DNA Footprints: Using Parasites to Detect Elusive Animals, Proof of Principle in Hedgehogs.

ABSTRACT: The Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceous europaeus) is a nocturnal animal that is in decline in much of Europe, but the monitoring of this species is subjective, prone to error, and an inadequate basis for estimating population trends. Here, we report the use of Crenosoma striatum, a parasitic nematode specific to hedgehogs as definitive hosts, to detect hedgehog presence in the natural environment. This is achieved through collecting and sampling the parasites within their intermediate hosts, gastropoda, a group much simpler to locate and sample in both urban and rural habitats. C. striatum and Crenosoma vulpis were collected post-mortem from the lungs of hedgehogs and foxes, respectively. Slugs were collected in two sessions, during spring and autumn, from Sk

SUBMITTER: Allen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7460031 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature