Hematology, blood chemistry and selenium values of captive pronghorn antelope, white-tailed deer and American bison

Pronghorn were observed to have a significantly higher whole blood selenium concentration than either the white-tailed deer or bison. Pronghorn colloid values were significantly less than those of the bison, and approached statistical significance for the white-tailed deer. Differential white blood cell counts for the white-tailed deer were markedly different from those of the pronghorn and bison. The American bison had significantly higher cortisol values and lower T3 values than either the white-tailed deer or pronghorn.     

Hematological and serum chemistry profiles of free-ranging southern two-toed sloths in French Guiana.

Free-ranging southern two-toed sloths (Choloepus didactylus) were translocated during the flooding of a forest at a hydroelectric dam site in French Guiana. Over an 11 mo period blood samples were collected from 90 sloths (38 males, 52 females) in order to determine hematological and serum chemistry reference values. Mean values and range of values were calculated for 13 hematological and 21 serum chemistry parameters. Variations associated with sex, age and reproductive status were identified. Males had a significantly lower red blood cell count than females. Immature animals had more monocytes while adults had more neutrophils and higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Aspartate aminotransferase and triglyceride values were higher in young than in adult sloths but uric acid was lower. Lactating females showed lower red blood cells count and iron levels than non-lactating females. These profiles will help to provide reliable baseline data for medical evaluation of sloths.     

The seasonal fertility of North American bison (Bison bison) bulls

The objective of this study was to determine the presence and magnitude of seasonal fluctuations in semen quality and other reproductive indices in bison bulls. Testicles from 288 commercially slaughtered bison bulls were collected monthly over a 1-year period. Carcass and testicle weight were determined and measurements of seminiferous tubule lumen, diameter, and epithelial thickness were made. Sperm cell morphology and defects were described and quantified using epididymal semen from each testicle. Twenty-one Plains (Bison bison bison) and Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) breeding bulls, averaging 6.0 years of age (range 2.5-8.0), from three farms were selected for semen collection and evaluation on the basis of producer co-operation. Semen was collected by electro-ejaculation on four seasonal occasions during a 12-month period. Ejaculate quality was judged on the basis of volume, density, gross and individual motility, morphology, live/dead ratio, and concentration. Sperm cell morphologies were evaluated microscopically and classified according to criteria used for bovine semen. Fecal testosterone was measured at each semen collection using a commercial competitive binding radioimmunoassay. There was an increase in carcass weights over the study period and testis weights were moderately correlated (r=0.44) with carcass weights. However, mean testes weights were heavier (P<0.05) in the summer than in winter, spring, or fall periods. There were no differences in the proportion of normal and abnormal epididymal sperm between seasons but there were seasonal changes in the testicular parenchyma. Seminiferous tubule and lumen diameter, and epithelial thickness were greatest (P<0.05) in summer. Live bulls gained weight between April and November, but lost weight over the winter. Normal sperm cell percentages as well as individual sperm cell motility in electro-ejaculated sperm samples were higher (P<0.05) at the pre-breeding collection relative to other collections, but no change in sperm cell concentrations occurred over the study period. Fecal testosterone concentrations were highest at the pre-breeding period (June) but decreased (P<0.05) in each subsequent collection to reach their lowest levels in the April. While many changes in seen characteristics were not significant, overall results indicate the presence of some reproductive seasonality and increased testicular capacity in the summer breeding season. Bulls showing marginal semen quality in the winter but otherwise carrying desirable genetic traits may warrant another evaluation in late spring prior to being culled from a breeding program.     

