TY - JOUR A1 - Riebold, Diana A1 - Russow, Kati A1 - Schlegel, Mathias A1 - Wollny, Theres A1 - Thiel, Joerg A1 - Freise, Jona A1 - Hueppop, Ommo A1 - Eccard, Jana A1 - Plenge-Boenig, Anita A1 - Loebermann, Micha A1 - Ulrich, Rainer Günter A1 - Klammt, Sebastian A1 - Mettenleiter, Thomas Christoph A1 - Reisinger, Emil Christian T1 - Occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in small mammals from Germany JF - Vector borne and zoonotic diseases N2 - An increase in zoonotic infections in humans in recent years has led to a high level of public interest. However, the extent of infestation of free-living small mammals with pathogens and especially parasites is not well understood. This pilot study was carried out within the framework of the "Rodent-borne pathogens" network to identify zoonotic parasites in small mammals in Germany. From 2008 to 2009, 111 small mammals of 8 rodent and 5 insectivore species were collected. Feces and intestine samples from every mammal were examined microscopically for the presence of intestinal parasites by using Telemann concentration for worm eggs, Kinyoun staining for coccidia, and Heidenhain staining for other protozoa. Adult helminths were additionally stained with carmine acid for species determination. Eleven different helminth species, five coccidians, and three other protozoa species were detected. Simultaneous infection of one host by different helminths was common. Hymenolepis spp. (20.7%) were the most common zoonotic helminths in the investigated hosts. Coccidia, including Eimeria spp. (30.6%), Cryptosporidium spp. (17.1%), and Sarcocystis spp. (17.1%), were present in 40.5% of the feces samples of small mammals. Protozoa, such as Giardia spp. and amoebae, were rarely detected, most likely because of the repeated freeze-thawing of the samples during preparation. The zoonotic pathogens detected in this pilot study may be potentially transmitted to humans by drinking water, smear infection, and airborne transmission. KW - parasites KW - rodents KW - insectivores KW - Hymenolepis KW - Germany Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2019.2457 SN - 1530-3667 SN - 1557-7759 VL - 20 IS - 2 SP - 125 EP - 133 PB - Liebert CY - New Rochelle ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mazza, Valeria A1 - Dammhahn, Melanie A1 - Lösche, Elisa A1 - Eccard, Jana T1 - Small mammals in the big city BT - behavioural adjustments of non-commensal rodents to urban environments JF - Global change biology N2 - A fundamental focus of current ecological and evolutionary research is to illuminate the drivers of animals' success in coping with human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). Behavioural adaptations are likely to play a major role in coping with HIREC because behaviour largely determines how individuals interact with their surroundings. A substantial body of research reports behavioural modifications in urban dwellers compared to rural conspecifics. However, it is often unknown whether the observed phenotypic divergence is due to phenotypic plasticity or the product of genetic adaptations. Here, we aimed at investigating (a) whether behavioural differences arise also between rural and urban populations of non-commensal rodents; and (b) whether these differences result from behavioural flexibility or from intrinsic behavioural characteristics, such as genetic or maternal effects. We captured and kept under common environment conditions 42 rural and 52 urban adult common voles (Microtus arvalis) from seven subpopulations along a rural-urban gradient. We investigated individual variation in behavioural responses associated with risk-taking and exploration, in situ at the time of capture in the field and ex situ after 3 months in captivity. Urban dwellers were bolder and more explorative than rural conspecifics at the time of capture in their respective sites (in situ). However, when tested under common environmental conditions ex situ, rural individuals showed little change in their behavioural responses whereas urban individuals altered their behaviour considerably and were consistently shyer and less explorative than when tested in situ. The combination of elevated risk-taking and exploration with high behavioural flexibility might allow urban populations to successfully cope with the challenges of HIREC. Investigating whether the observed differences in behavioural flexibility are adaptive and how they are shaped by additive and interactive effects of genetic make-up and past environmental conditions will help illuminate eco-evolutionary dynamics under HIREC and predict persistence of populations under urban conditions. KW - animal personality KW - behavioural adjustment KW - behavioural flexibility KW - environmental change KW - HIREC KW - rodents KW - urbanization Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15304 SN - 1354-1013 SN - 1365-2486 VL - 26 IS - 11 SP - 6326 EP - 6337 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER -