White-toothed Shrew Research Articles

Infections of horses and shrews with Bornaviruses in Upper Austria: a novel endemic area of Borna disease

Borna disease, a lethal infection with Borna disease virus-1 (BoDV-1), was diagnosed in four horses from Upper Austria in 2015 and 2016. All cases occurred in winter (two cases in February 2015 and two cases in December 2016), and the maximal distance of the affected stables was 17 km. To demonstrate whether the causative agent was also harbored by its reservoir host, the bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon), 28 shrews from this geographic area were collected in 2015 and investigated for the presence of BoDV-1. The shrew species were identified according to taxonomic clues and molecular barcodes. Affected horses and all shrews were investigated using histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription PCR. The horses exhibited severe nonpurulent encephalitis. Large amounts of BoDV-1 antigen were identified in their CNS. Among the 28 shrews, nine were identified as C. leucodon and 13 as Sorex araneus (Common shrew; Eurasian shrew). Six C. leucodon (66.7%) and one S. araneus (7.7%) had BoDV-1 infections. In accordance with previous findings, the IHC of C. leucodon exhibited a high amount of viral antigen in many neural and extraneural tissues. By contrast, the single positive S. araneus had an exclusively neural staining pattern. Of all positive samples, whole-genome BoDV-1 sequences were generated. The acquired sequences of the affected shrews were not identical to each other and clustered around the sequences of the diseased horses belonging, surprisingly, to the German ‘strain V’ cluster.Emerging Microbes & Infections (2017) 6, e52; doi:10.1038/emi.2017.36; published online 21 June 2017

Crocidura leucodon in the Krušné hory Mts., northern Bohemia: highest altitude record in the Czech Republic (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)

The bicoloured white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon) was found near the railway station at Horní Blatná, Krušné hory Mts., 870 m a. s. l., on 10 September 2017. It is the highest altitude record of C. leucodon in the Czech Republic, where this species is considered to be a typical inhabitant of lower and warmer regions.

Diet of the common kestrel <em>Falco tinnunculus</em> in east Cork and west Waterford: an insight into the dynamics of invasive mammal species

The common kestrel Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus is chiefly a predator of small mammals, and breeding density and success often fluctuate in tandem with cyclic population changes of Microtus voles and the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus. Ireland traditionally had four prey species to support its predatory birds and mammals—field mouse Apodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus), house mouse Mus domesticus (Linnaeus), brown rat Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout) and pygmy shrew Sorex minutus Linnaeus (indigenous species)—but the arrival of bank vole Myodes glareolus (Schreber) and greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula (Hermann) (invasive species) has taken the number to six. The wider range of prey species may positively affect birds of prey, but the impact of invasive species on the ecology of indigenous species may be negative, especially on field mice and pygmy shrews. Negative effects on indigenous species have been shown to be strong to the point of bringing about species replacement in some habitats, with no pygmy shrews present where both invasive species (bank voles and greater white-toothed shrews) were present.

Emerging Infectious Disease Implications of Invasive Mammalian Species: The Greater White-Toothed Shrew (Crocidura russula) Is Associated With a Novel Serovar of Pathogenic Leptospira in Ireland.

The greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) is an invasive mammalian species that was first recorded in Ireland in 2007. It currently occupies an area of approximately 7,600 km2 on the island. C. russula is normally distributed in Northern Africa and Western Europe, and was previously absent from the British Isles. Whilst invasive species can have dramatic and rapid impacts on faunal and floral communities, they may also be carriers of pathogens facilitating disease transmission in potentially naive populations. Pathogenic leptospires are endemic in Ireland and a significant cause of human and animal disease. From 18 trapped C. russula, 3 isolates of Leptospira were cultured. However, typing of these isolates by standard serological reference methods was negative, and suggested an, as yet, unidentified serovar. Sequence analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA and secY indicated that these novel isolates belong to Leptospira alstonii, a unique pathogenic species of which only 7 isolates have been described to date. Earlier isolations were limited geographically to China, Japan and Malaysia, and this leptospiral species had not previously been cultured from mammals. Restriction enzyme analysis (REA) further confirms the novelty of these strains since no similar patterns were observed with a reference database of leptospires. As with other pathogenic Leptospira species, these isolates contain lipL32 and do not grow in the presence of 8-azagunaine; however no evidence of disease was apparent after experimental infection of hamsters. These isolates are genetically related to L. alstonii but have a novel REA pattern; they represent a new serovar which we designate as serovar Room22. This study demonstrates that invasive mammalian species act as bridge vectors of novel zoonotic pathogens such as Leptospira.

