1
|
Hu B, Wang JM, Zhang QX, Xu J, Xing YN, Wang B, Han SY, He HX. Enterococcus faecalis provides protection during scavenging in carrion crow ( Corvus corone). Zool Res 2024; 45:451-463. [PMID: 38583936 PMCID: PMC11188602 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota significantly influences host physiology and provides essential ecosystem services. While diet can affect the composition of the gut microbiota, the gut microbiota can also help the host adapt to specific dietary habits. The carrion crow ( Corvus corone), an urban facultative scavenger bird, hosts an abundance of pathogens due to its scavenging behavior. Despite this, carrion crows infrequently exhibit illness, a phenomenon related to their unique physiological adaptability. At present, however, the role of the gut microbiota remains incompletely understood. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technology to assess colonic content in carrion crows and 16 other bird species with different diets in Beijing, China. Our findings revealed that the dominant gut microbiota in carrion crows was primarily composed of Proteobacteria (75.51%) and Firmicutes (22.37%). Significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of Enterococcus faecalis among groups, highlighting its potential as a biomarker of facultative scavenging behavior in carrion crows. Subsequently, E. faecalis isolated from carrion crows was transplanted into model mice to explore the protective effects of this bacterial community against Salmonella enterica infection. Results showed that E. faecalis down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), prevented S. enterica colonization, and regulated the composition of gut microbiota in mice, thereby modulating the host's immune regulatory capacity. Therefore, E. faecalis exerts immunoregulatory and anti-pathogenic functions in carrion crows engaged in scavenging behavior, offering a representative case of how the gut microbiota contributes to the protection of hosts with specialized diets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jia-Min Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qing-Xun Zhang
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd., Beijing 101300, China
| | - Ya-Nan Xing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bo Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shu-Yi Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong-Xuan He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Radovics D, Szabolcs M, Lengyel S, Mizsei E. Hide or die when the winds bring wings: predator avoidance by activity shift in a mountain snake. Front Zool 2023; 20:17. [PMID: 37193990 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00497-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding predator-prey relationships is fundamental in many areas of ecology and conservation. In reptiles, basking time often increases the risk of predation and one way to minimise this risk is to reduce activity time and to stay within a refuge. However, this implies costs of lost opportunities for foraging, reproduction, and thermoregulation. We aimed to determine the main potential and observed predators of Vipera graeca, to infer predation pressure by estimating the incidence and the body length and sex distribution of predation events based on body injuries, and to assess whether and how the activity of V. graeca individuals is modified by predation pressure. RESULTS We observed n = 12 raptor bird species foraging at the study sites, of which Circaetus gallicus, Falco tinnunculus and Corvus cornix were directly observed as predators of V. graeca. We found injuries and wounds on 12.5% of the studied individuals (n = 319). The occurrence of injuries was significantly positively influenced by the body length of vipers, and was more frequent on females than on males, while the interaction of length and sex showed a significant negative effect. The temporal overlap between predator and viper activity was much greater for the vipers' potential activity than their realised activity. Vipers showed a temporal shift in their bimodal daily activity pattern as they were active earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon than could be expected based on the thermal conditions. CONCLUSION The time spent being active on the surface has costs to snakes: predation-related injuries increased in frequency with length, were more frequent in females than in males and occurred in shorter length for males than for females. Our results suggest that vipers do not fully exploit the thermally optimal time window available to them, likely because they shift their activity to periods with fewer avian predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Radovics
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
- Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Márton Szabolcs
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
| | - Edvárd Mizsei
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary.
- Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
- Kiskunság National Park Directorate, Kecskemet, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morozov NS. The Role of Predators in Shaping Urban Bird Populations. 4. The Urban Predation Paradox and Its Probable Causes. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022090242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
|
4
|
Kövér L, Paládi P, Benmazouz I, Šorgo A, Špur N, Juhász L, Czine P, Balogh P, Lengyel S. Is the Hitchcock Story Really True? Public Opinion on Hooded Crows in Cities as Input to Management. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091207. [PMID: 35565633 PMCID: PMC9105359 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Human-wildlife conflicts are a novel topic in urban environments. The recent increase in hooded crows in cities across Europe has increased the frequency of such conflicts, and in some places, the control of crow populations has become a necessity and a hotly debated issue. We surveyed the attitude of people towards hooded crows using an online questionnaire developed to assess their knowledge of crows and which control method is acceptable to most people in Hungary. Many respondents had experience with hooded crows and agreed that their high numbers can cause problems. Most people expressed their willingness to learn about the crows and their management yet did not wish to get directly involved in management activities, which they believed should be the responsibility of professionals. In addition, most people supported the use of non-invasive or less harmful control methods and opposed more intrusive or destructive ones. These results clearly express the difficulty in identifying the most suitable and tolerable way to manage urban crow populations and thus address emerging human-wildlife conflicts in urban environments. Abstract In recent years, the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) has become one of the most successful wild bird species in urban environments across Europe. Hooded crows can cause several problems in cities, including trash scattering, noise disturbance, and aggressive behavior toward humans or pets, and they can be potential vectors of pathogens. To find effective solutions, the public has to be involved in the decision-making process in urban planning management, managed by the city administration. In this study, we surveyed the attitude of people in Hungary towards crows and crow management by collecting information using an online questionnaire containing 65 questions published in 14 Facebook groups. We found that many people were familiar with corvid species and had personal experience with them. In most cases, these experiences were not negative, so the crows were not or only rarely perceived to cause problems to people, such as aggressive behavior, damage to cars or stealing something. Most respondents recognized that the presence of large numbers of hooded crows is a problem to be solved and acknowledged that they do not know how to resolve it. The majority of people expressed their interest in raising public awareness of crows but not in their management actions, which they believe should be implemented by experts. Most respondents preferred passive, harmless methods. More direct methods such as egg/chick removal from the nest, control by trapping, poisoned baits or firearms, or oral contraceptives were the least acceptable. These results express the difficulty in identifying a control method for managing hooded crow populations that is both acceptable to most people and effective at the same time. This study demonstrates the importance of involving public opinion in wildlife management and providing more information to citizens to reduce human-crow conflicts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- László Kövér
- Department of Nature Conservation, Zoology and Game Management, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.P.); (I.B.); (L.J.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Petra Paládi
- Department of Nature Conservation, Zoology and Game Management, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.P.); (I.B.); (L.J.)
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Isma Benmazouz
- Department of Nature Conservation, Zoology and Game Management, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.P.); (I.B.); (L.J.)
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrej Šorgo
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroska Cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia; (A.Š.); (N.Š.)
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, Koroska Cesta 46, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Natalija Špur
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroska Cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia; (A.Š.); (N.Š.)
| | - Lajos Juhász
- Department of Nature Conservation, Zoology and Game Management, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.P.); (I.B.); (L.J.)
| | - Péter Czine
- Department of Economic Analysis and Statistics, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Péter Balogh
- Department of Economic Analysis and Statistics, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Bem ter 18/c, 4026 Debrecen, Hungary;
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Novčić I, Parača V. Seasonal differences in escape behaviour in the urban hooded crow, Corvus cornix. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.21066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Novčić
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; e-mail: ,
| | - Vanja Parača
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; e-mail: ,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Benmazouz I, Jokimäki J, Lengyel S, Juhász L, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki ML, Kardos G, Paládi P, Kövér L. Corvids in Urban Environments: A Systematic Global Literature Review. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113226. [PMID: 34827957 PMCID: PMC8614296 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is one of the most prevalent drivers of biodiversity loss, yet few taxonomic groups are remarkably successful at adapting to urban environments. We systematically surveyed the global literature on the effects of urbanization on species of family Corvidae (crows, choughs, jackdaws, jays, magpies, nutcrackers, ravens, rooks, treepies) to assess the occurrence of corvids in urban environments and the factors affecting their success. We found a total of 424 primary research articles, and the number of articles has increased exponentially since the 1970s. Most studies were carried out in cities of Europe and North America (45.5% and 31.4%, respectively) and were directed on a single species (75.2). We found that 30 corvid species (23% of 133 total) regularly occur in urban environments. The majority (72%) of the studies reported positive effects of urbanization on corvids, with 85% of studies detecting population increases and 64% of studies detecting higher breeding success with urbanization. Of the factors proposed to explain corvids' success (availability of nesting sites and food sources, low predation and persecution), food availability coupled with diet shifts emerged as the most important factors promoting Corvidae to live in urban settings. The breeding of corvids in urban environments was further associated with earlier nesting, similar or larger clutches, lower hatching but higher fledging success, reduced home range size and limited territoriality, increased tolerance towards humans and increasing frequency of conflicts with humans. Despite geographic and taxonomic biases in our literature sample, our review indicates that corvids show both flexibility in resource use and behavioral plasticity that enable them to exploit novel resources for nesting and feeding. Corvids can thus be urban exploiters of the large-scale modifications of ecosystems caused by urbanization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isma Benmazouz
- Animal Husbandry Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
- Correspondence:
| | - Jukka Jokimäki
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96300 Rovaniemi, Finland; (J.J.); (M.-L.K.-J.)
| | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 4026 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Lajos Juhász
- Department of Nature Conservation Zoology and Game Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (L.J.); (L.K.)
| | | | - Gábor Kardos
- Institute of Metagenomics, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Petra Paládi
- Animal Husbandry Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - László Kövér
- Department of Nature Conservation Zoology and Game Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (L.J.); (L.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Restricted mowing reduces grass uprooting by urban crows. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01504-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|