Delphine De Pierre, Patrick A. Leighton, S. Côté, J. Tremblay
{"title":"Variation in body condition of moose calves in regions with contrasted winter conditions and tick loads","authors":"Delphine De Pierre, Patrick A. Leighton, S. Côté, J. Tremblay","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0144","url":null,"abstract":"For many mammals living at higher latitudes, food scarcity and snow-hindered movements associated with their first winter are synonymous of trying months. In addition, most wild animals have to cope with parasites. Many studies have been conducted on captive animals to assess consequences parasitism on health over winter but comparable studies on wild populations are scarce for large mammals. Here, we performed winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus (Packard, 1869)) counts and collected body condition data (mass and hematological parameters) on 15 moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)) calves from two distinct climatic regions in northern and southern New Brunswick (Canada) in January. The same calves were recaptured 3 months later to observe variation in body condition parameters. Higher tick loads and more drastic changes of hematological parameters such as hematocrit and creatinine in southern individuals suggested that this population might be suffering more from the consequences of winter tick infestation than the northernmost population. However, other parameters that were not measured in our study, such as quantity and quality of food, could influence moose calves body condition at the southeastern limit of their range.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"24 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138980046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John G Boulanger, Robin Kite, Mitch Campbell, Jason Shaw, David Lee, Stephen Atkinson
{"title":"Estimating the effects of roads on migration: a barren-ground caribou case study","authors":"John G Boulanger, Robin Kite, Mitch Campbell, Jason Shaw, David Lee, Stephen Atkinson","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0121","url":null,"abstract":"A challenge for management of wildlife species is the assessment of the effect of roads on migration. We developed models to estimate the spatial (ZOI: zone of influence) and temporal (delays in migration) effects of roads, and test if road closures reduced delays in migration. We analyzed collar (2011-2019) and road survey data from 2 barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus (Borowski, 1780)) herds to assess the impact of a 171 km mine road that bisects their migration corridor. We estimated ZOI’s of 16-17 km prior to crossing the road during 2018 and 2019, and 3.0 km after crossing. Estimates of mean delay were 4.3 and 2.5 days for 2018 and 2019 which were reduced by 28-68% (1.2-1.7 days) if roads were closed when caribou were within the zone of influence. In 2017-2018, when the road was extended 64 km north, caribou were 12% less likely to deflect north around the road therefore increasing delays. Road surveys indicated aggregation of caribou prior to crossing the road, with few caribou observed after crossing, a finding supported by collar data. Our methods can estimate the spatial and temporal effects of roads for any wildlife species and assess mitigation strategies in reducing delays in migration.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"5 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138586552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"OVER-WINTER BODY MASS AND CONCEPTIONS OF WHITE-TAILED DEER IN CENTRAL TX","authors":"Floyd Weckerly, Ryan Reitz, Deanna Pfeffer","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0151","url":null,"abstract":"At lower latitudes ungulate reproduction is often seasonal but the duration of mating and parturition seasons can be long. To further understand the adaptive significance of synchrony in reproductive events we examined two hypotheses to link over-winter body mass with lower synchrony of conceptions in a wild population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in central Texas. If females maintain over-winter body mass then the window of time that conception occurs should be relaxed and longer relative to females where over-winter body mass declines. Across nine years we measured body mass in 1.5-year-old and older females in November (n = 170) and in March (118). In March we also measured forehead – rump lengths in offspring of gravid females and calculated conception dates. Over-winter body mass did not decline but was maintained, on average, across the years of study. Conception dates ranged over 50 days and 52% of conceptions occurred in a two-week period centered on the median conception date. Relative to northern populations of deer, there was lower synchrony in conception dates. White-tailed deer across the geographic range appear to be flexible in over-winter body mass dynamics that affects duration of reproductive events such as conception.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"18 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138598269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"SIGNALLING PATHWAY ASSOCIATED TO DISCHARGE OF CNIDOCYST INDUCED BY REDUCED GLUTATHIONE IN HYDRA PLAGIODESMICA (DIONI)","authors":"M. Gavazzi, J. R. Ronderos, M. E. Alzugaray","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0114","url":null,"abstract":"In the present work we study the effect of different stimuli (living preys, its homogenate, and reduced glutathione (GSH)) on the discharge of desmonemes in the freshwater cnidarian, Hydra plagiodesmica (Dioni, 1968) (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa). Once confirmed their stimulatory effect, we choose GSH in order to analyse the relevance of Ca2+, the probable identity of the sensory receptor molecule, and the specific signalling pathway driving the discharge mechanism. Our results show that not only mechanical, but also chemical stimuli by itself may stimulate the discharge of desmonemes. Using calcium chelators, we verify that the discharge mechanism triggered by GSH, is dependent on calcium. By mean of drugs that inhibit proteins pertaining to canonical signalling pathways, including GPCRs, we show that GSH causes the influx of Ca2+ via L-type VGCC, and its release by mean of endoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Moreover, our results suggest that the putative receptor for GSH is a GPCR coupled to Gq, which produces IP3 and Ca2+ as second messengers. Finally, we show that the genome of Hydra vulgaris (Pallas, 1766) predicts the existence of the different subunits of L-type VGCC, showing a high level of conservation when compared with other groups of Metazoa.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"119 36","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138607457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aaron Facka, Jacqui Frair, Thomas Keller, Erica Miller, Lisa Murphy, Julie C. Ellis
{"title":"Spatial patterns of anticoagulant rodenticides in three species of medium-sized carnivores in Pennsylvania","authors":"Aaron Facka, Jacqui Frair, Thomas Keller, Erica Miller, Lisa Murphy, Julie C. Ellis","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0131","url":null,"abstract":"Human influences on natural environments are now ubiquitous but manifest in multiple and unique ways depending on local environments and communities. Attempts to control, or mediate, local pests to residences or to agriculture can impart important negative consequences on systems. Secondary exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) can cause numerous adverse effects on wild carnivores including death. No studies have quantified AR prevalence, investigated their pathway of exposure, or associations with specific location types in the northeastern U.S. We hypothesized that ARs would be found in the mesocarnivore community throughout Pennsylvania and have the greatest detection rate in highly urbanized or agricultural landscapes. From 2019 through early 2022 we collected carcasses to obtain liver samples (n=265) from three species of carnivores: bobcats (Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777)), fishers (Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777)), and river otters (Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777)). We used generalized linear models to test for differences in AR detection rated among species and spatial scales including the six Pennsylvania Game Commission regions and 23 Wildlife Management Units. We detected ARs in all species (44.2% collectively), but detection rates differed among species. Our study is the first to document ARs within North American river otters.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"76 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139210985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clémence Gourtay, Marine Rivolet, Léopold Ghinter, Louis Bernatchez, D. Garant, C. Audet
{"title":"Selection effects on early life history traits and thermal resistance in brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis","authors":"Clémence Gourtay, Marine Rivolet, Léopold Ghinter, Louis Bernatchez, D. Garant, C. Audet","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0086","url":null,"abstract":"In the context of climate change, it is crucial to understand whether animals that have been domesticated and/or selected maintain their abilities to adapt to changes in their thermal environment. Here, we tested how selection for absence of early sexual maturation combined with better growth performance may have impacted thermal resistance and gene expression response in the presence of thermal stress in brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814). We performed temperature challenge tests on brook charr 0+ juveniles and studied the expression of genes involved in the response to oxidative stress, in synthesis of heat shock proteins, or involved in regulation of apoptosis, in heart and liver tissues. Juveniles from the selected lineage had a higher thermal resistance than controls and a loss of equilibrium occurred on average 1°C above what was observed for the controls. The relative expressions of catalase and HSP70 were significantly higher in juveniles from the selection program. Overall, thermally sensitive fish were characterized by low mass and length and lower relative expressions of genes associated with stress response. Our results indicate that selection for traits of interests may be indirectly related to the significant lineage effect on growth in early stages of development.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139240903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. M. Eye, Jade A. Spruyt, Marcus C.P. Atkins, Christine A. Bishop, Karl W. Larsen
{"title":"Effect of Resource Supplementation on Female Western Rattlesnake Postpartum Movement","authors":"D. M. Eye, Jade A. Spruyt, Marcus C.P. Atkins, Christine A. Bishop, Karl W. Larsen","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0133","url":null,"abstract":"Resource availability plays an important factor in an animal’s life history by affecting growth and reproduction and influencing behaviours such as movement and thermoregulation. Female rattlesnakes in northern climes face shortened active seasons limiting the time available to replenish lost reserves from reproduction. Consequently, this leads to slower growth rates, small litters, and infrequent reproduction in these populations. With these challenges, it has been assumed postpartum rattlesnakes in these regions should return to their hibernacula immediately following parturition. However, our previous study revealed different tactics of postpartum movements by females across several study sites. To examine the relationship between resource availability and these movements, we experimentally supplemented resources (mice or mice injected with water) to free-ranging pregnant Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus, Holbrook 1840) at three sites in British Columbia, Canada, during 2019. We examined body condition and movement of snakes, finding that pregnant rattlesnakes consumed supplemented resources until late parturition and had significantly higher postpartum body condition than controls. Contrary to our expectations, increased access to resources ad libitum did not significantly halt or alter postpartum movements away from hibernacula. These results suggest resource availability influences certain life-history traits such as body condition but not others like postpartum movement.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"42 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139246083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preface to Festschrift honouring the contributions of Professor M. Brock Fenton to the study of bats","authors":"Paul A. Faure, Gary P. Bell, John M. Ratcliffe","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0149","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"130 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139256409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Lassnig, Sergi Guasch-Martínez, Samuel Pinya Fernández
{"title":"The individual color pattern on the back of Bufotes viridis balearicus (Boettger, 1880) allows individual photo identification recognition for population studies.","authors":"N. Lassnig, Sergi Guasch-Martínez, Samuel Pinya Fernández","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0019","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores the potential of Photo-Identification Methods (PIM) as a viable, noninvasive, and ethical tool for wildlife studies, with a specific focus on anuran species such as Bufotes viridis balearicus (Boettger, 1880). Although the Automatic Photo Identification Suit (APHIS) software was initially designed for lizard identification, our research shows its adaptability for anuran species, achieving a high detection accuracy rate of 95.28%. Thus, obtaining outstanding and higher values comparing to previous studies on this species. Crucially, our findings indicate that the success of PIM and the efficacy of image identification software like APHIS is dependent on the quality and standardization of the images collected. The study also underscores the importance of practical experience and continuous learning for the optimal utilization of software like APHIS. Despite occasional False Rejected Matches (FRM), the overall strong performance metrics with low False Rejection Rate (FRR) demonstrate that these instances do not significantly impact the reliability of the technique. Thus, this research highlights the importance of careful implementation, continuous learning, and image quality control in leveraging the full potential of image identification software in wildlife studies.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139274490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marie Levet, Dominique G. Roche, S. Killen, Simona Colosio, R. Bshary, Joanna J. Miest, S. Binning
{"title":"Energetic costs of mounting an immune response in a coral reef damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis)","authors":"Marie Levet, Dominique G. Roche, S. Killen, Simona Colosio, R. Bshary, Joanna J. Miest, S. Binning","doi":"10.1139/cjz-2023-0033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2023-0033","url":null,"abstract":"While immune responses can be energetically costly, quantifying these costs is challenging. We tested the metabolic costs of immune activation in damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker, 1868) following a mass-adjusted injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin. Fish were divided into eight treatments: two controls (handling and saline injection) and six LPS groups with concentrations ranging from 3 to 100mg kg-1. We used intermittent flow respirometry to measure differences in oxygen uptake (deltaṀO2) 20h before versus 20h after LPS injection and changes in metabolic traits (lowest, routine and peak metabolic rates) as proxies of the aerobic costs of metabolism. Spleen somatic index (SSI) and gene expression in spleens were measured to assess immune activation. We found no difference in metabolic traits or SSI but observed different non-linear patterns of deltaṀO2 in fish exposed to 50 and 100mg kg-1 LPS compared to lower doses and controls. Fish exposed to high doses of LPS also had lower residual aerobic scope compared to controls and lower LPS doses. Fish exposed to doses of 3, 50, and 100mg kg-1 showed altered gene expression compared to the handling control. Overall, our results suggest that immune activation has measurable effects on metabolic traits that are both dose and time-dependent.","PeriodicalId":9484,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Zoology","volume":"57 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139271945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}