Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T05:40:32.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal and site specific variation in the component community structure of intestinal helminths in Apodemus sylvaticus from three contrasting habitats in south-east England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

M.A. Abu-Madi ,
J.M. Behnke ,
J.W. Lewis  and
F.S. Gilbert
M.A. Abu-Madi
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Technology, Qatar University, PO Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
J.M. Behnke*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
J.W. Lewis
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
F.S. Gilbert
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
*
*Author for correspondence. Fax: 0115 9513251 E-mail: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Seasonal fluctuations in the prevalence and abundance of infection with intestinal helminths were studied in Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse, n = 399), from three contrasting habitats in southern England, to test the hypothesis that both intrinsic (host sex, age) and extrinsic (season, site) factors influence parasite species richness and abundance. Five species of helminths were recovered but only one of these (Capillaria murissylvatici) was site-specific (Dungeness). Total species richness was therefore 5 at Dungeness and 4 at the other two sites. Mean species richness was 1.4, but in adult mice there was a pronounced difference between the sites, and an independent highly significant effect of season. Syphacia stroma and Corrigia vitta both showed marked differences between sites in respect of prevalence and abundance of infection. Capillaria murissylvatici was encountered at Dungeness mostly in the spring whereas seasonal changes in abundance ofS. stroma were consistent across all three sites. Seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of Catenotaenia pusilla were compounded by differences between sites. Host sex was not a significant factor in any species, although a posteriorianalysis of S. stromaworm burdens for the Isle of Wight site revealed a moderate local sex effect. Overall the principal determinants of variation in helminth burdens were the extrinsic factors, site and season.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 74 , Issue 1 , March 2000 , pp. 7 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

References

Abu-Madi, M.A., Behnke, J.M., Lewis, J.W. & Gilbert, F.S. (1998) Descriptive epidemiology of Heligmosomoides polygyrus in Apodemus sylvaticus from three contrasting habitats in south-east England. Journal of Helminthology 72, 93–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arneberg, P., Skorping, A., Grenfell, B. & Read, A.F. (1998) Host-densities as determinants of abundance in parasite communities. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B 265, 1283–1289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Begon, M., Harper, J.L. & Townsend, C.R. (1990) Ecology. Boston, Blackwell Scientific.Google Scholar
Behnke, J.M., Lewis, J.W., Mohd Zain, S.N. & Gilbert, F.S. (1999) Helminth infections in Apodemus sylvaticus in southern England: interactive effects of host-age, sex and year on prevalence and abundance of infections. Journal of Helminthology 73, 31–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boggs, J.F., McMurray, S.T., Leslie, D.M., Engle, D.M. & Lochmiller, R.L. (1991) Influence of habitat modification on the community of gastrointestinal helminths of cotton rats. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 27, 584–593.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, E.D., MacDonald, D.W., Tew, T.E. & Todd, I.A. (1994) Apodemus sylvaticus infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Nematoda) in an arable ecosystem: epidemiology and effects of infection on the movement of male mice. Journal of Zoology 234, 623–640.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crawley, M.T. (1993) GLIM for ecologists. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Press.Google Scholar
Elliott, J.M. (1977) Some methods for the statistical analysis of samples of benthic invertebrates. Freshwater Biological Association, Cumbria, UK.Google Scholar
Elton, C., Ford, E.B., Baker, J.R. & Gardiner, A.D. (1931) The health and parasites of a wild mouse population. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1931, 657–721.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinsella, J.M. (1974) Comparison of helminth parasites of the cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus, from several habitats in Florida. American Museum Novitates 2540, 1–12.Google Scholar
Langley, R. & Fairley, J.S. (1982) Seasonal variations in infestations of parasites in a wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus population in the west of Ireland. Journal of Zoology 198, 249–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, J.W. (1968) Studies on the helminth parasites of the long-tailed field mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus sylvaticus from Wales. Journal of Zoology 154, 287–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, J.W. & Twigg, G.I. (1972) A study of the internal parasites of small rodents from woodland areas in Surrey. Journal of Zoology 166, 61–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mallorie, H.C. & Flowerdew, J.R. (1994) Woodland small mammal population ecology in Britain: a preliminary review of the Mammal Society survey of wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus and bank voles Clethrionomys glareolus 1982–87. Mammal Review 24, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, J.L. & Huffman, D.G. (1980) An analysis of the community and population dynamics of the helminths of Sigmodon hispidus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from three central Texas vegetational regions. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington 47, 247–255.Google Scholar
Mollhagen, T. (1978) Habitat influence on helminth parasitism of the cotton rat in western Texas, with remarks on some of the parasites. Southwestern Naturalist 23, 401–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montgomery, S.S.J. & Montgomery, W.I. (1988) Cyclic and non-cyclic dynamics in populations of the helminth parasites of wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus . Journal of Helminthology 62, 78–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montgomery, S.S.J. & Montgomery, W.I. (1989) Spatial and temporal variation in the infracommunity structure of helminths of Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia: Muridae). Parasitology 98, 145–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montgomery, S.S.J. & Montgomery, W.I. (1990) Structure, stability and species interactions in helminth communities of wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus . International Journal for Parasitology 20, 225–242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, R.K.A. & Parsons, M.S. (1991) An invertebrate survey of a proposed Dungeness ‘C’ station study area. Nature Conservancy Council Contract Survey 133, 1–47.Google Scholar
O'Sullivan, H.M., Small, C.M. & Fairley, J.S. (1984) A study of parasitic infestations in populations of small rodents (Apodemus sylvaticus and Clethrionomys glareolus ) on Ross Island, Killarney. Journal of Life Sciences Royal Dublin Society 5, 29–42.Google Scholar
Tew, T.E. (1994) Farmland hedgerows: habitat, corridors or irrelevant? A small mammal's perspective. pp. 80–94 in Watt, T.A. & Buckley, G.P. (Eds ) Hedgerow management and nature conservation. Wye College Press.Google Scholar
Walther, B.A., Cotgreave, P., Gregory, R.D., Price, R.D. & Clayton, D.H. (1995) Sampling effort and parasite species richness. Parasitology Today 11, 306–310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webster, J.P. & MacDonald, D.W. (1995) Parasites of wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus ) on UK farms. Parasitology 111, 247–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, P.H. (1989) Why are there so many species of bumblebees at Dungeness? Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 101, 31–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, K. & Grenfell, B.T. (1997) Generalized linear modelling for parasitologists. Parasitology Today 13, 33–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed