The Experts below are selected from a list of 258 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
François Messier - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Aposematic Behaviour in the Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis
Ethology, 2010Co-Authors: Serge Lartviere, François MessierAbstract:From April to August, 1993 to 1995, we studied the aposematic behaviour patterns of striped Skunks, Mephitis mephitis, incidentally while ground-tracking radio-marked animals. During 2668 h of tracking, 207 defensive postures were displayed by 34 radio-collared (27 females, 7 males) and 21 unidentified Skunks. Skunks most often advertised their noxiousness using Tail-up (69.1 % occurrence) and Stomp (17.4%). Encounters were frequently (42.5 %) terminated by the skunk running away from the source of disturbance. Most warning behaviour was directed at radio-trackers (95.7 %), and the remainder was displayed to a variety of predatory and non-predatory animals or objects. Stomp occurred more frequently in taller vegetation, where visual advertisement was limited. Reaction distance of Skunks disturbed by observers (median = 6 m) was not affected by wind, movement or vegetation height. The small awareness circle and high tolerance of Skunks to disturbance are consistent with the life history traits of aposematic animals.
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Energetic consequences and ecological significance of heterothermy and social thermoregulation in striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis).
Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ, 2006Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Abstract We assessed patterns and energetic consequences of different overwintering strategies, torpor, and social thermoregulation in the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) under natural ambient temperature and photoperiod. Striped Skunks entered spontaneous daily torpor, with the lowest torpid body temperature (Tb) reaching 26.0°C, the lowest recorded Tb for a carnivore. Patterns of daily torpor differed between solitary and grouped Skunks: all solitary Skunks regularly entered daily torpor, but only some individuals in communal dens employed torpor. When they did, it was shallow and infrequent. Solitary Skunks entered torpor on average 50 times (in 120 d) compared with 6 times for grouped Skunks. During torpor, solitary Skunks had average minimum Tb of 26.8°C and bout duration of 7.8 h, whereas grouped Skunks had average minimum Tb of 30.9°C and bout duration of 5.4 h. Torpor by solitary Skunks occurred during their activity phase, but grouped Skunks’ shallow torpor bouts were restricted to their diurna...
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Summer Movements and Impact of Individual Striped Skunks, Mephitis mephitis , on Duck Nests in Saskatchewan
The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 2006Co-Authors: Serge Larivière, Lyle R. Walton, François MessierAbstract:Striped Skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ) are important predators of duck eggs in the Canadian prairies. We estimated the impact of individual Striped Skunks on duck nests by intensive observations of foraging movements and depredation of duck nests in southern Saskatchewan, 1993-1994. Nightly, skunk movements were variable (range 0-20 km per night), and did not differ among seasons for females, or between males and females during the parturition/rearing season. Overall, nightly movement of Striped Skunks averaged 7.4 km for females (SD = 5.9 km, n = 20 females) and 6.7 km for males (SD = 3.2 km, n = 5 males). During 1,873 h of radio-tracking, we observed depredation of 10 duck nests by 8 Skunks (7 F, 1 M). Using our observed estimate of one depredation for every 187 h, and averaged nightly activity of 8-10 h per night, we estimated that individual Skunks find one duck nest every 19-23 nights. Thus, during the 60-day nesting season for ducks (mid-May to mid-July), individual Skunks probably find 2-3 duck nests. These observations reinforce the growing evidence that, at normal duck nest densities (
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Streptococcus equisimilis infection in striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in Saskatchewan.
Journal of wildlife diseases, 2002Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, G Wobeser, S. Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Three radio-collared striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) found dead during a field study of winter ecology of striped Skunks near Willowbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada were examined. Streptococcus equisimilis was identified as the primary agent causing necrotizing purulent pneumonia in one skunk and suppurative meningoencephalitis in another. Both Streptococcus equisimilis and Streptococcus canis were isolated from lesions of purulent myocarditis and pyothorax in the third skunk. These are apparently the first reported cases of S. equisimilis infection in striped Skunks and suggest that this opportunistic pathogen may be a significant cause of mortality under some conditions.
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Streptococcus equisimilis Infection in Striped Skunks
2002Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, G Wobeser, François MessierAbstract:Three radio-collared striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) found dead during a field study of winter ecology of striped Skunks near Willowbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada were ex- amined. Streptococcus equisimilis was identi- fied as the primary agent causing necrotizing purulent pneumonia in one skunk and suppu- rative meningoencephalitis in another. Both Streptococcus equisimilis and Streptococcus canis were isolated from lesions of purulent myocarditis and pyothorax in the third skunk. These are apparently the first reported cases of S. equisimilis infection in striped Skunks and suggest that this opportunistic pathogen may be a significant cause of mortality under some con- ditions.
Gary A. Anderson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bayesian Spatiotemporal Pattern and Eco-climatological Drivers of Striped Skunk Rabies in the North Central Plains.
PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2016Co-Authors: Ram K. Raghavan, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Douglas G. Goodin, Rolan D. Davis, Michael C. Moore, Susan M. Moore, Gary A. AndersonAbstract:Striped Skunks are one of the most important terrestrial reservoirs of rabies virus in North America, and yet the prevalence of rabies among this host is only passively monitored and the disease among this host remains largely unmanaged. Oral vaccination campaigns have not efficiently targeted striped Skunks, while periodic spillovers of striped skunk variant viruses to other animals, including some domestic animals, are routinely recorded. In this study we evaluated the spatial and spatio-temporal patterns of infection status among striped skunk cases submitted for rabies testing in the North Central Plains of US in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, and also evaluated potential eco-climatological drivers of such patterns. Two Bayesian hierarchical models were fitted to point-referenced striped skunk rabies cases [n = 656 (negative), and n = 310 (positive)] received at a leading rabies diagnostic facility between the years 2007–2013. The first model included only spatial and temporal terms and a second covariate model included additional covariates representing eco-climatic conditions within a 4km2 home-range area for striped Skunks. The better performing covariate model indicated the presence of significant spatial and temporal trends in the dataset and identified higher amounts of land covered by low-intensity developed areas [Odds ratio (OR) = 3.41; 95% Bayesian Credible Intervals (CrI) = 2.08, 3.85], higher level of patch fragmentation (OR = 1.70; 95% CrI = 1.25, 2.89), and diurnal temperature range (OR = 0.54; 95% CrI = 0.27, 0.91) to be important drivers of striped skunk rabies incidence in the study area. Model validation statistics indicated satisfactory performance for both models; however, the covariate model fared better. The findings of this study are important in the context of rabies management among striped Skunks in North America, and the relevance of physical and climatological factors as risk factors for skunk to human rabies transmission and the space-time patterns of striped skunk rabies are discussed.
Dennis Donovan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Oral vaccination and protection of striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) against rabies using ONRAB
Vaccine, 2014Co-Authors: L. J. Brown, Rick Rosatte, Christine Fehlner-gardiner, James A. Ellison, Felix R. Jackson, P. Bachmann, J.s. Taylor, Richard Franka, Dennis DonovanAbstract:®Oral rabies vaccination Rabies control Rabies virus challenge Striped skunk a b s t r a c t Skunks are one of the most important rabies vector species in North America due to their wide geographic distribution, high susceptibility to the rabies virus, and tendency to inhabit areas around human dwellings and domestic animals. Oral vaccination is a cost-effective, socially acceptable technique often used to control rabies in terrestrial wildlife; however, control of rabies in Skunks has proven especially challenging due to the lack of a vaccine effective by the oral route in this species. In this study, we examined the antibody response of captive striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) to ONRAB ® and tested
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High-density baiting with ONRAB® rabies vaccine baits to control Arctic-variant rabies in striped Skunks in Ontario, Canada.
Journal of wildlife diseases, 2011Co-Authors: Rick Rosatte, L. J. Brown, P. Bachmann, Dennis Donovan, J. C. Davies, Mike Allan, V. Von Zuben, Kirk Sobey, Andrew Silver, Kim BennettAbstract:The Arctic variant of rabies virus has been maintained in striped Skunks in small foci in southwestern Ontario, Canada, despite the control of the disease in red foxes. To control the disease in Skunks, high-density baiting with ONRAB® oral rabies vaccine baits was conducted by air and by hand distribution of baits in the vicinity of skunk cases. During 2009, antibody prevalences in Skunks were higher in areas baited at a density of 300 baits/km2 and flight-line spacing of 0.25 km than at 0.5-km spacing. Once an area containing Arctic-variant cases was treated with high densities of ONRAB baits, the disease did not reoccur in Skunks in those areas. During 2009, only eight Skunks were diagnosed with the Arctic variant of rabies virus in Ontario.
