ECTOPARASITES OF THE COMMON PALM CIVET (PARADOXURUS HERMAPHRODITUS) AT SAKAERAT ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH STATION, THAILAND
Keywords:
common palm civet, ectoparasites, Sakaerat Environmental Research Station (SERS, ThailandAbstract
Vertebrate parasites can influence the survival and reproduction of their hosts and thus affect thepopulation biology of host species. Thus, understanding the affect of parasites on biodiversity andecosystems is an important question in conservation biology. We studied the diversity and abundanceof ectoparasites and blood parasites in seven common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) atSakaerat Environmental Research Station in Northeast Thailand from February to November 2008.Three tick genera were found on civets, included Hemaphysalis sp., Ixodes sp., and Amblyomma sp.. Noblood parasites were found. Ectoparasite load appeared to vary between juvenile and adult civets. Themost common tick was Hemaphysalis sp. which was found on 57.1% of all civets (100% on juveniles,25% on adults), Ixodes sp. was found on 28.6% of civets (66.7% on juveniles, not found on adults), andAmblyomma sp. was found on 14.3% of civets (33.3% on juveniles, not found on adults). Ixodes sp. wasfound in the highest numbers per civet followed by Hemaphysalis sp. and Amblyomma sp., respectively.The ticks Hemaphysalis sp. and Amblyomma sp. were not found on adult civets. This study providesimportant data about parasites of wild carnivores in Thailand.
References
Bowman, D.D. and Lynn, R.C. (1999). Georgis’Parasitology for Veterinarians. 7th ed. W.B.Saunders, Pennsylvania, 414p.
Bradshaw, D.S. (2003). Vertebrate Ecophysiology:An Introduction to Its Principles andApplications. Cambridge University Press,UK, 300p.
Bush, A.O., Lafferty, K.D., Lotz, J.M., andShostak, A.W. (1997). Parasitology meetsecology on its own terms: Margolis et al.revisited. J. Parasitol., 83:575-583.
ColÓn, C.P. (2002). Ranging behaviour andactivity of the Malay civet (Viverratangulunga) in a logged and an unloggedforest in Danum Valley, east Malaysia.J. Zool., 257:473-485.
Crooks, K.R., Garcelon, D.K., Scott, C.A., DepueJ.E., Wilcox, J.T., Kimsey, R.B., and VanVuren, D.H. (2004). Ectoparasites of athreatened insular endemic mammaliancarnivore: the island spotted skunk. TheAmerican Midland Naturalist, 151:35-41.
Curtis, L.A. and Hurd, K.M. (1983). Age, sex andparasites: spatial heterogeneity in asandflat population of Ilyanassa obsoleta.Ecology, 64:819-828.
Dunn, F.L., Lim, B.L., and Yap, L.F. (1968).Endoparasite patterns in mammals of theMalayan rain forest. Ecology, 49:1,179-1,184.
Durden, L.A., Cunningham, M.W., McBride, R.,and Ferree, B. (2006). Ectoparasites offree-ranging pumas and jaguars in theParaguayan Chaco. Veterinary Parasitology,137:189-193.
Eisenberg, J. F. (1989). An introduction to theCarnivora. In: Carnivore behavior, ecology,and evolution. Gittleman, J.L., (ed). CornellUniversity Press, NY, p. 1-10.
Grassman, L.I., Sarataphan, N., Tewes, M.E., Silvy,N.J., and Nakanakrat, T. (2004). Ticks(Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing wild carnivoresin Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary,Thailand. J. Parasitol., 90(3):657-659.
Jeannings, A.P., Seymour, A.S., and Dunstone,N. (2006). Ranging behaviour, spatialorganization and activity of the Malaycivet (Viverra tangalunga) on Butonisland, Sulawesi. J. Zool., 268:63-71.
Klimpel, S., Förster, M., and Schmahl, G. (2007).Parasites of two abundant sympatricrodent species in relation to host phylogenyand ecology. Parasitology Research,100:867-875.
Labruna, M.B., Camargo, L.M.A., Terrassini,F.A., Ferreira, F., Schumaker, T.T.S., andCamargo, E.P. (2005). Ticks (Acari:Ixodidae) from the State of Rondônia,western Amazon, Brazil. Systemic andApplied Acarology, 10: 17-32.
Lekagul, B. and Mcneely, J. A. (1977). FamilyViverridae. In: Mammals of Thailand.Association for the conservation ofwildlife. Lekagul, B. and Mcneely, J. A.,(eds). Kurusapha Press, Bangkok, p. 583-585.
McCallum, H.I. and Dobson, A. (1995). Detectingdisease and parasite threats to endangeredspecies and ecosystems. Trends inEcology and Evolution, 10:190-194.
Minchella, D.J. and Scott, M.E. (1991). Parasitism:a cryptic determinant of animalcommunity structure. Trends in Ecologyand Evolution, 6:250-254.
Perkin, A. (2004). A new range record for theAfrican palm civet Nandinia biotata(Carnivora, Viverridae) from Unguja island,Zanzibar. Afr. J. Ecol., 42:232-234.
Rozsa, L. (1992). Points in question endangeredparasite species. International Journal forParasitology, 22:265-266.
Scott, M.E. and Dobson, A. (1989). The role ofparasites in regulating host abundance.Parasitology Today, 5:176-183.
Tanskull, P.L. and Inlao, I. (1989). Keys to adultticks of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 inThailand with notes on changes in taxonomy(Acarina:Ixodidae). J. Med.Entomol., 8:217-227.
Thomas, F., Renaud, F., Rousset, F., Cezilly, F.,and de Meeos, T. (1995). Differentialmortality of two closely related hostspecies induced by one parasite. Proceedingsof the Royal Society of Londonseries B-Biological Sciences, 260:349-352.
Urquhart, G.M., Armour, J., Duncan, J.L.M,Dunn, A.M., and Jeannings, F.W. (1996).Veterinary Parasitology. 2nd ed. Blackwell,Oxford, 307p.
Vaughan, T. A., Ryan, J.M., and Czaplewski, N.J.(2000). Mammalogy. 4th ed. ThomsonLearning, USA, 672p.
Wall, R. and Shearer, D. (1997). Veterinary Entomology:Arthropod Ectoparasites ofVeterinary Importance. Chapman and Hall,London, 439p.
