Cervus Nippon Yesoensis Research Articles

捕獲したエゾジカ(Cervus nippon yesoensis)から創出される地域資源の活用策の現状と提案( シカ(Cervus nippon)による草地被害の防止策と捕獲ジカの活用策の新展開)

捕獲したエゾジカ(Cervus nippon yesoensis)から創出される地域資源の活用策の現状と提案( シカ(Cervus nippon)による草地被害の防止策と捕獲ジカの活用策の新展開)

Molecular characterization of Fasciola flukes obtained from wild sika deer and domestic cattle in Hokkaido, Japan

The number of wild sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) continues to increase in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The major concern for the livestock industry is the transmission of pathogens between sika deer and cattle. Fasciolosis is an important disease that can occur in both animals. The aim of this study was to examine the possible mutual transmission of this disease in Hokkaido Prefecture. A total of 105 Fasciola flukes were obtained from sika deer and 96 from domestic cattle. The Fasciola flukes in Japan are reported to possess no mature sperm. However, in this study, 14 flukes from sika deer and eight flukes from cattle contained mature sperm in their seminal vesicles. All the Fasciola flukes from the two host animals had Fh/Fg type in nuclear phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) gene, with a mixed fragment pattern derived from F. hepatica and F. gigantica, which are considered to be hybrid Fasciola flukes. However, almost all the flukes had Fsp1 haplotype in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) gene, indicating that their maternal lineage was F. hepatica. A new haplotype, Fsp3, was detected in one fluke obtained from cattle and differed in one nucleotide from Fsp1. Therefore, the Fasciola flukes detected in both host species had almost identical molecular characteristics. These findings suggest the mutual transmission of Fasciola flukes between sika deer and domestic cattle in Hokkaido.

Draft Genome Sequence of Five Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Wild Deer in Japan.

ABSTRACTShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the major foodborne pathogens. Having observed the wide distribution of this pathogen in wild deer, we report here the draft genome sequence of five STEC strains isolated from wild deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) in Hokkaido, Japan.

エゾシカ（<i>Cervus nippon yesoensis</i>）の高密度化により林床植生の改変した森林景観におけるヤブサメ（<i>Urosphena squameiceps</i>）の繁殖適応

エゾシカ（<i>Cervus nippon yesoensis</i>）の高密度化により林床植生の改変した森林景観におけるヤブサメ（<i>Urosphena squameiceps</i>）の繁殖適応

Molecular identification of the Cryptosporidium deer genotype in the Hokkaido sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) in Hokkaido, Japan.

The protozoan Cryptosporidium occurs in a wide range of animal species including many Cervidae species. Fecal samples collected from the Hokkaido sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis), a native deer of Hokkaido, in the central, western, and eastern areas of Hokkaido were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect infections with Cryptosporidium and for sequence analyses to reveal the molecular characteristics of the amplified DNA. DNA was extracted from 319 fecal samples and examined with PCR using primers for small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA), actin, and 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) gene loci. PCR-amplified fragments were sequenced and phylogenetic trees were created. In 319 fecal samples, 25 samples (7.8 %) were positive with SSU-rRNA PCR that were identified as the Cryptosporidium deer genotype. Among Cryptosporidium-positive samples, fawns showed higher prevalence (16.1 %) than yearlings (6.4 %) and adults (4.7 %). The result of Fisher's exact test showed a statistical significance in the prevalence of the Cryptosporidium deer genotype between fawn and other age groups. Sequence analyses with actin and HSP70 gene fragments confirmed the SSU-rRNA result, and there were no sequence diversities observed. The Cryptosporidium deer genotype appears to be the prevalent Cryptosporidium species in the wild sika deer in Hokkaido, Japan.

Molecular characterization and specific detection of Anaplasma species (AP-sd) in sika deer and its first detection in wild brown bears and rodents in Hokkaido, Japan

