Age-Specific Differences in Asian Elephant Defecation, Dung Decay, Detection and Their Implication for Dung Count

The various components of the dung count method of population estimation were evaluated such as defecation rate, decay rate, detection probability of dung and age-specific estimates of elephant density based on dung size. The defecation rate of elephants was determined in captive elephants of the Mudumalai elephant camp, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 14 elephants in the dry season (Dec-Mar 2002) and 17 elephants in the wet season (Jun-Oct 2007) of different age-sex classes were observed for 42 days and 51 days by focal sampling methods and circumference of largest dung pile were measured to determine the growth curve. Total and age-specific elephant density based on dung circumference were estimated using indirect dung count method, 24 transect lines of 2 ~ 4km resulting in a total of 125km distance in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The dung decay rate was determined by marking fresh dung piles (n = 1628) every month with an average of 125 ± 77 dung piles/month from Jan 2007 to Feb 2008. The mean defecation rate was 13.51±0.51 (n = 94) per day. The defecation rate varied across age-sex classes and seasons with a lower defecation rate for younger age classes. The dung circumference measurements showed similar growth curves to other Asian and African elephants. Dung size-based age classification significantly overestimates the adult age class, giving an estimate of 82% adults in the population against the true 48.5%. Experimental analysis of detection of dung across perpendicular distance detection of larger and smaller dung size/age classes is equal at a visible distance and declined significantly for younger age/size class at the furthest distance. Decay rate varied significantly according to age classes and across seasons, with lower dung survival rates of younger age classes compared to adults. The minimum required sample size for the dung decay experiment was 250. The age-specific estimate of elephant density based on the indirect dung count method revealed a precise estimate on density, both decay and defecation contribute less than 12% of the variance of the estimate. Age composition based on dung count is highly skewed towards adults, younger age class were low due to lower defecation and faster decay and lower probability of detection in the transect.

Defecation rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) based on fiber content in feces

Objective: To develop three models in order to estimate the defecation rate ofwhite-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) according to the season of the year,content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) in feces.Design / methodology / approach: Nine captive adult deer were assigned tothree levels of dietary fiber. Fecal groups (defecation rate) were counted, forageconsumption was estimated, and feces were analyzed for NDF and ADF content. Arandomized block design was used, where the effect of the treatments was blockedby season, and a multiple regression analysis was used to define the predictionmodels of the defecation rates.Results: The rates were different for dietary fiber levels (p<0.0001), and for theyear season (p = 0.0007). For spring, the defecation rate model (DR) was DR = -4.84696 - [0.02159 (NDF)] + [0.58397 (ADF)]; for summer DR = -51.0272 +[0.26868 (NDF)] + [1.61121 (ADF)]; and for winter DR = 7.82939- [0.02667 (NDF)]+ [0.17309 (ADF)].Limitations / implications: Defecation rate or fecal group counting is a useful toolto estimate deer populations. Nevertheless, the definition of an adequatedefecation rate represents a hard task, since it depends on various factors such asthe environmental conditions, and the components of the diet the deer consumes.Findings / conclusions: The defecation rate varies depending on the year seasonand the fiber content in the diet.

The effect of lizards on the dispersal and germination of Capparis spinosa (Capparaceae)

Seed dispersal is a key component of the interactions between plants and animals. There is little research on the effects of lizard seed dispersal, which is more common on islands than elsewhere. In this study, the effects of the passage of Capparis spinosa seeds through Teratoscincus roborowskii lizard digestive tracts on the seed coats, water uptake rates and germination rates were investigated. In addition, the spatial patterns of fecal deposition by lizards in various microhabitats were assessed. Our results showed that the mean retention time (MRT) of mealworms was significantly longer than that of C. spinosa seeds in both adult and juvenile lizards. The defecation rate of C. spinosa tended to be lower than that of mealworms, which might be beneficial for seed dispersal. It was determined that the longer MRT of C. spinosa seeds enhanced the permeability of the seed coats, which promoted fast water uptake, broke seed dormancy and increased the seed germination rate. Furthermore, the seeds that passed through the digestive tracts of lizards were deposited in favorable germination microhabitats. By enhancing seed germination and depositing intact and viable seeds in safe potential recruitment sites, the lizard T. roborowskii acts, at least qualitatively, as an effective disperser of C. spinosa.

Toxicity effects of Cubic Cu2O nanoparticles on defecation rate and length in C. Elegans

Introduction: The increased presence of radiation and toxins in the atmosphere has given rise to fuel cells and nanoparticle technology with the ability to catalyze reactions at favorable energy levels. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the lasting effects of a synthesized catalyst on a model organism, Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans. Methods: Copper sulfate was tested alongside copper(I) oxide (i.e. Cu2O) to dissociate the copper composition effects from those of the nanoparticles themselves. The prospect of testing both defecation rate and size differences allowed for C. elegans to be utilized due to their low maintenance costs, mapped neuronal pathways, and short-generation times. Results: The results indicated significant toxicity effects in wild-type worms as witnessed by the decreases in nematode defecation rate and length by copper sulfate, with similar results in SMF-1 and PCS-1 mutants by Cu2O catalysts in cubic synthesized form. Conclusion: These outcomes reinforce the known effects of metal oxides on pollutants and highlight the need for further testing with additional variables such as varying pH and temperature.

Management of Food-Related Diarrhea Outbreak in the Emergency Department: Lessons Learned from the German STEC O104:H4 Epidemic

Emergency department (ED) management of the German STEC O104:H4 outbreak in 2011 was not limited to patients being truly infected with STEC. In parallel to spread of alarming news in public media, patients suffering from diarrhea due to other reasons fearfully presented, equally. We retrospectively characterized these two cohorts for anamnestic, clinical, and laboratory findings at their first ED contact. From 15th of May to July 2011, 302 adult patients with diarrheal complaint presented at the EDs of two tertiary hospitals in Lubeck, northern Germany. Fecal testing for STEC was obtained in 245 (81%) patients: 105 were STEC-positive and 140 were STEC-negative. Anamnestic characteristics (defecation rate, visible bloody diarrhea, and lower abdominal pain), abdominal tenderness, and some laboratory findings were significantly different between both cohorts but not reliable to exclude STEC. In >90% of STEC-positive patients diarrheal symptoms had started in May, reflecting the retrospective nationwide peak of infections, whereas the majority of STEC-negative patients became symptomatic in June 2011. During the German STEC O104:H4 outbreak a definite distinction at initial ED contact between STEC-positive versus STEC-negative patients by clinical judgment alone was not reliable. Fecal testing in the ED, however, might survey the outbreak of foodborne infections with the utmost precision.

Assessment of a daily defecation rate of fallow deer upon a closed population study

Many indirect methods of counting even-toed ungulates are based on the principle of accumulating dung in a known area per a unit of time. In order to provide the most accurate assessment of the population size, these methods require the knowledge of daily defecation of the monitored species. The main objective of the study submitted is the assessment of a daily defecation rate of fallow deer based on the monitoring of its closed population. A partial objective is the assessment of the distribution of fallow deer in an enclosed area with a view to biotopes represented. A fallow deer population was studied for the period of three years (2009–2011) in a fenced-in area (8 ha). During this period, dung heaps were counted in forty sites with the total area of 0.8 ha in all seasons of the year. In each season, the sites were cleared, and the dung was counted after a seven-day exposure. This counting was performed twice in each season. Thanks to the precise knowledge of the number of monitored animals, daily defecation rates (DDR) were derived upon the dung found, using a formula for the calculation of population density. Subsequently, the determined DDRs were verified by direct observation. The highest average DDR value calculated from the formula (21.11 ± 0.32 S.E.) was obtained in the summer season. The lowest defecation of fallow deer was established to be in winter (12.34 ± 0.25 S.E.) and early spring (10.61 ± 0.24 S.E.).