carnivorous species
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2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-61
Author(s):  
Victoria NISTREANU ◽  
Alina LARION

Introduction. Airport territories are large, containing a high variety of biotopes, mostly open type, and are relatively protected against intense human activity, thus creating favorable conditions for many mammal species that serve as trophic source for many bird species. Material and methods. The studies were performed during 2012-2014 on the territory of Chisinau airport and within the adjacent ecosystems. The mammals were recorded by direct observations, based on traces and trophic activity on routes ranging from 1 to 3 km. The small mammals were assessed with traps. The bat species were identified according to their flight pattern and using the ultrasound detector. Results. In the airport, 31 species of mammals were registered: 5 insectivore species, 7 bat species, 14 rodent species, 1 hare species and 4 carnivorous species. The most widespread, common and abundant were the rodents and the fox. Among small rodent species, the most abundant was Apodemus sylvaticus with 51.6%, followed by the Microtus arvalis (38.9%), while on the airport grassland, the field vole dominated with more than 60%. The diet of Athene noctua included predominantly Mus musculus with over 51%, followed by M. arvalis with 23.7%. 7 species are rare and 5 protected – bicolor shrew and 4 bat species. Conclusions. The airport territory and adjacent ecosystems provide favorable conditions for many mammal species. The presence of rodents favors the occurrence of rather high number of prey birds, which represent a threat for the safety of aircraft flights. The fox can pose direct threat to flight safety.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey Andreychev

Abstract. Andreychev A. 2021. Short Communication: Proportion faunal assemblages of carnivorous mammals in geoecological districts of Mordovia, Russia. Biodiversitas 22: 4625-4632. In the forest-steppe area, carnivorous mammals are represented by species of different faunistic assemblages. This circumstance makes the study region a priority since the species of which faunistic assemblages prevail is of interest. Fifteen carnivorous species have been identified in the territory of Mordovia. Among them, the family Mustelidae predominates in terms of the number of species. The species are found in all geoecological districts, but their distribution is uneven. The most notable species in the region are located in coniferous and broad-leaved forests (40%) and species widely distributed in several natural areas (40%). 13% of the total number of noted species belong to the taiga fauna types. The steppe type of fauna is represented by only 7% of the total number of recorded species. For each geoecological region, the fauna features are given, and a list of rare and exciting species is given. The forest-steppe zone to which Mordovia belongs is compared by the fauna of carnivorous mammals with other regions from three typical faunal assemblages.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 947
Author(s):  
Leandro Rodríguez-Viera ◽  
Daniel Alpízar-Pedraza ◽  
Juan Miguel Mancera ◽  
Erick Perera

Decapod crustaceans are a very diverse group and have evolved to suit a wide variety of diets. Alpha-amylases enzymes, responsible for starch and glycogen digestion, have been more thoroughly studied in herbivore and omnivore than in carnivorous species. We used information on the α-amylase of a carnivorous lobster as a connecting thread to provide a more comprehensive view of α-amylases across decapods crustaceans. Omnivorous crustaceans such as shrimps, crabs, and crayfish present relatively high amylase activity with respect to carnivorous crustaceans. Yet, contradictory results have been obtained and relatively high activity in some carnivores has been suggested to be a remnant trait from ancestor species. Here, we provided information sustaining that high enzyme sequence and overall architecture conservation do not allow high changes in activity, and that differences among species may be more related to number of genes and isoforms, as well as transcriptional and secretion regulation. However, recent evolutionary analyses revealed that positive selection might have also occurred among distant lineages with feeding habits as a selection force. Some biochemical features of decapod α-amylases can be related with habitat or gut conditions, while less clear patterns are observed for other enzyme properties. Likewise, while molt cycle variations in α-amylase activity are rather similar among species, clear relationships between activity and diet shifts through development cannot be always observed. Regarding the adaptation of α-amylase to diet, juveniles seem to exhibit more flexibility than larvae, and it has been described variation in α-amylase activity or number of isoforms due to the source of carbohydrate and its level in diets, especially in omnivore species. In the carnivorous lobster, however, no influence of the type of carbohydrate could be observed. Moreover, lobsters were not able to fine-regulate α-amylase gene expression in spite of large changes in carbohydrate content of diet, while retaining some capacity to adapt α-amylase activity to very low carbohydrate content in the diets. In this review, we raised arguments for the need of more studies on the α-amylases of less studied decapods groups, including carnivorous species which rely more on dietary protein and lipids, to broaden our view of α-amylase in decapods crustaceans.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Lozano ◽  
Marta Guntiñas ◽  
Rodrigo Cisneros ◽  
Esther Llorente ◽  
Aurelio F. Malo

ABSTRACTHere we describe the dietary patterns of the culpeo (or Andean fox) at a biogeographical scale. We also analyze the influence of exotic lagomorphs on its diet and explore differences between culpeo subspecies. We selected 17 mutually comparable diet studies, which include 19 independent diet assessments. Then, we extracted and standardized the values of the different diet components from these studies and calculated the relative frequency of occurrence (RF) of the ten main trophic groups that we found. Further, we calculated the Shannon-Wienner H’ trophic diversity index.The results showed that small mammals (41%), lagomorphs (21%), invertebrates (12.4%) and large herbivores (7.3%) were the most consumed groups. A factorial analysis of all trophic groups rendered four orthogonal factors that were used as response variables in relation to a set of environmental predictors. Altitude correlated with most factors (i.e. trophic groups). Exotic lagomorphs were consumed in lowlands, in higher latitudes and in regions showing high values of the human footprint index, replacing in these areas native fauna as the main prey. There were no differences in diet between the two main culpeo subspecies analysed, L.c. culpaeus and L.c. andinus.Finally, the best explanatory models (GLM) of trophic diversity selected, using the Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), showed that the most diverse diets were those composed of large herbivores, edentates, carnivorous species, birds and herptiles (i.e. amphibians and reptils), in areas of high rainfall located in protected areas. Neither latitude nor altitude seemed to have an effect on the trophic diversity of the culpeos, as they were not retained by the final models.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Larion ◽  
◽  
Tatiana Cirlig ◽  
Victoria Nistreanu ◽  
Vladislav Caldari ◽  
...  

The studies were performed in 2017- 2021 in various types of ecosystems from the area Cricova-Goian of Ichel river basin. 45 species of mammals were registered: one hedgehog species, 5 species of Soricomorpha, 12 bat species, 18 rodent species, one hare species, 6 carnivorous species and 2 artiodactyl species. The multiannual dynamics of bat communities in Cricova and Goianul Noi stone mines was assessed. The rodent species were the most numerous and spread in the ecosystems of the studied area. 14 species are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova.


Author(s):  
Leandro Rodriguez-Viera ◽  
Daniel Alpízar-Pedraza ◽  
Juan Miguel Mancera ◽  
Erick Perera

Decapod crustaceans are a very diverse group and have evolved to suit a wide variety of diets. Alpha-amylases enzymes, responsible for starch and glycogen digestion, have been more thoroughly studies in herbivore and omnivore than in carnivorous species. We used information on the α-amylase of a carnivorous lobster as a connecting thread to provide a more comprehensive view of α-amylases across decapods crustaceans. Omnivorous crustaceans such as shrimps, crabs and crayfish present relatively high amylase activity respect to carnivorous. Yet, contradictory results have been obtained and relatively high activity in some carnivores has been suggested to be a remnant trait from ancestor species. Here we provided information sustaining that high enzyme sequence and overall architecture conservation do not allow high changes in activity, and that differences among species may be more related to number of genes and isoforms, as well as transcriptional and secretion regulation. However, recent evolutionary analyses revealed that positive selection might have also occurred among distant lineages with feeding habits as a selection force. Some biochemical features of decapod α-amylases can be related with habitat or gut conditions, while less clear patterns are observed for other enzyme properties. Likewise, while molt cycle variations in α-amylase activity are rather similar among species, clear relationships between activity and diet shifts through development cannot be always observed. Regarding the adaptation of α-amylase to diet, juveniles seem to exhibit more flexibility than larvae, and it has been described variation in α-amylase activity or number of isoforms due to the source of carbohydrate and its level in diets, especially in omnivore species. In the carnivorous lobster, however, no influence of the type of carbohydrate could be observed. Also, lobsters were not able to fine-regulate α-amylase gene expression in spite of large changes in carbohydrate content of diet, while retaining some capacity to adapt α-amylase activity to very low carbohydrate content in the diets. In this review, we raised arguments for the need of more studies on the α-amylases of less studied decapods groups, including carnivorous species which rely more on dietary protein and lipids, to broad our view of α-amylase in decapods crustaceans.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
László Bartosiewicz ◽  
Erika Gál

AbstractFourteenth–fifteenth century food refuse from the kitchen of the Esztergom archbishopric shows a significant diachronic increase in cyprinid bones, in particular those of carp. Meanwhile, contributions by large acipenserids and carnivorous species (catfish/wels, pike, percids) declined. Contemporaneous account books indirectly suggest that the archbishop’s kitchen must have increasingly relied on farmed carp fish. Sturgeons were a commodity sold by the archbishopric but rarely consumed. Expensive pikes were bought at low prices for the archbishop, possibly related to the small size of individuals found in the deposits. The poor representation of high-status fish is consonant with the scarcity of bones from large game in an assemblage dominated by domesticates. Wild game is represented by brown hare, partridge, and a variety of thrushes. These finds confirm that the foodways in the archbishop’s palace were more modest than expected on the basis of its social status. Increasing contributions by cyprinids and sterlet to the assemblage also coincide with the high relative frequency of their recipes in a sixteenth century cookbook.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-344
Author(s):  
Mario Cesar Sedrez ◽  
Germano Henrique Costa Barrilli ◽  
Evelise Nunes Fragoso de Moura ◽  
João Pedro Barreiros ◽  
Joaquim Olinto Branco ◽  
...  

Shrimp trawling directly impacts target species and non-target species, altering micro-habitats and marine trophic webs. Thus, the objective of the present research was to analyze the feeding habits of Paralonchurus brasiliensis as a tool to evaluate the impact of trawling on the food chains in marine environments, in the South Atlantic of Brazil. One thousand and nineteen stomachs of P. brasiliensis were dissected after being captured as bycatch of shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, in Penha, on the north central coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The number of stomachs was enough to describe the feeding habits of P. brasiliensis, characterizing it as a carnivorous species and predominantly invertivorous. They also revealed that this species has a diversified and constant diet, with greater consumption of polychaetes, crustaceans, and ofiuroides, among other components of the macrobentos, all closely related to the sediment. It was also found that the target species X. kroyeri is not an important prey in the diet of P. brasiliensis, despite occupying the same habitat. According to the present study, P. brasiliensis can be characterized as a demersal-benthic species, predator, opportunistic and broad trophic spectrum. This work contributes to the understanding of trophic chains of the coastal ecosystems, using the P. brasiliensis as a model.


Author(s):  
V. Skiba ◽  
N. Prisyazhnyuk ◽  
O. Volkova ◽  
V. Belyaev ◽  
S. Prishlyak

The aim the study is to determine the temporal parameters of the long-lived radionuclides specific activity decrease in the commercial fish species of the Kaniv Reservoir for the period 1987–2021. Rutilus rutilus, Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Blissa bjoerkna, Abramis brama, Pelecus cultratus (peaceful species) and Esox lucius, Stizostedion lucioperca (carnivorous species) were selected in the middle and lower parts of the reservoir in January 2021 to determine the current levels of radioactive contamination in the representatives of the commercial ichthyofauna of the Kaniv Reservoir. The specific activity of 90Sr and 137Cs was determined in the entire body of fish by conventional radiochemical and gamma-spectrometric methods. The analysis of the dynamic characteristics of the radionuclides content in the representatives of the reservoir ichthyofauna was carried out on the basis of the results of studies of 90Sr and 137Cs content in fish during 1987–2012 and their specific activity in the body in 2021. In 2021, the average specific activity of 90Sr in fish was 0.6–1.6 Bq/kg, 137Cs - 2.4–13.2 Bq/kg. According to the results of previous studies, the average specific content of 90Sr in the fish of the Kaniv Reservoir decreased by approximately 6.5 times - from 60 ± 30 to 9 ± 3 Bq / kg during 1987-1993, and by 2003 it decreased by another 5 times up to 1.8 ± 0.8 Bq / kg and did not exceed the values recorded in freshwater fish in Ukraine before the Chernobyl accident in 1979–1985. Consequently, during the period of 2003–2021 the levels of 90Sr content in fish from the Kaniv Reservoir remained virtually unchanged. Based on the data on 137Cs accumulation in various feeding types fish in the Kaniv Reservoir, time parameters describing a decrease in the element specific activity were determined. During 1987–2021 the rate of decrease in 137Cs content in peaceful and predatory fish did not differ significantly and amounted to 0.10 ± 0.01 year-1, the period of effective half-decrease was 6.7 ± 0.7 years. Analysis of long-term data made it possible to distinguish 2 periods during which the specific activity of 137Cs in the fish organism decreased at different rates. In 1987-2004, 137Cs content levels in peaceful fish decreased from 70 ± 22 to 6.1 ± 2.2 Bq/kg, in carnivorous species - from 202 ± 41 to 19.8 ± 7.6 B/ kg, i.e. approximately by 10–11 times, which corresponds to a half-decrease of about 6 years. In 2004–2021 the element content in peaceful fish decreased to 2.9 ± 0.7 Bq/kg, in predatory fish - to 7.3 ± 4.1 Bq/kg, that is, by another 2–3 times, which corresponds to a half-decrease of 12 ± 3 years. Thus, it was found that the rate of decrease in 137Cs specific activity in fish slows down over time. The obtained parameters will make it possible to predict with a high degree of accuracy the dynamics of the radionuclide contamination formation in ichthyofauna in the event of artificial radionuclides entering aquatic ecosystems as a result of emergency situations. Key words: Kaniv Reservoir, fish, radionuclides, longterm dynamics, rate of decrease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 3760
Author(s):  
Bianca Onita (Mladin) ◽  
Paul Albu ◽  
Hildegard Herman ◽  
Cornel Balta ◽  
Vasile Lazar ◽  
...  

This study assessed the distribution of heavy metals in the gills, kidney, and liver, correlated with the severity of histopathological changes, of three fish species with different feeding habitats (Barbus barbus, Squalius cephalus, and Chondrostoma nasus) from the Crișul Negru river, Romania. The levels of copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in fish tissues were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Histopathology and the expressions of TNF-α and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were investigated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Our data suggest a significant correlation between the bioconcentration level of metals and structural changes. The carnivorous species was the most affected compared to the omnivorous and herbivorous ones, and the most affected organ was the kidney. Moreover, the correlation of tissue damage with the PCNA and TNF-α expression levels revealed that the herbivorous species presented less extended lesions, likely due to higher activated repair mechanisms and lower levels of inflammation. In conclusion, our data and the subsequent statistical analysis suggest that feeding behavior could be correlated with the histopathological alterations and might be used for a more profound evaluation of aquatic environment safety and analysis of aquatic ecosystems.


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