Effects of seasonal fire,bison grazing and climatic variation on tallgrass prairie vegetation

We used univariate and multivariate techniques to evaluate vegetation-environment relationships for plant functional groups on a tallgrass prairie site in northern Oklahoma, USA burned seasonally and grazed by bison (Bison bison L.). The objective of the study was to identify important environmental variables associated with variation in residual aboveground standing crop (phytomass) and abundance of plant functional groups. Phytomass was predictably linked to season, with highest levels found in the latter portion of the growing season when the warm-season tallgrasses that dominated the site were most actively growing. When the effects of seasonal phenology were removed, stepwise regression revealed that phytomass variation was best explained by year-to-year climatic variation, seasonal burn type, and bison grazing. Phytomass was negatively related to bison grazing under all conditions. A number of plant functional groups responded to individual environmental variables: relative abundance levels of tallgrasses, little bluestem, annual grasses, forbs and legumes all varied with burn season; little bluestem, annual grasses, and sedges varied by topoedaphic position, while forbs exhibited a positive relationship with bison grazing intensity. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to directly relate composition patterns of functional groups to environmental variables. CCA bi-plot of the ordination revealed that annual grasses were most closely associated with summer fires; sedges were associated with fall burns and the 1995 sampling year; legumes associated with a gradient representing the length of time since fire; while tallgrasses and little bluestem ordinated nearest a gradient representing bison grazing. Forbs and perennial grasses did not clearly associate with any particular environmental gradient, suggesting they were either simultaneously affected by several parameters or that environmental attributes important to these groups were not measured. Total phytomass and sedges were strongly influenced by yearly climatic variation. Relative abundance of some plant functional groups was principally determined by a single factor, while others were equally influenced by a suite of environmental interactions.     

Elemental analysis of mineral lick soils from the Serengeti National Park, the Konza Prairie and Yellowstone National Park

We analyzed mineral lick soils and non-mineral lick soils from the Serengeti National Park, the Konza Praine, and Yellowstone National Park The concentrations of 14 different elements considered important for ungulate nutrition were analyzed to determine the relative importance of Na vs other elements in attracting animals to lick areas Only Na was consistently higher in the mineral lick soils of the three ecosystems Mean Na concentrations were c 20x greater in Serengeti licks, 10x greater in Konza licks and 3x greater in Yellowstone licks compared to the respective non-lick soils Despite the numerous elements analyzed for this survey, our results suggest that Na is the primary element initiates mineral lick use in these widely separated ecosystems The widespread distribution of Na-deficient forage likely explains the importance of Na in most mineral licks     

Acetogenic Capacities and the Anaerobic Turnover of Carbon in a Kansas Prairie Soil

To assess the anaerobic capacities of a temperate grassland soil, a Kansas prairie soil was incubated anaerobically as either soil-water (1:2) suspensions or as soil microcosms at 78% soil water-holding capacity. Prairie soil formed acetate and CO(inf2) as the two main initial carbonaceous products from the anaerobic turnover of endogenous organic matter. Metabolic capacities of soil suspensions and microcosms were similar. Rates of acetate formation from endogenous organic matter in soil-water suspensions incubated at 40, 30, and 15(deg)C approximated 3.3, 2.4, and 1.1 (mu)g of acetate per g (dry weight) of soil per h, respectively. Supplemental H(inf2) and CO(inf2) were subject to consumption with the apparent concomitant synthesis of acetate in both soil suspensions and soil microcosms. In soil microcosms, rates of H(inf2)-dependent acetogenesis at 30 and 55(deg)C were nearly equivalent. The uptake of supplemental H(inf2) was not coupled to methanogenesis under any condition examined. These anaerobic activities were relatively stable when soils were subjected to either aerobic drying or alternating periods of O(inf2) enrichment. On the basis of the formation of nitrogen (N(inf2)), denitrification was engaged during anaerobic incubation periods; nitrous oxide (N(inf2)O) was also formed under certain conditions. Although extended incubation of soil induced the delayed methanogenic turnover of acetate, acetate was subject to immediate turnover under either O(inf2)- or nitrate-enriched conditions. These studies support the following concepts: (i) obligately anaerobic bacteria such as acetogenic bacteria are stable to periods of aerobiosis and are active in the anaerobic microsites of oxic soils, and (ii) acetate synthesized in anaerobic microsites of oxic terrestrial soils constitutes a trophic link to both aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities.     

Some blood biochemical parameter values in a herd of American bison (Bison bison L.) from an experimental animal farm in Poland

The blood samples of 17 bison (7 cows, a heifer, a young bull and 8 calves) formed the basis for conducting analyses of blood plasma. The measurements were carried out by using ionoselective electrodes aided by a Hitachi 917 biochemical analyser. An interpretation of the results was possible due to comparison with the results of similar analyses completed in the United States. Many differences in blood chemistry values in bison bred at Kurozweki were found in comparison to bison from the US.     

Effects of bison grazing on Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum in burned and unburned tallgrass paririe

Summary Responses to clipping and bison grazing in different environmental contexts were examined in two perennial grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum, on the Konza Prairie in northeastern Kansas. Grazed tillers had lower relative growth rates (RGR) than clipped tillers following defoliation but this difference was transient and final biomass was not affected by mode of defoliation. Grazed tillers of both species had higher RGR throughout the season than ungrazed tillers, resulting in exact compensation for tissue lost to defoliation. However, A. gerardii tillers which had been grazed repeatedly the previous year (1988) had reduced relative growth rates, tiller biomass and tiller survival in 1989. This suggests that the short-term increase in aboveground relative growth rates after defoliation had a cost to future plant growth and tiller survival.In general, the two species had similar responses to defoliation but their responses were altered differentially by fire. The increase in RGR following defoliation of A. gerardii was relatively greater on unburned than burned prairie, and was influenced by topographic position. P. virgatum responses to defoliation were similar in burned and unburned prairie. Thus grazing, fire, and topographical position all interact to influence tiller growth dynamics and these two species respond differently to the fire and grazing interaction. In addition, fire may interact with grazing pattern to influence a plants' grazing history and thus its long-term performance.     

Experimental infections of Babesia bigemina in American bison

Babesia bigemina was experimentally transmitted from cattle to bison and back to cattle. One spleen-intact and two splenectomized American bison (Bison bison) inoculated with a B. bigemina stabilate exhibited clinical and hematological signs of babesiosis within 10 days of exposure. Blood from the infected bison produced disease in a splenectomized bovine steer.     

Nasal zygomycosis and pulmonary aspergillosis in an American bison

Concomitant nasal zygomycosis and pulmonary aspergillosis was diagnosed in a 3-mo-old female American bison calf (Bison bison) in Pennsylvania (USA). Etiologic diagnosis was made by immunohistochemistry using a panel of monoclonal antibodies and heterologously absorbed polyclonal antibodies. In the lungs fungal infection was accompanied by hemorrhage, fibrin exudation, and infiltration with neutrophils. Fungi were observed to penetrate apparently normal epithelial lining of the nasal turbinates, and there was hemorrhage, edema, and invasion of blood vessels in the submucosa. In vessels fungi were typically associated with thrombosis. The calf may have been infected due to a high level of exposure to mouldy feed and litter in the environment in combination with a collapse of it's natural defence mechanisms.     

Identification of bovine and novel interferon-tau alleles in the American plains bison (Bison bison) by analysis of hybrid cattle x bison blastocysts

The objective of this study was to generate bison x cattle hybrid embryos by in vitro fertilization, to assess their developmental potential, to determine the pattern of secretion of the embryonic signaling molecule interferon-tau (IFN-tau), and to identify novel IFN-tau mRNA polymorphism in the American plains bison. A total of 600 bovine oocytes were inseminated with frozen-thawed bison semen. Of these, 40.7% cleaved and 14.8% proceeded to the blastocyst stage. Individual blastocysts were cultured on a basement membrane (Matrigel) and their ability to attach and form outgrowths was monitored. A total of 36 blastocysts were cultured of which 22 formed outgrowths. During individual culture, medium samples were collected and their IFN-tau concentration was measured. On day 6 after onset of individual culture, attached outgrowths produced significantly more IFN-tau than unattached viable or degenerate blastocysts. At this time, female conceptuses also produced significantly more IFN-tau than their male cohorts. However, by day 12 this difference had disappeared. Total mRNA was extracted from three individual outgrowths and analyzed by RT-PCR. Subsequent sequencing of 28 clones showed several known bovine IFN-tau sequences as well as two novel sequences termed bisIFN-tau1 and 2. To determine the origin of these, DNA was extracted from bison semen and analyzed by PCR. One bovine IFN-tau sequence (bovIFN-tau1d) as well as bisIFN-tau2 and a third novel sequence bisIFN-tau3 were detected. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using hybrid embryos for the analysis of developmentally regulated gene expression in species where embryos may not be available.     

