Preliminary biomedical evaluation of wild ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata and V. rubra)

Abstract

Complete medical examinations were performed on 11 wild ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata and V. rubra) from three sites in Madagascar. Each animal received a complete physical examination, several physiological parameters were analyzed (complete blood count, serum biochemical profile, and fecal bacterial culture), and the animals were examined for endo-, ecto-, and hemoparasites. Additional tests were performed as samples were available, including fat-soluble vitamin analysis, trace mineral analysis, toxoplasmosis serology, and viral serology. We found that the ruffed lemurs were in good health, harbored a low endoparasite load, and frequently had external parasites (e.g., ticks (Haemophysalis lemuris)). Statistically significant differences between captive and wild lemurs were found for the following serum biochemical and blood count parameters: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein (TP), albumin, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, glucose, amylase, band neutrophil count, and eosinophil count. Low blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum cholesterol values in wild lemurs (compared to those of North American captive zoo ruffed lemurs) may suggest differences between diets in the wild and captivity.

Variation in physiological health of diademed sifakas across intact and fragmented forest at Tsinjoarivo, eastern Madagascar

“…An increasing number of health assessments have been published for free-ranging primate species, including lemurs [Dutton et al, 2003Junge & Garell, 1995;Junge & Louis, 2002, 2005a,b, 2007Junge et al, 2008]; however, data are limited to relatively few species, often examine a small number of parameters, and typically sample only one habitat. This is unfortunate, since these studies have great potential to provide (1) ''normal'' or expected reference values for a species, (2) qualitative and quantitative data for population viability analysis programs, (3) comparison with the same population at a future date to determine the effects of disturbance (i.e., logging, weather extremes, habitat loss, ecotourism), and (4) comparison among populations, including translocated or captive animals, to understand the relative quality of different habitats, judge various management strategies, help understand the etiologies of captivity-related diseases, and aid in risk assessment of reintroduction programs.…”

Field Anesthesia and Health Assessment of Free-ranging Cebus capucinus in Panama

“…They also present major conservation concerns. Many primate species live in small, fragmented populations where the effects of disease may be particularly devastating (Junge and Louis 2005b). Evaluating the incidence and prevalence of disease in these populations is essential for designing successful management and conservation strategies (Daszak et al 2000;Deem et al 2001;Karesh and Cook 1995;May 1988;Morner et al 2002;Scott 1988;Spalding and Forrester 1993;Williams et al 2002;Wobeser 2002).…”

“…Several researchers have investigated the prevalence of specific diseases within and across species, e.g., malaria (Davies et al 1991;Nunn and Heymann 2005), but baseline data on the general health parameters of wild individuals are known for relatively few species: Propithecus tattersalli (Garell and Meyers 1995), Ateles paniscus chamek (Karesh et al 1998), Aloutta seniculus (Vie et al 1998), Pithecia pithecia and Saguinus midas (de Thoisy et al 2001), Lemur catta (Dutton et al 2003), Varecia variegata and V. rubra (Junge and Louis 2005b), Propithecus verreauxi deckeni and Eulemur fulvus rufus (Junge and Louis 2005a), and E. macaco macaco (Junge and Louis 2007).…”

Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) Health Parameters across Two Habitats with Varied Levels of Human Disturbance at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

“…Given the threat to lemurs in the wild, it is essential to determine how human-induced habitat change is affecting their health. While numerous studies have evaluated the health of wild, free-ranging lemur species, as well as the effect of habitat fragmentation and disturbance on primate populations in Madagascar [Dutton et al, 2003;Junge and Louis, 2005;Sauther et al, 2006;Miller et al, 2007;Dutton et al, 2008;Junge et al, 2008;Irwin et al, 2010], the effect of varying levels of anthropogenic disturbance on lemur health remains largely unknown. Since 2003, the ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve (BMSR) have been the focus of an intensive study to assess the effects of anthropogenic and climate factors on behavior, ecology, genetics and health [Sauther et al, 2006;Miller et al, 2007;Parga et al, 2012].…”