scholarly journals Helminths of introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in Brazil: does population age affect parasite richness?

2010 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Calegaro-Marques ◽  
Suzana B. Amato
Keyword(s):  
Good Predictor ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Parasite Richness ◽  
The World

Species introductions have altered host and parasite diversity throughout the world. In the case of introduced hosts, population age appears to be a good predictor of parasite richness. Habitat alteration is another variable that may impact host-parasite interactions by affecting the availability of intermediate hosts. The house sparrow (Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)) is a good model to test these predictions. It was introduced in several parts of the world and can be found across rural-urban gradients. A total of 160 house sparrows from Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were necropsied. Thirty house sparrows (19 %) were parasitized with at least one out of five helminth species (Digenea: Tamerlania inopina Freitas, 1951 and Eumegacetes sp.; Eucestoda: Choanotaenia passerina (Fuhrmann, 1907) Fuhrmann, 1932; Nematoda: Dispharynx nasuta (Rudolphi, 1819) Stiles & Hassall, 1920 and Cardiofilaria pavlovskyi Strom, 1937). Overall, there was no difference in prevalence and intensity of infection of any parasite species, parasite richness and community diversity between adult males and females and adults and juveniles. The number of infected sparrows among seasons, the richness of helminths and the abundance of species were also similar between rural and urban landscapes. Only the prevalence of C. passerina varied seasonally (p=0.0007). A decrease in the number of parasite species from the original range of P. domesticus (13) to its port of entrance in Brazil, the city of Rio de Janeiro (nine), to Porto Alegre (five) is compatible with the hypothesis that host population age is a good predictor of parasite richness.

Importance of lake characteristics in structuring parasite communities of salmonids from insular Newfoundland

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 2962-2967 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Marcogliese ◽  
David K. Cone
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Species ◽  
Lake Depth ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Deep Lakes ◽  
Large Lakes ◽  
Metazoan Parasites ◽  
Fundamental Factor ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Parasite Richness ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Metazoan parasites of Salmo salar and Salvelinus fontinalis were studied at eight sites in insular Newfoundland. The locations included water bodies of various sizes (<1, 1–100, and >100 ha) and depths (<1, 1–5, and >5 m). Nine of 14 parasite species were salmonid specialists and generally had wider geographic distributions than the remaining generalists, with one exception (Echinorhynchus lateralis). The distributions of Crepidostomum farionis, Sterliadochona ephemeridarum, and E. lateralis appeared to be facilitated by the widespread distribution of intermediate hosts. Larval digeneans (Apophallus imperator, Diplostomum sp., and Tetracotyle sp.) were typically associated with shallow medium-sized lakes. Species using limnetic copepods as intermediate hosts (Philonema agubernaculum, Eubothrium salvelini, and Diphyllobothrium sp.) were most often found in fishes inhabiting the deeper lakes. Small ponds had low parasite richness (R = 5); medium and large lakes had similar richness (R = 9–11). Jaccard's index and cluster analysis revealed that fishes in the small ponds and deep lakes had inherently different parasites from fishes of the shallow medium-sized lakes, the latter containing fishes parasitized by larval digeneans. Based on the study it was concluded that lake depth is a fundamental factor determining the structure of parasite communities in salmonids in insular Newfoundland.

scholarly journals Roosting patterns of House Sparrow Passer domesticus Linn., 1758 (Aves: Passeridae) in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 20209-20217
Author(s):  
Foram P. Patel ◽  
Pravinsang P. Dodia
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
The World

The House Sparrow Passer domesticus is widely distributed across the world, and local alarming declines in sparrow populations have prompted studies focused on this species. An understanding of fundamental life history aspects such as roosting patterns is necessary for the development of efficient conservation strategies. This study examined House Sparrow roosting patterns in urban, suburban and rural areas of Bhavnagar during 2017–2018. Potential roosting sites were identified, and peak arrival/ departure times and roosting duration of sparrows were recorded. We found that peak arrival and departure times were correlated with solar timings, indicating a strong influence of photoperiod on sparrow behaviour. Little variation was observed in sparrow arrival and departure times across the urban, suburban and rural gradient. However, arrival duration was significantly larger in urban and suburban areas. This may be due to the restricted availability of suitable patches within these habitats, requiring birds to spend more time foraging. House Sparrows mostly preferred thick vegetation for pre-roosting activities and roosting, and the loss of thick vegetation poses a threat to sparrow populations worldwide. In addition to increasing nesting opportunities by providing artificial nest sites, the importance of retaining appropriate habitats should be a major focus of conservation strategies.

Diversity of metazoan parasites of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) as indicators of pollution in a subtropical African river system

2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Madanire-Moyo ◽  
M. Barson
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Species ◽  
Clarias Gariepinus ◽  
Organic Pollution ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
African Catfish ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Component Community ◽  
Metazoan Parasites ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Polluted Sites

