Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sandra Saez-Duran, Angela L. Debenedetti, Sandra Sainz-Elipe, Mireia Sabater-Tena, Maria Teresa Galan-Puchades, Marius Vicent Fuentes
Summary: The role of helminths of the wood mouse in Mediterranean ecosystems as biological indicators of the post-fire regeneration process has been studied, revealing the true state of this process. Climate variables play a key role in influencing the post-fire regeneration process.
Article
Parasitology
Damien Jouet, Aoalsteinn Orn Snaeporsson, Karl Skirnisson
Summary: Mesocestoides canislagopodis is found in arctic foxes, gyrfalcons, and rock ptarmigans in Iceland. Wood mice were discovered to be a new intermediate host for this parasite, representing the first description of a rodent as an intermediate host for this species in Iceland.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Zoology
R. Bocz, P. Batary, J. J. Purger
Summary: Wood mouse and striped field mouse are the most common mouse species in Central Europe, coexisting in various habitats. The study found that scent significantly affects predation by large mammals, while fur pattern may not play a major role in survival. Further research is needed to explore the ecological function of fur pattern.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sara Savazza, Paola Bartolommei, Stefania Gasperini, Andrea Bonacchi, Emiliano Manzo, Roberto Cozzolino
Summary: In the Mediterranean region, wood mice, as representatives of small mammal communities, inhabit both fields and woodlands. The study found that fields were less suitable for wood mice in autumn-winter, with lower numbers of mice, adults, and reproductive individuals, lighter individuals, and more resident mice. In contrast, in spring-summer, there was an increase in wood mice caught in fields, especially breeding adults. This indicates that fields can be a suboptimal habitat in this area, while still providing resources and mates for wood mice.
Article
Parasitology
J. W. Lewis, N. J. Morley, J. M. Behnke
Summary: The study quantified the distributions of nematode parasites Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Syphacia stroma in the intestines of wood mice trapped in three different locations in southern England. It was found that while H.polygyrus remained largely in the anterior third of the intestine, S.stroma showed equal distribution in the anterior and middle sections in single infections but shifted towards the middle section in the presence of H.polygyrus, in a dose-dependent response.
JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
J. W. Lewis, N. J. Morley, J. M. Behnke
Summary: A survey of helminth parasites in wood mice was conducted in Southern England. Seven species of helminths were identified, with H. polygyrus and S. stroma being the most dominant. The study found associations between the presence of certain helminths and factors such as location, age, and sex. However, overall, the interactions between the helminths were found to be weak, suggesting that they form assemblages rather than interactive communities.
JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin Groen, Krijn B. Trimbos, Susanne Hein, Astrid Blaauw, Peter M. van Bodegom, Joerg Hahne, Jens Jacob
Summary: DNA-based approaches have improved dietary studies by providing direct insights into ecological processes. However, accurately quantifying diet constituents remains challenging. This study used droplet digital PCR to quantify diet constituents in wood mice, and successfully determined DNA concentrations of small vegetable seeds in their diet. The sensitive DNA-based approach allows for minimally invasive quantification of small diet constituents in faeces.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Amy R. Sweeny, Melanie Clerc, Paulina A. Pontifes, Saudamini Venkatesan, Simon A. Babayan, Amy B. Pedersen
Summary: High-quality diet supplementation can enhance host resistance and immunity to gastrointestinal helminth infections, leading to more efficient worm clearance after anthelmintic treatment. Additionally, supplemented nutrition can significantly reduce the transmission potential of helminths.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Galantinho, Sara Santos, Sofia Eufrazio, Carmo Silva, Filipe Carvalho, Russell Alpizar-Jara, Antonio Mira
Summary: Roads may hinder animal movement, but properly managed road verges can provide refuge and corridors for small mammals. This study aimed to fill the knowledge gap by comparing the movement patterns of wood mice in a road and in a roadless area. The results show that wood mice tend to avoid the road, prefer using road verges, and have more road crossings after firebreak openings and near taller shrubs. Roadside vegetation management plays a significant role in shaping these movement patterns.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Susan Joseph, Joseph Aduse-Opoku, Ahmed Hashim, Eveliina Hanski, Ricarda Streich, Sarah C. L. Knowles, Amy B. Pedersen, William G. Wade, Michael A. Curtis
Summary: A curated murine oral microbiome database has been constructed, containing a collection of nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences from cultured isolates and draft genomes from representative taxa. The database comprises 103 mouse oral taxa (MOT) spanning four phyla, including 12 novel undescribed species-level taxa. Key observations include the low diversity and predominantly culturable nature of the laboratory mouse oral microbiome, as well as the identification of three major murine-specific oral bacterial lineages.
Article
Ecology
Diana Erazo, Amy B. Pedersen, Andy Fenton
Summary: Anthropogenic activities and natural events can alter resource provisioning, affecting animals and potentially impacting the spread of infectious diseases in wildlife. Different types of parasites show common epidemiological responses to resource provisioning, but with quantitative differences.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clementine Fritsch, Brice Appenzeller, Louisiane Burkart, Michael Coeurdassier, Renaud Scheifler, Francis Raoul, Vincent Driget, Thibaut Powolny, Candice Gagnaison, Dominique Rieffel, Eve Afonso, Anne-Claude Goydadin, Emilie M. Hardy, Paul Palazzi, Charline Schaeffer, Sabrina Gaba, Vincent Bretagnolle, Colette Bertrand, Celine Pelosi
Summary: This study investigated the exposure of free-ranging mammals to pesticides and found widespread contamination, which has implications for ecosystem impacts. The results suggest that wildlife exposure to pesticide mixtures is a common occurrence, highlighting the need to consider the concept of environmental exposure and question the adequacy of current risk assessment and mitigation processes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kevin Groen, Jens Jacob, Susanne Hein, Emilie A. Didaskalou, Peter M. van Bodegom, Joerg Hahne, Krijn B. Trimbos
Summary: In order to assess and protect against risks to non-target species caused by stressors, Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) is used to prevent harmful effects of agrochemicals on arable fields. However, obtaining exposure values is difficult and relies on laboratory studies which may not accurately represent field situations. To improve intake estimates, data from realistic field-based scenarios are needed. This study used DNA-based analysis to quantify seed intake in a realistic field setting, showing that accurate seed intake estimates can be obtained. The novel approach and its results are highly relevant to food intake and diet composition studies.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Diaa Massoud, Miguel Lao-Perez, Esperanza Ortega, Miguel Burgos, Rafael Jimenez, Francisco J. Barrionuevo
Summary: The study investigated the testes of sexually inactive males of wood mouse and Algerian mouse in southern Iberian peninsula. While both species reproduce throughout most of the year, wood mice cease breeding in summer while Algerian mice do so in winter. This divergence suggests that subtle animal features and/or environmental cues determine reproduction timing, supporting the idea that multiple circannual reproduction patterns exist within a species and that these mechanisms are highly adaptable and evolving rapidly.
Article
Infectious Diseases
A. Zintl, A. McManus, M. Galan, M. Diquattro, L. Giuffredi, N. Charbonnel, J. Gray, C. Holland, P. Stuart
Summary: This study is the first to investigate the presence and identity of B. microti in Ireland, and the results suggest that the public health risk associated with B. microti in this location is low.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
