Recovery of southern bent-winged bats (Miniopterus orianae bassanii) after PIT-tagging and the use of surgical adhesive

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Emmi van Harten ◽  
Terry Reardon ◽  
Peter H. Holz ◽  
Ruth Lawrence ◽  
Thomas A. A. Prowse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injection Site ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Skin Irritation ◽  
Pit Tags ◽  
Surgical Adhesive ◽  
Good Body Condition ◽  
Pit Tagging ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Study Species

Surgical adhesive is widely used to prevent shedding of injected PIT-tags, but the effect of this adhesive on individuals has not been documented. We recaptured 52 southern bent-winged bats up to 741 days after PIT-tagging. All recaptured individuals were in good body condition, with no signs of infection or skin irritation; however, temporary fur loss occurred at the injection site. We advocate that researchers consider the impact this may have on study species, particularly when PIT-tagging small mammals during cooler months.

scholarly journals The impact of PIT tags on the growth and survival of pythons is insignificant in randomised controlled trial

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11531
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Taggart ◽  
Stephen Morris ◽  
Charles G.B. Caraguel
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
Pit Tags ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Pit Tagging ◽  
The Impact

Individual identification is fundamental to the study of captive and wild animals but can have adverse impacts if the method of identification is inappropriate for the species or question of interest. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to test whether passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags reduced the growth or survival of pythons. We randomly allocated 200 captive-bred Burmese python (Python bivittatus) hatchlings into two groups, tagged versus untagged. Hatchlings were individually identified using a combination of PIT tags and unique colour patterns, and their mass, snout-vent length (SVL) and body condition measured at 9, 73, 134, 220, 292 and 385 days of age. We recorded the date of all mortalities. Python morphometrics and their rate of change increased or fluctuated non-linearly with age. The impact of PIT tagging on python body mass and body mass growth over the 376 day study period was insignificant. PIT tagging additionally had an insignificant impact on python survival. However, we found minor differences in SVL growth between tagged and untagged pythons. These differences peaked at approximately 0.5 mm/day and appeared to drive similar, but more pronounced, differences between tagged and untagged pythons in their rate of change in body condition; peaking at approximately 3–4 g/day. While we cannot be certain that these small differences are, or are not, biologically meaningful, they nonetheless appear to be short-term and readily resolved. Unsurprisingly, the strongest driver of python growth was their age, with growth rapidly increasing or highest amongst younger snakes for all measures of size. Python sex was associated with their body mass and survival, with higher mass but lower survival amongst females. Python size at hatching did not impact on their growth or survival. Our results confirm that PIT tags are a valuable and effective tool for the identification and tracking of captive pythons, and snakes generally, and meet high safety and animal welfare standards.

scholarly journals Preventive Hoof Trimming and Animal-Based Welfare Measures Influence the Time to First Lameness Event and Hoof Lesion Prevalence in Dairy Cows

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed B. Sadiq ◽  
Siti Z. Ramanoon ◽  
Wan Mastura M. Shaik Mossadeq ◽  
Rozaihan Mansor ◽  
Sharifah S. Syed-Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Preventive Strategy ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Good Body Condition ◽  
Hoof Lesions ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Welfare Measures ◽  
The Impact

Background: The objectives of this study were to, (1) investigate the impact of the Dutch five-step hoof trimming (HT) technique on time to lameness and hoof lesion prevalence in grazing (GR) and non-grazing (NGR) dairy cows, and (2) determine the association between potential benefits of HT and animal-based welfare measures during lactation. A total of 520 non-lame cows without hoof lesions from 5 dairy farms (GR = 2, NGR = 3) were enrolled at early (within 30 days in milk; DIM) and late lactation (above 200 DIM), and randomly allocated to either trimmed (HGR or HNGR) or control groups (CON-GR and CON-NGR). Locomotion scores, body condition, hock condition, leg hygiene, and hoof health were assessed at monthly intervals until the following 270 days in milk. The data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, multivariable Cox, and logistic regression models. The overall incidence rate of lameness was 36.2 cases/100 cows/month, with corresponding rates of 27.4, 31.9, 48.4, and 45.8 cases/100 cows/month in HGR, HNGR, CON-GR, and CON-NGR, respectively. Time to first lameness event was significantly higher in HGR (mean ± S.E; 8.12 ± 0.15) compared to CON-GR (7.36 ± 0.26), and in HNGR (8.05 ± 0.16) compared to CON-NGR (7.39 ± 0.23). The prevalence of hoof lesions in the enrolled cows was 36.9%, with a higher occurrence in CON-GR (48.8%) than HGR (23.2%), and in CON-NGR (52.6%) compared to HNGR (32.2%). The majority of hoof lesions were non-infectious in grazing (HGR vs. CON-GR; 21.3 vs. 33.3%) and non-grazing herds (HNGR vs. CON-NGR; 25.0 vs. 40.4%). The risk of lameness was higher in underconditioned cows (Hazard ratio; HR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.2–7.4), presence of hoof lesion (HR = 33.1, 95% CI 17.6–62.5), and there was variation between farms. Aside HT, lower parity (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.8), normal hock condition (OR = 0.06; 95% 0.01–0.29), and absence of overgrown hoof (OR = 0.4; 95% 0.2–0.7) were protective against non-infectious hoof lesions. Functional HT is beneficial as a lameness preventive strategy during lactation; however, ensuring older cows are in good body condition and free from hock injuries are equally important.

scholarly journals Association of body condition with lameness in dairy cattle: a single-farm longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Michaela Kranepuhl ◽  
Detlef May ◽  
Edna Hillmann ◽  
Lorenz Gygax
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Mixed Effects Models ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects Models ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This research communication describes the relationship between the occurrence of lameness and body condition score (BCS) in a sample of 288 cows from a single farm that were repeatedly scored in the course of 9 months while controlling for confounding variables. The relationship between BCS and lameness was evaluated using generalised linear mixed-effects models. It was found that the proportion of lame cows was higher with decreasing but also with increasing BCS, increased with lactation number and decreased with time since the last claw trimming. This is likely to reflect the importance of sufficient body condition in the prevention of lameness but also raises the question of the impact of overcondition on lameness and the influence of claw trimming events on the assessment of lameness. A stronger focus on BCS might allow improved management of lameness that is still one of the major problems in housed cows.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Ovine Haemonchosis in Wukro, Ethiopia

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidya Gebresilassie ◽  
Berihun Afera Tadele
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Haemonchus Contortus ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Good Body Condition ◽  
Associated Risk Factors ◽  
Female Sheep ◽  
Important Disease

Background.Haemonchosiscaused byHaemonchus contortusis a predominant, highly pathogenic, and economically important disease of sheep and goats.Objective. Assessing the prevalence ofHaemonchusparasite and its associated risk factors in sheep slaughtered at different restaurants of Wukro.Methods. Cross-sectional study using random sampling from November 2013 to April 2014 in a total of 384 sheep was conducted and SPSS version 20 software using descriptive statistics was used for data analysis andP<0.05was considered significant.Result. The overall prevalence ofHaemonchus contortuswas 40.9% (n=157). The prevalence in medium body condition 27.3% (n=105) varies significantly from that of good body condition 13.5% (n=52) (P<0.05). Moreover, there was significant variation (P<0.05) in the prevalence in young and adult sheep with rates of 21.9% (n=84) and 19% (n=73), respectively. At the same time, there is significant variation (P<0.05) in male and female sheep with prevalence of 29.7% (n=114) and 11.2% (n=43), respectively. The prevalence of 25.3% (n=97) in sheep that originated from Negash compared to Wukro and Agulae showed no significant variation (P>0.05).Conclusion. The current finding revealed that significant numbers of sheep were affected by the parasites. Hence strategic deworming with good husbandry practice should be implemented.

Assessing the Impact of Competition on Community Assembly: A Case Study using Small Mammals

Ecology ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 1283-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Kelt ◽  
Mark L. Taper ◽  
Peter L. Meserve
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Can Body Condition and Somatic Indices be Used to Evaluate Metal-Induced Stress in Wild Small Mammals?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. e66399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Tête ◽  
Clémentine Fritsch ◽  
Eve Afonso ◽  
Michaël Coeurdassier ◽  
Jean-Claude Lambert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Induced Stress

scholarly journals Is a 10-sow unit economically sustainable? A profitability assessment of productivity amongst small-holder pig farmers, Mpumalanga, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla Munzhelele ◽  
James W. Oguttu ◽  
Folorunso O. Fasina
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scale Reduction ◽  
Good Body Condition ◽  
Commercial Feeds ◽  
Small Holder ◽  
Profitability Assessment ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The majority of small-holder pig farmers in Mpumalanga had between 1- and 10-sow herds. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the current government agricultural intervention (supply of 10 sows and a boar) in terms of technical and economic feasibilities and ascertain whether the small-scale pig value chain system alleviates poverty. Data were obtained from 220 randomly selected small-holder pig farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that 58% farrowed ≤ 10 piglets/born/sow/litter, 44.2% practiced no weaning method and many fed swill and leftovers alone (41.6%). Pair-wise association revealed that the feeding of commercial feeds had a relationship with pigs in relatively good to very good body condition. Pigs in poor body condition were positively correlated with the feeding of swill alone. The economic models for the 10-sow unit proved that pig farming is unprofitable if the current management and feeding systems that operate in the commercial industry are utilised. However, only through a combination of cooperative systems, benefits of economies of scale, reduction of preweaning mortalities and structured government inputs can pig production be profitable at this scale of production.Keywords: piglets; market; profit; economics; feeds

scholarly journals Plant Succession, Ecological Restoration and the Skinks of Stephens Island / Takapourewa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cielle Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Plant Succession ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Thermal Range ◽  
Tail Loss ◽  
The North ◽  
Occupancy Rates ◽  
The Impact

Ecological restoration often involves revegetation. I have investigated the impact of revegetation on the distribution, abundance and body condition of skinks on Stephens Island (Takapourewa). I tested the prediction that only one, Oligosoma infrapunctatum, of the four skink species (Oligosoma lineoocellatum, O. nigriplantare polychroma, O. infrapunctatum andO. zelandicum) will benefit in terms of abundance and distribution from revegetation. Stephens Island is a Wildlife Sanctuary in the north-western Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The island is known for its diverse and abundant reptile community. Prior to the mid 19th century Stephens Island was covered in forest. Nearly 80% of this forest was destroyed following the establishment of a lighthouse and farm on the island in 1894. In 1989, when the control of Stephens Island passed to the Department of Conservation, reforestation became a key conservation goal. Stephens Island is currently a mosaic of different habitat types from pasture to coastal forest. Pitfall traps caught skinks for a mark-recapture study in four replicated habitat types: forest, tussock, pasture and replanted.<br><br>Oligosoma lineoocellatum comprised 75% of all individuals caught. Densities of O. lineoocellatum were higher in replanted habitat (3020/ha in December and 3770/ha in March) than tussock (2690/ha in December and 2560/ha in March) and lowest in the pasture (1740/hain December and 1960/ha in March). Rates of captures were too low to perform density estimates for the other three species. Trap occupancy rates indicate O. nigriplantare polychroma is more common in the tussock habitat, and O. infrapunctatum is more common in the replanted habitat. Few O. zelandicum were found, primarily in the tussock habitat. Pasture areas replanted 13 years ago (now scrub habitat) support a higher diversity and abundance of skinks. Forest areas remain depauperate of skinks. Skink preference for replanted areas suggests that, for now, revegetation benefits their populations, possibly due to greater food sources, lower predation pressure and a wider thermal range.<br><br>Body condition (log weight/ log snout-vent length) and proportion of tail loss of skinks were similar in the different habitat types. However, both O. nigriplantare polychroma and O.lineoocellatum had higher body condition in the replanted than the tussock habitat. Juvenile skinks had significantly lower body condition and a lower proportion of tail loss. Skink body condition was not negatively affected by revegetation or by different habitats, despite the large differences between the habitats. Revegetation currently benefits skink populations. Maintaining a mosaic of habitat types is recommended, because, should revegetation create more forest habitat through plantations or plant succession, it is likely that the population of all four species of skink will decline.<br>

scholarly journals The Effect of Fire on Bird and Small Mammal Communities in the Grasslands of Wind Cave National Park

1983 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 95-99
Author(s):  
Jon Forde ◽  
Norman Sloan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
National Park ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Management Recommendations ◽  
Mammal Communities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prairie Vegetation

Specifically, the objectives of this research project were to: 1) Census burned and unburned grassland areas for breeding populations of birds and small mammals. Population censuses have been made on areas prescribed burned between 1973 and 1978 as well as the areas burned in the spring of 1981; 2) Analyze study transect vegetation to determine the impact of burning treatments on prairie vegetation and its relationship to bird and small mammal densities; 3) Provide usable management recommendations that will aid not only in vegetation maintenance but also with the animal populations associated with the grasslands.

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