Is there a host sex bias in intestinal nematode parasitism of the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) at Obedska bara pond, Serbia?

Fifty-one yellow-necked mice from the Obedska bara locality were analysed for the presence of intestinal nematode parasites in order to assert whether there was a host sex bias in infection. Previous research indicated that males would be the more infected sex, either due to the immunosuppressive effect of testosterone or their different allocation of resources towards immune defence. Quantitative infection parameters were compared between host sexes for all nematode species and nematodes in general. In addition, the influence of host sex, age, total body length, body mass and presence of other nematode species on parasite abundance was analysed. No statistically significant differences between males and females were noted for any of the studied quantitative parameters, leading to an absence of sex-biased parasitism in this study

The diet of water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus 'complex') from the Petrovaradinski Rit marsh (Serbia)

In the Petrovaradinski Rit marsh region, the composition, dynamics and importance of the food components of three syntopic anuran species of the genus Pelophylax were analyzed through all the seasons of their activity in order to determine the vulnerability of each species in the trophic competition. The results of the studies have shown that the trophic niche breadth, according to the importance index of contents, was the smallest for the species Pelophylax kl. esculentus and largest for the species Pelophylax ridibundus, meaning that the species Pelophylax kl. esculentus has the most uniform diet and is therefore most vulnerable to competition by other species.

Helminthofauna of Pelophylax kl. esculentus (Linne, 1758) from Petrovaradinski Rit Marsh (Serbia)

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Significance of the red fox as a natural reservoir of intestinal zoonoses in Vojvodina, Serbia

In the present study, 223 foxes were collected from various localities in the northern part of the Republic of Serbia (Vojvodina province) and examined for intestinal helminths. Among the examined foxes 178 (79.8%) were infected. The most frequently identified parasites were Mesocestoides spp. (49.3%) and Toxascaris leonina (36.3%). The parasite with the lowest prevalence was Pterygodermatites affinis (0.9%), and this is the first confirmed finding in Serbia. The other recovered species were Alaria alata (25.6%), Taenia spp. (6.3%), Echinococcus multilocularis (13%), Toxocara canis (16.6%) and Uncinaria stenocephala (14.8%). The highest number of foxes infected with E. multilocularis were in the Srem area. The results of this study indicate the presence of helminth species in red foxes in Vojvodina which may also infect humans

The fauna of small mammals in the vicinity of Temerin, The Vojvodina providence

The samples collected by traps in the vicinity of Temerin and the analysis of pellets of the long-eared owl (Asia otus) and the barn owl (Tyto alba) served as a basis for the determination of 409 individuals of small mammals of the orders Insectivora and Rodentia. A total of 13 species from the families Soricidae (6), Muridae (4) and Arvi-colidae (3) was recorded. The representatives of the species Apodemus sylvaticus prevailed in the sample obtained by traps while the pellet analysis showed the domination of Micro-tus arvalis in the owl diet. The presence of five of the total of thirteen species found by the pellet analysis was confirmed by means of traps

Host–Parasite Relationship—Nematode Communities in Populations of Small Mammals

Nematode burdens and variation in morphological characteristics were assessed in eighty-eight animals from three host species (Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus flavicollis, and Myodes glareolus) from eight localities in Serbia. In total, 15 species of nematodes were identified, and the overall mean parasite species richness (IndPSR) was 1.61 per animal (1.98 in A. flavicollis, 1.43 in M. glareolus, and 0.83 in A. sylvaticus). Furthermore, the studied host species significantly differed in individual parasite load (IndPL) and in the following morphological characters: spleen mass, body condition index (BCI), and body mass. We aimed to analyze the relationship between the burden of intestinal nematodes, on one hand, and the body conditions of the host and its capability to develop immune defends on the other. Spleen mass was considered as a measure of immune response. In all host species, larger animals with a better condition (higher BCI) were infected with more parasites species (IndPSR), while parasite load was not related to BCI. Only in A. flavicollis were males significantly larger, but females of the same sizes were infected with more parasite species. This female-biased parasitism is contrary to the theoretical expectation that males should be more parasitized, being larger, more active, with a wider home range. Although the spleen size was significantly correlated with body condition and body mass, IndPSR was not related to spleen mass in any studied species, but in M. galareolus, we found that a smaller spleen was related to higher infection intensity (IndPL)

Host B chromosomes as potential sex ratio distorters of intestinal nematode infrapopulations in the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis).

The yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis, can be considered as a model for genetic polymorphism produced by the frequent presence of supernumerary or B chromosomes (Bs). Host genetic background is rarely taken into account in studies of parasite sex ratio. The main aim of this study was to investigate the range of infrapopulation sex ratios for nematode parasites of the yellow-necked mouse and to determine which factors most influence variation in parasite sex ratios. Six nematode species found in the collected yellow-necked mice were analysed. We confirmed the predominant pattern of female-biased sex ratios in vertebrate parasite infrapopulations. The presence of B chromosomes in host genomes played an important role in infrapopulations of Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Syphacia stroma and Trichuris muris, as hosts with B chromosomes carried a higher proportion of males. The relative increase of males in infrapopulations could result from a shift in parasite life history strategy, induced by adaptation to the specific host genotypes (Bs present). In a meta-analysis with previously published data, the sex determination system was demonstrated to play a significant role in nematode sex ratio variation, as well as specific life history patterns, such as the place of egg hatching

Canalization and developmental stability of the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) mandible and cranium related to age and nematode parasitism

Background Mammalian mandible and cranium are well-established model systems for studying canalization and developmental stability (DS) as two elements of developmental homeostasis. Nematode infections are usually acquired in early life and increase in intensity with age, while canalization and DS of rodent skulls could vary through late postnatal ontogeny. We aimed to estimate magnitudes and describe patterns of mandibular and cranial canalization and DS related to age and parasite intensity (diversity) in adult yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis). Results We found the absence of age-related changes in the levels of canalization for mandibular and cranial size and DS for mandibular size. However, individual measures of mandibular and cranial shape variance increased, while individual measures of mandibular shape fluctuating asymmetry (FA) decreased with age. We detected mandibular and cranial shape changes during postnatal ontogeny, but revealed no age-related dynamics of their covariance structure among and within individuals. Categories regarding parasitism differed in the level of canalization for cranial size and the level of DS for cranial shape. We observed differences in age-related dynamics of the level of canalization between non-parasitized and parasitized animals, as well as between yellow-necked mice parasitized by different number of nematode species. Likewise, individual measures of mandibular and cranial shape FA decreased with age for the mandible in the less parasitized category and increased for the cranium in the most parasitized category. Conclusions Our age-related results partly agree with previous findings. However, no rodent study so far has explored age-related changes in the magnitude of FA for mandibular size or mandibular and cranial FA covariance structure. This is the first study dealing with the nematode parasitism-related canalization and DS in rodents. We showed that nematode parasitism does not affect mandibular and cranial shape variation and covariance structure among and within individuals. However, parasite intensity (diversity) is related to ontogenetic dynamics of the levels of canalization and DS. Overall, additional studies on animals from natural populations are required before drawing some general conclusions

Helminth fauna of the bank vole Myodes glareolus (Rodentia, Arvicolinae) on the territory of Fruska Gora Mountain (Serbia) - A potential source of zoonoses

The quantitative and qualitative composition of the helminth fauna of 588 bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from the territory of Fruska Gora Mountain (Serbia) were analysed with the aim to determine if the species is a natural reservoir of any zoonotic infection. The presence of nine nematode and five cestodes species was detected. The following roundworm species were revealed: Capillaria murissylvatici (Dieseng, 1851, Nematoda: Capillariidae), Trichocephalus muris (Schrank, 1788, Nematoda: Trichuriidae), Heligmosomoides glareoli (Baylis, 1928, Nematoda: Heligmosomidae), H. polygirus (Dujardin, 1845), Heligmosomum mixtum (Schulz, 1954, Nematoda: Heligmosomidae), Aspiculuris tetraptera (Nitzsch, 1821, Nematoda: Oxyuridae), Syphacia petrusewiczi (Bernard, 1996, Nematoda: Oxyuridae), S. stroma (Linstow, 1884, Nematoda: Oxyuridae) and Rictularia proni (Seurat, 1915, Nematoda: Rictulariidae). Two species of adult tapeworms parasitized the bank vole: Catenotaenia henttoneni (Kirschenblatt, 1949, Cestoda: Catenotaeniidae) and Hymenolepis asymmetrica (Janicki, 1904, Cestoda: Hymenolepididae), and three in the larval stage: Taenia martes (Zeder, 1803, Cestoda: Taeniidae), Taenia polyacantha(Leuckart, 1856, Cestoda: Taeniidae) and Mesocestoides lineatus (Goeze, 1782, Cestoda: Mesocestoididae). The largest number of hosts was infected with Heligmosomoides glareoli and Catenotaenia henttoneni. In addition, three larval tapeworms important for veterinary science and medicine were recovered: Taenia martes, Tatratirotaeina polyacantha and Mesocestoides lineatus. For these, the bank vole is an important intermediate host. Given the fact that, up until now, the bank vole has not been researched for parasite fauna, it is a new host for all determined helminth species. The results obtained contribute to the knowledge on helminth fauna of rodents in Serbia, which was not thoroughly studied so far