Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour
Populations of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) in a fragmented montane wadi system in the Sinai showed significant differences in the abundance of gut helminths. Differences in parasite load between populations were positively associated with measures of androgen activity but showe...
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| Format: | Article |
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Cambridge University Press
2003
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29406/ |
| _version_ | 1848793778616270848 |
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| author | Barnard, C.J. Sayed, E. Barnard, L.E. Behnke, J.M. Abdel Nabi, I. Sherif, N. Shutt, A. Zalat, S. |
| author_facet | Barnard, C.J. Sayed, E. Barnard, L.E. Behnke, J.M. Abdel Nabi, I. Sherif, N. Shutt, A. Zalat, S. |
| author_sort | Barnard, C.J. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Populations of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) in a fragmented montane wadi system in the Sinai showed significant differences in the abundance of gut helminths. Differences in parasite load between populations were positively associated with measures of androgen activity but showed no significant relationship with glucocorticoid activity. Social discrimination tests with adult males from different wadis showed that those from sites with greater helminth abundance were less likely to investigate odours from other males and were less aggressive when subsequently interacting with the odour donors. Subjects showed markedly more investigation towards the odours of males from distant wadis compared with those from their own or immediately neighbouring wadi, but were less aggressive when confronted with odour donors from distant wadis. Despite this, there was a positive relationship between the amount of investigation towards distant male odour and subsequent aggression towards the male. While aggressiveness was positively associated with measures of androgen and glucocorticoid activity, no significant relationship emerged with individual helminth infection. Thus aggressiveness appeared to relate to overall local population levels of infection rather than individual challenge. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:05:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-29406 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:05:42Z |
| publishDate | 2003 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-294062020-05-04T20:31:58Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29406/ Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour Barnard, C.J. Sayed, E. Barnard, L.E. Behnke, J.M. Abdel Nabi, I. Sherif, N. Shutt, A. Zalat, S. Populations of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) in a fragmented montane wadi system in the Sinai showed significant differences in the abundance of gut helminths. Differences in parasite load between populations were positively associated with measures of androgen activity but showed no significant relationship with glucocorticoid activity. Social discrimination tests with adult males from different wadis showed that those from sites with greater helminth abundance were less likely to investigate odours from other males and were less aggressive when subsequently interacting with the odour donors. Subjects showed markedly more investigation towards the odours of males from distant wadis compared with those from their own or immediately neighbouring wadi, but were less aggressive when confronted with odour donors from distant wadis. Despite this, there was a positive relationship between the amount of investigation towards distant male odour and subsequent aggression towards the male. While aggressiveness was positively associated with measures of androgen and glucocorticoid activity, no significant relationship emerged with individual helminth infection. Thus aggressiveness appeared to relate to overall local population levels of infection rather than individual challenge. Cambridge University Press 2003 Article PeerReviewed Barnard, C.J., Sayed, E., Barnard, L.E., Behnke, J.M., Abdel Nabi, I., Sherif, N., Shutt, A. and Zalat, S. (2003) Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour. Journal of Helminthology, 77 (3). pp. 197-207. ISSN 0022-149X http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=711080&fileId=S0022149X03000301 doi:10.1079/JOH2003189 doi:10.1079/JOH2003189 |
| spellingShingle | Barnard, C.J. Sayed, E. Barnard, L.E. Behnke, J.M. Abdel Nabi, I. Sherif, N. Shutt, A. Zalat, S. Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| title | Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| title_full | Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| title_fullStr | Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| title_short | Local variation in helminth burdens of Egyptian spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| title_sort | local variation in helminth burdens of egyptian spiny mice (acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from ecologically similar sites: relationships with hormone concentrations and social behaviour |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29406/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29406/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29406/ |