| muscular sarcosporidiosis in the common european weasel, mustela nivalis. | muscular sarcosporidiosis is reported for the first time in the common european weasel, mustela nivalis. the morphology of the sarcocysts is described from fresh and stained histological preparations. attempts to complete the sexual cycle of this mustelid parasite in a tawny owl, strix aluco, are reported and the results discussed in the light of hypothetically likely sources of infection with muscular sarcosporidiosis for carnivores or omnivores, including man and other primates. | 1979 | 110000 |
| importance of free living mustelid carnivores in circulation of adiaspiromycosis. | the study of adiaspiromycosis in 8 species of free living mustelid carnivores (266 specimens) revealed the average intensity of infection to be 41.4%. the highest incidence rate was found in the exoanthropic species putorius eversmanni (73.1%) and martes martes (72.2%) while the lowest was observed in the hemisynanthropic species putorius putorius (30.6%). the stone marten (martes foina)) is a new, still unknown reservoir host of c. parvum var. crescens, c. parvum for which putorius eversmanni a ... | 1977 | 559252 |
| [small mammals at community refuse dumps as reservoirs of pathogens and parasites]. | five-year studies (1981-1986) were performed to investigate a total number of 2589 small mammals of 18 species. refuse dumps are marked for highly specific conditions. the difference between refuse dumps and natural habitats consists in more sufficient quantity of food, better sheltering possibilities and in highly specific microclimate particularly. as a result of aerobic and anaerobic decompositions of organic materials, temperature in dumps is approximately 50 degrees c. from ecological point ... | 1991 | 1807042 |
| localization of noise, use of binaural cues, and a description of the superior olivary complex in the smallest carnivore, the least weasel (mustela nivalis). | cats and dogs have relatively good sound-localization acuity, and the question arises as to whether this trait is a characteristic of all carnivores or whether it is due to the fact that they have large heads and correspondingly large binaural localization cues available to them. the localization acuity of the least weasel, the smallest extant carnivore, was found to be less accurate than larger carnivores but more accurate than other small mammals. this suggests that carnivores may be under str ... | 1987 | 3675848 |
| [peculiarities of adiaspiromycosic infestation by emmonsia crescens emmons and jellison, 1960, in pitvmys subteraneus (de selys-longchamps 1836) and mustela nivalis nivalis l. 1766]. | | 1970 | 5466032 |
| delayed implantation in mustelids, with special emphasis on the spotted skunk. | three distinct reproductive patterns are exhibited by mustelids. some species (ferret and least weasel) breed during spring and summer and do not exhibit delayed implantation. others (mink and striped skunk) exhibit variable gestation periods with brief periods of delayed implantation occurring only if the females are mated early in the season. most mustelids (western spotted skunk, badgers, marten, wolverine, etc.) always exhibit a prolonged period of delayed implantation lasting several months ... | 1981 | 7014860 |
| electrophoretic variation in large mammals. ii. the red fox, vulpes vulpes, the stoat, mustela erminea, the weasel, mustela nivalis, the pole cat, mustela putorius, the pine marten, martes martes, the beech marten, martes foina, and the badger, meles meles. | | 1982 | 7107306 |
| new distribution record of taenia mustelae gmelin, 1790 (cestoda) from the least weasel mustela nivalis in hokkaido, japan. | | 1995 | 7472881 |
| lung parasites of least weasels in finland. | because of their constant exposure to normal rodent definitive hosts, least weasels (mustela nivalis) were trapped in southern finland in late fall 1994 and examined for lung parasites. histological examination showed that 46% of the weasels (n = 46) were infected with adiaspores identified as chrysosporium sp. granulomas surrounding the adiaspores consisted of mostly unorganized layers of mononuclear cells. the adiaspores from least weasels were much smaller than those reported from their prey ... | 1998 | 9813855 |
| comparative molecular cytogenetic studies in the order carnivora: mapping chromosomal rearrangements onto the phylogenetic tree. | we have made a set of chromosome-specific painting probes for the american mink by degenerate oligonucleotide primed-pcr (dop-pcr) amplification of flow-sorted chromosomes. the painting probes were used to delimit homologous chromosomal segments among human, red fox, dog, cat and eight species of the family mustelidae, including the european mink, steppe and forest polecats, least weasel, mountain weasel, japanese sable, striped polecat, and badger. based on the results of chromosome painting an ... | 2002 | 12438790 |
| [isolation of leptospira grippotyphosa from mustela nivalis]. | | 1958 | 13608524 |
| [the formation of the cap structure (acrosome) in spermatozoa development in the mouse weasel (mustela nivalis l.)]. | | 1961 | 13698992 |
| breeding suppression in free-ranging grey-sided voles under the influence of predator odour. | the breeding suppression hypothesis predicts that females of certain small mammal species will reduce reproduction as a response to the odour of a specialised mammalian predator. this was tested in a field experiment with grey-sided voles (clethrionomys rufocanus) during three summer seasons (1997-1999) in the subalpine tundra of northern norway, which is a natural habitat of this species. in a first phase free-ranging voles in six unfenced 1-ha plots were monitored by live-trapping from june to ... | 2004 | 14576932 |
| cranial variation in british mustelids. | nineteen measurements were made on 136 skulls belonging to seven mustelid species: meles meles (eurasian badger), mustela nivalis, (weasel), mustela erminea (stoat), mustela putorius (polecat), lutra lutra (otter), mustela furo (ferret), and mustela vison (american mink), and polecat-ferret hybrids. to investigate shape, size-related effects were eliminated by dividing all measurements by their geometric means. canonical variate analysis was used to reveal major interspecies distinctions. exclud ... | 2004 | 15052596 |
| the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (mycobacterium bovis) infections in feral populations of cats (felis catus), ferrets (mustela furo) and stoats (mustela erminea) in otago and southland, new zealand. | twenty-one properties in the otago region of the south island of new zealand were surveyed for the presence of gross lesions due to mycobacterium bovis infection in feral cats (felis catus), ferrets (mustela furo) and stoats (mustela erminea) during 1993 and 1994. in total, 1293 cats, ferrets, stoats and weasels (mustela nivalis) were examined for the presence of tuberculous lesions. the properties surveyed were selected according to the history and incidence of bovine tuberculosis infection in ... | 1995 | 16031875 |
| bovine tuberculosis in a free ranging red fox (vulpes vulpes) from doñana national park (spain). | during 1997 and 1998, a survey of iberian carnivores was conducted to study the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in the doñana national park and surrounding areas in southwestern spain. post-mortem examinations were done on seven red foxes (vulpes vulpes), two egyptian mongoose (herpestes ichneumon), one weasel (mustela nivalis), two genets (genetta genetta), one iberian lynx (lynx pardinus), one eurasian badger (meles meles), and two polecats (mustela putorius). lesions suggestive of bovine ... | 2005 | 16107680 |
| intrageneric diversity of the cytochrome b gene and phylogeny of eurasian species of the genus mustela (mustelidae, carnivora). | to illuminate molecular phylogenetic relationships among eurasian species of the genus mustela (mustelidae, carnivora), we determined nucleotide sequences of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene region (1,140 base pairs). molecular phylogenetic trees, constructed using the neighbor-joining and the maximum likelihood methods, showed the common topology of species relationships to each other. the american mink m. vison first branched off and was positioned very remotely from the other spec ... | 2000 | 18517304 |
| habitat requirements of weasels mustela nivalis constrain their impact on prey populations in complex ecosystems of the temperate zone. | differences in habitat use by prey and predator may lead to a shift of occupied niches and affect dynamics of their populations. the weasel mustela nivalis specializes in hunting rodents, therefore habitat preferences of this predator may have important consequences for the population dynamics of its prey. we investigated habitat selection by weasels in the białowieza forest in different seasons at the landscape and local scales, and evaluated possible consequences for the population dynamics of ... | 2008 | 18629542 |
| genetic identification of mammalian carnivore species in the kushiro wetland, eastern hokkaido, japan, by analysis of fecal dna. | to identify mammalian carnivore species distributed in the kushiro wetland, eastern hokkaido, japan, we developed molecular-genetic methods for identification of the species from fecal samples collected from the field. species-specific primers and pcr programs were established for five native and six alien species of carnivores: martes zibellina, mustela nivalis, mustela erminea, vulpes vulpes, and nyctereutes procyonoides as native species, and neovison vison, martes melampus, mustela itatsi, c ... | 2008 | 18828658 |
| phylogeography of the weasel (mustela nivalis) in the western-palaearctic region: combined effects of glacial events and human movements. | the iberian, italian or balkan peninsulas have been considered as refugia for numerous mammalian species in response to quaternary climatic fluctuations in europe. in addition to this 'southerly refugial model', northern refugia have also been described notably for generalist and cold-tolerant species. here, we investigated the phylogeographic pattern of the weasel (mustela nivalis) to assess the impact of quaternary glaciations on the genetic structure, number and location of refugia as well as ... | 2010 | 20087388 |
| field vole (microtus agrestis) seasonal spacing behavior: the effect of predation risk by mustelids. | there are numerous studies showing that predation risk may change different aspects of the behavior of prey, such as habitat use, activity pattern, and foraging. prey should exhibit the strongest antipredatory response against their most deadly predator. small mustelids are considered the most important mammalian predators of voles. nevertheless, there is no general agreement as to whether strong antipredatory reactions exist in natural free-living populations of voles. here, we studied the fiel ... | 2010 | 20352179 |
| cave-dwelling bats do not avoid tmt and 2-pt - components of predator odour that induce fear in other small mammals. | recognition and avoidance of predators is fundamental for the survival of prey animals. here we conducted the first study assessing chemosensory predator recognition in cave-dwelling bats. we used a y-maze approach to test the reaction of greater mouse-eared bats (myotis myotis) to two synthetically derived components of predator odour (2,4,5-trimethyl-3-thiazoline, tmt, a component of fox faeces scent; and 2-propylthietane, 2-pt, a component of mustelid scent) and to the natural scent of the le ... | 2010 | 20581275 |
| angiostrongylus species in wild carnivores in the iberian peninsula. | a survey of angiostrongylus parasites was carried out between 2003 and 2006 in wild carnivore species in the basque country (northern spain). parasitological examination consisted in the dissection of heart and lungs for the extraction of adult worms. nematodes were identified using morphometrical features and also pcr amplification and sequencing analysis. the animal species included in this study were eurasian badger (meles meles), weasel (mustela nivalis), beech marten (martes foina), pine ma ... | 2010 | 20728995 |
| an investigation into alternative reservoirs of canine leishmaniasis on the endemic island of mallorca (spain). | the role of wild and free-roaming domestic carnivores as a reservoir of leishmania infantum was investigated on the mediterranean island of mallorca (balearic islands, spain), an endemic area for this disease. serum, blood and/or spleen samples from 169 animals [48 dogs from a kennel, 86 wild-caught feral cats, 23 pine martens (martes martes), 10 common genets (genetta genetta) and two weasels (mustela nivalis)] were analysed. seroprevalence determined by western blotting was 38% in dogs and 16% ... | 2011 | 21733133 |
| First report of natural infection of least weasel (Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1776) with Leishmania major in Tunisia. | Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania major (L. major), is endemic in Tunisia. Several rodents have been identified as reservoir hosts of parasites. This study reports, for the first time, the natural infection with L. major zymodeme MON-25 in a specimen of least weasel: Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1776 (M. nivalis) collected in Sidi Bouzid. This finding justifies further research on larger samples of this animal to verify its role as a potential reservoir host for cutaneous leish ... | 2011 | 21867414 |
| update on the least weasel (mustela nivalis) in kansas. | | 2013 | 3716071 |
| prevalence and genotype allocation of pathogenic leptospira species in small mammals from various habitat types in germany. | small mammals serve as most important reservoirs for leptospira spp., the causative agents of leptospirosis, which is one of the most neglected and widespread zoonotic diseases worldwide. the knowledge about leptospira spp. occurring in small mammals from germany is scarce. thus, this study's objectives were to investigate the occurrence of leptospira spp. and the inherent sequence types in small mammals from three different study sites: a forest in southern germany (site b1); a national park in ... | 2016 | 27015596 |