Recent and subrecent diet of the barn owl (Tyto alba) in Slovakia

Abstract We completed data on the diet of the barn owl (Tyto alba) predominately from pellets for the period of the last 50 years from Slovakia. We analyzed material from 251 locations and 16 territorial units. The aggregate represents 119,231 pieces of prey from 47 species of mammals (Mammalia, 95.7%) and 58 species of birds (Aves, 3.9%), with a small representation of amphibians, reptiles (Amphibia and Reptilia, 0.2%) and invertebrates (Invertebrata, 0.2%). The obtaining of food among the owls is limited to synanthropic environments and the surrounding agricultural landscape, and the centre of its distribution in the recent period (i.e. the past 50 years: 1965-201 5) has been concentrated mainly on the southern parts of Slovakia. In this environment the common vole (Microtus arvalis, 59.6%) is the primary prey. Additional prey are rodents of the family Muridae: Mus musculus (5.6%), Micromys minutus (2.2%), Apodemus microps (2.2%), A. flavicollis (2.0%), A. sylvaticus (1 .6%) and A. agrarius (1 .5%); insectivores of the family Soricidae: Sorex araneus (6.2%), S. minutus (2.4%), Crocidura leucodon (4.8%) and C. suaveolens (2.8%); and the house sparrow Passer domesticus (2.9%). In the higher situated Turcianska kotlina Basin the species M. arvalis (74.3%) has higher domination, and instead of the white-toothed shrews the water shrews Neomys anomalus (2.8%) and N. fodiens (1 .3%) are more abundantly represented. In 3 localities owls focused on hunting bats; for example, in the church in Ratková the order Chiroptera made up 35.2% of prey. From the subrecent period (i.e. from before more than 50 years ago) we evaluate 4 samples from the territory of Slovakia with 15,601 pieces of prey ofT. alba. Before more than 50 years ago owls were also more abundantly represented at higher elevations in Slovakia, evidence of which is Weisz’s collection of pellets from 1 6 localities in the Ondavská vrchovina Upland in the years 1945 to 1963, but also a registry of data from the 19th and 20th centuries from higher located basins. In 4 samples of food from the subrecent period diversity in the representation of owl prey is higher, accompanied by low domination ofM. arvalis and a more abundant representation of murids from the genera Mus and Apodemus. The oldest sample, dated to the 16th century, is from a church in Žilina-Rudiny

Diversity of shrews in Ethiopia, with the description of two new species ofCrocidura (Mammalia: Lipotyphla: Soricidae).

Two new species of white-toothed shrews, Crocidura afeworkbekelei and Crocidura yaldeni, are described from southern Ethiopia. Comparisons are made with other species of Crocidura known to occur in Ethiopia. A list of 28 species of shrews known from Ethiopia is provided, 10 of which (including both newly described species) are currently considered to be endemic to Ethiopia. The endemic shrew fauna consists of forest and montane species known to occur within the altitudinal range of 1200-4050 m a.s.l. The remarkable number of endemic species of Crocidura shows that the Ethiopian Plateau is an important centre of diversity and adaptive radiation of the genus. Current cytogenetic and molecular data support the monophyly of most species of Crocidura endemic to Ethiopia.

Long-term data from a small mammal community reveal loss of diversity and potential effects of local climate change.