AbstractThe relationship between parasite species diversity and organic pollution in the upper Manyame catchment, Zimbabwe, was investigated between October 2006 and January 2007. The parasite assemblage comprised 13 species in total. Species richness in the unpolluted sites was high; in the moderately polluted sites, it was low, while in the polluted sites, only one parasite species was encountered. Component community diversity, as measured by the Shannon index (H′), decreased with increase in organic pollution. The distribution and occurrence of ectoparasites (Dolops ranarum, Lamproglena clariae, Chonopeltis sp. and Macrogyrodactylus sp.) and one endoparasite (Lytocestus sp.) were limited to the unpolluted sites, demonstrating their sensitivity to organic pollution. The prevalence of the nematodes Paracamallanus cyathopharynx, Procamallanus laevionchus and Contracaecum spp. larvae decreased along the pollution gradient, showing their high sensitivity to organic pollution. The platyhelminths Diplostomum sp. and Polyonchobothrium clarias were the most tolerant and occurred at both polluted and unpolluted sites. Proteocephalus sp. and Caryophyllaeus sp. were limited to the polluted sites, probably as a result of high abundance of oligochaetes and copepods, their intermediate hosts that thrive in sewage-enriched sediments, at the downstream sites. The observed results assume that the decrease in parasite diversity can be related to increased organic pollution. Some parasites requiring complex life histories were absent along with pollution-related disappearance of their vector hosts. Further studies should address the identification of parasite life stages that are more sensitive to pollutants.

scholarly journals Status survey and conservation of the House Sparrow Passer domesticus (Aves: Passeriformes: Passeridae) through public participation in Kannur, Kerala, India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 12098
Author(s):  
R. Roshnath ◽  
C. P. Arjun ◽  
J. Ashli ◽  
D. Sethu ◽  
P. Gokul
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Forest Department ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
The Public ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
The World ◽  
Status Survey

House Sparrows Passer domesticus are one of the most widespread passerines in the world.  A survey was conducted to find out their status in Kannur District, Kerala.  The survey recorded 553 sparrows in 35 sites in the district.  The perspectives of the public were recorded through a questionnaire survey and conservational inputs from the public were noted.  Most of the respondents (47%) suggested the provision of nest boxes for the enhanced breeding of sparrows.  Thus, our NGO along with the support of students, the public and the Kerala Forest Department, placed 100 nest boxes in various identified sparrow dwelling places in the district and it was found effective in the conservation of sparrows. 

scholarly journals Parasitization of monkey goby, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1814) (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae), at localities with different salinity levels

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy Kvach ◽  
Markéta Ondračková ◽  
Teodora Trichkova ◽  
Oleksandra Drobiniak ◽  
Veniamin Zamorov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Species ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Brackish Waters ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Parasite Richness ◽  
Estuarine Zone ◽  
Salinity Levels ◽  
Freshwater Site

Abstract Parasitism of monkey goby, Neogobius fliviatilis, was assessed at three brackish water localities with different salinity levels (Gulf of Odessa, Khadzibey Estuary, Lake Kytay) and one freshwater site along the Lower Danube River (Vidin). A total of 25 parasite taxa were identified, with minimum parasite richness recorded in the Khadzhibey Estuary (three species) and the maximum along the Lower Danube (11 species). Parasite richness in the mesohaline Gulf of Odessa and oligohaline Lake Kytay was lower, but still relatively high compared to the Khadzibey Estuary. Our study indicates that freshwater populations of monkey goby host richer and more abundant parasite communities than those inhabiting brackish waters with (more or less) stable salinity. Unstable abiotic conditions that probably affected the parasite’s intermediate hosts contributed to the reduction in parasite species in the estuarine zone of the Danube.

scholarly journals High Diversity in Urban Areas: How Comprehensive Sampling Reveals High Ant Species Richness within One of the Most Urbanized Regions of the World

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
François Brassard ◽  
Chi-Man Leong ◽  
Hoi-Hou Chan ◽  
Benoit Guénard
Keyword(s):  
Exotic Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Dual Roles ◽  
Ant Communities ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
The World ◽  
Ant Diversity ◽  
The Vertical Distribution

The continuous increase in urbanization has been perceived as a major threat for biodiversity, particularly within tropical regions. Urban areas, however, may still provide opportunities for conservation. In this study focused on Macao (China), one of the most densely populated regions on Earth, we used a comprehensive approach, targeting all the vertical strata inhabited by ants, to document the diversity of both native and exotic species, and to produce an updated checklist. We then compared these results with 112 studies on urban ants to illustrate the dual roles of cities in sustaining ant diversity and supporting the spread of exotic species. Our study provides the first assessment on the vertical distribution of urban ant communities, allowing the detection of 55 new records in Macao, for a total of 155 ant species (11.5% being exotic); one of the highest species counts reported for a city globally. Overall, our results contrast with the dominant paradigm that urban landscapes have limited conservation value but supports the hypothesis that cities act as gateways for exotic species. Ultimately, we argue for a more comprehensive understanding of ants within cities around the world to understand native and exotic patterns of diversity.

scholarly journals Non-breeding feather concentrations of testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol are associated with subsequent survival in wild house sparrows

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1560-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Koren ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Kiran K. Soma ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Darwinian Fitness ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
As Stress

Potential mechanistic mediators of Darwinian fitness, such as stress hormones or sex hormones, have been the focus of many studies. An inverse relationship between fitness and stress or sex hormone concentrations has been widely assumed, although empirical evidence is scarce. Feathers gradually accumulate hormones during their growth and provide a novel way to measure hormone concentrations integrated over time. Using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we measured testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in the feathers of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) in a wild population which is the subject of a long-term study. Although corticosterone is considered the dominant avian glucocorticoid, we unambiguously identified cortisol in feathers. In addition, we found that feathers grown during the post-nuptial moult in autumn contained testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol levels that were significantly higher in birds that subsequently died over the following winter than in birds that survived. Thus, feather steroids are candidate prospective biomarkers to predict the future survival of individuals in the wild.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document