| aleutian mink disease virus in free-ranging mustelids in finland - a cross-sectional epidemiological and phylogenetic study. | aleutian mink disease virus (amdv) can cause severe immune-complex-mediated disease in american mink. amdv has also been detected in several other mustelid species with potential negative impact on their health and population. a molecular and cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted to obtain data on the prevalence, distribution, transmission and diversity of amdv strains in finnish free-ranging mustelids and risk factors associated with infection. the presence of anti-amdv antibodies ... | 2015 | 25667324 |
| a post-mortem study of respiratory disease in small mustelids in south-west england. | stoat (mustela erminea) and weasel (mustela nivalis) populations in south-west england are declining whilst polecats (mustela putorius), absent for over a century, are increasing. little is known about the health status of these species nationally. this study aimed at investigating respiratory disease in specimens found dead in south-west england. | 2016 | 27052849 |
| the enzootic life-cycle of borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne rickettsiae: an epidemiological study on wild-living small mammals and their ticks from saxony, germany. | borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and rickettsiae of the spotted fever group are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. while small mammals are confirmed reservoirs for certain borrelia spp., little is known about the reservoirs for tick-borne rickettsiae. between 2012 and 2014, ticks were collected from the vegetation and small mammals which were trapped in saxony, germany. dna extracted from ticks and the small mammals' skin was analyzed for the presence of rickettsia spp. and b. burgdorferi (s.l.) by ... | 2017 | 28285593 |
| genotype profile of leishmania major strains isolated from tunisian rodent reservoir hosts revealed by multilocus microsatellite typing. | zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) caused by leishmania (l.) major parasites represents a major health problem with a large spectrum of clinical manifestations. psammomys (p.) obesus and meriones (m.) shawi represent the most important host reservoirs of these parasites in tunisia. we already reported that infection prevalence is different between these two rodent species. we aimed in this work to evaluate the importance of genetic diversity in l. major parasites isolated from different prov ... | 2014 | 25203305 |
| effects of predator removal on vertebrate prey populations: birds of prey and small mammals. | we studied the effects of removal of breeding nomadic avian predators (the kestrel, falco tinnunculus and tengmalm's owl, aegolius funereus) on small mammals (voles of the genera microtus and clethrionomys and the common shrew, sorex araneus) during 1989-1992 in western finland to find out if these predators have a regulating or limiting impact on their prey populations. we removed potential breeding sites of raptors from five manipulation areas (c. 3 km(2) each), whereas control areas had nest- ... | 1995 | 28306779 |
| the effect of nestling condition on risk-taking in meadow pipits. | the harm to offspring hypothesis, which says that parental investment should be related to the harm that offspring without parental care would suffer, was tested on meadow pipits, anthus pratensis. we placed a stuffed european weasel, mustela nivalis, 5 m from seven nests with exothermic 1-3-day-old nestlings. we measured air temperature and the cloacal temperature of the nestlings at the start of the trial and the time elapsing between the removal of the weasel model and the parent's first entr ... | 1997 | 9794777 |
| effect of the odour of weasels (mustela nivalis l.) on trapped samples of their prey. | the presence of weasel anal gland secretion on rodent live traps substantially depresses population estimate by greatly reducing the catch of microtus agrestis. the catch of apodemus sylvaticus remains almost unaffected. | 1976 | 28308904 |
| complete mitochondrial genome of the stoat (mustela erminea) and new zealand fur seal (arctocephalus forsteri) and their significance for mammalian phylogeny. | the complete mitochondrial genome of three mustelid species, stoats (mustela erminea), weasels (mustela nivalis) and ferrets (mustela furo), and the new zealand fur seal (arctocephalus forsteri) were sequenced using direct mitochondrial dna extraction and overlapping long pcrs. the usual 37 mammalian mitochondrial genes (13 protein coding genes, 22 t-rna and 2 r-rna) were identified in all four mitogenomes. the divergence of stoats from other members of the sub-family mustelinae was dated 4.5 mi ... | 2016 | 27246241 |
| changes in the frontal sinuses of the weasel (mustela nivalis) in poland possibly caused by nematodes or trematodes. | the presence of parasitic nematodes was determined by visual assessment of damage to the 271 weasel skulls (154 males and 117 females). the damages were attributed to skrjabingylus nasicola (leuckart, 1842) or troglotrema acutum (leuckart, 1842) (on the basis of it's appearance and relevant papers). the frequency of infestation by both parasites was 38%. it was higher in females and also increased along with age. a significant dependence between skull length of adult specimens and infestation ra ... | 1993 | 8122422 |
| filarioid infections in wild carnivores: a multispecies survey in romania. | filarioids are vector-borne parasitic nematodes of vertebrates. in europe, eight species of filarioids, including zoonotic species, have been reported mainly in domestic dogs, and occasionally in wild carnivores. in romania, infections with dirofilaria spp. and acanthocheilonema reconditum are endemic in domestic dogs. despite the abundant populations of wild carnivores in the country, their role in the epidemiology of filarioid parasites remains largely unknown. the aim of the present study was ... | 2017 | 28705255 |
| rodents as a reservoir of infection caused by multiple zoonotic species/genotypes of c. parvum, c. hominis, c. suis, c. scrofarum, and the first evidence of c. muskrat genotypes i and ii of rodents in europe. | cryptosporidium spp. is an important causative agent of intestinal parasitoses-induced diarrhoea in humans and animals worldwide. rodents (small mammals), the main reservoir of infections, are globally expanded and overpopulated, which increases the risk of transfer of human and zoonotic pathogens from the genus cryptosporidium. in this study, cryptosporidium was detected in wild immunocompetent asymptomatic small mammals. altogether 262 fecal samples were collected from five areas in eastern sl ... | 2017 | 28433573 |
| phylogenetic analysis of the mustela altaica (carnivora: mustelidae) based on complete mitochondrial genome. | the mountain weasel (mustela altaica) belongs to family mustelidae, which is the near threatened species in the iucn red list. in this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of m. altaica was sequenced and characterized. the genome is 16,521 bases in length (genbank accession no. kc815122). the nucleotide sequence data of 12 heavy-strand protein-coding genes of m. altaica and other 20 mustelidae species were used for phylogenetic analyses. trees constructed by using bayesian inference, maximum ... | 2014 | 23795845 |
| phylogenetic relationships and divergence times among mustelids (mammalia: carnivora) based on nucleotide sequences of the nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein and mitochondrial cytochrome b genes. | phylogenetic relationships among 20 species-group taxa of mustelidae, representing mustelinae (mustela, martes, gulo), lutrinae (enhydra), and melinae (meles), were examined using nucleotide sequences of the nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (irbp) and mitochondrial cytochrome b genes. neighbor-joining and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic analyses on these genes separately and combined were conducted. while irbp performed better than cytochrome b in recovering more-inclusive clad ... | 2003 | 12655187 |
| the nature of lemming cycles on wrangel: an island without small mustelids. | lemming cycles are a key process in the functioning of tundra ecosystems. although it is agreed that trophic interactions are important in causing the cycles, the actual mechanism is disputed. some researchers attribute a major role to predation by small mustelids such as stoats and least weasels. here we present a 40-year time series of lemming dynamics from wrangel island and show statistically that lemmings do exhibit population cycles in the absence of small mustelids. the observed density f ... | 2012 | 22526937 |
| concentrations of anticoagulant rodenticides in stoats mustela erminea and weasels mustela nivalis from denmark. | anticoagulant rodenticides are widely used to control rodent populations but they also pose a risk of secondary poisoning in non-target predators. studies on anticoagulant rodenticide exposure of non-target species have mainly reported on frequency of occurrence. they have rarely analyzed variations in residue concentrations. we examine the occurrence and concentrations of five anticoagulant rodenticides in liver tissue from 61 stoats (mustela erminea) and 69 weasels (mustela nivalis) from denma ... | 2011 | 21477845 |
