Trichuris (whipworms) is a type of roundworm that is responsible for trichuriasis in human beings. Globally, 600–800 million people are infected by this helminthic worm per year. Trichuris is more prevalent in some tropical and sub-tropical areas such as East Asia, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas. These parasitic nematodes affect the small intestines of mammals, causing a great deal of discomfort. Their life cycle is completed in two stages; mammals and the external environment. The zoonotic transmission of the disease is responsible for huge infections and deaths around the world. In recent times, researchers have gained a lot of understanding about the genetics and parasitology of Trichuris. In this chapter, we will discuss the origin, phylogeny, life cycle, diagnosis, and zoonotic transmission of the parasite. At the same time, the chapter discusses the genomics of the parasite and the future directions that can help us contain this parasitic nematode.

The Himalayas are home to a wide variety of animals and plants, making it one of the world's most biodiverse regions. Both the northwestern Himalayan region of Jammu & Kashmir and the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh are home to a wide variety of bird species because of varied topography and temperature. In this study, we collected the field data and checklists over a period of 3 years based on the compilation of data from published & unpublished scientific literature, print & electronic, currently accessible in the form of research articles, papers, books, websites, web pages, & field notes. The Northwestern Himalayas (Jammu and Kashmir) and trans-Himalayas (Ladakh) are home to 677 bird species belonging to 89 families (out of 107 families in the Indian sub-continent), which is equal to 6.77% of total bird species (>10000) found globally and 49.2% of total bird species (1376) found in the Indian subcontinent. The family Muscicapidae (53, 7.8%) has the most species, followed by Accipitridae (41, 6%), and so on. Moreover, the number of threatened species is 54 (8%), which includes 22 (3.25%), 23 (3.40%), 6 (0.8%) & 3 (0.44%) under Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, & Critically Endangered categories. Among 677 species, 228 species (33.77%) are found in all the 3 regions, 77 (11.4%) in only Jammu & Kashmir but not Ladakh, 24 (3.55%) in Jammu & Ladakh but not in Kashmir, 80 (11.85%) in Kashmir & Ladakh but not in Jammu, 152 (22.5%) only in Jammu but not in Kashmir & Ladakh, 26 (3.84%) only in Kashmir but not in Jammu & Ladakh, 71 (10.51%) only in Ladakh but not in Jammu & Kashmir. This provides the first-of-its-kind comprehensive data on bird diversity in these regions.

Understanding dietary habits and niche overlap of sympatric carnivores is crucial for their conservation. Using scat analysis & trichology, we studied the diet composition & distribution of two sympatric carnivores, the Golden or Asiatic Jackal (Canis aureus) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes grifithii), in and around Dachigam National Park (DNP) in the Himalayan region of Kashmir using faecal analysis during winter and summer months. The results showed that the Golden Jackal had a broader niche breadth than the red fox, with 10 and 9 prey species, respectively, present in their diet. The carnivores preferred the South aspect (26 sightings) of mountainous ranges and mixed habitat types (21 sightings). The faecal animal matter ranged from 50 to 100%, including arthropods and fish scales, while plant diets were in the range of 40–50%. Trichology analysis revealed that rodents were the most preferred prey (27 times) by both carnivores, with a frequency occurrence (Fi) of 0.48. The critically endangered red deer species Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) was not present in the scats of the carnivores. Wild boar contributed the most to carnivore biomass (50 Kgs), while Hangul had zero presence. The carnivores consumed rodents (Fi: 0.30) the most, with a relative weight of 53.649 kgs, and Mongoose the least, with a relative weight of 2.008 kgs. Moreover, the average number of Scats produced by a predator from an individual prey (λi) was maximum for black bear (20.70), & least for fish (0.10). Our study provides insights into the potential level of inter-specific competition and prey species overlap, which can aid in identifying species-specific conservation requirements for these carnivores.