Climate change affects distribution and persistence of species. However, forecasting species’ responses to these changes requires long-term data series that are often lacking in ecological studies. We used 15 years of small mammal trapping data collected between 1978 and 2015 in 3 areas at Doñana National Park (southwest Spain) to (i) describe changes in species composition and (ii) test the association between local climate conditions and size of small mammal populations. Overall, 5 species were captured: wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus, algerian mouse Mus spretus, greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula, garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus, and black rat Rattus rattus. The temporal pattern in the proportion of captures of each species suggests that the small mammal diversity declined with time. Although the larger species (e.g., E. quercinus), better adapted to colder climate, have disappeared from our trapping records, M. spretus, a small species inhabiting southwest Europe and the Mediterranean coast of Africa, currently is almost the only trapped species. We used 2-level hierarchical models to separate changes in abundance from changes in probability of capture using records of A. sylvaticus in all 3 areas and of M. spretus in 1. We found that heavy rainfall and low temperatures were positively related to abundance of A. sylvaticus, and that the number of extremely hot days was negatively related to abundance of M. spretus. Despite other mechanisms are likely to be involved, our findings support the importance of climate for the distribution and persistence of these species and raise conservation concerns about potential cascading effects in the Doñana ecosystem.

Screening red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) for possible viral causes of encephalitis.

BackgroundNext to various known infectious and non-infectious causes, the aetiology of non-suppurative encephalitis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) often remains unclear. Known causes in foxes imply rabies, canine distemper, toxoplasmosis, Aujeszky’s disease, as well as parvovirus, adenovirus, circovirus and flavivirus infections. In this study, particular attention was paid on bornaviruses, since red foxes are predators of bicoloured white-toothed shrews, a reservoir of Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1). In addition, foxes are known to be highly susceptible for viruses of the order Mononegavirales.MethodsAnalyses for the presence of anti-BoDV-1 antibodies, BoDV-1-RNA and antigen were performed on 225 blood and 59 brain samples, from a total of 232 red foxes. Foxes originated from BoDV-1 endemic and non-endemic German areas. Additional investigations for the presence of rabies, canine distemper, toxoplasmosis, Aujeszky’s disease, parvovirus, adenovirus and flavivirus infections were carried out on 16 red foxes with non-suppurative (meningo-) encephalitis. A metagenomic analysis was used on three representative brain samples displaying encephalitis.ResultsAmong 225 foxes, 37 displayed anti-BoDV-1 antibodies with titres ranging between 1:40 and 1:2560, regardless of geographic origin. In 6 out of 16 foxes with encephalitis, canine distemper virus was detected. No evidence of any of the other investigated agents was found in the 16 fox brains with encephalitis. Metagenomics revealed no infectious agents, except for one already known canine distemper case.ConclusionRed foxes can exhibit BoDV-1 specific antibodies without association with geographic origin or encephalitis due to bornavirus infection. The encephalitis pattern was highly conspicuous for a viral infection, but remained unclear in 10 out of 16 foxes. Thus, presently unknown infectious and non-infectious causes need to be considered and further investigated, especially since foxes also tend to occur in human proximity.

北海道旭川市におけるニホンジネズミCrocidura dsinezumi（Soricomorpha, Soricidae）の初記録

北海道旭川市におけるニホンジネズミCrocidura dsinezumi（Soricomorpha, Soricidae）の初記録

Contrasting dispersal inference methods for the greater white-toothed shrew

A species' dispersal capability is difficult to quantify but important for a general understanding of a species' ecology and for applied conservation and management efforts. One approach is to use the information from individual genotypes to estimate recent dispersal rates. These genetic methods differ in the way they use the genotype data, their assumptions, and the information they give, but choosing one method over another is complicated by the lack of work that compares these methods on simulated or real data sets. We collected detailed, spatially resolved, individual data on the greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) in western Switzerland for which past studies have found an unusual female sex-biased dispersal. We analyzed the movement from 1 cohort of juvenile shrews with 7 published methods (i.e., mark-recapture, parentage analysis; genetic assignment; hierarchical F-statistics; and the programs BayesAss, IMIG, and STRUCTURE) and used a binomial test to make quantitative comparisons between the results of the methods. Our study indicates that the methods are broadly consistent, but parentage analysis appears the most powerful method for analyzing fine-scale dispersal patterns. In a conservation context, where the evaluation of long-term translocation success is critical for species management, the species studied and spatial scale considered will dictate which is the best suited method to estimate dispersal. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

Differences in the ectoparasite fauna between micromammals captured in natural and adjacent residential areas are better explained by sex and season than by type of habitat

We compared the ectoparasite fauna in 608 micromammals (chiefly 472 wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus, 63 Algerian mice Mus spretus, and 51 greater white-toothed shrews Crocidura russula) captured in natural and adjacent residential areas in spring and autumn during three consecutive years in four areas in periurban Barcelona (NE Spain). We found little support for an association of urbanization with differences in infestation by ectoparasites. Prevalence of Rhipicephalus sp. tick in wood mice and shrews was significantly higher in residential than in natural habitats, and the opposite was found for the flea Ctenophtalmus andorrensis catalanensis in shrews. Marked differences in the prevalence of the flea Leptopsylla taschenbergi amitina in wood mice between seasons were observed in natural but not in residential habitats, probably due to enhanced flea survival probabilities in the latter. However, as a rule, males were more frequently and heavily infested than females, and the prevalence was higher in autumn than in spring. Our results suggest that the ectoparasite fauna of periurban micromammals is shaped more by other factors than by habitat modification. People living in residential areas are at risk of contact with the arthropods borne by non-commensal micromammals and the pathogens transmitted by them.

The phylogeography of Crocidura suaveolens from southern Italy reveals the absence of an endemic lineage and supports a Trans-Adriatic connection with the Balkanic refugium

A molecular phylogeographic study using a fragment of the mitochondrial gene for cytochrome b (cytb) was performed on the lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens , from seven localities in central and southern Italy. Comparison with cytb European haplotypes revealed the absence of endemic lineages in the region, in contrast to what has been observed for many other Italian terrestrial vertebrates. Indeed the all the Italian specimens results nested with Balkanic conspecific within an Italo-Balkan clade. Historical demography of this clade showed a scenario of expansion which preceded the LGM. This evidence of glacial persistence indicates a certain flexibility of the classic models of Pleistocene biogeography.

Molecular and morphological insights into the origin of the invasive greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) in Ireland

Identifying routes of invasion is a critical management strategy in controlling the spread of invasive species. This is challenging however in the absence of direct evidence. Therefore, indirect methodologies are used to infer possible invasion sources and routes, such as comparisons of genetic and morphological data from populations from invasive ranges and putative source areas. The greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) was first discovered in Ireland from skeletal remains in the pellets of birds of prey collected in 2007 and is it is now sufficiently established that the species has a detrimental impact on Ireland's small mammal community. In this study, we address the uncertain origin(s) of the Irish population of C. russula. The cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA was analysed from 143 individuals from throughout its range within a phylogenetic and approximate Bayesian computation framework. These analyses revealed that the Irish population stemmed from Europe as opposed to North Africa. Additionally, mandibles from 523 individuals from Ireland and 28 other European populations were subjected to multivariate and distance-based analyses, which demonstrated an association between the Irish population and those in France, Switzerland and Belgium. When the genetic and morphological analyses were considered together, an origin stemming from France was deemed the most likely scenario for the source of the invasive Irish population. This study has demonstrated the importance of utilising a multidisciplinary approach when attempting to identify the origins and invasion routes of invasive species.

Dietary comparison of coexisting barn owl (Tyto alba) and eagle owl (Bubo bubo) during consecutive breeding seasons

Coexistence of predator species often depends on behaviours or preferences that result in spatio-temporal reduction of competition. In this study, the diets of coexisting barn owls (Tyto alba) and eagle owls (Bubo bubo) in an agricultural landscape of SE Bulgaria were compared. White-toothed shrews (Crociduraspp.), voles (Microtusspp.) and mice (Musspp.) were the main prey of barn owl (86.3% by number, 81.2% by biomass) with significantly different frequencies in annual diets. The principle biomass (64.8 ± 6.2%) of the significantly different eagle owl annual diets comprised much heavier prey such as white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus), European hare (Lepus europaeus) and non-passerine birds of wetlands and open habitats. The two owl species preferred and hunted on different prey size groups in the same territory, and this difference explained the low level of food competition (6.0 ± 3.6% diet overlap according to prey biomass). Voles were the only prey of the two owls with significantly different frequencies for the annual diets in intraspecies comparisons. The proportions of voles in both diets showed similar trends during the study. Eagle owl predation on barn owls was slightly affected by their coexisting breeding despite the high levels of food stress of eagle owl. These findings provide insight into how preying habits can predict successful coexistence of potentially competing predator species.

The New Wild: Why Invasive Species will be nature's salvation

BOOK REVIEW The New Wild: Why Invasive Species will be nature’s salvation Fred Pearce (Beacon Press; Boston; 245pp; £29.99) ISBN 9781848318359 Humans spent a part of their evolution as followers of migrating herds in Africa. We lived off the herds and became a locally adapted migratory ape. Because of this, we were able to leave Africa and colonise the rest of the world. We move about by itchy instinct, and now have the means to move faster and faster, further and further. We have become the ultimate invasive species. This has led to problems*most notably threats to biodiversity*because our travels are often accompanied by many life forms, pests, diseases and some species that become invasive. Many of the world’s problems hinge on this issue. For example, we now know that bubonic plague, which brought about the Black Death, spread to Europe along the Silk Road, repeatedly prompted by climatic episodes. The European conquests of both of the Americas and Africa were also facilitated by introduced invasive diseases. Fred Pearce, in his book The New Wild: why invasive species will be nature’s salvation, argues that most invasive species and hybrids, far from being bad news, will enhance biodiversity. Among other things, Pearce suggests that efforts to stop invasive species are mostly in vain (with some exceptions, such as rats and cats on islands). He also tries to stand many other conventional ecological concepts on their heads by employing a mixture of travelogue and quotes delivered in a glib and often rude style. There is, however, a stark lack of balance in his approach to his chosen topic. Pearce does not actually say we should give up all attempts at preventing invasive species; instead, he takes a sort of journalistic flip-flop approach, which sees him come close to but never actually suggest that we all ought to give up trying to stop invasive species. Is he right? Certainly in the United States and Britain, there are issues with how the policy about invasive species is formed. There have also been serious problems in the field, particularly in post-apartheid South Africa, where the Working for Water program has been bungled by politicians. The complex issue of invasive species is particularly relevant to Ireland, given that it is a very large island with a significant amount of native biodiversity. Oddly for a journalist based in Britain, Pearce hardly mentions Ireland; the only one that I could find refers to the Hottentot fig in Dublin. So how would the Irish situation reflect Pearce’s ideas? I will limit my comments to Irish mammals, because that is what I know about, but the same will be true for many other animals and plants, especially freshwater plants and other life forms. In Ireland we encounter invasive speciesrelated problems with mammals, especially with the hybridisation of hares in Ulster and deer across the Republic of Ireland. The Irish hare has bred with the introduced European brown hare, and red deer have hybridised with Japanese sika deer. If you care about the genetic survival of native, locally adapted forms, you should be concerned about such hybridisation. However, I think the conservation of locally adapted forms, especially on an island such as Ireland, is a core value in concerns about the island’s biodiversity. We also have a situation with bank voles and greater white-toothed shrews in Ireland. Both mammals are introduced species, and when they occur together they cause ‘invasional meltdown’, which leads to the decline and probable extinction of native field mice and the pygmy shrew (it should be pointed out that the pygmy shrew is also an early introduction). If we care about the genetic survival of locally adapted forms, we should be concerned about the threats these invasive mammals pose. According to Professor Ian Montgomery of Queen’s University, such invasive species threaten to turn our island ecosystem into ‘an ecological junkyard’. However, if we consider the rabbit, by far the most abundant mammal on the island, the issues become more complicated. The rabbit, which was introduced well before the Norman Invasion, adapted over a long period to become the wild mammals we know today, and they...

Recherche de la musaraigne carrelet (Sorex araneus Linnaeus 1758) dans le département du Rhône (France). Le point sur les Soricides du département

Search for Common Shrew (Sorex araneus Linnaeus 1758), in the Rhône department. Update on the Soricidae of the department. During the 1970s, chromosomal research showed that in France, at low altitudes, Common Shrew Sorex araneus was replaced by Millet’s Shrew Sorex coronatus. In France, Common Shrew is present particularly in cold and/ or wet places : Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central. The Rhône department is crossed by mountain ranges up to 1000m altitude, belonging to the Massif Central ; therefore in 2013 and 2014 the FRAPNA (Rhône-Alps federation for nature protection) carried out research by trapping, in order to verify the presence or the absence of Common Shrew. The identification of the catches was made by biometric measuring of the skulls, and above all by the study of mitochondrial DNA. 22 samples were analysed, all belonging to Millet’s Shrew, even for specimens trapped at 1000m altitude. We conclude therefore, that Common Shrew is probably absent from the department. For other less well known species, the study gave the opportunity for updating old data, particularly for Miller’s Water Shrew Neomys anomalus and Bicoloured White-toothed Shrew Crocidura leucodon. Finally, 8 among the 11 species of shrew known in the Rhône-Alps region, are present in the Rhône department.

Sorex (Mammalia, Soricidae) remains from the late Early Pleistocene Somssich Hill 2 locality (Villány Hills, Southern Hungary)

Two species of the white-toothed shrews ( Crocidura kornfeldi Kormos, 1934 and Croci- dura obtusa Kretzoi, 1938) were found in the late Early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna of the Somssich Hill 2 locality. Most of the specimens could not be identifi ed at the species level, therefore they are described here as Crocidura sp. indet. ( kornfeldi or obtusa). Detailed morphological and morpho- metrical analyses were made on the remains of the two species. Th e biostratigraphical and palae- oecological relations of their occurrence are also given. With 14 fi gures and 5 tables.

Characteristics of External and Cranial Morphological Characters of Asian Lesser White-Toothed Shrew (Crocidura shantungensis)

Characteristics of External and Cranial Morphological Characters of Asian Lesser White-Toothed Shrew (Crocidura shantungensis)

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Ussuri white-toothed shrew Crocidura lasiura (Insectivora, Soricidae)

We obtained the complete mitochondrial genome of the Ussuri white-toothed shrew Crocidura lasiura (Insectivora, Soricidae) at 17 362 base pairs (bp) containing 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a non-coding control region. Its gene order is identical to that of other vertebrates. Several repeat elements were identified in the non-coding control region (D-loop). Phylogenetic tree using mt protein-coding gene sequences showed that C. lasiura was closely related to C. attenuata. The reports of mt genome sequences of Crocidura were not enough to study phylogenetic relationships in genome levels. However, this report may help us to understand the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of Crocidura.

Phenotypic flexibility in the energetic strategy of the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula

The balance between energetic acquisition and expenditure depends on the amount of energy allocated to biological functions such as thermoregulation, growth, reproduction and behavior. Ambient temperature has a profound effect on this balance, with species inhabiting colder climates often needing to invest more energy in thermoregulation to maintain body temperature. This leads to local behavioral and physiological adaptations that increase energetic efficiency. In this study, we investigated the role of activity, behavior and thermogenic capacity in the ability of the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula, to cope with seasonal changes. Individuals were captured in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, a Mediterranean region, and separated into three experimental groups: a control group, acclimated to a 12L:12D photoperiod and temperature of 18–20°C; a winter group, acclimatized to natural winter fluctuations of light and temperature; and a summer group, acclimatized to natural summer fluctuations of light and temperature. No differences were found in resting metabolic rate and nonshivering thermogenesis between the three groups. However, winter shrews significantly reduced their activity, particularly at night, compared to the control and summer groups. Differences in torpor use were also found between groups, with winter shrews entering torpor more frequently and during shorter periods of time than summer and control shrews. Our results indicate C. russula from Sintra relies on the flexibility of energy saving mechanisms, namely daily activity level and torpor use, to cope with seasonal changes in a Mediterranean climate, rather than mechanisms involving body heat production.