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Passantino G, Tursi M, Vercelli C, Filippi I, Decaro N, Tinelli A, Valente L, Leone R, Zizzo N. Systematic Pathologic Findings Report of Callosciurus finlaysonii (Horsfield, 1823) (Rodentia, Sciuridae) Squirrels from Maratea area (South Italy) to Investigate Species-Specific Pathologies, Reliability of CO 2 Euthanasia Method, and Possible Use as Environmental Sentinels. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101771. [PMID: 33008088 PMCID: PMC7600486 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Sciurus vulgaris has been considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to the risk of extinction caused by the invasion of the invasive species (IAS) such as Callosciurus finlaysonii Horsfield, 1823. This species originated from Southeast Asia and it was introduced in Italy, in 1980. These animals could cause the extinction of the autochthonous counterpart and might also represent a concern, due to the progressive and unavoidable invasion of urban areas. Abstract The aim of the present study was to macroscopically and microscopically describe the main pathological findings occurring in this invasive species, in order to better understand the real risks for naïve animals and humans. The present study was conducted on Callosciurusfinlaysonii squirrels (n = 165), captured in the Maratea area and euthanatized with CO2 according to a population control of invasive species of the Italian Agriculture Ministry project (ex CIPE project) and conferred to the Department of Veterinary Medicine of Bari (Italy). Macroscopic analysis demonstrated heart, lung, and liver congestion, probably due to the euthanasia method, and variable lesions of bowel, liver, and kidney. The microscopically examination showed the presence of lymphocytic infiltration in the lower layers of the bowel, suggesting enteritis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systemic report of gross and microscopical anatomopathological lesions in C.finlaysonii, in South Italy. The results could be useful to fill a gap of knowledge of this species in Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Passantino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Prov.le per Casamassima Km, 3 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; (N.D.); (A.T.); (L.V.); (R.L.); (N.Z.)
- Correspondence: (G.P.); (C.V.); Tel.: +39-(0)8-0467-9842 (G.P.); +39-(0)1-1670-9710 (C.V.)
| | - Massimiliano Tursi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy;
| | - Cristina Vercelli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy;
- Correspondence: (G.P.); (C.V.); Tel.: +39-(0)8-0467-9842 (G.P.); +39-(0)1-1670-9710 (C.V.)
| | - Ilaria Filippi
- Independent Researcher, 00045 Genzano di Roma (Roma), Italy;
| | - Nicola Decaro
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Prov.le per Casamassima Km, 3 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; (N.D.); (A.T.); (L.V.); (R.L.); (N.Z.)
| | - Antonella Tinelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Prov.le per Casamassima Km, 3 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; (N.D.); (A.T.); (L.V.); (R.L.); (N.Z.)
| | - Luciana Valente
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Prov.le per Casamassima Km, 3 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; (N.D.); (A.T.); (L.V.); (R.L.); (N.Z.)
| | - Rosa Leone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Prov.le per Casamassima Km, 3 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; (N.D.); (A.T.); (L.V.); (R.L.); (N.Z.)
| | - Nicola Zizzo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Prov.le per Casamassima Km, 3 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; (N.D.); (A.T.); (L.V.); (R.L.); (N.Z.)
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Ancillotto L, Notomista T, Mori E, Bertolino S, Russo D. Assessment of Detection Methods and Vegetation Associations for Introduced Finlayson's Squirrels (Callosciurus finlaysonii) in Italy. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 61:875-883. [PMID: 29468263 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-018-1013-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Managing biological invasions requires rapid, cost-effective assessments of introduced species' occurrence, and a good understanding of the species' vegetation associations. This is particularly true for species that are elusive or may spread rapidly. Finlayson's squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii) is native to Thailand and southeastern Asia, and two introduced populations occur in peninsular Italy. One of the two introduced populations is rapidly expanding, but neither effective monitoring protocols nor reliable information on vegetation associations are available. To fill this gap, we conducted visual surveys and hair tube sampling in a periurban landscape of southern Italy to compare the effectiveness of these two methods in assessing presence of Finlayson's squirrel. We also determined the species' association with vegetation types at detection locations and nesting sites. Both visual and hair tube sampling effectively assessed the species' presence, but hair tubes resulted in fewer false absences. Moreover, when we controlled for the costs of labor and equipment, hair tubes were 33.1% less expensive than visual sampling. Presence of squirrels and their nests was positively correlated with shrub species richness, indicating that the occurrence of forests with well-developed understory may inhibit the spread of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Tommaso Notomista
- Dipartimento di Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, strada vicinale Cupa Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Unità di Ricerca di Ecologia Comportamentale, Etologia e Gestione della Fauna-Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita-Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Bertolino
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
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Ancillotto L, Mori E. Adaptive significance of coat colouration and patterns of Sciuromorpha (Rodentia). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1145146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Naples “Federico II”, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Sezione di Biologia e Protezione dei Sistemi Agrari e Forestali, Dipartmento di Agraria, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Naples), Italy
| | - Emiliano Mori
- University of Turin, DiSAFA, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (Turin), Italy
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Iatta R, Immediato D, Puttilli MR, Danesi P, Passantino G, Parisi A, Mallia E, Otranto D, Cafarchia C. Cryptococcus neoformans in the respiratory tract of squirrels, Callosciurus finlaysonii (Rodentia, Sciuridae). Med Mycol 2015; 53:666-73. [PMID: 26229151 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myv045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a fungal disease acquired from the environment, for which animals may serve as sentinels for human exposure. The occurrence of Cryptococcus spp. in the respiratory tract of 125 squirrels, Callosciurus finlaysonii, trapped in Southern Italy, was assessed. Upon examination of nasal swabs and lung tissue from each individual, a total of 13 (10.4%) animals scored positive for yeasts, 7 for Cryptococcus neoformans (C.n.) (5.6%) and 6 for other yeasts (4.8%). C.n. was isolated from the nostrils and lungs, with a high population size in nostrils. Two C.n. molecular types, VNI and VNIV, were identified, with C.n. var. grubii VNI the most prevalent. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS+ and URA5 sequences revealed that C.n. isolates were genetically similar to isolates from a range of geographical areas and hosts. Results suggest that C.n. can colonize or infect the respiratory tract of C. finlaysonii. The high occurrence and level of colonization of nasal cavities might be an indicator of environmental exposure to high levels of airborne microorganism. The close phylogenetic relationship of C.n. strains from squirrels with those from human and other animal hosts suggests a potential role for these animals as "sentinels" for human exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Iatta
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Italy
| | - Davide Immediato
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Italy
| | | | - Patrizia Danesi
- Istituto zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Parisi
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Bari, Italy
| | - Egidio Mallia
- Parco Regionale Gallipoli Cognato e Piccole Dolomiti Lucane, Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Italy
| | - Claudia Cafarchia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Italy
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Reappraisal of an old cheap method for marking the European hedgehog. MAMMAL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-014-0210-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Kanchanasaka B, Boonkeow P, Hirankrilas K, Prayoon U, Tamura N. Color Variation of Finlayson's Squirrel among Populations and Individuals in Central Thailand. MAMMAL STUDY 2014. [DOI: 10.3106/041.039.0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Bertolino S, Lurz PWW. Callosciurussquirrels: worldwide introductions, ecological impacts and recommendations to prevent the establishment of new invasive populations. Mamm Rev 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00204.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Bertolino
- Department of Protection and Exploitation of Agricultural Resources, Entomology and Zoology; Via L. Da VincI 44; 10095; Grugliasco; TO; Italy
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Benassi G, Bertolino S. Distribution and activity of the introduced Tamias sibiricus (Laxmann 1769) in an urban park in Rome, Italy. MAMMALIA 2011. [DOI: 10.1515/mamm.2010.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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