Capillariidae eggs found in the urine of a free ranging maned wolf from Argentina

The first finding of a Capillariid in the urinary tract of a free ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is described. The individual was an adult male attacked by dogs in the locality of Cayastacito (Santa Fe, Argentina, 31 degrees 05' S, 60 degrees 34' W). Eggs found in urine measured 64.6-66.9 micrometer (mean 65.4 micrometer) x 26.9-31 micrometer (mean 29 micrometer). Further studies are needed to determine whether this finding corresponds to a new Capillariid species, related to C. brachyurus, or it is an already described species that has been introduced by domestic dogs.     

Myiasis by screw worm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in a wild maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus (Mammalia: Canidae), in Brasília, Brazil

In April 2009, a wild maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, was captured in an area of cerrado in Brasília, DF, Brazil, with screw worm maggots in external wounds. Fifty larvae were bred in the laboratory and eight adults of Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) emerged 10 days after pupation. This is the first report of a myiasis by C. hominivorax in a free-living maned wolf in Brazil.     

Serologic evidence of Leishmania infection in free-ranging wild and domestic canids around a Brazilian National Park

Transmission of disease between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans is of great concern to conservation issues and public health. Here we report on the prevalence of anti-Leishmania sp. antibodies in 21 wild canids (7 Chrysocyon brachyurus, 12 Cerdocyon thous, and 2 Lycalopex vetulus) and 74 free domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) sampled around the Serra do Cipó National Park. In dogs, the apparent prevalence was 8.1% and in wild canids it was 19% (2 crab-eating foxes, C. thous, and 2 maned wolves, C. brachyurus). Management of the domestic dog population with evaluation of incidence changes in humans and wildlife, and enlightenment on the role of wild reservoirs are essential issues for future action and research.     

Transferability of short tandem repeat markers for two wild Canid species inhabiting the Brazilian Cerrado

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) are two wild-canid species found in the Brazilian Cerrado. We tested cross-amplification and transferability of 29 short tandem repeat primers originally developed for cattle and domestic dogs and cats on 38 individuals of each of these two species, collected in the Emas National Park, which is the largest national park in the Cerrado region. Six of these primers were successfully transferred (CSSM-038, PEZ-05, PEZ-12, LOCO-13, LOCO-15, and PEZ-20); five of which were found to be polymorphic. Genetic parameter values (number of alleles per locus, observed and expected heterozygosities, and fixation indices) were within the expected range reported for canid populations worldwide.     

Chromosomal evolution of the Canidae. I. Species with high diploid numbers

The Giemsa banding patterns of seven canid species, including the grey wolf (Canis lupus), the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the bush dog (Speothos venaticus), the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), the grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), and the fennec (Fennecus zerda), are presented and compared. Relative to other members of Canidae, these species have high diploid complements (2n greater than 64) consisting of largely acrocentric chromosomes. They show a considerable degree of chromosome homoeology, but relative to the grey wolf, each species is either missing chromosomes or has unique chromosomal additions and rearrangements. Differences in chromosome morphology among the seven species were used to reconstruct their phylogenetic history. The results suggest that the South American canids are closely related to each other and are derived from a wolf-like progenitor. The fennec and the bat-eared fox seem to be recent derivatives of a lineage that branched early from the wolf-like canids and which also includes the grey fox.     

Paternal Care in Canids

Paternal care has never been reported as absent in any canidspecies, and some form of care has been seen in 18 of the 36species in the family. Food provisioning, active defense ofthe young, and protecting young by remaining at the den as thefemale forages appear to be the commonest forms of male care.In addition males may groom, retrieve, play and rest with young.Male canids are rarely involved in den selection or construction.The effect on the fitness of the young of indirect forms ofmale care such as provisioning the female and territory defenseare hard to assess. Quantitative studies of male provisioningin seven species offer few generalizations. In two species (Canisaureus, C mesomelas) females provided more food to the youngthan males; in one species (Alopex lagopus) the pair contributedequally to feeding young, and in four species (Canis lupus,Vulpes vulpes, Chrysocyon brachyurus, and Lycaon pictus), malesprovided more food than females. Much more data are required,particularly from field studies, before patterns of variationcan be interpreted.     

Genetic variability in maned wolf based on heterologous short-tandem repeat markers from domestic dog

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest South American canid. Habitat loss and fragmentation, due to agricultural expansion and predatory hunting, are the main threats to this species. It is included in the official list of threatened wildlife species in Brazil, and is also protected by IUCN and CITES. Highly variable genetic markers such as microsatellites have the potential to resolve genetic relationships at all levels of the population structure (among individuals, demes or metapopulations) and also to identify the evolutionary unit for strategies for the conservation of the species. Tests were carried out to verify whether a class of highly polymorphic tetranucleotide repeats described for the domestic dog effectively amplifies DNA in the maned wolf. All five loci studied were amplified; however, one of these, was shown to be monomorphic in 69 maned wolf samples. The average allele number and estimated heterozygosity per polymorphic locus were 4.3 and 67%, respectively. The genetic variability found for this species, which is considered threatened with extinction, showed similar results when compared to studies of other canids.     

Behavioral responses of maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Canidae) to different categories of environmental enrichment stimuli and their implications for successful reintroduction

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1815, Canidae) is a threatened species that inhabits the cerrados of Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Captive maned wolves could be potentially used in reintroduction programs for species conservation; however, it is necessary that their behavior and cognitive abilities are conserved. Environmental enrichment is a tool used to stimulate captive animals and maintain a natural behavioral repertoire. To compare the variation of captive maned wolves' behavioral responses to environmental enrichment, we studied three maned wolves held by Belo Horizonte Zoo, Brazil. Foraging, interspecific, and intraspecific stimuli were offered to the animals and their responses were compared with a baseline and postenrichment treatments. The test was used to help in choosing which one of the three individuals would participate in a reintroduction project. The results showed that stimuli type did influence the animal's responses, and that individually wolves responded differently to foraging, interspecific, and intraspecific enrichment items (P80.05 for some behaviors in each enrichment category). The individual's personality seemed to influence their behavioral responses, with animals showing bold and shy responses, and this trait should be considered during decision makings for reintroduction.     

Heavy Metals in Hair of Wild Canids from the Brazilian Cerrado

In this study, we aimed to assess whether free-ranging wild canids are exposed to heavy metals in one of the most developed and populated regions of Brazil. Hair of 26 wild canids (maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus, crab-eating foxes Cerdocyon thous, and hoary foxes Lycalopex vetulus) from the Cerrado biome in Southeast Brazil were analyzed by spectrophotometry to detect cadmium, chromium, and lead, and also the essential copper, iron, manganese, and zinc traces. All samples showed traces of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. Non-essential lead was detected in 57% (2.35 ± 0.99 mg/kg), and chromium in 88% (2.98 ± 1.56 mg/kg) of samples. Cadmium traces (detection limit 0.8 mg/kg) were not found. Crab-eating foxes had more copper, iron, and manganese in hair than maned wolves. Correlations among element levels differed between maned wolves and crab-eating foxes. Concentrations of chromium and lead were outstandingly higher than in wild canids from other areas. Addressing the causes of such levels and the impacts of the heavy metal pollution in Neotropical ecosystems is urgent for animal health and conservation purposes. We argue that heavy metal pollution should be considered as dangerous threats to wildlife health in Brazil and recommend hair sampling as a biomonitoring tool for heavy metals in Neotropical terrestrial mammals.     

Diet of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, in central Brazil

Analysis of 105 scats of the maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) collected in central Brazil yielded 304 occurrences of food items of which fruits of Solanum lycocarpum , rodents, and birds accounted for 61.5%. By analysis of minimum number of individual animals, rodents and birds were 75% of a total of 156 prey. On the other hand, fruits of S. lycocarpum and armadillos ( Dasypus spp.) were the bulk of the total estimated biomass consumption, yielding 63.7% in a total of 73.5 kg. Rodents were mostly captured during the dry season, while miscellaneous fruits were consumed mostly in the wet season. The consumption of S. lycocarpum fruits and armadillos was aseasonal. Small rodents were taken in about the ranks of abundance in the study area, but S. lycocarpum fruits were actively searched by maned wolves, for its occurrence is limited to secondary savanna. Prey and fruits typical of savanna ('cerrado') and grassland ('campo') were the bulk of species, occurrences, prey numbers, and biomass consumed. These findings reinforce the importance of conservation of cerrado and campo in central Brazil. Despite maned wolf being a vulnerable species, its feeding habits are opportunistic, and the main reasons for its decline are likely to be habitat destruction and human disturbance.     

Serum concentrations of vitamin D metabolites, vitamins A and E, and carotenoids in six canid and four ursid species at four zoos

Nutritional status for six captive canid species (n=34) and four captive ursid species (n=18) were analyzed. The species analyzed included: African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), gray wolf (Canis lupus), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baleiyi), red wolf (Canis rufus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), and sun bear (Ursus malayanus). Diet information was collected for these animals from each participating zoo (Brookfield Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, and North Carolina Zoological Park). The nutritional composition of the diet for each species at each institution met probable dietary requirements. Blood samples were collected from each animal and analyzed for vitamin D metabolites 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)(2)D, vitamin A (retinol, retinyl stearate, retinyl palmitate), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol) and selected carotenoids. Family differences were found for 25(OH)D, retinol, retinyl stearate, retinyl palmitate and gamma-tocopherol. Species differences were found for all detectable measurements. Carotenoids were not detected in any species. The large number of animals contributing to these data, provides a substantial base for comparing the nutritional status of healthy animals and the differences among them.     

Comparative molecular phylogeny and evolution of sex chromosome DNA sequences in the family Canidae (Mammalia: Carnivora)

To investigate the molecular phylogeny and evolution of the family Canidae, nucleotide sequences of the zinc-finger-protein gene on the Y chromosome (ZFY, 924-1146 bp) and its homologous gene on the X chromosome (ZFX, 834-839 bp) for twelve canid species were determined. The phylogenetic relationships among species reconstructed by the paternal ZFY sequences closely agreed with those by mtDNA and autosomal DNA trees in previous reports, and strongly supported the phylogenetic affinity between the wolf-like canids clade and the South American canids clade. However, the branching order of some species differed between phylogenies of ZFY and ZFX genes: Cuon alpinus and Canis mesomelas were included in the wolf-like canid clades in the ZFY tree, whereas both species were clustered in a group of Chrysocyon brachyurus and Speothos venaticus in the ZFX tree. The topology difference between ZFY and ZFX trees may have resulted from the two-times higher substitution rate of the former than the latter, which was clarified in the present study. In addition, two types of transposable element sequence (SINE-I and SINE-II) were found to occur in the ZFY final intron of the twelve canid species examined. Because the SINE-I sequences were shared by all the species, they may have been inserted into the ZFY of the common ancestor before species radiation in Canidae. By contract, SINE-II found in only Canis aureus could have been inserted into ZFY independently after the speciation. The molecular diversity of SINE sequences of Canidae reflects evolutionary history of the species radiation.     

Developmental constraints on limb growth in domestic and some wild canids

The domestic dog varies remarkably in limb size. Presumably, such differences in limb size stem from inequities in postnatal specific growth rate. I test this hypothesis by examining the postnatal growth of limb bones (40–250 days post-partum) in four dog breeds of dramatically different adult size; Lhasa Apso, Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever and Great Dane. The results show that the limb bones of these four breeds have similar specific growth rates throughout most of postnatal development. Thus, proportionate differences in limb bone length are established during perinatal growth (0–40 days post-partum) or before birth.
Comparisons of postnatal growth in the Great Dane and two wild canids of dramatically different leg length, the Bush dog ( Speothos venaticus ) and the Maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) also show a near congruency of specific growth rate curves. However, despite these similarities, the adult limb proportions of small dogs and small wild canids are different. Dogs also differ from wild canids in the relative variability of gestation time. All dogs have a similar gestation period of 60–63 days which is independent of birth weight, whereas the two are directly related in wild canids. I suggest that small dogs may differ in limb proportions from small wild canids because the latter have a shorter gestation period. Thus, the relative invariability of gestation time in domestic dogs may act as a fundamental constraint on their morphologic variability.     

Evaluation of homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates for the serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

Use of serological tests in the diagnosis of infectious diseases in wild animals has several limitations, primarily the difficulty of obtaining species-specific reagents. Wild canids, such as maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), are highly predisposed to infection by Toxoplasma gondii and, to a lesser extent, to Neospora caninum. The aim of the present study was to evaluate homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs) for detecting immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum in maned wolves. Serum samples were obtained from 59 captive animals in Brazil and tested by ELISA for T. gondii serology and IFAT for N. caninum serology using 3 different enzymatic and fluorescent conjugates: homologous (guinea pig anti-maned wolf IgG-peroxidase and -fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]), heterologous (rabbit anti-dog IgG-peroxidase and -FITC), and affinity (protein A-peroxidase and -FITC). Seropositivity to T. gondii was comparable among the homologous (69.5%), heterologous (74.6%), and affinity (71.2%) enzymatic conjugates. A significant positive correlation was found between the antibody levels determined by the 3 enzymatic conjugates. The highest mean antibody levels (ELISA index = 4.5) were observed with the protein A-peroxidase conjugate. The same seropositivity to N. caninum (8.5%) was found with the homologous and heterologous fluorescent conjugates, but protein A-FITC was not able to detect or confirm any positive samples with homologous or heterologous conjugates. Our results demonstrate that homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates might be used in ELISA for serological assays of T. gondii in wild canids, whereas for N. caninum infection, only the homologous or heterologous fluorescent conjugates have been shown to be useful.     

Secret lives of maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus Illiger 1815): as revealed by GPS tracking collars

The maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus is a nocturnal and shy species, which has proven difficult to study in the field; consequently, data about its behavioural biology are almost absent from the scientific literature. However, recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology mean that it is now possible to study the socio-spatial dynamics of this species in the field. In the present study three related maned wolves (an adult pair and their juvenile female offspring) were monitored by GPS tracking collars for a 6-month period, which included the birth of a litter of pups to the adult pair. The three GPS collars were programmed to record the position of the wearer every 2 h (simultaneously for all three individuals). Analyses of the data from the three individuals showed that the female had the largest home range, then the male and finally the juvenile. Furthermore, there was considerable overlap in home-range use by all three individuals. The home ranges of the adult pair also varied in relation to the birth of pups (decreasing dramatically and then showing a slow increase). During the night, which is the normal period of activity for this species, the three individuals avoided contact with each other. However, during the day, the adult pair usually slept together and their juvenile slept within a few hundred metres of their location. The distance travelled at night was greatest for the female, then the male and finally the juvenile. These data suggest that (1) the social bond between the male and female is strong, (2) maned wolves are highly tolerant of their juvenile offspring, even in the case of new pups being born, and (3) that maned wolves do not hunt together and, in fact, avoid each other when hunting.     

Resource selection and its implications for wide-ranging mammals of the brazilian cerrado

Conserving animals beyond protected areas is critical because even the largest reserves may be too small to maintain viable populations for many wide-ranging species. Identification of landscape features that will promote persistence of a diverse array of species is a high priority, particularly, for protected areas that reside in regions of otherwise extensive habitat loss. This is the case for Emas National Park, a small but important protected area located in the Brazilian Cerrado, the world's most biologically diverse savanna. Emas Park is a large-mammal global conservation priority area but is too small to protect wide-ranging mammals for the long-term and conserving these populations will depend on the landscape surrounding the park. We employed novel, noninvasive methods to determine the relative importance of resources found within the park, as well as identify landscape features that promote persistence of wide-ranging mammals outside reserve borders. We used scat detection dogs to survey for five large mammals of conservation concern: giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), jaguar (Panthera onca), and puma (Puma concolor). We estimated resource selection probability functions for each species from 1,572 scat locations and 434 giant armadillo burrow locations. Results indicate that giant armadillos and jaguars are highly selective of natural habitats, which makes both species sensitive to landscape change from agricultural development. Due to the high amount of such development outside of the Emas Park boundary, the park provides rare resource conditions that are particularly important for these two species. We also reveal that both woodland and forest vegetation remnants enable use of the agricultural landscape as a whole for maned wolves, pumas, and giant anteaters. We identify those features and their landscape compositions that should be prioritized for conservation, arguing that a multi-faceted approach is required to protect these species.     

Radioimmunochemical characterization of hemoglobins Lepore and Kenya: unique antigenic determinants located on hybrid hemoglobins.

Antisera were produced in rabbits to the three known types of Lepore hemoglobins, which contain hybrid delta-beta non-alpha-chains, and to hemoglobin Kenya, which has a hybrid gamma-beta non-alpha-chain. By using a sensitive radioimmunoassay technique, the absorbed antisera were shown to contain an antibody population that was specific for the hybrid hemoglobin and did not cross-react with normal hemoglobins. However, with the absorbed Lepore-specific antisera, the three known types of Lepore hemoglobins were antigenically indistinguishable from each other, suggesting that antibodies are not produced to the primary structural differences which define the three non-alpha-chains of the Lepore hemoglobins. These studies demonstrate that the non-alpha-subunits of hemoglobins Lepore and Kenya possess unique antigenic determinant sites, evidently resulting from an altered polypeptide conformation.     

Diet of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and its role in seed dispersal on a cattle ranch in Brazil

The maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus is the largest canid inhabiting South America. Its geographic distribution includes the open fields of Brazil's central area, which is currently undergoing agricultural expansion. The diet of the maned wolf and its seasonal variation was determined on a dairy cattle ranch (São Luís farm, 566 ha) in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. From January to December faeces of the maned wolf were collected monthly ( n = 150 scats; 397 food item occurrences). Twenty-nine taxa were identified from scats, 18 of animal origin (46% or 183 occurrences) and 11 of plants (54% or 214 occurrences). The fruits of Solanum lycocarpum were the dominant food item in our study (29%). Mammals contributed 13%, arthropods 12%, birds 11% and reptiles 2% of the food items. Arthropods and fruits were prevalent in the rainy season and mammals in the dry season. As expected for a heavily farmed region, frugivory results were at the lower end of the diversity scale (9–33 species) and included four old garden species. No previous study of the diet of maned wolf has registered as many species of Solanaceae as this one. Although dietary richness was lower, the main food items (wolf fruit, armadillos, rodents, birds) were the same as study sites in 'cerrado' and upland meadows. In this region, the open habitats occupied by the maned wolf were previously covered by Atlantic forest, suggesting that landscape modification such as cattle ranching has opened new frontiers for distribution expansion of the maned wolf. The impact of loss of dietary richness and the increase in Solanaceae on the survival of the maned wolf need to be evaluated.     

Heme iron state in various oxyhemoglobins probed using Mössbauer spectroscopy with a high velocity resolution

A comparative study of oxyhemoglobins from pig, rabbit, normal human and patients with blood system malignant diseases was performed using Mössbauer spectroscopy with a high velocity resolution at 90 K. Mössbauer spectra were fitted with the help of two models: using one quadrupole doublet (model of equivalent iron electronic structure in α- and β-subunits of hemoglobins) and superposition of two quadrupole doublets (model of non-equivalent iron electronic structure in α- and β-subunits of hemoglobins). The results obtained using both models demonstrated small variations of hyperfine parameters that were related to the heme iron state variation in different hemoglobins. These results were compared with structural and functional differences of the hemoglobins investigated.