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Twining JP, Sutherland C, Zalewski A, Cove MV, Birks J, Wearn OR, Haysom J, Wereszczuk A, Manzo E, Bartolommei P, Mortelliti A, Evans B, Gerber BD, McGreevy TJ, Ganoe LS, Masseloux J, Mayer AE, Wierzbowska I, Loch J, Akins J, Drummey D, McShea W, Manke S, Pardo L, Boyce AJ, Li S, Ragai RB, Sukmasuang R, Villafañe Trujillo ÁJ, López-González C, Lara-Díaz NE, Cosby O, Waggershauser CN, Bamber J, Stewart F, Fisher J, Fuller AK, Perkins KA, Powell RA. Using global remote camera data of a solitary species complex to evaluate the drivers of group formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312252121. [PMID: 38466845 PMCID: PMC10962950 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312252121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The social system of animals involves a complex interplay between physiology, natural history, and the environment. Long relied upon discrete categorizations of "social" and "solitary" inhibit our capacity to understand species and their interactions with the world around them. Here, we use a globally distributed camera trapping dataset to test the drivers of aggregating into groups in a species complex (martens and relatives, family Mustelidae, Order Carnivora) assumed to be obligately solitary. We use a simple quantification, the probability of being detected in a group, that was applied across our globally derived camera trap dataset. Using a series of binomial generalized mixed-effects models applied to a dataset of 16,483 independent detections across 17 countries on four continents we test explicit hypotheses about potential drivers of group formation. We observe a wide range of probabilities of being detected in groups within the solitary model system, with the probability of aggregating in groups varying by more than an order of magnitude. We demonstrate that a species' context-dependent proclivity toward aggregating in groups is underpinned by a range of resource-related factors, primarily the distribution of resources, with increasing patchiness of resources facilitating group formation, as well as interactions between environmental conditions (resource constancy/winter severity) and physiology (energy storage capabilities). The wide variation in propensities to aggregate with conspecifics observed here highlights how continued failure to recognize complexities in the social behaviors of apparently solitary species limits our understanding not only of the individual species but also the causes and consequences of group formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P. Twining
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Chris Sutherland
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, Schools of Mathematics and Statistics, Biology, and Computer Science, The Observatory Buchanan Gardens University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, FifeKY16 9LZ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrzej Zalewski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża17-230, Poland
| | | | - Johnny Birks
- Swift Ecology Ltd, Glen Cottage, West Malvern, WorcsWR14 4BQ, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver R. Wearn
- Fauna and Flora International–Vietnam Programme, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Jessica Haysom
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Wereszczuk
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża17-230, Poland
| | - Emiliano Manzo
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, RadicondoliSI 53030, Italy
| | - Paola Bartolommei
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, RadicondoliSI 53030, Italy
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, ME04469
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste34127, Italy
| | - Bryn Evans
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, ME04469
| | - Brian D. Gerber
- Department of Natural Resources, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02852
| | - Thomas J. McGreevy
- Department of Natural Resources, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02852
| | - Laken S. Ganoe
- Department of Natural Resources, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02852
| | - Juliana Masseloux
- Department of Natural Resources, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02852
| | - Amy E. Mayer
- Department of Natural Resources, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02852
| | - Izabela Wierzbowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow30-387, Poland
| | - Jan Loch
- Scientific Laboratory of Gorce National Park, Niedźwiedź34-735, Poland
| | | | - Donovan Drummey
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
| | - William McShea
- Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA22630
| | | | - Lain Pardo
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD4878, Australia
| | - Andy J. Boyce
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC20008
| | - Sheng Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Roslina Binti Ragai
- Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Lot 218, Kuching Central Land District, Kuching, Sarawak93250, Malaysia
| | - Ronglarp Sukmasuang
- Deparment of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok10900, Thailand
| | - Álvaro José Villafañe Trujillo
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa de Enríquez, VeracruzC. P. 91190, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santa Rosa Jáuregui, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro76230, Mexico
| | - Carlos López-González
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa de Enríquez, VeracruzC. P. 91190, Mexico
| | - Nalleli Elvira Lara-Díaz
- Departamento de Biología, Laboratorio de Ecología Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México, IztapalapaC. P. 09340, Mexico
| | - Olivia Cosby
- Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA22630
- Department of Environmental Science, Aaniiih Nakoda College, Harlem, MT59526
| | - Cristian N. Waggershauser
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, AberdeenAB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Biodiversity and Freshwater Conservation, University of the Highlands and Islands, InvernessIV2 5NA, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Bamber
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, AberdeenAB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Frances Stewart
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BCV8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Jason Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BCV8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Angela K. Fuller
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Kelly A. Perkins
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Roger A. Powell
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC27607
