Effects of Season, Habitat, and Host Characteristics on Ectoparasites of Wild Rodents in a Mosaic Rural Landscape.

ABSTRACT: Despite the large number of studies on rodent ectoparasites-most of them vectors of epidemiologically important pathogens-infestation patterns remain poorly understood in various ecological contexts, such as the highly patchy agricultural landscapes. We aimed to relate the infestation of rodents to temporal, habitat, and host variables. We assessed the difference in parasite prevalence and mean abundance depending on host sex, age, and body weight, season, and land use intensity. Furthermore, we analysed the effect of host species abundance and the differential responses of parasites in main and minor host species. The field survey was conducted in a rural landscape in southern Transylvania (Romania) between June and September 2010-2011. We live-trapped small mammals, collected the ticks a

SUBMITTER: Benedek AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10812489 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature