsurveyed horses. The present results are compared with earlier studies of Polish primitive wild horsesfrom similar reserves in Poland. A total of 36 gastrointestinal parasite species were recorded fromwild and stabled horses from the Biebrza National Park. This is in comparison with 35 such speciesin free-ranging and stabled horses from the Roztocze National Park and with 28 such species offree-ranginghorses from the Popielno forest reserve. Among parasites recovered, the highly prevalent S. vulgaris, tapeworms and botfl y larvae pose aserious risk of serious abdominal disorders in horses.

Emigration and survival of orphaned female deer in Illinois

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwayne R. Etter ◽  
Jeanette A. Thomas ◽  
Charles M. Nixon ◽  
Joseph B. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Social Position ◽  
Maternal Support ◽  
East Central ◽  
Annual Survival ◽  
West Central ◽  
Free Ranging

Emigration and survival were examined for 13 orphaned and 94 nonorphaned female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) captured at < 10 months of age from free-ranging populations in Illinois. Emigration rates were higher (P = 0.026) for female orphans than for nonorphans. Nine of 13 (69%) orphans emigrated in spring through early summer. In contrast, only 35 of 94 (37%) nonorphans emigrated. Annual survival rates for all females from three Illinois study areas were 0.59, 0.71, and 0.80 for the east-central, west-central, and northern study areas, respectively. Possible stimuli for emigration among orphaned female white-tailed deer include pregnancy, low social position, and loss of maternal support.

Postnatal growth, wing development and age estimations in the Mediterranean horseshoe bat Rhinolophus euryale (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in Kerend cave, western Iran

Mammalia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hojjat Eghbali ◽  
Saeed Shahabi ◽  
Nargess Najafi ◽  
Robab Mehdizadeh ◽  
Shetav Yousefi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Postnatal Growth ◽  
Wing Loading ◽  
Western Iran ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Rhinolophus Euryale ◽  
Horseshoe Bat ◽  
Maternity Roost

Abstract We quantified postnatal changes in body mass, length of forearm, length of total gap of the fourth metacarpal-phalangeal joint and changes in wing morphology, including the wingspan, wing area, handwing length, handwing area, armwing length, armwing area, aspect ratio and wing loading in Rhinolophus euryale in a maternity roost in Kerend cave, western Iran. Mean body mass of pups increased linearly until 23 days, when they achieved 74.29% of the mean mass of adult females (11.28±0.74 g, n=12). Rates of body mass gain and forearm growth during the early stage of postnatal growth were 0.36 g/day and 1.41 mm/day, respectively. Length of epiphyseal gap increased during the first 3 weeks and subsequently followed by a linear decrease until day 70 when it closed. Wing characteristics increased linearly until the age of the first flight, after which growth rates significantly declined (all p<0.05). Wing loading decreased linearly (−0.09 Nm−2/day) until 36 days of age and thereafter increased to a maximum of 6.56±0.30 Nm−2 at 80 days of age. We compare our results with data obtained from close-related bat species, particularly Rhinolophus mehelyi previously studied in a nearby area.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Endoparasites of Free Ranging Cats (Felis catus) from Urban Habitats in Southern Poland

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 748
Author(s):  
Izabela A. Wierzbowska ◽  
Sławomir Kornaś ◽  
Aleksandra M. Piontek ◽  
Kaja Rola
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Toxocara Cati ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Urban Core ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Paratenic Hosts ◽  
Free Ranging

Growing urbanization leads to an increased risk of parasite spread in densely inhabited areas. Free-ranging cats can be locally numerous and come into frequent contact with both wildlife and humans. Cats are thus expected to contribute to parasitic disease transmission. In our study, we investigated the prevalence of endoparasites in free ranging cats in urban areas of Kraków city, based on necropsy of road-killed cats in relation to sex and diet of cat, season and habitat type. We found that 62% of 81 cats were infected with endoparasites with Toxocara cati being the most prevalent. In total, we identified seven parasite species. The number of parasite species was higher in suburban habitats and aside from Eucoleus aerophilus the prevalence of all parasites was higher in cats from suburban areas than in the individuals living in the city urban core. The prey of examined cats included mostly rodents, followed by soricomorphs and birds, which can all serve as paratenic hosts. Based on our results, we suggest that cats in urban areas should be considered as a serious potential zoonotic threat. Implementation of proper veterinary control and wider education on the topic is recommended.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document