Surveying for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans presence in Spanish captive collections of amphibians

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 99-103
Author(s):  
D Lastra González ◽  
V Baláž ◽  
P Chajma ◽  
J Vojar
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Dynamic Environments ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Fatal Disease ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a pathogenic fungus causing the fatal disease chytridiomycosis in amphibians, was likely introduced to Europe through the trade in pet salamanders from Asia and then escaped into wild populations. Among European countries, Spain has a large number of private breeders and keepers of pet salamanders, and cases of Bsal in wild and captive populations already have been confirmed there. However, surveillance for the pathogen in Spanish collections of amphibians is sparse. Therefore, assisted by private owners and breeders, we surveyed 10 amphibian collections and analysed a total of 317 samples for presence of Bsal. All of our analyses yielded negative results. However, this apparent lack of Bsal cases in captivity should not encourage relaxation of vigilance, quarantine efforts or good practices. Because amphibian collections represent highly dynamic environments (animals are coming in and out), the pathogen could easily be introduced into a collection by new individuals. Any case of Bsal infection in captive animals could lead to its further spread to wild populations of susceptible species, potentially decimating them, and thus should be prevented.

scholarly journals High Prevalence of Novel Beak and Feather Disease Virus in Sympatric Invasive Parakeets Introduced to Spain From Asia and South America

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Francisco Morinha ◽  
Martina Carrete ◽  
José L. Tella ◽  
Guillermo Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Disease Virus ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Disease Symptoms ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus ◽  
Psittacula Krameri ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Parrot Species ◽  
Feather Disease Virus

The psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a globally widespread infectious bird disease that mainly affects species within the Order Psittaciformes (parrots and allies). The disease is caused by an avian circovirus (the beak and feather disease virus, BFDV), which is highly infectious and can lead to severe consequences in wild and captive populations during an outbreak. Both legal and illegal trading have spread the BFDV around the world, although little is known about its prevalence in invasive parrot populations. Here, we analyze the BFDV prevalence in sympatric invasive populations of rose-ringed (Psittacula krameri) and monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) in Southern Spain. We PCR-screened 110 blood samples (55 individuals from each species) for BFDV and characterized the genotypes of five positives from each species. About 33% of rose-ringed parakeets and 37% of monk parakeets sampled were positive for BFDV, while neither species showed disease symptoms. The circovirus identified is a novel BFDV genotype common to both species, similar to the BFDV genotypes detected in several parrot species kept in captivity in Saudi Arabia, South Africa and China. Our data evidences the importance of an accurate evaluation of avian diseases in wild populations, since invasive parrots may be bringing BFDV without showing any visually detectable clinical sign. Further research on the BFDV prevalence and transmission (individual–individual, captive–wild and wild–captive) in different bird orders and countries is crucial to understand the dynamics of the viral infection and minimize its impact in captive and wild populations.

scholarly journals Demographic and genetic factors in the recovery or demise ofex situpopulations following a severe bottleneck in fifteen species of Hawaiian tree snails

PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Price ◽  
David Sischo ◽  
Mark-Anthony Pascua ◽  
Michael G. Hadfield
Keyword(s):  
Life History Traits ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Term Data

