Ectoparasite burden influences the denning behavior of a small desert carnivore

Bryan M Kluever,David T Iles,Eric M Gese

doi:10.1002/ecs2.2749

Bryan M Kluever, David T Iles + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2749

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Abstract

AbstractQuantifying the impacts of parasitism on a host can be arduous and is generally understudied for ectoparasites, with known works being either laboratory‐focused, correlational‐based, or only focusing on a few species and spatial extents. Many mammalian species have evolved the modality of denning behavior, a lifestyle that can lead to higher ectoparasite burden, and it has been posited that animals may alter their denning behavior in an attempt to reduce exposure to ectoparasites. We conducted a test of the ectoparasite release hypothesis for kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) and fleas in the Great Basin Desert of the western United States, a hypothesis that has remained relatively untested for over half a century. We experimentally administered a flea reduction treatment to a subset of kit foxes. We then measured and compared the number of unique den usages and residency time across treatment and control foxes (no flea reduction treatment) while accounting for other factors known to influence denning behavior. Foxes treated with the flea medication reduced the number of unique dens and increased their residency times at dens. All kit foxes continued to use multiple dens on the landscape, suggesting several factors in addition to flea burden influence denning behavior. Our results confirm the long‐dormant ectoparasite release hypothesis and suggest ectoparasites may shape the behavior of burrowing vertebrates to a greater extent than previously recognized.

Highlights

A central goal of ecology is the identification of species interactions and the consequences thereof
Flea species encountered and identified, in order of prevalence, were Pulex irritans, Meringis parkeri, Foxella ignota utahensis, Aetheca wagneri, and Peromyscopsylla hesperomys adelpha; these species were similar to previous flea investigations for kit fox and congener species (Bossard 2006, Riner et al 2018)
Our study represents the first experimental test of the ectoparasite release hypothesis for a highly mobile carnivore that utilizes multiple dens distributed throughout a landscape

Summary

Introduction

A central goal of ecology is the identification of species interactions and the consequences thereof. A growing body of research on ectoparasites reveals they can influence energy budgets (Giorgi et al 2001, Kam et al 2010), number of offspring (Neuhaus 2003), behavior (Mooring and Samuel 1999, Scantlebury et al 2007), and survival (Hawlena et al 2006) of their hosts These effects can occur through the direct effects of hematophagy and inflammation caused by flea bites (e.g., Hawlena et al 2006), or indirectly through disease transmission (Thompson 1999)

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