The Effects of Enrichment on Zoo-Housed Scarlet Ibis Behavior.

Good zoo animal welfare is commonly promoted with environmental enrichment; however, some species are less likely to be offered enrichment than others. This study tested the effect of enrichment on a group of scarlet ibises from Zoomarine Algarve, Portugal. The study consisted of a first baseline condition, followed by four types of enrichment displays with individual presentations, a post-enrichment condition, and a post-enrichment with all enrichment types presented simultaneously.

The plasma phospholipidome of the bottlenose dolphin () is modulated by both sex and developmental stage.

Lipidomics represent a valid complementary tool to the biochemical analysis of plasma in humans. However, in cetaceans, these tools have been unexplored. Here, we evaluated how the plasma lipid composition of is modulated by developmental stage and sex, aiming at a potential use of lipidomics in integrated strategies to monitor cetacean health.

First Documentation of spp. Isolation in Psittaciformes.

Several fungi species are reported to act as opportunistic agents of infection in avian species. After the isolation of spp., a dematiaceous fungal pathogen associated with a mucosal lesion in a military macaw (), samples were collected from another 24 birds of the order Psittaciformes to study the possibility of spp.

Seroprevalence of in Pinnipeds under Human Care and in Wild Pinnipeds.

infection has been reported in numerous species of marine mammals, some of them with fatal consequences. A serosurvey for infection was conducted in pinnipeds from an oceanographic park in Portugal ( = 60); stranded pinnipeds on the Portuguese coast ( = 10); and pinnipeds captured in Lorenzensplate, Germany ( = 99). Sera from 169 pinnipeds were tested for the presence of antibodies to by the modified agglutination test with a cut-off titre of 25.

The plasma phospholipidome of Tursiops truncatus: From physiological insight to the design of prospective tools for managed cetacean monitorization.

Plasma biochemical analysis remains one of the established ways of monitoring captive marine mammal health. More recently, complementary plasma lipidomic analysis has proven to be a valid tool in disease diagnosis and prevention, with the potential to validate and complement common biochemical analysis, providing a more integrative approach. In this study, we thoroughly characterized the plasma polar lipid content of Tursiops truncatus, the most common cetacean species held under human care.

The use of posaconazole delayed-release tablets in the successful treatment of suspected mucormycosis in a bottlenose dolphin () calf.

Mucorales infections in cetaceans have a high mortality rate. This case report refers to a bottlenose dolphin calf with suspected mucormycosis treated with posaconazole. This antifungal agent was discontinued after 96 days of therapy, however, the infection relapsed.

Erysipelas vaccination protocols in dolphins Tursiops truncatus evaluated by antibody responses over twenty continuous years.

Erysipelas is an infection caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae that affects many different species around the world, including cetaceans. The acute septicemic form can rapidly cause death in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus. The ultimate goals of this long-term study were the development and identification of the most effective vaccination protocol against clinical erysipelas in T.