Effect of Geography and Captivity on Scat Bacterial Communities in the Imperiled Channel Island Fox.

ABSTRACT: With developing understanding that host-associated microbiota play significant roles in individual health and fitness, taking an interdisciplinary approach combining microbiome research with conservation science is increasingly favored. Here we establish the scat microbiome of the imperiled Channel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis) and examine the effects of geography and captivity on the variation in bacterial communities. Using high throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we discovered distinct bacterial communities in each island fox subspecies. Weight, timing of the sample collection, and sex contributed to the geographic patterns. We uncovered significant taxonomic differences and an overall decrease in bacterial diversity in captive versus wild foxes. Understanding the dri

SUBMITTER: Adams NE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8672056 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature