Physiological responses of insular wild black rat (Rattus rattus) to natural infection by the digenean trematode Fasciola hepatica

Wild black rat Rattus rattus is regularly infected by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica on Corsica. This report constitutes the only example of a murid rodent that plays an important epidemiological role for the Fasciolosis. We investigated the influence of such unusual parasite infection on black rat physiology by measuring its oxygen consumption at different ambient temperatures. Black rat energy requirements are influenced by body mass, temperature of the experiment and parasite infestation. The influence of the presence of F. hepatica was more pronounced for cold temperatures. The mean increase of 56% in oxygen requirements for infected rats is extremely high, indeed unexpected, according to previous knowledge. These high physiological constraints may be explained by the recent confrontation of the digenean and the rodent

Mitochondrial phylogeography of the Woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the Western Palearctic region.

We sequenced 965 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b from 102 woodmice (Apodemus sylvaticus) collected from 40 European localities. The aims of the study were to answer the following questions. (i) Did the Mediterranean peninsulas play a role as refuge for woodmice? (ii) Is genetic variability of A. sylvaticus higher in the Mediterranean region compared with northern Europe? (iii) Are the patterns of the postglacial colonization of Europe by woodmice similar to those presently recognized for other European species? The results provide a clear picture of the impact of the Quaternary glaciations on the genetic and geographical structure of the woodmouse. Our analyses indicate a higher genetic variability of woodmice in the Mediterranean peninsulas compared to northern Europe, suggesting a role of the former as refuge regions for this small mammal. An original pattern of postglacial colonization is proposed where the Iberian and southern France refuge populations colonized almost all European regions. The Sicilian population appears to be very differentiated and highly variable. This emphasizes the importance of this island as a 'hot spot' for the intraspecific genetic diversity of the woodmouse. Finally, woodmice in North Africa originated from southwestern Europe, most probably as a result of a recent anthropogenic introduction