Exploiting a readily available but hard to digest resource: A review of exudativorous mammals identified thus far and how they cope in captivity

Gum is a widely available carbohydrate, composed mainly of non‐digestible structural carbohydrates. No mammalian enzymes can digest gum; therefore, a mammal ingesting gum must rely on microbial fermentation to access the energy it possesses. Gums are relatively nutrient poor. Despite this, some mammals have evolved to exploit this food resource. We aim to review the literature for all mammal species which have been recorded to ingest gum, whether quantified or not, and discuss this in the context of their evolutionary adaptations. We also investigated the recommended captive diets for these species to look at whether gum is recommended. We conducted a literature search on ISI Web of Knowledge to tabulate all mammal species observed ingesting gum and classified them as obligate, facultative or opportunistic feeders. We encountered 94 mammal species that eat gum in the wild (27 obligate feeders, 34 facultative feeders and 33 opportunistic feeders). Obligate feeders have entirely evolved to exploit this resource but were found to not be given gum in captivity, which may explain why they are failing to thrive, as opposed to facultative feeders, which have fewer issues. Gum may be necessary for the health of obligate feeders in captivity. Future research should focus on the physiological effects that gum ingestion poses on different digestive systems.     

Gastrointestinal protozoa in non-human primates of four zoological gardens in Belgium

Gastrointestinal parasites are important infectious causes of diarrhoea in captive non-human primates (NHP). However, prevalence data of gastrointestinal parasites in zoological gardens are scarce. Therefore, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to estimate the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in NHP of four zoological gardens in Belgium. Between August 2004 and April 2006, 910 faecal samples were collected from 222 animals housed in 39 groups. The 31 species involved were representatives of prosimians, New World (NW) monkeys, Old World (OW) monkeys and apes. Because individual sampling was impossible, a statistical simulation was performed to estimate a sufficient sample size. All samples were microscopically examined after an acetic acid-ether concentration. Differences in host species susceptibility were examined by non-parametric tests. Entamoeba spp. (44%) and Giardia spp. (41%) were the most prevalent species. Other parasites detected were Endolimax nana (36%), Chilomastix mesnili (21%), Balantidium coli (13%), Trichuris spp. (10%), Iodamoeba bütschlii (5%) and Strongyloides spp. (5%). Parasites for which a significant difference in susceptibility at the level of host taxonomy was noted were Entamoeba spp. (p<0.001) and C. mesnili (p<0.05). Samples containing Entamoeba spp. were the most prevalent in OW monkeys (p<0.0083). Samples collected from OW monkeys contained the highest number of parasite species (p<0.0083).     

Crown morphology of Norway spruce from usual tree measurements

Intr0ducti0nNorwayspruce(PiceaabiesKarst)is0l1eoflI1e111ostimportal1tc011iferinFra11ce.lnl99l,tI1etotaIareaofNorwaysprLICewasestimatedt0be723000I11112.ItsvoIUmewasl27Inilli0I1m3.Tl1eanl1uaIvoILl111eiI1crc-mentwas5.74millionm3.ltiswideIyacceptedII1atIargeri11itialspacingssI1ouldbeusednow.l111940's,thedensity0ftl1epIantatiol1rangedfr0m5000to10000stems/hm2.Nowtl1einitiaIdensityvariesbetweenI000to250Ostems/I1m2.TI1eIargestspacit1g111aybe650~800stems/hm2.S0ithasasignifica11cetostLldyt…     

Electrostatic method to separate roots from soil

Complete removal of roots from soil samples is a prerequisite for most of the chemical and biological analyses. A simple electrostatic method of separating roots from sieved, largely mineral soil substrates was optimized and examined by the addition of ¹⁴C labeled fine roots to sandy, silt loamy and clay loamy samples. Depending on soil texture, between 40% and 50% of fine roots can be removed from 100 g of sieved soil in less than 10 minutes. The root‐free soil substrate and the extracted roots can be used for analyzes or experiments immediately after the separation. The proportion of the mineral particles remaining in the root fraction depends on duration of separation, distance between the charged plate and the sample, and soil texture. The proportion of separated mineral particles is about 90%—95% (w/w) in sandy and 70%—85% in silt loamy and clay loamy substrates. The electrostatic method of root separation may take place before the analysis of C_t and N_t contents, and is suitable for soil samples preparation for incubation experiments.     

Disinfection of almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes) eggs: Evaluation of three chemicals

Almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes) is an excellent candidate for aquaculture due to its fast growth rate and high market value. While S. rivoliana have adapted well to captivity, survival at early life stages can be improved to increase profitability during production. A wide range of variables cause larval mortalities but high bacterial loads in rearing tanks are often correlated with these losses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of egg disinfection on bacterial load and hatch rate of S. rivoliana. Disinfectants tested included formalin (F100 and F200; 100 and 200 mg/L, respectively, for 60 min), hydrogen peroxide (HPO; 300 mg/L for 10 min) and peracetic acid/hydrogen peroxide (PAA/HPO; 15.7 mg/L/39.6 mg/L for 1 min). Concentrations and contact times were determined based on current use in marine aquaculture and preliminary trials. Eggs treated with HPO and F100 had significantly higher hatch rates than the untreated control group. All treatments significantly decreased total Vibrio counts compared to untreated eggs; however, total bacterial counts were only decreased following treatments with PAA/HPO and F200. To prevent egg mortality due to bacterial overgrowth, consideration should be given to the use of surface disinfection using HPO or F100. Future studies should investigate the use of peracetic‐based products at lower doses.     

Conservation implications of isotopic variation in nails and blood with wetland quality in three species of Australian freshwater turtle

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