A previously undescribed Anaplasma species (herein referred to as AP-sd) has been detected in sika deer, cattle and ticks in Japan. Despite being highly similar to some strains of A. phagocytophilum, AP-sd has never been detected in humans. Its ambiguous epidemiology and the lack of tools for its specific detection make it difficult to understand and interpret the prevalence of this Anaplasma species. We developed a method for specific detection, and examined AP-sd prevalence in Hokkaido wildlife. Our study included 250 sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis), 13 brown bears (Ursus arctos yesoensis) and 252 rodents including 138 (Apodemus speciosus), 45 (Apodemus argenteus), 42 (Myodes rufocanus) and 27 (Myodes rutilus) were collected from Hokkaido island, northern Japan, collected during 2010 to 2015. A 770bp and 382bp segment of the 16S rRNA and gltA genes, respectively, were amplified by nested PCR. Results were confirmed by cloning and sequencing of the positive PCR products. A reverse line blot hybridization (RLB) based on the 16S rRNA gene was then developed for the specific detection of AP-sd. The prevalence of AP-sd by nested PCR in sika deer was 51% (128/250). We detected this Anaplasma sp. for the first time in wild brown bears and rodents with a prevalence of 15% (2/13) and 2.4% (6/252), respectively. The sequencing results of the 16S rRNA and gltA gene amplicons were divergent from the selected A. phagocytophilum sequences in GenBank. Using a newly designed AP-sd specific probe for RLB has enabled us to specifically detect this Anaplasma species. Besides sika deer and cattle, wild brown bears and rodents were identified as potential reservoir hosts for AP-sd. This study provided a high throughput molecular method that specifically detects AP-sd, and which can be used to investigate its ecology and its potential as a threat to humans in Japan.

Retrospective study of the medical status of 34 Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanu) at the Taipei Zoo from 2003 to 2014

Abstract : The Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) is an endemic subspecies in Taiwan. The original wilddeer has been extinct since the late 1960s. The largest captive population is located at the Taipei Zoo. Except forinfectious disease outbreaks, no systemic medical research has been reported for this subspecies. This study wasconducted to analyze the medical status of the captive Formosan sika deer population, including the hematologicaland serum chemistry characteristics. To accomplish this, medical records for 34 Formosan sika deer from January2003 to January 2014 were acquired and analyzed. The most common illness and cause of death was trauma, followedby gastrointestinal and respiratory disease, respectively. The hematologic and serum chemical values of healthy adultswere quite different from those of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis). This study provides a closer medicalunderstanding of this subspecies and the results will facilitate its management.Keywords : Formosan sika deer, gastrointestinal disease, respiratory disease, Taiwan, trauma

Spatially distinct responses within willow to bark stripping by deer: effects on insect herbivory.

Within individual plants, cervid herbivory may cause positive or negative plant-mediated effects on insect herbivores, depending on where it occurs. Using a combination of field observations and artificial bark-stripping experiments in Hokkaido, Japan, we examined the plant-mediated effects of bark stripping by sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) on insect herbivory in two spatially distinct parts of willow (Salix udensis) trees: resprouting leaves below bark-stripping wounds and canopy leaves above. Natural and artificial bark stripping stimulated resprouting from trunks below wounds. Resprouting leaves on bark-stripped trees had lower total phenolics, condensed tannin, and C/N ratios than did canopy leaves on control trees. Herbivory rates were higher in resprouting leaves on bark-stripped trees than in canopy leaves on controls. Conversely, above-wound canopy leaves on bark-stripped trees had higher total phenolics than did those on controls, while herbivory rates were lower in the canopy leaves of bark-stripped trees than in those on controls. These results demonstrate that plant-mediated effects of bark stripping diverge between plant tissues below and above wounds in individual willow trees. We submit that focusing on multiple plant parts can elucidate plant-mediated effects at the whole-plant scale.

Significance of woody browse preferences in evaluating the impact of sika deer browsing on tree seedlings

The growing populations of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) in Hokkaido, Japan, are having increasingly negative impacts on forests. Although the percentage or frequency of browsed twigs and seedlings is a useful index of the impact of deer on forests, differences in the browse preferences of deer among tree species should also be considered. We evaluated the woody browse preferences of sika deer and examined a method for evaluating deer impacts based on the occurrence of browsing scars on seedlings, together with browse preferences. We also validated the percentages of browsed seedlings irrespective of browse preferences as an index of deer impact. We measured the heights of seedlings 30–200 cm tall in five 5 × 20 m plots located in Abies sachalinensis plantations in each of seven tracts and recorded browsing damage that occurred on leader shoots of seedlings. Browse species preference was evaluated using a generalized linear model (GLM) that included the seven tracts, species, and seedling height as explanatory variables. The results of the GLM suggest that differences in browse preferences among species are continuous and cannot be categorized discretely. The tract coefficients are considered to be an index of deer impact levels and can be estimated from the percentage of browsed seedlings for a species if the species coefficient is given. Simple percentages of browsed seedlings can also be used as an index of impact level, regardless of browse preferences, though these may be inaccurate, especially when the site is dominated by significantly preferred or avoided species.

The cross-ecosystem impact of deer on an endangered submerged macrophyte, Ranunculus nipponicus var. submersus

Macrophytes are a critical component of freshwater ecosystems and are often eaten by cervids. However, the impact of cervids on macrophytes is not well known. In this study, we investigated the effect of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) on the endangered macrophyte Ranunculus nipponicus var. submersus in a spring stream in southwestern Hokkaido, Japan. We monitored the frequency of stream habitat use by deer by using sensor cameras in photography mode for four seasons. We also monitored deer feeding behavior on R. nipponicus var. submersus using sensor cameras in movie mode. To quantitatively evaluate the impact of deer on R. nipponicus var. submersus, we conducted a field experiment in which deer were excluded from part of the stream. We selected 10 pairs of adjacent patches of R. nipponicus var. submersus and set up exclosures covering one patch in each pair. We assessed the frequency of deer feeding and trampling on the control patches using the sensor cameras in photography mode and measured the mean macrophyte stem length in the exclosure and control patches every month for four seasons. To compare abiotic conditions between the exclosure and control patches, we investigated canopy openness, water depth, water temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, current velocity, and water quality at each patch during the growing season. The frequency of deer in the stream habitat was higher from spring to summer than in other seasons. Direct evidence of deer feeding behavior on R. nipponicus var. submersus was recorded using the sensor cameras. Deer often fed on and trampled on the control patches, particularly from spring to summer. The R. nipponicus var. submersus stem length was longer in the exclosure patches than in control patches (P <0.001), and was 61% longer at maximum, despite no differences in abiotic conditions between the exclosure and control patches (all P >0.189). Stem growth of R. nipponicus var. submersus differed among seasons (P <0.001), and was low from winter to spring. In addition, exclosure and seasonality significantly affected stem length (P <0.001), and the difference between the exclosure and control patches was largest in the spring. These results indicated that deer feeding and trampling negatively affected R. nipponicus var. submersus, and this effect exhibited seasonality.

生体捕獲エゾシカ（&lt;i&gt;Cervus nippon yesoensis&lt;/i&gt;）の飼育における飼料摂取量，増体量および飼育成績の性別と年齢別差異

生体捕獲エゾシカ（&lt;i&gt;Cervus nippon yesoensis&lt;/i&gt;）の飼育における飼料摂取量，増体量および飼育成績の性別と年齢別差異

Accessory corpora lutea formation in pregnant Hokkaido sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) investigated by examination of ovarian dynamics and steroid hormone concentrations.

Generally, sika deer conceive a single fetus, but approximately 80% of pregnant females have two corpora lutea (CLs). The function of the accessory CL (ACL) is unknown; moreover, the process of ACL formation is unclear, and understanding this is necessary to know its role. To elucidate the process of ACL formation, the ovarian dynamics of six adult Hokkaido sika deer females were examined ultrasonographically together with peripheral estradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations. ACLs formed in three females that conceived at the first estrus of the breeding season, but not in those females that conceived at the second estrus. After copulation, postconception ovulation of the dominant follicle of the first wave is induced by an increase in estradiol-17β, which leads to formation of an ACL. A relatively low concentration of progesterone after the first estrus of the breeding season is considered to be responsible for the increase in estradiol-17β after copulation.

Sex and age differences in meat composition of Yeso sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) reared for a short period after capture in the wild.

Yeso sika deer captured in winter around Lake Akan in Hokkaido were reared for 8-10 months at Tokyo University of Agriculture in Abashiri. Six 1-year-old females and males and six 2-year-old or older (adult) females and males were slaughtered and their carcasses were processed. The chemical composition, mineral contents and fatty acid composition of the loin were measured. No marked influence of gender or age was noted in the chemical composition of loin. In the mineral contents, significant differences were noted. The potassium and sulfur contents were lower and the sodium content was higher in adult deer meat (P < 0.05, respectively) and the potassium content was higher in male deer meat (P < 0.05). Arsenic, cadmium or lead were not detected. In the unsaturated fatty acid, a significant interaction was detected (P < 0.05), and it was high in 1-year-old female deer meat and low in 1-year-old male deer meat. Significant gender or age differences were noted only in the mineral contents in the loin of deer reared for a short period after capture.

Pyrazine analogs are active components of wolf urine that induce avoidance and fear-related behaviors in deer.

Our previous studies indicated that a cocktail of pyrazine analogs, identified in wolf urine, induced avoidance and fear behaviors in mice. The effects of the pyrazine cocktail on Hokkaido deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) were investigated in field bioassays at a deer park in Hokkaido, Japan. A set of feeding bioassay trials tested the effects of the pyrazine cocktail odor on the behavior of the deer located around a feeding area in August and September 2013. This odor effectively suppressed the approach of the deer to the feeding area. In addition, the pyrazine cocktail odor provoked fear-related behaviors, such as “tail-flag”, “flight” and “jump” actions, of the deer around the feeding area. This study is the first experimental demonstration that the pyrazine analogs in wolf urine have robust and continual fearful aversive effects on ungulates as well as mice. The pyrazine cocktail might be suitable for a chemical repellent that could limit damage to forests and agricultural crops by wild ungulates.