| comparative phylogeography between the ermine mustela erminea and the least weasel m. nivalis of palaearctic and nearctic regions, based on analysis of mitochondrial dna control region sequences. | phylogeography of the ermine mustela erminea and the least weasel m. nivalis from palaearctic and nearctic regions were investigated based on mitochondrial dna control region sequences. mustela erminea exhibited a very low level of genetic variation, and geographic structures among populations were unclear. this may indicate that m. erminea recently reoccupied a wide territory in eurasia following the last glacial retreat. in comparison with m. erminea, genetic variations within and among popula ... | 2005 | 16286718 |
| responses of stoats and least weasels to fluctuating food abundances: is the low phase of the vole cycle due to mustelid predation? | we studied responses of stoats and least weasels to fluctuating vole abundances during seven winters in western finland. density indices of mustelids were derived from snow-tracking, diet composition from scat samples, and vole abundances from snap-trapping. predation rate was estimated by the ratio of voles to mustelids and by the vole kill rate by predators (density of predator x percentage of voles in the diet). we tested the following four predictions of the hypothesis that small mustelids c ... | 1991 | 28312626 |
| influence of mustelid scent-gland compounds on suppression of feeding by snowshoe hares (lepus americanus). | this study investigated the influence of mustelid anal-gland compounds in suppressing feeding by snowshoe hares on coniferous tree seedlings. pen and field bioassays indicated that 3-propyl-1,2-dithiolane from the stoat (mustela erminea), and secondarily, 2,2-dimethylthietane from the mink (m. vison) had a very negative effect on feeding behavior of hares. the major component of stoat anal gland secretions, 2-propylthietane, and the related compounds, thietane and 2-methylthietane, were not effe ... | 1984 | 24318435 |
| on co-existence, foraging strategy and the biogeography of weasels and stoats (mustela nivalis and m. erminea) in britain. | mustela nivalis and m. erminea, two sympatric species of weasels of superficially similar appearance and habits, have different breeding and foraging strategies associated with the difference in their body size. m. nivalis is more efficient in exploiting small rodent prey, and can breed rapidly to take immediate advantage of rodent peaks, but is vulnerable to local extinction during rodent declines. m. erminea has more generalized food habits, and is the larger and probably the dominant species, ... | 1979 | 28309432 |
| profound seasonal shrinking and regrowth of the ossified braincase in phylogenetically distant mammals with similar life histories. | ontogenetic changes in skull shape and size are ubiquitous in altricial vertebrates, but typically unidirectional and minimal in full-grown animals. red-toothed shrews exhibit a rare exception, where the shape, mass and size of the skull, brain, and several major organs, show significant bidirectional seasonal changes. we now show a similar but male-biased shrinking (16%) and regrowth (8%) in the standardized braincase depth of least weasels (mustela nivalis). juvenile weasels also exhibit a gro ... | 2017 | 28211896 |
| taxonomic status and origin of the egyptian weasel (mustela subpalmata) inferred from mitochondrial dna. | the egyptian weasel (mustela subpalmata) is a small mustelid with a distribution restricted to the lower nile valley and the nile delta. traditionally considered a subspecies of the least weasel (m. nivalis), it is currently recognized as a separate species based on morphology. here we present the first genetic assessment of the taxonomic status of the egyptian weasel by comparing mitochondrial dna (cytochrome b gene and control region) sequences to those of least weasels from the western palear ... | 2016 | 26961232 |
| seasonal variation of resting metabolic rate and body mass in free-living weasels mustela nivalis. | metabolic rates and body mass of mammals vary seasonally along with ambient temperatures and food availability. at the population level, seasonal changes in metabolic rate and mass can be due to selective mortality or emigration of individuals whose metabolic rate or mass differs from the average for the population. alternatively, the metabolic rates of individuals can change seasonally, such that the population average increases or decreases due to shifts in the physiology of the overall popula ... | 2013 | 24241075 |
| male weasels decrease activity and energy expenditure in response to high ambient temperatures. | the heat dissipation limit (hdl) hypothesis suggests that the capacity of endotherms to dissipate body heat may impose constraints on their energy expenditure. specifically, this hypothesis predicts that endotherms should avoid the detrimental consequences of hyperthermia by lowering their energy expenditure and reducing their activity in response to high ambient temperatures (t(a)). we used an extensive data set on the daily energy expenditure (dee, n = 27) and the daily activity time (at, n = ... | 2013 | 23977336 |
