Cleaning Interactions Between Crows and Sika Deer: Implications for Tick-Borne Disease Management

IF 2.3 2区生物学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Ecology and Evolution Pub Date : 2025-02-05 DOI:10.1002/ece3.70845

Kanzi M. Tomita, Hiroyuki Matsuyama

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Cleaning interactions between mammals and birds have been widely observed worldwide. Here, we report cleaning interactions between sika deer and crows in Japan, based on a field observations using camera traps and online research. Online research was performed on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and personal blogs. We finally collected 27 cases of cleaning associations between sika deer and crows. Crows associated with male more than female deer and mainly pecked their heads or necks, suggesting that crows remove Ixodid ticks from the deer's surface. Given that ticks on sika deer are vectors of several zoonotic pathogens such as Rickettsia and Borrelia spp., further studies should be conducted to examine the roles of crows as biocontrol agents of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Ecology and Evolution ECOLOGY-

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

3.80%

发文量

1027

审稿时长

3-6 weeks

期刊介绍： Ecology and Evolution is the peer reviewed journal for rapid dissemination of research in all areas of ecology, evolution and conservation science. The journal gives priority to quality research reports, theoretical or empirical, that develop our understanding of organisms and their diversity, interactions between them, and the natural environment. Ecology and Evolution gives prompt and equal consideration to papers reporting theoretical, experimental, applied and descriptive work in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The journal will consider submissions across taxa in areas including but not limited to micro and macro ecological and evolutionary processes, characteristics of and interactions between individuals, populations, communities and the environment, physiological responses to environmental change, population genetics and phylogenetics, relatedness and kin selection, life histories, systematics and taxonomy, conservation genetics, extinction, speciation, adaption, behaviour, biodiversity, species abundance, macroecology, population and ecosystem dynamics, and conservation policy.