A relapsing fever group Borrelia sp. similar to Borrelia lonestari found among wild sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) and Haemaphysalis spp. ticks in Hokkaido, Japan

A relapsing fever Borrelia sp. similar to Borrelia lonestari (herein referred to as B. lonestari-like) was detected from wild sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) and Haemaphysalis ticks in the eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan. The total prevalence of this Borrelia sp. in tested deer blood samples was 10.6% using conventional PCR and real-time PCR. The prevalence was significantly higher in deer fawns compared to adults (21.9% and 9.4%, respectively). Additionally, there was significant regional difference between our two sampling areas, Shiretoko and Shibetsu with 17% and 2.8% prevalence, respectively. Regional differences were also found in tick species collected from field and on deer. In the Shiretoko region, Haemaphysalis spp. were more abundant than Ixodes spp., while in Shibetsu, Ixodes spp. were more abundant. Using real-time PCR analysis, B. lonestari-like was detected from 2 out of 290 adult Haemaphysalis spp. ticks and 4 out of 76 pools of nymphs. This is the first report of a B. lonestari-like organism in Haemaphysalis spp. ticks, and the first phylogenetic analysis of this B. lonestari-like organism in Asia. Based on our results, Haemaphysalis spp. are the most likely candidates to act as a vector for B. lonestari-like; furthermore, regional variation of B. lonestari-like prevalence in sika deer may be dependent on the population distribution of these ticks.

北海道十勝地域におけるアカギツネ(Vulpes vulpes)のロードキル発生に対する影響要因の解析:道路周辺の景観構造およびエゾシカ駆除・狩猟の影響に注目して

北海道十勝地域におけるアカギツネ(Vulpes vulpes)のロードキル発生に対する影響要因の解析:道路周辺の景観構造およびエゾシカ駆除・狩猟の影響に注目して

エゾシカの高密度化が食糞性コガネムシ群集に与える影響

エゾシカの高密度化が食糞性コガネムシ群集に与える影響

Meat production and nutrient composition in meat from the fawns born to captured wild female Yeso sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis)

Meat production and nutrient composition in meat from the fawns born to captured wild female Yeso sika deer (<i>Cervus nippon yesoensis</i>)

A Comparison of Sika Deer Population Conditions between the Hidaka and Akan Districts in Hokkaido, Japan

The sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) population in Hokkaido was near threatened due to heavy snow and overexploitation for meat and fur between the 1890s and 1940s (Inukai 1952). At least three or four populations (Akan, Hidaka, Taisetsu, and Ishikari lowland) occur in the area, all of which have different mitochondrial DNA haplotype compositions and have survived a bottleneck (Nagata et al. 1998; Nabata et al. 2007). The Akan population, distributed mainly in the eastern part of Hokkaido, irrupted during the 1980s and 1990s (Kaji 1995; Uno et al. 2009). The population density estimated by aerial surveys have decreased from 1999 to 2008 in the Akan district (Uno et al. 2006; Inatomi et al. 2012). Mass mortality occurred in 1996 in Akan National Park (Uno et al. 1998) and in 1999 in Shiretoko National Park (Kaji et al. 2004), and a density effect on the recruitment rate was reported for the Akan population in the 1990s (Ueno et al. 2010). In contrast, the Hidaka population is distributed across the southwestern part of Hokkaido around the Hidaka mountain area (Nabata et al. 2007) and has increased dramatically during the 2000s (Uno et al. 2007). Population condition parameters, such as reproductive rate, body size, and nutrition, are fundamental for population management (Hanks 1981). Several studies on the conditions of the Akan sika deer population have been reported, such as pregnancy rate and sexual maturity (Suzuki and Ohtaishi 1993), growth rate (Suzuki et al. 2001), nutritional condition (Yokoyama et al. 2000b, 2001), and causes of natural mortality (Uno et al. 1998). However, no study of the Hidaka population has been conducted, and quantitative data are lacking for body mass and pregnancy rates. The objectives of this study were to characterize the condition of the Hidaka sika deer population and to identify the differences of the female body mass and the pregnancy rate between the Hidaka and Akan districts, which are in different phases of population dynamics.

Effects of timing of shipment on composition of meat from captured female wild Yeso sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis)

Effects of timing of shipment on composition of meat from captured female wild Yeso sika deer (<i>Cervus nippon yesoensis</i>)