1
|
Canales-Cerro C, Hidalgo-Hermoso E, Cabello J, Sacristán I, Cevidanes A, Di Cataldo S, Napolitano C, Moreira-Arce D, Klarian S, Millán J. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic similarity between the endangered Darwin's fox ( Lycalopex fulvipes) and sympatric free-ranging dogs in Chiloé Island, Chile. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2022; 58:316-326. [PMID: 35968628 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2022.2106225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Darwin's fox is an opportunistic omnivorous predator native to Chile classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List. Habitat use by Darwin's foxes can be negatively affected by the presence of free-ranging dogs that range freely across native and non-native habitats and can be a source of fox mortality. The objective of this study was to analyze the isotopic similarity of Darwin's fox and sympatric free-ranging dogs in Chiloé Island to determine the impact of anthropogenic environmental alterations on wild predators. We use hair samples to characterise and compare their δ13C and δ15N values and to evaluate isotopic similarity and isotope niches overlap. A generalised linear model was used to associate the isotope value with landscape variables (forest cover and vegetation type) and distance to the nearest house. We found no significant differences in δ13C or δ15N values between foxes and dogs, and a marginally significant isotope niche overlap (59.4 %). None of the selected variables at landscape and site scale were related to isotope values. Although our study is not a probe of direct contact between foxes and free-ranging dogs, the high isotopic similarity highlights the risk of pathogen spillover from free-ranging dogs to Darwin's foxes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Canales-Cerro
- Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
- Earth Sciences Department, Lemu, Frutillar, Chile
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - E Hidalgo-Hermoso
- Conservation and Research Department, Parque Zoologico Buin Zoo, Buin, Chile
| | - J Cabello
- Chiloé Silvestre Center for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Ancud, Chile
| | - I Sacristán
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - A Cevidanes
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - S Di Cataldo
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - C Napolitano
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago-Concepción, Chile
- Centro Internacional Cabo de Hornos (CHIC), Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - D Moreira-Arce
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago-Concepción, Chile
- Fundación ARAID, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - S Klarian
- Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - J Millán
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Zaragoza, Spain
- Fundación ARAID, Zaragoza, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
SEROSURVEY FOR SELECTED PARASITIC AND BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN DARWIN'S FOX (LYCALOPEX FULVIPES): NOT ONLY DOG DISEASES ARE A THREAT. J Wildl Dis 2021; 58:76-85. [PMID: 34714909 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) is one of the most endangered carnivores worldwide, with the risk of disease spillover from domestic dogs being a major conservation threat. However, lack of epidemiologic information about generalist, non-dog-transmission-dependent protozoal and bacterial pathogens may be a barrier for disease prevention and management. To determine the exposure of some of these agents in Darwin's fox populations, 54 serum samples were collected from 47 Darwin's foxes in Southern Chile during 2013-18 and assessed for the presence of antibodies against Brucella abortus, Brucella canis, Coxiella burnetii, pathogenic Leptospira (serovars Grippotyphosa, Pomona, Canicola, Hardjo, and Copehageni), Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum. The highest seroprevalence was detected for T. gondii (78%), followed by pathogenic Leptospira (14%). All the studied Leptospira serovars were confirmed in at least one animal. Two foxes seroconverted to Leptospira and one to T. gondii during the study period. No seroconversions were observed for the other pathogens. No risk factors, either intrinsic (sex, age) or extrinsic (season, year, and degree of landscape anthropization), were associated with the probability of being exposed to T. gondii. Our results indicate that T. gondii exposure is widespread in the Darwin's fox population, including in areas with minimal anthropization, and that T. gondii and pathogenic Leptospira might be neglected threats to the species. Further studies identifying the causes of morbidity and mortality in Darwin's fox are needed to determine if these or other pathogens are having individual or population-wide effects in this species.
Collapse
|
3
|
Gálvez N, Infante J, Fernandez A, Díaz J, Petracca L. Land use intensification coupled with free‐roaming dogs as potential defaunation drivers of mesocarnivores in agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Gálvez
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Villarrica Campus Wildlife Ecology and Coexistence Laboratory Centre for Research in Local Development Villarrica Chile
| | - José Infante
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Villarrica Campus Wildlife Ecology and Coexistence Laboratory Centre for Research in Local Development Villarrica Chile
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Fauna Australis Wildlife Laboratory Department of Ecosystems and Environment School of Agronomy and Forestry Santiago Chile
| | - Adrián Fernandez
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Villarrica Campus Wildlife Ecology and Coexistence Laboratory Centre for Research in Local Development Villarrica Chile
| | - Jesús Díaz
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Villarrica Campus Wildlife Ecology and Coexistence Laboratory Centre for Research in Local Development Villarrica Chile
| | - Lisanne Petracca
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
López-Jara MJ, Sacristán I, Farías AA, Maron-Perez F, Acuña F, Aguilar E, García S, Contreras P, Silva-Rodríguez EA, Napolitano C. Free-roaming domestic cats near conservation areas in Chile: Spatial movements, human care and risks for wildlife. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
|
5
|
Hemoplasmas Are Endemic and Cause Asymptomatic Infection in the Endangered Darwin's Fox (Lycalopex fulvipes). Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00779-20. [PMID: 32276983 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00779-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma haemocanis is prevalent in the endangered Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) in its main stronghold, Chiloé Island (Chile). The origin of the infection, its dynamics, its presence in other fox populations and the potential consequences for fox health remain unexplored. For 8 years, hemoplasmal DNA was screened and characterized in blood from 82 foxes in Chiloé and two other fox populations and in 250 free-ranging dogs from Chiloé. The prevalence of M. haemocanis in foxes was constant during the study years, and coinfection with "Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum" was confirmed in 30% of the foxes. Both hemoplasma species were detected in the two mainland fox populations and in Chiloé dogs. M. haemocanis was significantly more prevalent and more genetically diverse in foxes than in dogs. Two of the seven M. haemocanis haplotypes identified were shared between these species. Network analyses did not show genetic structure by species (foxes versus dogs), geographic (island versus mainland populations), or temporal (years of study) factors. The probability of infection with M. haemocanis increased with fox age but was not associated with sex, season, or degree of anthropization of individual fox habitats. Some foxes recaptured years apart were infected with the same haplotype in both events, and no hematological alterations were associated with hemoplasma infection, suggesting tolerance to the infection. Altogether, our results indicate that M. haemocanis is enzootic in the Darwin's fox and that intraspecific transmission is predominant. Nevertheless, such a prevalent pathogen in a threatened species represents a concern that must be considered in conservation actions.IMPORTANCE Mycoplasma haemocanis is enzootic in Darwin's foxes. There is a higher M. haemocanis genetic diversity and prevalence in foxes than in sympatric dogs, although haplotypes are shared between the two carnivore species. There is an apparent tolerance of Darwin's foxes to Mycoplasma haemocanis.
Collapse
|
6
|
Moreira-Arce D, Silva-Rodríguez EA, Napolitano C, D'Elía G, Cabello J, Millán J, Hidalgo-Hermoso E, Farías AA. A forest-specialist carnivore in the middle of the desert?Comments on https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.5230. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3825-3830. [PMID: 32313639 PMCID: PMC7160171 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present comments on an article recently published in Ecology and Evolution (“High‐resolution melting of the cytochrome B gene in fecal DNA: A powerful approach for fox species identification of the Lycalopex genus in Chile”) by Anabalon et al. that reported the presence of Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes), a temperate forest specialist, in the hyperarid Atacama Desert of northern Chile. We argue that this putative record lacks ecological support in light of ongoing research on this endangered species, and contains numerous methodological flaws and omissions related to the molecular identification of the species. Based on these issues, we suggest the scientific community and conservation decision‐makers disregard the alleged presence of the Darwin's fox in the Atacama Desert. We present a Reply letter for a recent paper reporting the presence of Darwin´s fox, a forest‐specialist canid, in the Atacama Desert, 1,200 km north of its known distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Darío Moreira-Arce
- Laboratorio de Estudios del Antropoceno Facultad de Ciencias Forestales Universidad de Concepción Concepción Chile
| | - Eduardo A Silva-Rodríguez
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Constanza Napolitano
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad Universidad de Los Lagos Osorno Chile.,Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB) Santiago Chile
| | - Guillermo D'Elía
- Facultad de Ciencias Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Javier Cabello
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Universidad San Sebastián Puerto Montt Chile
| | - Javier Millán
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida Universidad Andrés Bello Santiago Chile.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA Zaragoza Spain.,Fundación ARAID Zaragoza Spain
| | | | - Ariel A Farías
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental Centro Universitario Regional Este (CURE-Maldonado) Universidad de la República Maldonado Uruguay.,Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES) Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile.,Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CIICC) Universidad Santo Tomás Santiago Chile
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Remnants of native forests support carnivore diversity in the vineyard landscapes of central Chile. ORYX 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605319000152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractCarnivores play an important role in ecosystem functioning as apex predators. However, most carnivore species are threatened or have been extirpated in human-dominated landscapes. The Mediterranean region of central Chile is a biodiversity hotspot, but expansion of agricultural areas such as vineyards is degrading wildlife habitat. We estimated the species richness and composition of carnivore communities in remnant fragments of sclerophyllous forest-shrubland in the vineyard landscapes of central Chile to evaluate the effects of human disturbance at different spatial scales. We tested two hypotheses: (1) vineyard landscapes with higher levels of human disturbance support a lower diversity of native carnivores in fragments of remnant native vegetation compared to landscapes with larger areas of natural habitat, and (2) habitat specialists and generalists respond differentially to human influence at the habitat vs landscape spatial scale. We used camera traps at 12 sites across the study area and evaluated the impact of human disturbance indicators on the richness and detection frequency of carnivore species. We found that human population density negatively affected carnivore richness and was associated with a lower detection frequency of the Vulnerable guiña Leopardus guigna. The presence of domestic dogs also had a negative effect on the detection frequency of the guiña and the two native species of foxes, the culpeo Lycalopex culpaeus and South American grey fox Lycalopex griseus. We conclude that protecting remnants of native forest in vineyard landscapes is crucial for carnivore conservation in central Chile.
Collapse
|
8
|
|
9
|
An Eight-Year Survey for Canine Distemper Virus Indicates Lack of Exposure in the Endangered Darwin's Fox ( Lycalopex fulvipes). J Wildl Dis 2019; 56:482-485. [PMID: 31833816 DOI: 10.7589/2019-08-195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
No evidence of exposure to canine distemper virus (CDV) was detected in 70 samples corresponding to 58 wild-trapped Darwin's foxes (Lycalopex fulvipes) in Chile. Given its current endangered status and it being immunologically naïve, in the event of a CDV spillover from dogs to foxes, high population mortality is expected.
Collapse
|
10
|
Tejo CF, Fontúrbel FE. A vertical forest within the forest: millenary trees from the Valdivian rainforest as biodiversity hubs. Ecology 2018; 100:e02584. [PMID: 30561002 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camila F Tejo
- Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2), Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco E Fontúrbel
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| |
Collapse
|