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Niedringhaus KD, Ganoe LS, Lovallo M, Walter WD, Yabsley MJ, Brown JD. Fatal infection with Versteria sp. in a muskrat, with implications for human health. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021; 34:314-318. [PMID: 34933615 DOI: 10.1177/10406387211064270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Taeniidae tapeworms are a family of helminths that have a similar life cycle, with intermediate hosts developing characteristic cysts in visceral organs. We describe here a case in Pennsylvania, USA, of fatal Versteria infection in a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), which, to our knowledge, has not been reported to develop disease associated with infection. Postmortem examination revealed widespread tissue loss and replacement by solid-bodied cestode larvae with minimal adjacent inflammation in many visceral organs, most severe in the lungs, liver, and brain. Key morphologic features via histology included cephalic structures and short rostellar hooklets, which are characteristic for the genus. Genetic characterization confirmed the cestode as being an undescribed lineage of Versteria that has been implicated as the cause of severe morbidity and mortality in humans and nonhuman primates in North America. Considering the zoonotic significance of this pathogen, our report expands on the limited literature regarding disease caused by Versteria and emphasizes the need to identify the causative tapeworm more accurately, especially in rodent intermediate hosts given that previous reports do not have molecular confirmation of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Niedringhaus
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Laken S Ganoe
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Matthew Lovallo
- College of the Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Natural Resources Science, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - W David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Michael J Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Justin D Brown
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Ganoe LS, Brown JD, Lovallo MJ, Yabsley MJ, Garrett KB, Thompson AT, Poppenga RH, Ruder MG, Walter WD. Surveillance for diseases, pathogens, and toxicants of muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260987. [PMID: 34882733 PMCID: PMC8659318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Using diagnostic data and contemporary sampling efforts, we conducted surveillance for a diversity of pathogens, toxicants, and diseases of muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus). Between 1977 and 2019, 26 diagnostic cases were examined from Kansas and throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, USA. We identified multiple causes of mortality in muskrats, but trauma (8/26), Tyzzer's disease (5/6), and cysticercosis (5/26) were the most common. We also conducted necropsies, during November 2018-January 2019 Pennsylvania muskrat trapping season, on 380 trapper-harvested muskrat carcasses after the pelt was removed. Tissue samples and exudate were tested for presence of or exposure to a suite of pathogens and contaminants. Gastrointestinal tracts were examined for helminths. Intestinal helminths were present in 39.2% of necropsied muskrats, with Hymenolepis spp. (62%) and echinostome spp. (44%) being the most common Molecular testing identified a low prevalence of infection with Clostridium piliforme in the feces and Sarcocystis spp. in the heart. We detected a low seroprevalence to Toxoplasma gondii (1/380). No muskrats were positive for Francisella tularensis or Babesia spp. Cysticercosis was detected in 20% (5/26) of diagnostic cases and 15% (57/380) of our trapper-harvested muskrats. Toxic concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, or mercury were not detected in tested liver samples. Copper, molybdenum, and zinc concentrations were detected at acceptable levels comparative to previous studies. Parasite intensity and abundance were typical of historic reports; however, younger muskrats had higher intensity of infection than older muskrats which is contradictory to what has been previously reported. A diversity of pathogens and contaminants have been reported from muskrats, but the associated disease impacts are poorly understood. Our data are consistent with historic reports and highlight the wide range of parasites, pathogens and contaminants harbored by muskrats in Pennsylvania. The data collected are a critical component in assessing overall muskrat health and serve as a basis for understanding the impacts of disease on recent muskrat population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laken S. Ganoe
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Justin D. Brown
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Lovallo
- Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Kayla B. Garrett
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Alec T. Thompson
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Poppenga
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Mark G. Ruder
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - W. David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Ganoe LS, Brown JD, Yabsley MJ, Lovallo MJ, Walter WD. A Review of Pathogens, Diseases, and Contaminants of Muskrats ( Ondatra zibethicus) in North America. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:233. [PMID: 32478106 PMCID: PMC7242561 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last 50 years, significant muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) harvest declines have been observed throughout North America. Several theories for the decline have been proposed, including increased parasite infections and disease within muskrat populations. No existing wholistic review of muskrat exposure to pathogens, contaminants, and diseases exists. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a thorough review of existing literature on muskrat pathogens, contaminants, and diseases across their natural range. This review is comprised of 131 articles from 1915 to 2019 and from 27 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces. A wide diversity of contaminants, toxins, and pathogens were reported in muskrats, with the most common diseases being cysticercosis, tularemia, Tyzzer's disease, and biotoxin poisoning from cyanobacteria. This review provides a summary of muskrat pathogens, contaminants, and diseases over a century that has observed significant population declines throughout the species' range in North America. Such data provide a baseline for understanding the potential role of disease in these declines. In addition, these data highlight critical knowledge gaps that warrant future research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laken S Ganoe
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Justin D Brown
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Michael J Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.,Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Matthew J Lovallo
- Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - W David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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