The brown booby (Sula leucogaster Boddaert, 1783) has a wide geographic distribution, being found throughout the intertropical range except for the west coast of South America. Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) are ectoparasites commonly found in association with a wide variety of bird species, and extensive infestations can lead to severe itching and irritation that causes skin lesions, damage to the plumage, and abandonment of nests. Sula leucogaster lice have an atypical distribution, not fully following the distribution of their host. In the years 2018 and 2019, 4 marine animal rehabilitation centers located in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil received live birds and carcasses of Sula leucogaster. The animals were deloused and lice of 2 different species were collected. Identification was performed by optical microscopy, and the species found were Eidmanniella albescens Piaget, 1880 and Pectinopygus garbeiPessoa and Guimarães, 1935. This is the first record of both species in Rio de Janeiro.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1645/21-58 | DOI Listing |
Genome
January 2025
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil;
Our comprehension of avian karyotypes still needs to be improved, especially for Suliform birds. To enhance understanding of chromosomal evolution in this order, we conducted conventional and molecular cytogenetic analysis in five species, named Sula dactylatra, S. leucogaster, S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Pollut
January 2025
Olaf Malm Laboratory of Environmental Studies (LEA-OM), Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute (IBCCF), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratory of Oceanology, Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of Research (FOCUS), University of Liege, Belgium.
This study investigates essential (Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, Ni) and non-essential (Li, Be, Cr, Rb, Sr, Cs, Cd, Sn, Ba, and Pb) element concentrations and stable isotope (δC, δN, δS) compositions in feathers of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) from three distinct Atlantic islands: the Archipelagos of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (SPSP), Abrolhos, and Cagarras. We aimed to investigate the ecological and environmental factors influencing these seabird populations and assess potential variations in contaminant exposure and dietary habits based on location, sex, and maturity stages. Our finding revealed significant geographical differences in trace element concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcol Evol
December 2024
Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México Mexico.
Foraging during breeding is a demanding activity linked to breeding investment and possibly constrained by individual quality. Telomere length, the protective nucleoproteins located at the ends of the chromosomes, is considered a trait reflecting somatic maintenance and individual quality. Therefore, foraging effort and parental investment may be positively related to telomere length, if individuals with longer telomeres are of better quality and thus able to maintain better body condition and allocate more resources to parental activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Res Commun
November 2024
Laboratório de Aves Aquáticas e Tartarugas Marinhas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS, CEP 96203-900, Brazil.
Dispersal patterns of zoonotic pathogens can be strongly influenced by mobility and contact among hosts. Toxoplasma gondii infection has been documented in many avian species, however, there is little information regarding free-living seabird populations. Leptospira can infect domestic and wild animals, with birds being potential carriers of the bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBehav Ecol
October 2024
Laboratorio de Conducta Animal, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior Jardín Botánico, Ciudad de México, CP 04510, México.
Immune defense is fundamental to diminish the negative effects of the attack of infectious agents, yet the activation of the immune system entails costs and may compromise other life-history traits such as reproduction. In reproductive brown booby pairs (), we experimentally imposed an immune challenge during incubation, by intraperitoneally injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in either the male or the female. We aimed to test whether activation of the immune response results in (1) an increase in oxidative stress parameters, (2) a decline in post-hatching parental care in the treated individual, and (3) a compensation of the post-hatching parental effort by the nontreated mate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!