Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species?
Information concerning factors regulating Alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis) populations such as host-parasite interactions is missing as only a few parasitological surveys exist of this subspecies. Parasites are not only dependent on their host but also on suitable environmental conditio...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2019-08-01
|
| Series: | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224419300501 |
| _version_ | 1818910409020669952 |
|---|---|
| author | Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun Annika Posautz Paulo C. Alves Klaus Hackländer |
| author_facet | Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun Annika Posautz Paulo C. Alves Klaus Hackländer |
| author_sort | Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Information concerning factors regulating Alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis) populations such as host-parasite interactions is missing as only a few parasitological surveys exist of this subspecies. Parasites are not only dependent on their host but also on suitable environmental conditions for infestation. Abiotic environmental factors have an important regulating role on parasites in mammals. It is estimated that the elevation range of parasites is likely to shift in response to alternate host movement and changes in climate. Here we assess the parasitic infestation in the Alpine mountain hare by analysing the parasites in faeces and comparing the parasite infestation at different elevation ranges and at varied weather conditions for two years in the Austrian Alps. Almost half of the faecal samples were free of parasites (46.2%, n = 52). Most frequent was the infection by Coccidia (46.2%), whereas stomach intestine strongylids, Trichuris spp, and Cestoda were only found in 9.6% of all faeces. Hence, only Coccidia may be prevalent enough to regulate Alpine mountain hare populations in the Austrian Alps. Elevation had a significant positive effect on the infection of animals by Trichuris spp, whereas temperature had a significant negative effect on the infection by any parasite traceable in faeces and, when looking at the parasite groups individually, on Coccidia. Keywords: Lagomorpha, Parasitism, Parasite fauna, Polyparasitism, Parasitic incidence |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:42:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b7221d5fde24f9bac0ab0a851976ce0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2213-2244 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:42:20Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b7221d5fde24f9bac0ab0a851976ce02022-12-21T20:03:01ZengElsevierInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife2213-22442019-08-019202208Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species?Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun0Annika Posautz1Paulo C. Alves2Klaus Hackländer3Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria; Corresponding author.Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria.Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalInstitute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, AustriaInformation concerning factors regulating Alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis) populations such as host-parasite interactions is missing as only a few parasitological surveys exist of this subspecies. Parasites are not only dependent on their host but also on suitable environmental conditions for infestation. Abiotic environmental factors have an important regulating role on parasites in mammals. It is estimated that the elevation range of parasites is likely to shift in response to alternate host movement and changes in climate. Here we assess the parasitic infestation in the Alpine mountain hare by analysing the parasites in faeces and comparing the parasite infestation at different elevation ranges and at varied weather conditions for two years in the Austrian Alps. Almost half of the faecal samples were free of parasites (46.2%, n = 52). Most frequent was the infection by Coccidia (46.2%), whereas stomach intestine strongylids, Trichuris spp, and Cestoda were only found in 9.6% of all faeces. Hence, only Coccidia may be prevalent enough to regulate Alpine mountain hare populations in the Austrian Alps. Elevation had a significant positive effect on the infection of animals by Trichuris spp, whereas temperature had a significant negative effect on the infection by any parasite traceable in faeces and, when looking at the parasite groups individually, on Coccidia. Keywords: Lagomorpha, Parasitism, Parasite fauna, Polyparasitism, Parasitic incidencehttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224419300501 |
| spellingShingle | Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun Annika Posautz Paulo C. Alves Klaus Hackländer Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species? International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| title | Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species? |
| title_full | Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species? |
| title_fullStr | Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species? |
| title_short | Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species? |
| title_sort | gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare lepus timidus varronis are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224419300501 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stephaniecschaibraun gastrointestinalparasiteinfestationinthealpinemountainharelepustimidusvarronisareabioticenvironmentalfactorssuchaselevationtemperatureandprecipitationaffectingprevalenceofparasitespecies AT annikaposautz gastrointestinalparasiteinfestationinthealpinemountainharelepustimidusvarronisareabioticenvironmentalfactorssuchaselevationtemperatureandprecipitationaffectingprevalenceofparasitespecies AT paulocalves gastrointestinalparasiteinfestationinthealpinemountainharelepustimidusvarronisareabioticenvironmentalfactorssuchaselevationtemperatureandprecipitationaffectingprevalenceofparasitespecies AT klaushacklander gastrointestinalparasiteinfestationinthealpinemountainharelepustimidusvarronisareabioticenvironmentalfactorssuchaselevationtemperatureandprecipitationaffectingprevalenceofparasitespecies |