Yeen Ten Hwang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Energetic consequences and ecological significance of heterothermy and social thermoregulation in striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis).
Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ, 2006Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Abstract We assessed patterns and energetic consequences of different overwintering strategies, torpor, and social thermoregulation in the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) under natural ambient temperature and photoperiod. Striped Skunks entered spontaneous daily torpor, with the lowest torpid body temperature (Tb) reaching 26.0°C, the lowest recorded Tb for a carnivore. Patterns of daily torpor differed between solitary and grouped Skunks: all solitary Skunks regularly entered daily torpor, but only some individuals in communal dens employed torpor. When they did, it was shallow and infrequent. Solitary Skunks entered torpor on average 50 times (in 120 d) compared with 6 times for grouped Skunks. During torpor, solitary Skunks had average minimum Tb of 26.8°C and bout duration of 7.8 h, whereas grouped Skunks had average minimum Tb of 30.9°C and bout duration of 5.4 h. Torpor by solitary Skunks occurred during their activity phase, but grouped Skunks’ shallow torpor bouts were restricted to their diurna...
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Streptococcus equisimilis infection in striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in Saskatchewan.
Journal of wildlife diseases, 2002Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, G Wobeser, S. Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Three radio-collared striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) found dead during a field study of winter ecology of striped Skunks near Willowbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada were examined. Streptococcus equisimilis was identified as the primary agent causing necrotizing purulent pneumonia in one skunk and suppurative meningoencephalitis in another. Both Streptococcus equisimilis and Streptococcus canis were isolated from lesions of purulent myocarditis and pyothorax in the third skunk. These are apparently the first reported cases of S. equisimilis infection in striped Skunks and suggest that this opportunistic pathogen may be a significant cause of mortality under some conditions.
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Streptococcus equisimilis Infection in Striped Skunks
2002Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, G Wobeser, François MessierAbstract:Three radio-collared striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) found dead during a field study of winter ecology of striped Skunks near Willowbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada were ex- amined. Streptococcus equisimilis was identi- fied as the primary agent causing necrotizing purulent pneumonia in one skunk and suppu- rative meningoencephalitis in another. Both Streptococcus equisimilis and Streptococcus canis were isolated from lesions of purulent myocarditis and pyothorax in the third skunk. These are apparently the first reported cases of S. equisimilis infection in striped Skunks and suggest that this opportunistic pathogen may be a significant cause of mortality under some con- ditions.
Ram K. Raghavan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bayesian Spatiotemporal Pattern and Eco-climatological Drivers of Striped Skunk Rabies in the North Central Plains.
PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2016Co-Authors: Ram K. Raghavan, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Douglas G. Goodin, Rolan D. Davis, Michael C. Moore, Susan M. Moore, Gary A. AndersonAbstract:Striped Skunks are one of the most important terrestrial reservoirs of rabies virus in North America, and yet the prevalence of rabies among this host is only passively monitored and the disease among this host remains largely unmanaged. Oral vaccination campaigns have not efficiently targeted striped Skunks, while periodic spillovers of striped skunk variant viruses to other animals, including some domestic animals, are routinely recorded. In this study we evaluated the spatial and spatio-temporal patterns of infection status among striped skunk cases submitted for rabies testing in the North Central Plains of US in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, and also evaluated potential eco-climatological drivers of such patterns. Two Bayesian hierarchical models were fitted to point-referenced striped skunk rabies cases [n = 656 (negative), and n = 310 (positive)] received at a leading rabies diagnostic facility between the years 2007–2013. The first model included only spatial and temporal terms and a second covariate model included additional covariates representing eco-climatic conditions within a 4km2 home-range area for striped Skunks. The better performing covariate model indicated the presence of significant spatial and temporal trends in the dataset and identified higher amounts of land covered by low-intensity developed areas [Odds ratio (OR) = 3.41; 95% Bayesian Credible Intervals (CrI) = 2.08, 3.85], higher level of patch fragmentation (OR = 1.70; 95% CrI = 1.25, 2.89), and diurnal temperature range (OR = 0.54; 95% CrI = 0.27, 0.91) to be important drivers of striped skunk rabies incidence in the study area. Model validation statistics indicated satisfactory performance for both models; however, the covariate model fared better. The findings of this study are important in the context of rabies management among striped Skunks in North America, and the relevance of physical and climatological factors as risk factors for skunk to human rabies transmission and the space-time patterns of striped skunk rabies are discussed.
