A preliminary assessment of nematode infections inEulemur collaris(Geoffroy, 1812) (Mammalia: Lemuridae) in remnant fragments of Malagasy littoral forest

Abstract

The rapid rate of habitat loss in Madagascar urges a comprehensive assessment of the threats that its fauna faces by living in fragmented, secondary and/or exotic forests. The role of habitat disturbance in determining potential boosts of parasite infections in lemurs, for instance, has been only recently investigated. Here, we conducted a preliminary assessment of prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasite infections in two populations of endangered red-collared brown lemurs, Eulemur collaris (Geoffroy, 1812) (Mammalia: Lemuridae), living in two littoral forest fragments of southeastern Madagascar. We collected faecal samples from 45 lemurs. The samples were stored in 70% alcohol, and we used a modified McMaster technique to analyze egg shedding. The analysis revealed only nematode infections. We found a higher prevalence of infection in the more disturbed fragment, while no differences were revealed in terms of infection intensity. Prevalence of infection was found to be sex-biased in the less degraded area, being higher in females. We hypothesize that this might have been caused by female immune suppression due to increased energetic costs during pregnancy and/or to avoid possible harm to the foetus. Since red-collared brown lemurs are the largest seed dispersers in the littoral forest and only small populations survive in a few fragments, the implications of our results should be considered in future conservation plans for this habitat.

Determinants of terrestrial feeding in an arboreal primate: The case of the southern bamboo lemur (Hapalemur meridionalis)

“…It is also possible that increased terrestriality may increase exposure to unfamiliar pathogens (Anderson, ; Zommers, Macdonald, Johnson, & Gillespie, ), thus increasing parasite loads compared to sympatric arboreal species (Loudon & Sauther, ). In collared brown lemurs, endo‐parasite prevalence has been shown to be higher in the degraded area of Mandena compared to more intact fragments of littoral forest (Lazdane et al, ). While we have hypothesized that this species' use of visually conspicuous latrines may act to limit the spread of feces throughout their territory, we have no precise way of testing this (Eppley et al, ).…”

“…Among the strepsirrhine primates of Madagascar, the ring‐tailed lemur ( Lemur catta ) is the most terrestrial species, spending approximately 30 to 40% of its time on the ground (Cameron & Gould, ; Jolly, ; Sauther, Sussman, & Gould, ; Sussman, ). Although duration tends to be minimal, the occasional occurrence of terrestrial traveling and/or foraging is exhibited among other lemurs, for example, collared brown lemurs ( Eulemur collaris ; Lazdane, Broll, Theisinger, Bearder, & Donati, ), crowned lemurs ( E . coronatus ; Wilson, Stewart, Ramangason, Denning, & Hutchings, ), red‐fronted lemurs ( E .…”

The effect of habitat disturbance on the abundance of nocturnal lemur species on the Masoala Peninsula, northeastern Madagascar

“…Landscape alterations may have significant effects on species which reside in these changing habitats. 'Domino effects' of a changing habitat can include; dispersal, restricted locomotion, reduced food resources, reduction in suitable sleeping sites, increased hunting risk and increased parasite loads (Golden et al, 2011;Schwitzer et al, 2011;Junge et al, 2011;Lazdane et al 2014;Balestri et al, 2014).…”

Trends in forest fragment research in Madagascar: Documented responses by lemurs and other taxa

“…Seven studies documented lemur health. Three studies included examinations of parasite load, with all reporting increased measures of parasitic infection with increased fragmentation ( E. collaris : Balestri et al, 2014; Lazdane, Broll, Theisinger, Bearder, & Donati, 2014; M. murinus : Raharivololona & Ganzhorn, 2009). While diademed sifaka ( P. tattersalli ) living in fragments were found to display signs of wasting in adults and stunting in immatures (Irwin et al, 2019) and to have lower white blood cell counts and zinc and iron levels, among other measures (Irwin, Junge, Raharison, & Samonds, 2010).…”