A survey of helminths of polar bears in the Russian Arctic

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-168
Author(s):  
Olga P. Kurnosova ◽  
Alexander V. Khrustalev ◽  
Natalya A. Illarionova ◽  
Irina M. Odoevskaya

The polar bear Ursus maritimus is a circumpolar species classified as vulnerable and included in the IUCN Red List. It is considered to be practically free of helminth parasites with the only species reported being Trichinella spiralis s. l. Samples of feces were collected on Chukotka coast, Wrangel Island and on ice floes in the Kara, Laptev and Chukchi seas in 2013-2015 in different seasons of the year. Coprological diagnostics was carried out using the standard flotation and sedimentation methods. In the samples collected in the snow-free period, a single sample (3.7%) was found to contain eggs of the nematode Toxascaris sp. In three out of 9 samples collected in the winter, eggs of a cestode Diphyllobothrium sp., of unidentified trematodes (presumably Heterophyidae) and of the strongylid nematode Uncinaria stenocephala were found as well as the first stage nematode larvae tentatively identified as Crenosoma sp. Viable Trichinella nativa larvae were recovered from the muscles of a female animal from north of Yakutia.

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Germán Garrote ◽  
Beyker Castañeda ◽  
Jose Manuel Escobar ◽  
Laura Pérez ◽  
Brayan Marín ◽  
...  

Abstract The giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis, categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, was once widely distributed throughout South America. By the middle of the 20th century the giant otter had become locally extinct along the main rivers of the Orinoco basin. Although some populations seem to have recovered, the paucity of information available does not permit a full evaluation of the species' conservation status. The objective of this study was to estimate the abundance and density of the giant otter population along the Orinoco river in the municipality of Puerto Carreño, Vichada, Colombia, where there is important commercial and recreational fishing. Thirty-nine linear km were surveyed, repeatedly, with a total of 315 km of surveys. Population size was estimated by direct counts of individuals. All individuals detected were photographed and identified individually from their throat pelage patterns. In total, 30 otters were identified, giving a minimum density of 0.77 individuals per km, one of the highest reported for the species in Colombia. Given the high density in this well-developed area, our results highlight the importance of this population for the conservation of the species.


Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariq Mahmood ◽  
Faraz Akrim ◽  
Nausheen Irshad ◽  
Riaz Hussain ◽  
Hira Fatima ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Endangered Indian pangolin Manis crassicaudata, a burrowing, armoured mammal, plays an important role in the food web by consuming insects and termites. In Pakistan the species’ range includes the 22,000 km2 Potohar Plateau, where it is under pressure from illegal hunting for its scales and requires conservation attention. We used a geographical information system to quantify the range of the Indian pangolin on the Plateau and to compare this with the range estimated in the IUCN Red List assessment of the species. We found that the species occupies c. 89% of the Plateau, in eight of the 10 protected areas, compared with the IUCN estimate of 71%, and we recorded the species at 40 locations on the Plateau outside the range predicted by the IUCN assessment. We collected data on the illegal capture and killing of the species, recording 412 individuals that had been killed at 48 locations between January 2011 and the end of April 2013. The highest number of killings was recorded in Chakwal District (n = 156, at 13 sites) followed by the Attock District (n = 149, at eight sites). Although the Indian pangolin's range on the Potohar Plateau is c. 18% larger than that estimated in the IUCN assessment, the species is under pressure from illegal killing and requires urgent conservation measures to save the small remaining population and avoid the extirpation of this vital insectivorous predator from the area.


Author(s):  
H. Reşit Akçakaya ◽  
Axel Hochkirch ◽  
Jason T. Bried ◽  
Roy H. A. van Grunsven ◽  
John P. Simaika ◽  
...  

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
María M. Torres-Martínez ◽  
Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves ◽  
Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano ◽  
Fernando C. Passos

Abstract The brown hairy dwarf porcupine Coendou vestitus is a poorly studied Andean species endemic to Colombia. Its current Red List category is contradictory: globally it is categorized as Data Deficient but in Colombia it is categorized as Vulnerable. This contradiction has limited the implementation of conservation programmes. We evaluate the level of rarity of the species and provide consolidated information for a new assessment of its Red List status. We reviewed literature, photographs, and voucher specimens in natural history collections. Using the confirmed records, we estimated the extent of occurrence (EOO) based on the minimum convex polygon and the area of occupancy (AOO) summing the area of grid squares occupied by the species. We found that C. vestitus is very rare, with a small range, low estimated population density, occurrence in only one habitat type and small body size. The species has an EOO of 3,323 km2 and an AOO of 24 km2, based on six confirmed localities, all on the western slopes of the Eastern Cordillera, in the central Andean region of Colombia. Based on the species' rarity, restricted distribution, and threats to its natural habitat, we recommend its categorization as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This will help delineate research and conservation efforts for this porcupine, which has a highly restricted range and inhabits the threatened Andean forest.


Author(s):  
M. García–Luis ◽  
M. Briones–Salas ◽  
M. C. Lavariega

We present a revised checklist of bat species occurring in the semi–urbanized region of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. The checklist is based on surveys using mist nets, recordings of echolocation calls, data from literature, and museum databases. Results show that the Central Valleys of Oaxaca have a species richness of 33 bat species belonging to 22 genera and five families. Species like the Mustached bat Pteronotus parnellii, the Western Red bat Lasiurus blossevillii and the Free–tailed bat Promops centralis were recorded after 32, 30 and 19 years respectively according to the records of the literature. We also recorded four species classified in some risk category according to either the Mexican government’s red list (NOM–059) or the IUCN red list. The recordings of the echolocation calls are the first from the region of Central Valleys of Oaxaca. Bat diversity in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca was underestimated and emphasizes the need for further research


2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 120-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Zheng ◽  
L. Xiao ◽  
X. Wang ◽  
D. Li ◽  
Y. Lu ◽  
...  

AbstractTo study the function of the 49 kDa excretory-secretory (ES) protein gene (P49) of Trichinella, the genes was amplified by RT-PCR from RNA of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella nativa and several Chinese Trichinella isolates of domestic animals, and sequenced after being cloned. The amplified products of these parasites produced bands of about 950 bp. The 97.2 % to 100 % nucleotides identity and 94.3 % to 100 % identity of deduced amino acids among P49 gene of these Trichinella strains showed the close relationship of these parasites. The P49 gene of T. nativa was cloned into the BamHI site of the prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a, and the recombinant vector was expressed. The expressed product was 40.8 kDa in size. In Western blot analysis, the expressed product was reactive to sera of mice infected with T. nativa, T. spiralis and their Chinese geographical strains.


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