Bartonella clarridgeiae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii exposure in captive wild canids in Brazil.

SUMMARY Wild canids are potential hosts for numerous species of Bartonella, yet little research has been done to quantify their infection rates in South America. We sought to investigate Bartonella seroprevalence in captive wild canids from 19 zoos in São Paulo and Mato Grosso states, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 97 wild canids belonging to four different native species and three European wolves (Canis lupus). Indirect immunofluorescent antibody testing was performed to detect the presence of B. henselae, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, B. clarridgeiae, and B. rochalimae. Overall, Bartonella antibodies were detected in 11 of the canids, including five (12·8%) of 39 crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), three (11·1%) of 27 bush dogs (Speothos venaticus), two (8·7%) of 23 maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and one (12·5%) of eight hoary foxes (Lycalopex vetulus), with titres ranging from 1:64 to 1:512. Knowing that many species of canids make excellent reservoir hosts for Bartonella, and that there is zoonotic potential for all Bartonella spp. tested for, it will be important to conduct further research in non-captive wild canids to gain an accurate understanding of Bartonella infection in free-ranging wild canids in South America.

Wild canids and the ecological traps facing the climate change and deforestation in the Amazon Forest.

Ecological traps occur when species choose to settle in lower-quality habitats, even if this reduces their survival or productivity. This happens in situations of drastic environmental changes, resulting from anthropogenic pressures. In long term, this could mean the extinction of the species. We investigated the dynamics of occurrence and distribution of three canid species (Atelocynus microtis, Cerdocyon thous, and Spheotos venaticus) considering human threats to their habitats in the Amazon Rainforest. We analyzed the environmental thresholds for the occurrence of these species and related to the future projections of climatic niches for each one. All three species will be negatively affected by climate change in the future, with losses of up to 91% of the suitable area of occurrence in the Brazilian Amazon. A. microtis appear to be more forest-dependent and must rely on the goodwill of decision-makers to be maintained in the future. For C. thous and S. venaticus, climatic variables and those associated with anthropogenic disturbances that modulate their niches today may not act the same way in the future. Even though C. thous is least dependent on the Amazon Forest; this species may be affected in the future due to the ecological traps. S. venaticus, can also undergo the same process, but perhaps more drastically due to the lower ecological plasticity of this species compared to C. thous. Our results suggest that the ecological traps may put these two species at risk in the future. Using the canid species as a model, we had the opportunity to investigate these ecological effects that can affect a large part of the Amazonian fauna in the current scenario. Considering the high degree of environmental degradation and deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest, the theory of ecological traps must be discussed at the same level as the habitat loss, considering the strategies for preserving the Amazon biodiversity.

A review of bush dog Speothos venaticus (Lund, 1842) (Carnivora, Canidae) occurrences in Paraná state, subtropical Brazil / Revisão dos registros de ocorrência do cachorro-do-mato-vinagre Speothos venaticus (Lund, 1842) (Carnivora, Canidae), no Estado do Paraná, Brasil Subtropical

Abstract We report six new occurrence records of the bush dog Speothos venaticus, a widely distributed South American carnivore that is threatened with extinction. These records are accompanied by notes on the places where the records were made, such as vegetation type, date and information about the protection of areas. The records, obtained over the last 17 years in Paraná state, southern Brazil, offer an improved understanding of the species geographic range and the threats it faces and can enable better assessments of the conservation status of the species in southern Brazil.

Resumo Apresentamos seis novos registros de ocorrência do cachorro-do-mato-vinagre Speothos venaticus, um carnívoro sul Americano de ampla distribuição geográfica, porém ameaçado de extinção. Os registros são acompanhados de notas sobre os locais onde foram obtidos, tais como: tipo de vegetação, datas e informações sobre a proteção das áreas. Os registros, obtidos ao longo dos últimos 17 anos no Estado do Paraná, na região sul do Brasil, oferecem uma maior compreensão acerca da distribuição geográfica e das ameaças que a espécie enfrenta, permitindo melhores avaliações sobre o status de conservação desta espécie no sul do Brasil.

Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of Speothos venaticus specimens / Caracterização citogenética e molecular de exemplares de Speothos venaticus

The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a South American canid, included in the IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) official list of animals threatened with extinction, in the vulnerable category. As a preservation and conservation strategy, specimens kept in captivity by Brazilian Institutions are monitored by a management plan. In order to characterize and analyze the genetic variability of bush dog specimens, a cytogenetic analysis was carried out, and microsatellite data were also obtained through the use of 15 primers, originally developed for the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). All tested primers showed transferability and amplified fragment sizes similar to those described for the canine genome. From the total number of primers, eight were tested, and presented two polymorphic regions. Regarding cytogenetic analysis, one of the animals had chromosomal mosaicism, disqualifying it as a reproducer to form stocks. Thus, we concluded that the genetic evaluation of wild animals kept in captivity provides data that can help with the practice of exchange between different institutions, avoiding problems in the reproductive capacity of the breeding stock.

O cachorro-vinagre (Speothos venaticus) é um canídeo sul americano que está na lista oficial do Ibama de animais ameaçados de extinção, na categoria vulnerável. Como estratégia de preservação e conservação, os espécimes mantidos em cativeiro por instituições brasileiras são acompanhados por um plano de manejo. Visando a caracterização genética e posterior análise de variabilidade genética de exemplares de cachorro-vinagre, foi feita a análise citogenética e testou-se a transferabilidade de 15 primers de regiões microssatélites desenvolvidos para o cachorro doméstico (Canis familiaris) para esta espécie de canídeo. Todos os primers testados mostraram transferabilidade, com fragmentos amplificados de tamanhos semelhantes aos descritos para o genoma canino. Do total de primers, oito foram testados em 25 animais cativos e, dentre estes, duas regiões apresentaram polimórficas. Em relação à análise citogenética, um dos animais analisados apresentou mosaicismo cromossômico, desqualificando-o para utilização como reprodutor na formação de plantéis. Os demais exemplares apresentaram padrão cariotípico esperado para a espécie. Desta forma, concluiu-se que a avaliação genética de animais silvestres criados em cativeiro fornece dados que podem auxiliar com a prática de intercâmbio entre animais de diferentes instituições, evitando o comprometimento na capacidade reprodutiva do plantel.