Validation of 15 microsatellites for parentage testing in North American bison, Bison bison and domestic cattle

Fifteen bovine microsatellites were evaluated for use in parentage testing in 725 bison from 14 public populations, 178 bison from two private ranches and 107 domestic cattle from five different breeds. The number of alleles per locus ranged from five to 16 in bison and from five to 13 in cattle. On average, expected heterozygosity, polymorphism information content (PIC) and probability of exclusion values were slightly lower in bison than in cattle. A core set of 12 loci was further refined to produce a set of multiplexed markers suitable for routine parentage testing. Assuming one known parent, the core set of markers provides exclusion probabilities in bison of 0.9955 and in cattle of 0.9995 averaged across all populations or breeds tested. Tests of Hardy-Weinberg and linkage equilibrium showed only minor deviations. This core set of 12 loci represent a powerful and efficient method for determining parentage in North American bison and domestic cattle.     

Links between blood parasites,blood chemistry,and the survival of nestling American crows

Many studies have used the avian hemosporidians (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, and Hemoproteus) to test hypotheses of host–parasite co‐evolution, yet documented health and survival consequences of these blood parasites vary among studies and generalizations about their pathogenicity are debatable. In general, the negative effects of the hemosporidians are likely to be greatest during acute infections of young birds, yet most previous studies in wild passerines have examined chronic effects in adults. Here, we evaluated responses of nestling American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) to acute infection (prevalence and burden), as well as its short‐ and long‐term survival consequences. We used panel of nine hematological and biochemical parameters that are regularly used to evaluate the health of domestic animals, including leukocyte profiles, hematocrit, and plasma proteins. We assessed the effects of infection on survival in a mark‐recapture framework. Overall, 56% of crows (n = 321 samples) were infected by at least one of the three genera. Infections by all genera were associated with elevated plasma proteins and globulins, which could indicate an adaptive immune response. However, only Plasmodium infections were associated with low hematocrit (anemia) and lower fledging success, possibly mediated by the negative effect of low hematocrit values on body condition. Moreover, early Plasmodium infection (<40 days of age) had long‐term survival implications: it was associated with lower apparent survival probability within 3 years after fledging. These results suggest that young crows mounted an adaptive immune response to all three genera. Short‐ and long‐term pathological effects, however, were only apparent with Plasmodium infections.     

Characterization of Anaplasma marginale isolated from North American bison

Anaplasma marginale (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae), a tick-borne pathogen of cattle, is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although serologic tests have identified American bison, Bison bison, as being infected with A. marginale, the present study was undertaken to confirm A. marginale infection and to characterize isolates obtained from naturally infected bison in the United States and Canada. Major surface protein (MSP1a and MSP4) sequences of bison isolates were characterized in comparison with New World cattle isolates. Blood from one U.S. bison was inoculated into a susceptible, splenectomized calf, which developed acute anaplasmosis, demonstrating infectivity of this A. marginale bison isolate for cattle. The results of this study showed that these A. marginale isolates obtained from bison were similar to ones from naturally infected cattle.     

Effectiveness of bovine microsatellites in resolving paternity cases in American bison, Bison bison L.

A set of 33 cattle microsatellite primer pairs was tested with the DNA of American bison from a captive population in Belgium and evaluated for usefulness in parentage testing. Two primer sets did not amplify and three were monomorphic. Among the polymorphic markers, the number of alleles ranged from two to nine. Heterozygosity, polymorphism information content (PIC) and probability of exclusion (PE) values were low by comparison with those obtained with the same markers in cattle. Two methods of estimating PE were used, one which assumed equal allele frequencies between parental sexes and another which took into account differences in allele frequencies between parental sexes. An internationally accepted set of nine microsatellites gives cumulative PE values of 0·98 and 0·97, respectively, for the two methods. The potential of this marker set to identify bison × cattle hybrids is discussed. Because bison and cattle have a common ancestor, these microsatellites are a useful way to establish genetic distances and can lead to the construction of phylogenetic trees.