Ecological relationships among habitat type, food nutrients, parasites and hormones in wild boar Sus scrofa during winter

Abstract

Habitat quality and parasite assembly influence wildlife health, and they are key indicators of health and survivability of wildlife populations. To investigate the potential ecological relationships among habitat type, food nutrients, parasites and hormones in wild boar Sus scrofa, we collected samples of wild boar feces and available plants in their habitat by line transects during winter. Along transects, we identified the composition of plants foraged by wild boar and measured the content of nutrients in available plants to estimate nutrient intake. We also quantified parasites and hormones in wild boar fecal samples. We compared food nutrients among different forest types and explored possible relationships among estimated nutrient intake, parasites and hormones. We found coniferous forest had positive effects on estimated fat intake and negative effects on estimated protein and fiber intake by wild boar. Furthermore, we revealed that estimated fat intake was negatively correlated with Metastrongylus elongatus parasites and positively correlated with triiodothyronine (T3). In contrast, estimated protein intake was positively correlated with M. elongatus and negatively correlated with T3. Finally, we found negative relationships between T3 concentrations and loads of Ascaris suum parasites and between cortisol (COR) and loads of Trichuris suis parasites. These insights on ecological relationships help identify potential dietary parameters in winter that could help predict and manage parasite and hormone responses for wild boar population recovery.

Land cover preferences and spatiotemporal associations of ungulates within a Scottish mammal community

“…The preference of wild boar for woodland over coniferous plantations is supported by studies outside of the UK, despite Pinus sp. providing a high-quality fat resource (Fonseca, 2008;Liu et al, 2022;Muthoka et al, 2022;van Ginkel et al, 2013). As…”

“…The preference of wild boar for woodland over coniferous plantations is supported by studies outside of the UK, despite Pinus sp. providing a high‐quality fat resource (Fonseca, 2008; Liu et al., 2022; Muthoka et al., 2022; van Ginkel et al., 2013). As Quercus species were found throughout the woodland, it seems likely wild boar were active here to forage and root for acorns, in addition to bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum ) rhizomes, whilst deriving additional benefit from the cover provided by the woodland environment (Herrero et al., 2005; Highlands Rewilding Ltd, 2021a; Sandom et al., 2013a; van Ginkel et al., 2013).…”

Fecal thyroid hormone metabolites in wild ungulates: a mini-review

“…Moreover, FTMs increased in younger subjects and decreased with age for all reviewed cases ( 42 , 47 ). The relationships between FTMs and FCMs ( 3 , 39 , 41 , 46 ), and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota ( 43 , 44 ) showed contradictory results. Concerning parasites ( 46 ), a negative correlation was found.…”

“…The relationships between FTMs and FCMs ( 3 , 39 , 41 , 46 ), and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota ( 43 , 44 ) showed contradictory results. Concerning parasites ( 46 ), a negative correlation was found. No correlation between FTM levels with sex ( 3 , 7 , 42 ), food quality ( 3 ), animal behaviour ( 41 ), anthropogenic disturbance ( 3 , 41 ) and body condition ( 47 ) was found.…”

Concentrations of urinary neopterin, but not suPAR, positively correlate with age in rhesus macaques

“…Urine and feces provide avenues to collect physiological markers of health non-invasively. These include urinary or fecal measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites (Ostrowski et al, 2006;Jaimez et al, 2012;Mohlman et al, 2020), urinary C-peptide of insulin (Emery Thompson and Knott, 2008;Higham et al, 2011;Sacco et al, 2021), isotopes (Deschner et al, 2012;Vogel et al, 2012;Rioux et al, 2019), fecal parasite load (Gillespie and Chapman, 2006;Nalubamba et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2022), and thyroid hormones (Gobush et al, 2014;Cristóbal-Azkarate et al, 2016). These measures are generally indicative of energy mobilization and allocation and may be linked to health, while some may also be indirectly related to immune system activation and function.…”