Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca
An endoparasitic survey of wild rodent populations of two islands, namely Pulau Langkawi and Pulau Jarak, was conducted to determine their biodiversity. Of the total of 13 rats captured, only one rat was trapped from Pulau Jarak. All rodents were identified and examined for endoparasites. These repr...
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Faculty of Science, University of Malaya
2008
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author | Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena |
author_facet | Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena |
author_sort | Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena |
collection | UM |
description | An endoparasitic survey of wild rodent populations of two islands, namely Pulau Langkawi and Pulau Jarak, was conducted to determine their biodiversity. Of the total of 13 rats captured, only one rat was trapped from Pulau Jarak. All rodents were identified and examined for endoparasites. These represented three commensal rodent species (Rattus tiomanicus, Rattus rattus diardii, and Rattus exulans), with R. tiomanicus being the most dominant species (84.3%) with the number of males (58.3%) captured being higher than females (41.7%). The rats were analyzed for parasite incidence, prevalence and intensity. The single rodent captured from Pulau Jarak was free from endoparasite infection. Post-mortem examination found high levels of endoparasitic infection in the hosts captured in Pulau Langkawi with the highest incidence in the small intestine, followed by caecum and stomach. Overall, the study showed high prevalence of multiple species of Heligmonellidae (100%) and only one cestode species (Rodentolepis nana). The endoparasite population was also found to be uniquely low in diversity. This study also showed that the present distribution of the rodent population in Langkawi is characteristic of a disturbed habitat and can be attributed to ongoing human activities in the surrounding area. This study provides a much needed baseline for the ecology of a disturbed island habitat. Further studies will shed light on the ecological interactions that influence the endoparasitic population of commensal rodents in the Langkawi archipelago. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-06T05:12:37Z |
format | Article |
id | um.eprints-4671 |
institution | Universiti Malaya |
last_indexed | 2024-03-06T05:12:37Z |
publishDate | 2008 |
publisher | Faculty of Science, University of Malaya |
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spelling | um.eprints-46712021-04-28T06:39:11Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/4671/ Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena QH301 Biology An endoparasitic survey of wild rodent populations of two islands, namely Pulau Langkawi and Pulau Jarak, was conducted to determine their biodiversity. Of the total of 13 rats captured, only one rat was trapped from Pulau Jarak. All rodents were identified and examined for endoparasites. These represented three commensal rodent species (Rattus tiomanicus, Rattus rattus diardii, and Rattus exulans), with R. tiomanicus being the most dominant species (84.3%) with the number of males (58.3%) captured being higher than females (41.7%). The rats were analyzed for parasite incidence, prevalence and intensity. The single rodent captured from Pulau Jarak was free from endoparasite infection. Post-mortem examination found high levels of endoparasitic infection in the hosts captured in Pulau Langkawi with the highest incidence in the small intestine, followed by caecum and stomach. Overall, the study showed high prevalence of multiple species of Heligmonellidae (100%) and only one cestode species (Rodentolepis nana). The endoparasite population was also found to be uniquely low in diversity. This study also showed that the present distribution of the rodent population in Langkawi is characteristic of a disturbed habitat and can be attributed to ongoing human activities in the surrounding area. This study provides a much needed baseline for the ecology of a disturbed island habitat. Further studies will shed light on the ecological interactions that influence the endoparasitic population of commensal rodents in the Langkawi archipelago. Faculty of Science, University of Malaya 2008 Article PeerReviewed Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena (2008) Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca. Malaysian Journal of Science, 27 (3). pp. 123-127. ISSN 1394-3065, http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-73249147093&partnerID=40&md5=5958a9f0fc212c131f3f07ebe8e2b1b3 |
spellingShingle | QH301 Biology Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca |
title | Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca |
title_full | Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca |
title_fullStr | Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca |
title_full_unstemmed | Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca |
title_short | Endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of Malacca |
title_sort | endoparasites of rodents in two islands of the straits of malacca |
topic | QH301 Biology |
work_keys_str_mv | AT mohdzainsitinursheena endoparasitesofrodentsintwoislandsofthestraitsofmalacca |