Wild populations of endangered Hawaiian tree snails have declined precipitously over the last century due to introduced predators and other human impacts. Life history traits, such as very low fecundity (<5 offspring per year across taxa) and maturity at approximately four years of age have made recovery difficult. Conservation efforts such asin situpredator-free enclosures may increase survival to maturity by protecting offspring from predation, but no long-term data existed prior to this study demonstrating the demographic and genetic parameters necessary to maintain populations within those enclosures. We evaluated over 20 years of evidence for the dynamics of survival and extinction in captiveex situpopulations of Hawaiian tree snails established from wild-collected individuals. From 1991 to 2006, small numbers of snails (<15) from fifteen species were collected from the wild to initiate captive-reared populations as a hedge against extinction. This small number of founders resulted in a severe bottleneck in each of the captive-reared populations. We identified key demographic parameters that predicted population recovery from this bottleneck. Species with captive populations that produced between two and four offspring per adult per year and had 20–50% of those offspring survive to maturity recovered to numbers above 100 individuals, and maintained viable populations following a decline that occurred between 2009 and 2014. Those populations that had less than two offspring per adult per year and less than 20% survival to maturity did not reach 100 individuals in captivity, and many of these populations died out during the recent decline. We suggest that small reductions in fitness may contribute to extirpation in taxa with inherently low fecundity, by keeping populations below a threshold number essential to long-term recovery. Futureex situpopulations should be founded with no less than 15 adults, and maintained in conditions closely approximating the temperature and humidity of source locations to optimize fitness. Permanent translocations of wild populations for conservation purposes will be more likely to succeed with greater than 100 adults, and should be limited to locations with a similar climate to source locations.

scholarly journals Cranial morphology of captive mammals: a meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Siciliano-Martina ◽  
Jessica E. Light ◽  
A. Michelle Lawing
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Cranial Morphology ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Skull Length ◽  
Dietary Breadth ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity

Abstract Background Captive facilities such as zoos are uniquely instrumental in conservation efforts. To fulfill their potential as bastions for conservation, zoos must preserve captive populations as appropriate proxies for their wild conspecifics; doing so will help to promote successful reintroduction efforts. Morphological changes within captive populations may be detrimental to the fitness of individual animals because these changes can influence functionality; thus, it is imperative to understand the breadth and depth of morphological changes occurring in captive populations. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of scientific literature reporting comparisons of cranial measures between captive and wild populations of mammals. We investigate the pervasiveness of cranial differences and whether cranial morphological changes are associated with ecological covariates specific to individual species, such as trophic level, dietary breadth, and home range size. Results Cranial measures of skull length, skull width, and the ratio of skull length-to-width differed significantly between many captive and wild populations of mammals reported in the literature. Roughly half of captive populations differed from wild populations in at least one cranial measure, although the degree of changes varied. Carnivorous species with a limited dietary breadth displayed the most consistent changes associated with skull widening. Species with a more generalized diet displayed less morphological changes in captivity. Conclusions Wild and captive populations of mammals differed in cranial morphology, but the nature and magnitude of their cranial differences varied considerably across taxa. Although changes in cranial morphology occur in captivity, specific changes cannot be generalized for all captive mammal populations. The nature of cranial changes in captivity may be specific to particular taxonomic groups; thus, it may be possible to establish expectations across smaller taxonomic units, or even disparate groups that utilize their cranial morphology in a similar way. Given that morphological changes occurring in captive environments like zoos have the potential to limit reintroduction success, our results call for a critical evaluation of current captive husbandry practices to prevent unnecessary morphological changes.

scholarly journals Selection of optimal spawning pairs to maintain genetic variation among captive populations of Acipenseridae based on the polymorphism of microsatellite loci

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Kaczmarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Computer Program ◽  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Fish Farm ◽  
Actual Data ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract The American paddlefish, Polyodon spathula (Walbaum), is an endangered acipenserid fish. Its wild populations are supplemented with stocking material that is obtained by conducting artificial spawning in aquaculture conditions. When fish are bred in captivity, it is important to select breeding pairs that will produce the most genetically diverse progeny, since this permits maintaining the fitness of wild populations. Breeding pairs of land animals are selected successfully based on the polymorphism of their microsatellite loci. This theoretical paper asks how to adapt this technique to fish so that American paddlefish spawners can be paired with the aim of producing restocking material in aquaculture that maintains genetic variation. To test our calculating techniques, we used actual data on the polymorphism of the microsatellites from paddlefish broodstock at the Pogorze fish farm (Poland). The data enabled us to do calculations that showed which spawner pairs would create the most genetically diverse offspring and how to assemble sets of spawning pairs that would be best for maintaining genetic variation. The method presented in this paper can be used for breeding fish in aquaculture to help conserve species. It could also be used in a computer program which would automate calculations and present them in easy-to-read tables and graphs.

