Instability of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites at 4°C: Time to freeze matters.

The use of fecal corticosteroid metabolites (FCMs) has proven to be well suited to evaluate adrenocortical activity, a major component of the stress response, particularly in wildlife. As with any tools, confounding factors and drawbacks must be carefully considered. Among them, sample preservation and storage are of particular importance, as they can affect stability of FCMs and lead to biased results and interpretations.

Covariation between glucocorticoids, behaviour and immunity supports the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis: an experimental approach.

The biomedical literature has consistently highlighted that long-term elevation of glucocorticoids might impair immune functions. However, patterns are less clear in wild animals. Here, we re-explored the stress-immunity relationship considering the potential effects of behavioural profiles.

Meteorological and climatic variables predict the phenology of Ixodes ricinus nymph activity in France, accounting for habitat heterogeneity.

Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are the most important vector for Lyme borreliosis in Europe. As climate change might affect their distributions and activities, this study aimed to determine the effects of environmental factors, i.e.

Where to find questing Ixodes frontalis ticks? Under bamboo bushes!

Tick-borne diseases have a complex epidemiology that depends on different ecological communities, associating several species of vertebrate hosts, vectors and pathogens. While most studies in Europe are focused on Ixodes ricinus, other Ixodes species may also be involved in the transmission or maintenance of pathogens. This is the case of Ixodes frontalis, a poorly known species associated with different bird species such as blackbirds, thrushes and robins, with a wide distribution covering most European countries.

Distribution of ticks, tick-borne pathogens and the associated local environmental factors including small mammals and livestock, in two French agricultural sites: the OSCAR database.

Background: In Europe, ticks are major vectors of both human and livestock pathogens (e.g. Lyme disease, granulocytic anaplasmosis, bovine babesiosis).

Individual variation in an acute stress response reflects divergent coping strategies in a large herbivore.

Individuals differ in the manner that they cope with risk. When these behavioral differences are manifested in risky or challenging environments (i.e.

Ranging behaviour of roe deer in an experimental high-density population: are females territorial?

We studied the ranging behaviour and spatial relationships between seven roe deer during more than 4 years in a partly wooded 14.2-ha enclosure. The animals (three young males, four adult females) were monitored with GPS telemetry collars.