Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter <i>Lutra lutra</i>

Dallas, John F.; Coxon, Karen E.; Sykes, Tim; Chanin, Paul; Marshall, Freda; Carss, David N.; Bacon, P. J.; Piertney, Stuart B.; Racey, Paul A.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01712.x

Cited by 103 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(60 reference statements)

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“…Cormorant conflicts on a pan-European scale showed similar distribution patterns: low altitudes (<500 m); wide (10-50 m) lower and middle river stretches; and access to shallow (<50 m deep) inshore waters in coastal areas. Overall, most conflict cases were reported in nutrientrich (i.e., eutrophic) waters, particularly in freshwater aquaculture ponds, lakes, and coastal areas, supporting the idea that cormorant distribution is, in part at least, determined by the nutrient status of these waters (Carss 2003). Eurasian otters Lutra lutra and managed fisheries in Central Europe, mostly carp Cyprinus carpio production, is another example of a widely studied conflict, focusing on otter diet (Gossow and Kranz 1998;Kloskowski 2000Kloskowski , 2005bAdámek et al 2003;Lanszki and Molnár 2003;Jacobsen 2005;Poledník 2005), damage assessment (Bodner 1995a;Gossow and Kranz 1998;Kloskowski 2005b;Poledník 2005;Kranz et al 2009), damage prevention (Bodner 1995b;Gossow and Kranz 1998;Leblanc 2003;Kranz et al 2009), and compensation schemes (Gossow and Kranz 1998;Schwerdtner and Gruber 2007;Kranz et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Spraints were stored in dimethyl sulfoxide (dimethyl sulfoxide 20%, NaCl 6 M) and then frozen at −20°C until DNA extraction. This molecular approach was used to assess the number of otters visiting each fish farm (Dallas et al 2003;Arrendal et al 2004;Selkoe and Toonen 2006).…”

Section: Field Data Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of fish by humans and animals has set the stage for conflict. Many large fish predators (e.g., seals, dolphins, otters, cormorants, and herons) compete with humans by eating species of interest to man (Silva et al 2002;Carss 2003;Kranz et al 2009;Brotons et al 2008) including reared fish (Skarén 1990;Trindade 1991;Kloskowski 2000Kloskowski , 2005aLekuona 2002;Carss 2003;Opačak et al 2004;Quick et al 2004;Freitas et al 2007;Kranz et al 2009). Harbor seals Phoca vitulina and gray seals Halichoerus grypus were reported to predate on 81% of the marine salmon farms in Scotland (Quick et al 2004) and the impact of cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo and gray herons Ardea cinerea was estimated to be 53% and 11%, respectively, of the annual fish-farming yield in the Arcachon Bay of southwest France (Lekuona 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Key landscape factors for Eurasian otter Lutra lutra visiting rates and fish loss in estuarine fish farms

2009

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Conflicts between the conservation of large vertebrates and the use of biological resources are common and affect many species and activities. The vast majority of the Portuguese fish farms are located in estuarine protected areas and production of marine fish species is done mostly in semi-intensive regimes and with the imposition of some restrictive rules. This exposed form of production is prone to predation by wild animals. The Eurasian otter Lutra lutra is widely distributed in Portugal and this combination of factors has led to a conflict scenario between fish farming and the conservation of otters. This study aimed to determine the influence of landscape factors in otter damages in fish farms of Sado estuary (SW Portugal) and the usefulness of visiting rates and otter diet as surrogates for damage assessment. The impact of otter predation (damage) in each fish farm was assessed by combining the percentage of consumption of reared species with otter daily food consumption, daily visitation rates, and number of otters visiting each fish farm. Landscape descriptors were recorded in the field and several landscape metrics were calculated using a geographic information system. Multiple linear regressions were used to identify key landscape factors for damage and for damage surrogates. Distance to streams and refuge cover areas were identified as key landscape features to damages. This information can be used as a management tool in landscape planning, specifically in estuaries with fish-farming activity, as highrisk farms can be identified and selectively protected.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Field Data Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Key landscape factors for Eurasian otter Lutra lutra visiting rates and fish loss in estuarine fish farms

2009

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“…Fecal samples are considered completely noninvasive because collection of feces does not require the animal to come in contact with a collection device. Fecal studies are becoming more widespread with studies completed in birds [19], felids [20,21], canines [22], bears [23], primates [24], and aquatic mammals [25][26][27][28][29]. However, relatively few studies have assessed the use of fecal pellets as a source of DNA in small mammal species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Noninvasive alternatives for DNA collection from threatened rodents

Green¹,

Ting²,

Manjerovic³

et al. 2013

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Many rodent species are currently under conservation threat. However, population monitoring and status assessment are extremely challenging because of small body size, low abundance and elusive behavior of rodents. Furthermore, invasive methods of capture and tissue collection commonly used to address such studies can induce an unacceptable amount of stress to sensitive species. As a result, noninvasive techniques have become more widely used, but relatively few studies have applied noninvasive techniques to rodents. Here we present two noninvasive alternatives for the collection of DNA from Franklin's ground squirrels (Poliocitellus franklinii). We compared the quantity, purity and degradation of DNA extracted from plucked hair and fecal pellets to tail snip tissues. We recovered more DNA from tail snips than either plucked hair or fecal pellets. Both hair and fecal pellets recovered DNA with purity ratios similar to tail snips. As expected, DNA recovered from fecal pellets exhibited a high degree of degradation compared to hair and tail tissues. Careful planning of field and laboratory protocols is therefore necessary to compensate for challenges associated with noninvasive tissue types. While there is no tissue that can universally be applied to all research projects, both hair and feces are viable alternatives to traditional invasive procedures and can be applied to threatened and endangered rodent species.

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“…Compared with microscopic examination of postdigestion prey fragments, DNA-based techniques can improve the resolution of taxonomic identification to the species level (Farrell et al 2000;Adams et al 2003;Dallas et al 2003). PCR-based analysis allows the amplification of small DNA fragments resulting from degradation during passage through the digestive tract of the predator.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey preference of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus, Chiroptera) using molecular analysis

Bobrowiec¹

2015

Journal of Mammalogy

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Morphological identification of prey fragments in vampire bat feces is impossible because of an exclusively blood-based diet. Therefore, studies of their foraging ecology require innovative approaches. We investigated the diet of Desmodus rotundus using a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) molecular method by amplifying the cytochrome b mitochondrial gene (380 bp) from DNA fecal samples collected from captive bats fed with blood from chickens, cattle, pigs, dogs, and humans-the 5 most frequently attacked prey species in rural areas of the Brazilian Amazonia. The prey preference of the vampire bat was investigated in 18 riverine villages, where the availability of domestic animals to bats was quantified. Prey DNA amplified from fecal samples exhibited no visible signals of vampire bat DNA. A PCR-RFLP flowchart and a combination of 2 DNA restriction enzymes allowed the direct identification of prey to species level. The enzymes' restriction profile did not overlap with those of vampire bats or wild mammal and avian species. Chickens were the most attacked prey species (61.4% of the identifications, n = 27), but pigs were highly preferred in relation to prey availability. This suggests a preference for mammalian blood in D. rotundus diet, with chickens exploited as a secondary food source. No wild vertebrate species was identified in the fecal samples, indicating that vampire bats are selectively feeding on the blood of domesticated animals, probably because they are more predictable and easily accessed resources.

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Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra

Cited by 103 publications

References 48 publications

Key landscape factors for Eurasian otter Lutra lutra visiting rates and fish loss in estuarine fish farms

Key landscape factors for Eurasian otter Lutra lutra visiting rates and fish loss in estuarine fish farms

Noninvasive alternatives for DNA collection from threatened rodents

Prey preference of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus, Chiroptera) using molecular analysis

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