DETECTION OF XENOBIOTIC SUBSTANCES IN MUTE SWANS’ (CYGNUS OLOR) BLOOD

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta STANKEVIČIŪTĖ ◽  
Solveiga Marija BARKAUSKAITĖ ◽  
Gediminas BRAZAITIS
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Wild Animal ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Cygnus Olor ◽  
Ecological Scale ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Mute Swans

During recent years the attention towards the effects of xenobiotic substances on wild nature has been steadily increasing. Literature reviews have revealed that active hormone-disintegrating substances might affect the reproduction of some wild animal species. Research shows anomalies of reproduction and development in various animal groups such as birds, fish, invertebrates and reptiles. Species inhabiting water and its surroundings cause the highest concern. Due to insufficient baseline information it is difficult to determine the extent of the problem in these wild populations on an ecological scale. The research described in this article is the first attempt to analyse xenobiotic substances and evaluate possible accumulation of pharmaceuticals in animals higher up in the food chain in Lithuania. This research tests new methods for to analyse for xenobiotics substances, which might be used in the future. Blood samples of 7 swans were examined using liquid chromatography, however, no xenobiotics were detected. Negative results do not eliminate the necessity for further investigate of larger samples, other species or to search for non-pharmaceutical xenobiotics.

scholarly journals Pattern and pace of morphological change due to variable human impact: the case of Japanese macaques

Primates ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Geiger
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Japanese Macaques ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Skull Shape ◽  
Rates Of Change ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity

AbstractHuman impact influences morphological variation in animals, as documented in many captive and domestic animal populations. However, there are different levels of human impact, and their influence on the pattern and rate of morphological variation remains unclear. This study contributes to the ongoing debate via the examination of cranial and mandibular shape and size variation and pace of change in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). This species is ideal for tackling such questions because different wild, wild-provisioned, and captive populations have been monitored and collected over seven decades. Linear measurements were taken on 70 skulls from five populations, grouped into three ‘human impact groups’ (wild, wild-provisioned, and captive). This made it possible to investigate the pattern and pace of skull form changes among the human impact groups as well as over time within the populations. It was found that the overall skull shape tends to differ among the human impact groups, with captive macaques having relatively longer rostra than wild ones. Whether these differences are a result of geographic variation or variable human impact, related to nutritional supply and mechanical properties of the diet, is unclear. However, this pattern of directed changes did not seem to hold when the single captive populations were examined in detail. Although environmental conditions have probably been similar for the two examined captive populations (same captive locality), skull shape changes over the first generations in captivity were mostly different. This varying pattern, together with a consistent decrease in body size in the captive populations over generations, points to genetic drift playing a role in shaping skull shape and body size in captivity. In the captive groups investigated here, the rates of change were found to be high compared to literature records from settings featuring different degrees of human impact in different species, although they still lie in the range of field studies in a natural context. This adds to the view that human impact might not necessarily lead to particularly fast rates of change.

scholarly journals Habitat and social context affect memory phenotype, exploration and covariance among these traits

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1756) ◽  
pp. 20170291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dalesman
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Specific Trait ◽  
Context Specific

Individual differences in cognitive ability are predicted to covary with other behavioural traits such as exploration and boldness. Selection within different habitats may act to either enhance or break down covariance among traits; alternatively, changing the environmental context in which traits are assessed may result in plasticity that alters trait covariance. Pond snails, Lymnaea stagnalis , from two laboratory strains (more than 20 generations in captivity) and F1 laboratory reared from six wild populations were tested for long-term memory and exploration traits (speed and thigmotaxis) following maintenance in grouped and isolated conditions to determine if isolation: (i) alters memory and exploration; and (ii) alters covariance between memory and exploration. Populations that demonstrated strong memory formation (longer duration) under grouped conditions demonstrated weaker memory formation and reduced both speed and thigmotaxis following isolation. In wild populations, snails showed no relationship between memory and exploration in grouped conditions; however, following isolation, exploration behaviour was negatively correlated with memory, i.e. slow-explorers showing low levels of thigmotaxis formed stronger memories. Laboratory strains demonstrated no covariance among exploration traits and memory independent of context. Together these data demonstrate that the relationship between cognition and exploration traits can depend on both habitat and context-specific trait plasticity. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities’.

