Search Results (14)

Cyclopes, the smallest of all known anteaters, has an insectivorous diet and is arboreal, rarely descending to the ground. There are scarce reports on diseases and pathogenic agents affecting this taxon. Hemopathogens are pathogenic agents that inhabit the blood of various vertebrate species. Protozoa such as Trypanosoma spp., Leishmania spp., Hepatozoon spp., and members of the order Piroplasmida, as well as hemoplasmas and Rickettsial bacteria of the genera Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, are among the most important in this group. The transmission of these pathogens generally occurs through arthropod vectors, which act as intermediate hosts. In addition, infections caused by hemopathogens can have adverse effects on host health, contributing to population declines in susceptible species. This study investigated infection by protozoa and hemotropic bacteria in blood samples from free-ranging silky anteaters from Brazil, Peru, and Colombia using molecular detection methods. Sixteen samples were obtained during expeditions conducted in these countries. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and PCR assays were performed to detect parasites from the order Piroplasmida, Hepatozoon spp., trypanosomatid agents including Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma evansi, T. cruzi, and T. vivax, as well as hemotropic bacteria of the genera Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Mycoplasma sp. Nucleotide sequencing was performed on positive samples. Of the total samples analyzed, 62.5% (10/16) tested positive for hemotropic Mycoplasma, 50% (8/16) for T. evansi, and 6.2% (1/16) for T. cruzi. There is a significant gap in knowledge regarding the diversity of hemopathogens affecting the genus Cyclopes, and future studies are needed to understand how these infections may impact the health of individuals. Full article

Several species of amoebae in the genus Entamoeba forming four-nucleated mature cysts are pathogenic, but their identification is challenging due to a lack of distinctive morphological traits. Furthermore, host species cannot reliably be used as a criterion for identification. In this study, several isolates of four-nucleated cyst-forming Entamoeba species from animals at the Zoo Aquarium of Madrid are genetically identified. Entamoeba cysts were identified through microscopic analysis of faecal samples; none of the animals exhibited symptoms. DNA was extracted, and a fragment of the SSU-rRNA gene was PCR-amplified and sequenced to identify the species. Entamoeba dispar was identified in mantled guerezas (Colobus guereza), lar gibbons (Hylobates lar), greater rheas (Rhea americana) and giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Entamoeba hartmnanni was detected in mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Entamoeba nuttalli was detected in mandrills; the analysis of sequences available in GenBank revealed that this species has also been detected in human samples. The identification of the Entamoeba species across diverse host species underscores the need for genetic confirmation to prevent misidentifications. These findings expand the known host range of these species and emphasize the importance of regular monitoring to minimize transmission risks, including potential cross-species transmission to/from humans. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of Clostridium perfringens in stool samples and swabs collected from wild mammals in the Amazon biome. Sixty-five faecal and swab samples were collected in situ and ex situ from 16 species and three genera of wild mammals, some of which were in good health and some of which had diarrhoea. After pre-enrichment, the samples were plated on selective agar for C. perfringens. Characteristic colonies were subjected to multiplex PCR for the detection of genes encoding the main C. perfringens toxins (alpha, beta, epsilon, and iota toxin and enterotoxin). Among the 65 samples, 40 (61.5%) were positive for the gene encoding the alpha toxin and were classified as type A, 36 of which were asymptomatic animals and four were diarrheal. No other toxinotypes were found. The findings of this study suggest that C. perfringens type A is commonly found in mammal species of the Amazon biome. This seems to be the first study to identify C. perfringens type A in species such as B. variegatus (common ground sloth), C. didactylus (two-toed sloth), P. flavus (Jupará), T. tetradactyla (anteater), S. collinsi (squirrel monkey), S. niger (black marmoset), and S. apella (Guyana capuchin) and in the genus Didelphis sp. (opossum). Full article

