Tânia Barros

Snapshot of Viral Infections in Wild Carnivores Reveals Ubiquity of Parvovirus and Susceptibility of Egyptian Mongoose to Feline Panleukopenia Virus

The exposure of wild carnivores to viral pathogens, with emphasis on parvovirus (CPV/FPLV), was assessed based on the molecular screening of tissue samples from 128 hunted or accidentally road-killed animals collected in Portugal from 2008 to 2011, including Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon, n = 99), red fox (Vulpes vulpes, n = 19), stone marten (Martes foina, n = 3), common genet (Genetta genetta, n = 3) and Eurasian badger (Meles meles, n = 4). A high prevalence of parvovirus DNA (63%) was detected among all surveyed species, particularly in mongooses (58%) and red foxes (79%), along with the presence of CPV/FPLV circulating antibodies that were identified in 90% of a subset of parvovirus-DNA positive samples. Most specimens were extensively autolysed, restricting macro and microscopic investigations for lesion evaluation. Whenever possible to examine, signs of active disease were not present, supporting the hypothesis that the parvovirus vp2 gene fragments detected by real-time PCR possibly correspond to viral DNA reminiscent from previous infections. The molecular characterization of viruses, based on the analysis of the complete or partial sequence of the vp2 gene, allowed typifying three viral strains of mongoose and four red fox’s as feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) and one stone marten’s as newCPV-2b type. The genetic similarity found between the FPLV viruses from free-ranging and captive wild species originated in Portugal and publicly available comparable sequences, suggests a closer genetic relatedness among FPLV circulating in Portugal. Although the clinical and epidemiological significance of infection could not be established, this study evidences that exposure of sympatric wild carnivores to parvovirus is common and geographically widespread, potentially carrying a risk to susceptible populations at the wildlife-domestic interface and to threatened species, such as the wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the critically endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus).

Expansão do sacarrabos Herpestes ichneumon (Linnaeus, 1758) em Portugal

Resumo Em Portugal, o sacarrabos Herpestes ichneumon (Linnaeus, 1758) e uma especie de caca menor e encontrase inserido na listagem de especies cinegeticas das Leis de Caca mais recentes. No seculo XX, o sacarrabos distribuia-se por todo o Sul de Portugal. No inicio dos anos 90 este carnivoro expandiu-se para alem do Rio Tejo, em direccao ao Norte do pais e, recentemente, foram registadas observacoes frequentes da especie em zonas do Centro e Norte. No entanto, existe uma escassez de informacao relativa ao seu estatuto, distribuicao e bio-ecologia no territorio portugues. Uma vez que se verifica uma escassez de informacao relativa ao seu estatuto, distribuicao, bio-ecologia no territorio portugues e, tambem, tendo em conta a rapida expansao deste carnivoro na ultima decada, os objectivos deste estudo foram avaliar a distribuicao recente e o estatuto do sacarrabos em Portugal, analisar a existencia de diferencas consideraveis em relacao a sua distribuicao passada, a sua evolucao ao longo do tempo e apontar possiveis factores que poderao estar na base desta distribuicao actual. As metodologias utilizadas foram inqueritos, registo de avistamentos da especie e informacoes de animais provenientes de coleccoes de museus. Concluiu-se que o sacarrabos ocupa mais de metade da totalidade do territorio portugues, tendo-se expandido rapidamente de Sul para Norte. A evolucao da sua distribuicao e notoria, principalmente na ultima decada de colonizacao. Esta situacao pode estar relacionada com inumeros factores, como as recentes modificacoes de habitat e usos do solo, a ausencia de predadores e a grande adaptabilidade trofica e ecologica desta especie. Palavras-chave: cinegetica, distribuicao, Herpestidae, sacarrabos Peninsula Iberica, Portugal. Abstract Much recent research has focused on understanding the environmental factors that limit the distribution and abundance of species. Mongoose populations have expanded dramatically in recent decades. In Portugal, during the XXth century, this species was only distributed in the south. However, in the early 1990s, this carnivore started to expand northwards across the Tagus River and recent observations have recorded this species in central and northern Portugal. However, there is a lack of information about its status, distribution and bio-ecology in Portugal and in the new expansion areas. Based on questionnaires, species observations and information from museum collections, we evaluated the recent distribution and status of the Egyptian mongoose in Portugal. Differences between its recent and historical distribution, its evolution through time and possible factors that might affect its distribution were also analysed. Our results show that this species occupies more than half of Portugal and rapidly colonized the north from the south. The evolution of this distribution is well-known, particularly in the last decade of its colonization. This situation can be associated with several factors, such as recent habitat modifications and land-use change, the absence of predators and the ecological plasticity of the Egyptian mongoose. Keywords : Game species, distribution, Egyptian mongoose, Herpestes, Iberian Peninsula, Portugal.

Following The Trail: Factors Underlying the Sudden Expansion of the Egyptian Mongoose ( Herpestes ichneumon ) in Portugal

Species range-limits are influenced by a combination of several factors. In our study we aimed to unveil the drivers underlying the expansion of the Egyptian mongoose in Portugal, a carnivore that was confined to southern Portugal and largely increased its range during the last three decades. We evaluated the expansion of the species in three periods (1980-1990, 1990-2000 and 2000-2010), by projecting the presence/absence data of the species in each temporal range and proposed four hypotheses to explain this sudden expansion associated to changes in the barrier effects of human infrastructure and topographic features, and in the availability of suitable areas due to climate change or land use. An exploratory analysis was made using Spearman rank correlation, followed by a hierarchical partitioning analysis to select uncorrelated potential explanatory variables associated with the different hypotheses. We then ran Generalized Linear Models (GLM) for every period for each hypothesis and for every combination of hypotheses. Our main findings suggest that dynamic transitions of land-use coupled with temperature and rainfall variations over the decades are the main drivers promoting the mongoose expansion. The geographic barriers and the human infrastructures functioned as barriers for mongoose expansion and have shaped its distribution. The expansion of the Egyptian mongoose across the Portuguese territory was due to a variety of factors. Our results suggest a rapid shift in species range in response to land-use and climate changes, underlining the close link between species ranges and a changing environment.