scholarly journals Long-term trends in wild-capture and population dynamics point to an uncertain future for captive elephants

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1899) ◽  
pp. 20182810 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Jackson ◽  
Dylan Z. Childs ◽  
Khyne U. Mar ◽  
Win Htut ◽  
Virpi Lummaa
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Birth Rates ◽  
As Species ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Elephant Population ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
Uncertain Future ◽  
Primary Focus

Maintaining sustainable populations in captivity without supplementation through wild-capture is a major challenge in conservation that zoos and aquaria are working towards. However, the capture of wild animals continues for many purposes where conservation is not the primary focus. Wild-capture hinders long-term conservation goals by reducing remaining wild populations, but the direct and long-term indirect consequences of wild-capture for captive population viability are rarely addressed using longitudinal data. We explored the implications of changes in wild-capture on population dynamics in captivity over 54 years using a multi-generational studbook of working Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ) from Myanmar, the largest remaining captive elephant population. Here we show that population growth and birth rates declined between 1960 and 2014 with declines in wild-capture. Importantly, wild-caught females had reduced birth rates and a higher mortality risk. However, despite the disadvantages of wild-capture, the population may not be sustainable without it, with immediate declines owing to an unstable age-structure that may last for 50 years. Our results highlight the need to assess the long-term demographic consequences of wild-capture to ensure the sustainability of captive and wild populations as species are increasingly managed and conserved in altered or novel environments.

scholarly journals Capture from the wild has long-term costs on reproductive success in Asian elephants

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1912) ◽  
pp. 20191584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirkka Lahdenperä ◽  
John Jackson ◽  
Win Htut ◽  
Virpi Lummaa
Keyword(s):  
Elephas Maximus ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Asian Elephants ◽  
Lifetime Fitness ◽  
Life History Data ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Fitness Measures ◽  
Long Term Consequences

Capturing wild animals is common for conservation, economic or research purposes. Understanding how capture itself affects lifetime fitness measures is often difficult because wild and captive populations live in very different environments and there is a need for long-term life-history data. Here, we show how wild capture influences reproduction in 2685 female Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ) used in the timber industry in Myanmar. Wild-caught females demonstrated a consistent reduction in breeding success relative to captive-born females, with significantly lower lifetime reproduction probabilities, lower breeding probabilities at peak reproductive ages and a later age of first reproduction. Furthermore, these negative effects lasted for over a decade, and there was a significant influence on the next generation: wild-caught females had calves with reduced survival to age 5. Our results suggest that wild capture has long-term consequences for reproduction, which is important not only for elephants, but also for other species in captivity.

scholarly journals Somewhat saved: a captive breeding programme for two endemic Christmas Island lizard species, now extinct in the wild

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Andrew ◽  
Hal Cogger ◽  
Don Driscoll ◽  
Samantha Flakus ◽  
Peter Harlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Breeding Programme ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Christmas Island ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Captive Breeding Programme ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

AbstractAs with many islands, Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean has suffered severe biodiversity loss. Its terrestrial lizard fauna comprised five native species, of which four were endemic. These were abundant until at least the late 1970s, but four species declined rapidly thereafter and were last reported in the wild between 2009 and 2013. In response to the decline, a captive breeding programme was established in August 2009. This attempt came too late for the Christmas Island forest skink Emoia nativitatis, whose last known individual died in captivity in 2014, and for the non-endemic coastal skink Emoia atrocostata. However, two captive populations are now established for Lister's gecko Lepidodactylus listeri and the blue-tailed skink Cryptoblepharus egeriae. The conservation future for these two species is challenging: reintroduction will not be possible until the main threats are identified and controlled.

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