Abstract
The European hedgehog population is declining in Europe. It is therefore important to investigate the causes for the decline and monitor the general health of the species. We investigated the endoparasite occurrence in 299 dead European hedgehogs. Of these, endoparasites were detected in 69% of the individuals tested. We identified Crenosoma striatum, Capillaria aerophila (syn. Eucoleus aerophilus), Capillaria spp., coccidia, Cryptosporidium spp., Brachylaemus spp. and Capillaria hepatica. We also examined the hedgehogs for Giardia spp. and Echinococcus multilocularis but all were negative. Coccidia (n = 7, 2.5%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (n = 14, 5.2%) were only detected in individuals from Zealand, Lolland and Jutland south of the Limfjord. Single cases of Brachylaemus spp. (n = 1, 0.4%) and Capillaria hepatica (n = 1, 1.1%) were exclusively discovered in Jutland south and north of the Limfjord, respectively. These results indicate a regional difference in endoparasite species carried by European hedgehogs in Denmark. This stresses the need for hedgehogs to be cared for locally when admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres, and to be released within their area of origin, to prevent spread of endoparasite infections among hedgehogs. Additionally, we explored the following possible determinants of parasite infection in the hedgehogs: sex, age, mortality category (in-care, natural and roadkill), infection with MRSA, genetic heterozygosity, month of death, geographical location and habitat type, and found that only age had a statistically significant effect on endoparasite prevalence, as we detected a lower occurrence of endoparasites in juvenile hedgehogs (<1 year) compared to the other age classes. However, pairwise comparisons of geographical regions did show significant differences in endoparasite occurrence: Zealand vs. Jutland south of the Limfjord and Zealand vs. Falster. We conclude that, in line with previous studies of European hedgehogs throughout their range in Western Europe, endoparasite infections are common and a natural part of their ecology.
Highlights
Research from several western European countries reports decline, or concerns for decline, in the population of European hedgehogs (Eri naceus europaeus) (Holsbeek et al, 1999; Huijser and Bergers, 2000; Doncaster et al, 2001; Rondinini and Doncaster, 2002; SoBH, 2011; Krange, 2015; SoBH, 2015; van de Poel et al, 2015; Hof and Bright, 2016; Müller, 2018; SoBH, 2018; Williams et al, 2018; Taucher et al, 2020)
The results demonstrate that the occurrence of endoparasites in Danish hedgehogs is high (69.0%), with C. striatum as the most prevalent lungworm (47.1%) and Capillaria spp. being most frequent in faecal samples (51.6%)
The results of our study showed that the overall endoparasite prev alence was not correlated with sex, habitat type, time of death, infection with MRSA, individual genetic heterozygosity, or mortality category
Summary
Research from several western European countries reports decline, or concerns for decline, in the population of European hedgehogs (Eri naceus europaeus) (Holsbeek et al, 1999; Huijser and Bergers, 2000; Doncaster et al, 2001; Rondinini and Doncaster, 2002; SoBH, 2011; Krange, 2015; SoBH, 2015; van de Poel et al, 2015; Hof and Bright, 2016; Müller, 2018; SoBH, 2018; Williams et al, 2018; Taucher et al, 2020). Examining for parasite infections in European hedgehogs could potentially refine one of the actions for the preservation of the species, which is the treatment of sick and injured hedgehogs taken into care at wildlife rehabilitation centres all over Europe. Eucoleus aerophilus (Moravec, 2000)) are commonly reported in hedgehogs
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