Tick infestation of small mammals in an English woodland

Tick infestations on small mammals were studied from April to November, 2010, in deciduous woodland in southern England in order to determine whether co‐infestations with tick stages occurred on small mammals, a key requirement for endemic transmission of tick‐borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). A total of 217 small mammals was trapped over 1,760 trap nights. Yellow‐necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) made up the majority (52.5%) of animals, followed by wood mice (A. sylvaticus) 35.5% and bank voles (Myodes glareolus) 12%. A total of 970 ticks was collected from 169 infested animals; 96% of ticks were Ixodes ricinus and 3% I. trianguliceps. Over 98% of ticks were larval stages. Mean infestation intensities of I. ricinus were significantly higher on A. flavicollis (6.53 ± 0.67) than on A. sylvaticus (4.96 ± 0.92) and M. glareolus (3.25 ± 0.53). Infestations with I. ricinus were significantly higher in August than in any other month. Co‐infestations with I. ricinus nymphs and larvae were observed on six (3.6%) infested individuals, and fifteen small mammals (8.9%) supported I. ricinus – I. trianguliceps co‐infestations. This work contributes further to our understanding of European small mammal hosts that maintain tick populations and their associated pathogens, and indicates that co‐infestation of larvae and nymph ticks does occur in lowland UK. The possible implications for transmission of tick‐borne encephalitis virus between UK ticks and small mammals are discussed.     

蜂桶寨自然保护区中华姬鼠和社鼠食性的季节变化及与肠道长度的关系

为揭示啮齿动物食性及其对消化道肠道长度的影响,我们于2008 年在四川省宝兴县蜂桶寨国家级自然保护区内以中华姬鼠和社鼠为对象展开了研究。结果发现社鼠和中华姬鼠均以摄食种子为主,食谱中各食物成分在性别之间无显著差异,但季节变化明显。在各食物成分中,摄入种子百分比与中华姬鼠及社鼠小肠长之间呈显著正相关,而昆虫成分则相反。分析认为,中华姬鼠和社鼠取食食物成分的季节变化,可能与不同季节中食物资源可获得性的不同有关,消化道长度的变化可能体现了对季节性食物资源和能量需求的适应.     

Surviving north of the natural range: the importance of density independence in determining population size

The relative importance of density-dependent and -independent processes in determining population density has been predicted to vary according to whether the population concerned is located near the centre or the periphery of the species' range. Thus, density-independent processes should be more pronounced near the periphery. The long-tailed wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus in Iceland is at the northern and western edge of its geographical range. We estimated the autumn population density in an open habitat in south-western Iceland in 9 years out of 10 during 1996–2005 in order to monitor the annual maximum population size. Furthermore, we estimated population density and survival at c . 5-week intervals from September 2001 to October 2003 and from September 2004 to November 2005 in order to reveal the causes of variation in maximum population size. The estimated autumn population density was low, ranging from 2.7 to 8.9 mice ha⁻¹ while spring densities ranged from 0.4 to 0.8 mice ha⁻¹. Apparent monthly survival probabilities ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 per month in autumn and 0.7 to 0.9 in winter. Our results suggest that low temperature in early winter (October–December) is the major determinant of population density in the following autumn, explaining 74% of the variation in autumn population density. No significant correlation was found between either the NAO index or the NAO winter index and variation in wood mouse population density in autumn. Differential mortality in early winter results in variation in spring population size. This study shows clear evidence of density-independent control of a mammal population at the edge of its geographical range as opposed to the mostly density-dependent control previously recorded near its centre of distribution.     

Spatial genetic structuring in a vagile species, the European wood mouse

We examined the genetic structure of natural populations of the European wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus at the microgeographic (<3 km) and macrogeographic (>30 km) scales. Ecological and behavioural studies indicate that this species exhibits considerable dispersal relative to its home-range size. Thus, there is potential for high gene flow over larger geographic areas. As levels of population genetic structure are related to gene flow, we hypothesized that population genetic structuring at the microgeographic level should be negligible, increasing only with geographic distance. To test this, four sites were sampled within a microgeographic scale with two additional samples at the macrogeographic level. Individuals ( n =415) were screened and analysed for seven polymorphic microsatellite loci. Contrary to our hypothesis, significant levels of population structuring were detected at both scales. Comparing genetic differentiation with geographic distance suggests increasing genetic isolation with distance. However, this distance effect was non-significant being confounded by surprisingly high levels of differentiation among microgeographic samples. We attribute this pattern of genetic differentiation to the effect of habitat fragmentation, splitting large populations into components with small effective population sizes resulting in enhanced genetic drift. Our results indicate that it is incorrect to assume genetic homogeneity among populations even where there is no evidence of physical barriers and dispersal can occur freely. In the case of A. sylvaticus , it is not clear whether dispersal does not occur across habitat barriers or behavioural dispersal occurs without consequent gene flow.     

Edge Effect on Density Estimates of a Radiotracked Population of Yellow-Necked Mice

ABSTRACT Density estimates for small-mammal populations from capture-mark-recapture (CMR) data have played an important role in many studies of theoretical and applied ecology. Defining effective trapping area (ETA) is one of the main issues affecting accuracy of density estimates. Our objective was to assess sensitivity of CMR density estimates to correctors based on movement parameters calculated from trapping and radiotelemetry data. From May to November 2005, we conducted monthly CMR trapping in a beech (Fagus sylvaticus) forest of the province of Trento, northern Italy. In conjunction with CMR, we radio-marked 32 yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) captured from July to October and located them daily using radiotelemetry. We estimated population size (N) by model averaging with Program MARK. We calculated ETA using several definitions of the boundary strip, including full and half mean maximum distance moved (MMDM) from capture-recapture and telemetry data and mean radius of mean monthly home ranges. The boundary strip (W) increased with the amount of behavioral information embodied in the estimates. The largest W and lowest density values were based on radius of mean home ranges followed by MMDM calculated from telemetry data. The ETA based on movement distances increased more than proportionally when N decreased, suggesting that low population density combined with scarce resources results in rodents moving more in search of food, thus leading to overestimated ETA and underestimated density values. Although robust behavioral information would certainly improve density estimates, we suggest caution in relating ranging movements to capture probability and hence in using correctors based on movement distances to infer density values.     

气候因素对黑线姬鼠种群动态影响的非线性效应

受全球气候变化的影响,气候因素与害鼠种群变化之间的关系成为害鼠防治研究中的热点问题。以西安市长安区周边分布的黑线姬鼠为研究对象,通过标志重捕法进行种群动态监测,掌握其种群数量的动态变化规律,并结合非线性的统计方法广义可加模型,对该地区2015—2018年黑线姬鼠种群密度和气候因素数据进行分析,探讨该鼠种群变化与气候因素之间的关系。结果表明,该地区黑线姬鼠种群数量总体显现为下降趋势。黑线姬鼠种群密度存在显著的正向自我调节效应(F_(1.00, 5.77)=27.062,P0.01),且与上一月种群密度存在线性的正相关。当月平均温度与该鼠种群密度之间存在显著的非线性效应(F_(1.90, 5.77 )=4.696,P0.05),两者之间显现为钟型关系,当温度21℃时,两者之间显现为正相关,黑线姬鼠种群密度随温度的升高而升高,反之显现为负相关。当月累计降雨量与其种群密度之间也存在显著的非线性效应(F_(1.87, 5.77)=3.879,P0.05),同样,两者之间也显现为钟型关系,当降雨量90 mm时,两者之间显现为负相关,种群密度随降雨量的增加而降低,反之显现为正相关。因此,温度和降雨对黑线姬鼠种群变化具有调节作用,低温干旱和高温多雨均不适合该鼠的繁殖与生长。     

Mandibles and molars of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.): integrated latitudinal pattern and mosaic insular evolution

Aim The distinct nature of island populations has traditionally been attributed either to adaptation to particular insular conditions or to random genetic effects. In order to assess the relative importance of these two disparate processes, insular effects were addressed in the European wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus, 1758). Location Wood mice from 33 localities on both mainland and various Atlantic and western Mediterranean islands were considered. This sampling covers only part of the latitudinal range of A. sylvaticus but included the two main genetic clades identified by previous studies. Islands encompass a range of geographical conditions (e.g. small islands fringing the continent through large and isolated ones). Methods The insular syndrome primarily invokes variations in body size, but ecological factors such as release from competition, niche widening and food availability should also influence other characters related to diet. In the present study, the morphology of the wood mice was quantified based on two characters involved in feeding: the size and shape of the mandibles and first upper molars. The size of the mandible is also a proxy for the body size of the animal. Patterns of morphological differentiation of both features were estimated using two‐dimensional outline analysis based on Fourier methods. Results Significant differences between mainland and island populations were observed in most cases for both the mandibles and molars. However, molars and mandibles displayed divergent patterns. Mandible shape diverged mostly on islands of intermediate remoteness and competition levels, whereas molars exhibited the greatest shape differentiation on small islands, such as Port‐Cros and Porquerolles. A mosaic pattern was also displayed for size. Body and mandible size increased on Ibiza, but molar size remained similar to mainland populations. Mosaic patterns were, however, not apparent in the mainland populations. Congruent latitudinal variations were evident for the size and shape of both mandibles and molars. Main conclusions Mosaic evolution appears to characterize insular divergence. The molar seems to be more prone to change with reduced population size on small islands, whereas the mandible could be more sensitive to peculiar environmental conditions on large and remote islands.     

Body size increase in insular rodent populations: a role for predators?

Insular mammalian populations living in areas of small size are often characterized by a drastic change in body mass compared to related continental populations or species. Generally, small mammals (less than 100 g) evolve into giant forms while large mammals (up to 100 g) evolve into dwarf forms. These changes, coupled with changes in other life, behavioural, physiological or demographic traits are referred to generally as the insular syndrome. We tested in this study the relative contribution of three factors — area of island, numbers of competitor species and number of predator species — to changes in body size of the woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Our results, based on a comparative analysis using the phylogenetic independent contrasts method, indicate that the increase in body size is related both to the decrease of island size and to the lower number of predator species. A decrease of competitor species does not seem to have an important effect.     

中华姬鼠与大林姬鼠的同工酶差异

中华姬鼠（Ａｐｏｄｅｍｕｓｄｒａｃｏ）和大林姬鼠（Ａｐｏｄｅｍｕｓｐｅｎｉｎｓｕｌａｅ）是形态学上十分相似的两种鼠类。为了对两种姬鼠的分类提供生物化学方面的依据,采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶等电聚焦电泳方法比较和分析了两种姬鼠的ＬＤＨ同工酶、ＥＳＴ同工酶和ＳＯＤ同工酶的差异。结果表明,两种姬鼠的ＬＤＨ同工酶酶谱基本相似,而ＥＳＴ同工酶和ＳＯＤ同工酶酶谱则存在明显的种间差异。根据ＥＳＴ同工酶Ａ２带的有无和ＳＯＤ同工酶主带等电点的差别,能将两种姬鼠很容易区分开来。