Publications by authors named "Arnaud L J Desbiez"

Armadillos and anteaters exhibit a wide range of interactions with various pathogens and ectoparasites, which, along with their physiological and ecological characteristics, contribute to their potential as hosts for a broad variety of pathogens with zoonotic potential. However, there has been limited research into the occurrence and diversity of vector-borne agents in this group of mammals. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and molecular identity of Ehrlichia spp.

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Globally, illegal sport hunting can threaten prey populations when unregulated. Due to its covert nature, illegal sport hunting poses challenges for data collection, hindering efforts to understand the full extent of its impacts. We gathered social media data to analyze patterns of illegal sport hunting and wildlife depletion across Brazil.

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The progressive fragmentation and loss of habitats represent the main threats for endangered species, causing genetic consequences that may have potential implications for a population's long-term persistence. Large mammals are the most affected species among vertebrates. The giant armadillo Priodontes maximus is a large South American mammal threatened species, showing nocturnal, solitary and fossorial behavior, occurring at low population densities, and its population dynamics are still poorly known.

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Background: Understanding how to connect habitat remnants to facilitate the movement of species is a critical task in an increasingly fragmented world impacted by human activities. The identification of dispersal routes and corridors through connectivity analysis requires measures of landscape resistance but there has been no consensus on how to calculate resistance from habitat characteristics, potentially leading to very different connectivity outcomes.

Methods: We propose a new model, called the Time-Explicit Habitat Selection (TEHS) model, that can be directly used for connectivity analysis.

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  • Researchers analyzed the stomach contents of 24 wild road-killed giant anteaters to understand their natural diet and found it significantly lower in calcium and phosphorus compared to commercial feeds used in captivity.
  • The study revealed that anteaters consume a considerable amount of soil, affecting the composition of their diet, while protein and fat levels in their foods met carnivore dietary standards.
  • It highlighted the importance of maintaining appropriate levels of dietary calcium and vitamins D and K in captive anteaters to prevent nutritional diseases like hypercalcemia and vitamin K deficiency.
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Xenarthra mammals can be found from southern North America to southern South America, including all Brazilian biomes. Although it has been shown that Xenarthra mammals can play a role as reservoirs for several zoonotic agents, few studies investigate the diversity of piroplasmids (Apicomplexa: Piroplasmida) in this group of mammals. Taking into account that piroplasmids can cause disease in animals and humans, understanding the prevalence and diversity of piroplasmids in Xenarthra mammals would contribute to conservation efforts for this group of animals as well as to infer risk areas for transmission of emergent zoonosis.

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Advances in biologging have increased the understanding of how animals interact with their environment, especially for cryptic species. For example, giant armadillos () are the largest extant species of armadillo but are rarely encountered due to their fossorial and nocturnal behavior. Through the analysis of speed, turning angles, and accelerometer activity counts, we estimated behavioral states, characterized activity budgets, and investigated the state-habitat associations exhibited by individuals monitored with GPS telemetry in the Brazilian Pantanal from 2019 to 2020.

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Aim: Macroecological studies that require habitat suitability data for many species often derive this information from expert opinion. However, expert-based information is inherently subjective and thus prone to errors. The increasing availability of GPS tracking data offers opportunities to evaluate and supplement expert-based information with detailed empirical evidence.

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  • Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) pose a significant risk to wildlife, with a study on 430 mammals in Brazil revealing high rates of traumatic injuries across various body segments.
  • The most commonly injured areas included the abdomen/pelvis and chest, with prevalent conditions like bone fractures and organ ruptures.
  • The findings aim to assist veterinarians in emergency care for wildlife and contribute to forensic investigations related to MVCs.
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Knowledge of reproductive health in wild southern tamanduas (; Mammalia: Myrmecophagidae) is fragmentary. During necropsies of roadkill xenarthran species in Brazil, a case of ovarian filariasis in an adult female southern tamandua was observed. Macroscopically, both ovaries were irregularly enlarged and had numerous smooth protuberances.

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For several species, roadkill is not spatially aggregated on hotspots, having instead a more diffuse pattern along the roads. For such species, management measures such as road passages may be insufficient for effective mitigation, since a large part of the road crossings is likely to occur outside the influence of those structures. One complementary approach could be to implement temporary mitigation actions, such as traffic calming.

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  • * Researchers used camera traps to gather a comprehensive data set of 154,123 records from 317 species of mammals, birds, and reptiles across eight Amazonian countries.
  • * This extensive data set facilitates new ecological research on the impacts of habitat loss and climate change in the Amazon, and its use is encouraged with proper citation.
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Although mammals of the superorder Xenarthra are considered hosts of a wide range of zoonotic agents, works aiming at investigating the role of these animals as hosts for bacteria with zoonotic potential are rare. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and molecularly characterize Coxiella burnetii and haemoplasma (haemotropic mycoplasmas) DNA in blood and spleen samples from 397 free-living Xenarthra mammals (233 sloths, 107 anteaters and 57 armadillos) in five Brazilian states (Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Pará, Rondônia and Rio Grande do Sul). All biological samples from Xenarthra were negative in the qPCR for Coxiella burnetii based on the IS1111 gene.

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Understanding of resource requirements of vulnerable species is key for conservation planning. Here, we used stable carbon (δ C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ N) of hair from giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) to understand individual resource use. We collected hair from 19 giant armadillos analyzing 34 samples from the Brazilian Pantanal and compared the resource use between sexes and age classes.

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Background: The giant anteater belongs to the supraorder Xenarthra which occupies a systematically isolated position among placental mammals. The species is categorized as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and understanding its reproductive characteristics is critical for future conservation efforts.

Methods: Gross and microscopic anatomy of the genital organs of 23 male and 21 female adult and young roadkill giant anteaters in Brazil were studied.

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Knowing the influence of intrinsic and environmental traits on animals' movement is a central interest of ecology and can aid to enhance management decisions. The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a vulnerable mammal that presents low capacity for physiological thermoregulation and uses forests as thermal shelters. Here, we aim to provide reliable estimates of giant anteaters' movement patterns and home range size, as well as untangle the role of intrinsic and environmental drivers on their movement.

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In general, large mammal species with highly specialized feeding behavior and solitary habits are expected to suffer genetic consequences from habitat loss and fragmentation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the genetic diversity distribution of the threatened giant anteater inhabiting a human-modified landscape. We used 10 microsatellite loci to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 107 giant anteaters sampled in the Brazilian Central-Western region.

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is a generalist hemoflagellate that infects mammals and is transmitted by triatomines around Latin America. Due to its high genetic diversity, it can be classified into two to five lineages. In Brazil, its distribution outside the Amazon region is virtually unknown, and knowledge on the ecology of its lineages and on host species diversity requires further investigation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wildlife research has revealed an increase in viral-related cancers, potentially due to more studies and rising cancer-causing pathogens.
  • A case of primary gastric T-cell lymphoma was found in a giant armadillo in Brazil, linked to a new virus identified as Cingulatid gammaherpesvirus 1 (CiHV-1).
  • The virus was detected in 14.3% of other giant armadillos tested, raising concerns about its oncogenic potential and the need for further research on its impact.
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Mammals can show conspicuous behavioral responses to thermal variation, including changes in movement patterns. We used an integrative approach to understand how environmental temperature can drive the movement behavior of a mammal with low capacity for physiological thermoregulation, the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). We tracked 52 giant anteaters in 7 areas throughout the Brazilian savannah.

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  • Knowledge of infectious diseases in wildlife is critical for preventing zoonotic outbreaks, with adiaspiromycosis being a neglected disease in humans caused by specific fungi.
  • This study investigated roadkilled armadillos to understand the occurrence and pathology of adiaspiromycosis, discovering cases in both the six-banded and southern naked-tailed armadillos.
  • Twelve instances of pulmonary adiaspiromycosis were identified, revealing a potentially new species of fungus, raising concerns about its implications for human health and public safety.
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The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) can occur in both preserved and anthropogenic environments in Brazilian biomes. The Cerrado biome, where the samples were collected, is considered one of the world's biodiversity hotspots; however, a large part of it has been converted to pasture and agricultural land. In this environment, animals may be exposed to contaminants, such as mercury (Hg).

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Armadillos are specialist diggers and their burrows are used to find food, seek shelter and protect their pups. These burrows can also be shared with dozens of vertebrate and invertebrate species and; consequently, their parasites including the zoonotics. The aim of this study was to diagnose the presence of zoonotic parasites in four wild-caught armadillo species from two different Brazilian ecosystems, the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) and the Pantanal (wetland).

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