Using the stomach contents of 24 wild road-killed giant anteaters as proxies for their diet, we found that estimated wild diets were much lower in calcium (about ten times less) and phosphorus compared with manufactured feeds commonly fed to anteaters under human care. Indicators of soil consumption, such as ash, iron, and manganese were higher in the stomach contents than in either wild termites or manufactured diets, likely due to high levels of soil ingestion during feeding in the wild. Protein and fat levels in insects, stomach contents, and commercial diets all met carnivore recommendations. Both giant anteaters and tamanduas in managed care often develop hypercalcemia, perhaps because these taxa have an enhanced ability to retain calcium allowing them to survive on such low calcium diets. Results from this study indicate that, for anteaters in managed care, it is important to keep dietary calcium and vitamins D and K within recommended levels to prevent nutritional diseases such as hyper- and hypocalcemia and vitamin K deficiency. Full article

Accelerometers are a technology that is increasingly used in the evaluation of animal behaviour. A tri-axial accelerometer attached to a vest was used on Tamandua tetradactyla individuals (n = 10) at Biodiversity Park. First, the influence of using a vest on the animals’ behaviour was evaluated (ABA-type: A1 and A2, without a vest; B, with a vest; each stage lasted 24 h), and no changes were detected. Second, their behaviour was monitored using videos and the accelerometer simultaneously (experimental room, 20 min). The observed behaviours were correlated with the accelerometer data, and summary measures (X, Y and Z axes) were obtained. Additionally, the overall dynamic body acceleration was calculated, determining a threshold to discriminate activity/inactivity events (variance = 0.0055). Then, based on a 24 h complementary test (video sampling every 5 min), the sensitivity (85.91%) and precision (100%) of the accelerometer were assessed. Animals were exposed to an ABA-type experimental design: A1 and A2: complex enclosure; B: decreased complexity (each stage lasted 24 h). An increase in total activity (%) was revealed using the accelerometer (26.15 ± 1.50, 29.29 ± 2.25, and 35.36 ± 3.15, respectively). Similar activity levels were detected using video analysis. The results demonstrate that the use of the accelerometer is reliable to determine the activity. Considering that the zoo-housed lesser anteaters exhibit a cathemeral activity pattern, this study contributes to easily monitoring their activities and responses to different management procedures supporting welfare programs, as well as ex situ conservation. Full article

Knowledge of reproductive health in wild southern tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla; Mammalia: Myrmecophagidae) is fragmentary. During necropsies of roadkill xenarthran species in Brazil, a case of ovarian filariasis in an adult female southern tamandua was observed. Macroscopically, both ovaries were irregularly enlarged and had numerous smooth protuberances. Histologically, the affected ovarian parenchyma presented adult nematodes (including females with microfilaria) surrounded by pleocellular inflammatory infiltrates. The morphological characteristics of the nematodes were consistent with the superfamily Filarioidea (order Spirurida). The adjacent ovarian parenchyma had developing and atretic follicles at different stages of maturation. Filarial nematodes were not observed in other tissues. The cause of death of this tamandua was fatal acute polytrauma as a consequence of the motor vehicle collision. This case adds to a prior report of ovarian filariasis in two southern tamanduas in Nicaragua and Guatemala, dating back almost 100 years, and suggests filarial infections could potentially have an impact on reproductive success in southern tamanduas and possibly other xenarthrans. Several xenarthran species are under different levels of threat and knowledge of their basic reproductive health is crucial for conservation programs. Full article

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a strictly myrmecophagous xenarthran species that ranges from Honduras to northern Argentina, occupying various habitats, from grassland and floodplains to forests. According to the IUCN, it is a vulnerable species mainly threatened by poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, and road kills. Here, we investigate the phylogeography, distribution, ecology, and historical demography of Brazilian populations of the giant anteater. We analysed two mitochondrial (mtDNA) and three nuclear (nDNA) markers in 106 individuals from the Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest, and Amazon Forest biomes through analyses of population structure and demography, phylogeography, and ecological niche modelling. Two divergent mtDNA clusters were found, one in the Amazon (AM) and another in the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Atlantic Forest biomes (CEPTAF). At the population level, CEPTAF presented higher mtDNA haplotype richness than AM and a unidirectional mtDNA gene flow was identified from AM to CEPTAF, which could be linked to more favourable habitat conditions for the species in Cerrado and Pantanal. Paleodemographic reconstructions with mtDNA and nDNA data indicate a large population expansion of the species starting at the end of the Pleistocene. Finally, the integrative phylogeographic analyses of giant anteater populations reinforce the importance of the Brazilian Cerrado as a priority biome for the species’ conservation. Full article

Very little information is available to zoo managers on the nutritional preferences of the lesser anteater, a highly specialized predator. By studying lesser anteater feeding behavior, we expect to contribute to improved management decisions and individual welfare experiences. We studied the response of zoo-housed lesser anteaters (n = 7) to feeders with live ants (Acromyrmex lundi) and termites (Cortaritermes fulviceps), and we also evaluated the nutritional values of these prey. We individually evaluated each lesser anteater (3 sessions), recording activities by camera. We ground insect samples into a coarse meal and evaluated in vitro biochemical parameters (humidity, lipids proteins, ash, and carbohydrates). Lesser anteaters spent more time with termites than with ants and consumed more termites. Ant meal presented a higher protein and lipid content than termite meal (35.28 ± 0.18% vs. 18.19 ± 0.34% and 16.95 ± 0.13% vs. 6.54 ± 0.31%, respectively), and carbohydrate digestibility was higher in termites. These findings indicate an association between the level of insect consumption and nutritional and digestibility values. This is the first exploration of lesser anteater responses to the presence of social insects in feeders and may serve to guide the study of food preferences in captivity. Full article

Management procedures affect behavioural and physiological stress responses of wild mammals under human care. According to the Reactive Scope Model, normal values are presumed to exist within predictive and reactive ranges. First, stress parameters of zoo-housed adult Tamandua tetradactyla were evaluated in winter and summer (29 days each), determining the level of behaviour and/or physiological parameters needed to respond to predictable environmental changes. Secondly, the effects of veterinary procedures and transportation were studied in both seasons. Non-invasive methods were applied, assessing behaviour through videos and adrenocortical activity by faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs). Lesser anteaters exhibited seasonality (summer > winter) in some behavioural parameters, such as nocturnal activities, as well as in the activity cycle (e.g., acrophase) and FGMs. A veterinary check elicited an increase in total activity (TA), natural behaviours and repetitive locomotion and affected the activity cycle, particularly in summer. Transport produced changes in TA, nocturnal and natural activity and some variables of the activity cycle, mostly during summer. Although the effects of routine management procedures were different from each other and presumably stressful, they elicited changes only at the behavioural level, which was greater during summer. The differences observed according to non-invasive methodologies highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in this context and suggest that it is unlikely that individual welfare was affected. Full article

Pangolins are currently the most smuggled mammals in the world. Meanwhile, Taiwan has demonstrated the world’s first case of the use of artificial feeding to raise pangolins to adulthood. The government has also begun to cooperate with farmers in pangolin-spotted areas. Agricultural products can earn the green label once they have passed the evaluation. The challenge is that very few farms have obtained the pangolin-friendly label so far. Our hypothesis is that farmers lack the knowledge that consumers would pay additional money for products that are labeled pangolin-friendly compared to regular ones. Thus, farmers have an insufficient incentive to apply for this label. This research aims to fill this gap by providing people with the necessary knowledge. Contingent valuation with the single-bounded dichotomous choice format was used, which involved investigating 417 valid observations. We found the following: (1) customers are willing to pay about 8.06 USD for pangolin-friendly rice (an increase of 397% in relation to the mean price of rice); (2) customers are willing to pay for about 11.46 USD for pangolin-friendly tea (an increase of 179% in relation to the mean price of tea); and (3) customers are willing to pay about 25.81 USD for pangolin-friendly coffee (an increase of 509% in relation to the mean price of coffee). Our findings give farmers more incentive to conduct eco-friendly production. Consequently, the quality of agricultural products as well as the habitats of endangered pangolins improve. Thus, consumers’ health, the environment, and the future of pangolin conservation can benefit in this attempt to achieve sustainability. Full article

Forward genetics in the mouse continues to be a useful and unbiased approach to identifying new genes and alleles with previously unappreciated roles in mammalian development and disease. Here, we report a new mouse allele of Cse1l that was recovered from an ENU mutagenesis screen. Embryos homozygous for the anteater allele of Cse1l display a number of variable phenotypes, with craniofacial and ocular malformations being the most obvious. We provide evidence that Cse1l is the causal gene through complementation with a novel null allele of Cse1l generated by CRISPR-Cas9 editing. While the variability in the anteater phenotype was high enough to preclude a detailed molecular analysis, we demonstrate a very penetrant reduction in Pax6 levels in the developing eye along with significant ocular developmental phenotypes. The eye gene discovery tool iSyTE shows Cse1l to be significantly expressed in the lens from early eye development stages in embryos through adulthood. Cse1l has not previously been shown to be required for organogenesis as homozygosity for a null allele results in very early lethality. Future detailed studies of Cse1l function in craniofacial and neural development will be best served with a conditional allele to circumvent the variable phenotypes we report here. We suggest that human next-generation (whole genome or exome) sequencing studies yielding variants of unknown significance in CSE1L could consider these findings as part of variant analysis. Full article

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a vulnerable species from Central and South America, and is considered possibly extinct in Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Uruguay. Due to the species’ conservation and reproductive importance, this research aimed to characterize the morphology, histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural feature of the giant anteater prostate gland. For this, we collected 11 giant anteater prostate glands and performed macroscopic, morphological, histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural analysis. Nine prostate glands from an adult subject and two from young subjects were studied. Grossly, the adult giant anteater prostate gland is divided in two distinct zones; the central zones (composed mainly of ducts) and the peripheral zones (of acini formed by secretory cells). The secretory cells showed positive periodic acid–Schiff staining. Furthermore, the immunohistochemical characterization revealed a similar human prostate pattern, with p63 staining basal cells, uroplakin III (UPIII) superficial cells of prostatic urethra, androgen receptor (AR) expressing nucleus of secretory and stromal cells, and prostatic specific antigen (PSA) staining prostatic epithelial cells. Overall, our research provided an in-depth morphological description of the giant anteater’s prostate gland, providing valuable information for futures studies focused on giant anteater conservation. Full article

Anaplasma marginale, a well-known cattle pathogen of tropical and subtropical world regions, has been previously molecularly characterized in a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) from Corrientes, Argentina. Ticks or other hematophagous arthropod involved in the wild transmission cycle remained unknown. The aim of the present study was to analyze the simultaneous occurrence of A. marginale in blood samples and ticks from giant anteaters from Corrientes in order to investigate if ticks could be relevant in the transmission among these mammals. Blood samples from 50 giant anteaters collected in different years and 26 ticks Amblyomma dubitatum and A. sculptum were studied through the molecular amplification of two unequivocal species-specific genes from A. marginale: msp5 and msp1β. Twenty five giant anteaters and tick organs (salivary glands, gut and oviduct) from 11 ticks tested positive to the A. marginale DNA amplification. The further molecular characterization through MSP1a tandem repeats analysis revealed the presence of genotypes circulating among giant anteaters that had been previously identified in cattle blood samples from the same geographical region. These results confirm the presence of A. marginale in giant anteaters in Corrientes and suggests that A. dubitatum and A. sculptum ticks could be involved in the transmission among giant anteaters. Future studies will determine the role of these tick species in the wild transmission cycle in the study area and the eventual connection with the domestic cycle. Full article

The relationships between meteorology and pregnancy outcomes are not well known. This article reviews available evidence on the relationships between seasonality or meteorology and three major pregnancy outcomes: the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including preeclampsia, eclampsia and gestational hypertension), gestational length and birth weight. In total 35, 28 and 27 studies were identified for each of these outcomes. The risks of preeclampsia appear higher for women with conception during the warmest months, and delivery in the coldest months of the year. Delivery in the coldest months is also associated with a higher eclampsia risk. Patterns of decreased gestational lengths have been observed for births in winter, as well as summer months. Most analytical studies also report decreases in gestational lengths associated with heat. Birth weights are lower for deliveries occurring in winter and in summer months. Only a limited number of studies have investigated the effects of barometric pressure on gestational length or the effects of temperature and sunshine exposure on birth weight, but these questions appear worth investigating further. Available results should encourage further etiological research aiming at enhancing our understanding of the relationships between meteorology and adverse pregnancy outcomes, ideally via harmonized multicentric studies. Full article