Experimental removal of nematode parasites increases growth, sprint speed, and mating success in brown anole lizards.

ABSTRACT: Parasites interact with nearly all free-living organisms and can impose substantial fitness costs by reducing host survival, mating success, and fecundity. Parasites may also indirectly affect host fitness by reducing growth and performance. However, experimentally characterizing these costs of parasitism is challenging in the wild because common antiparasite drug formulations require repeated dosing that is difficult to implement in free-living populations, and because the extended-release formulations that are commercially available for livestock and pets are not suitable for smaller animals. To address these challenges, we developed a method for the long-term removal of nematode parasites from brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) using an extended-release formulation of the antiparasite

SUBMITTER: Wittman TN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9796785 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature