Parasites prevent summer breeding in white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus

Ecology
Kurt J VandegriftP J Hudson

Abstract

Food and parasites can independently play a role in destabilizing population fluctuations of animals, and yet, more than 50 years ago, David Lack proposed that these two factors should act in concert. We examined the role of these factors on the vital rates of free-living white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) over the summer and autumn months. We used a replicated factorial experiment in which deer exclosures doubled acorn availability and anthelmintic application reduced gastrointestinal helminths. Specifically, we wanted to know if either factor or an interaction between the two accounted for the midsummer breeding hiatus observed in this species. We found no influence of habitat quality on mouse breeding, vital rates, or demography; however, anthelmintic treatment resulted in mice continuing to reproduce during the hiatus at the same rate as previously, and they also exhibited increased body condition, growth rate, and survival. These results provide evidence that gastrointestinal helminths reduce P. leucopus reproductive output in central Pennsylvania, and these effects on reproduction could play a role in the unstable dynamics of small mammals.

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Citations

Oct 4, 2011·Die Naturwissenschaften·Matthew David MacManes
Jul 31, 2013·International Journal for Parasitology·R C Andrew Thompson
May 10, 2013·Biology Letters·Amy B Pedersen, Janis Antonovics
May 13, 2009·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Julie A TeichroebPascale Sicotte
Apr 28, 2009·Ecology Letters·Daniel A GrearPeter J Hudson
Mar 31, 2015·Trends in Parasitology·Evelyn C RynkiewiczAndy Fenton
Mar 18, 2015·Trends in Parasitology·Amy B Pedersen, Andy Fenton
Feb 18, 2014·International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife·Maggie J Watson
Jun 3, 2016·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Bethany J HoyeJan A van Gils
Aug 9, 2016·Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology·Kurt J VandegriftPeter J Hudson
Sep 30, 2016·Biology Letters·Kristian M ForbesOtso Huitu
Oct 11, 2017·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Daan R van der VeenRoelof A Hut
Aug 2, 2019·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Evelyn C RynkiewiczAmy B Pedersen
May 4, 2018·Ecology and Evolution·Pei-Jen L ShanerChing-Ho Hou

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Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. Discover the latest research on anthelmintics here.

Anthelmintics (ASM)

Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. Discover the latest research on anthelmintics here.