| mammalian predator-prey interaction in a fragmented landscape: weasels and voles. | the relationship between predators and prey is thought to change due to habitat loss and fragmentation, but patterns regarding the direction of the effect are lacking. the common prediction is that specialized predators, often more dependent on a certain habitat type, should be more vulnerable to habitat loss compared to generalist predators, but actual fragmentation effects are unknown. if a predator is small and vulnerable to predation by other larger predators through intra-guild predation, h ... | 2013 | 23728797 |
| the energy cost of voluntary running in the weasel mustela nivalis. | the small size and elongate shape of weasels (mustela nivalis) probably evolved to facilitate movement within the burrow systems of prey species, but result in high energy costs of thermoregulation. in this study we measured metabolic rates of weasels during voluntary locomotion to determine whether energy costs of transport are also high in these unusually shaped mammals. in addition, we measured the lower and upper limits of aerobic metabolism [resting metabolic rate (rmr) and maximal oxygen c ... | 2013 | 23125341 |
| spatio-temporal patterns of habitat use in voles and shrews modified by density, season and predators. | 1. although the intrinsic habitat preferences of a species can be considered to be fixed, the realized habitat use depends on the prevailing abiotic and biotic conditions. often the core habitats are occupied by dense and stable populations, while marginal habitats become occupied only at times of high density. in a community of interacting species, habitat uses of different species become inter-related, for example an increased density of a strong competitor forcing a weaker competitor to use m ... | 2012 | 22325037 |
| environmental and genetic influences on body mass and resting metabolic rates (rmr) in a natural population of weasel mustela nivalis. | body mass (bm) and resting metabolic rates (rmr) are two inexorably linked traits strongly related to mammalian life histories. yet, there have been no studies attempting to estimate heritable variation and covariation of bm and rmr in natural populations. we used a marker-based approach to construct a pedigree and then the 'animal model' to estimate narrow sense heritability (h(2) ) of these traits in a free-living population of weasels mustela nivalis--a small carnivore characterised by a wide ... | 2012 | 22289133 |
| fungal-mediated multitrophic interactions--do grass endophytes in diet protect voles from predators? | plant-associated micro-organisms such as mycotoxin-producing endophytes commonly have direct negative effects on herbivores. these effects may be carried over to natural enemies of the herbivores, but this has been rarely explored. we examined how feeding on neotyphodium endophyte infected (e+) and endophyte free (e-) meadow ryegrass (scherodonus pratensis) affects body mass, population size and mobility of sibling voles (microtus levis), and whether the diet mediates the vulnerability of voles ... | 2010 | 20352096 |
| trade-offs between activity and thermoregulation in a small carnivore, the least weasel mustela nivalis. | we studied factors influencing daily energy expenditures (dee) of male least weasels (mustela nivalis) using the doubly labelled water technique. the relationship between ambient temperature and dee formed a triangular pattern, characterized by invariance of the maximum dee and an inverse relationship between minimum dee and temperature. a simple energetic model relating the dee of male weasels to activity time (at) and ambient temperature predicted that, across seasons, less than 10 per cent of ... | 2009 | 19324766 |
| behaviour and resource use of two competing vole species under shared predation risk. | indirect interaction between two competing species via a shared predator may be an important determinant of population and community dynamics. we studied the effect of predation risk imposed by the least weasel mustela nivalis nivalis on space use, foraging and activity of two competing vole species, the grey-sided vole myodes rufocanus, and the bank vole myodes glareolus. the experiment was conducted in a large indoor arena, consisting of microhabitat structures providing food, shelter, trees f ... | 2008 | 18612651 |
| specialist predator in a multi-species prey community: boreal voles and weasels. | dissimilar vulnerabilities of different prey types and preferences of predators are factors likely to contribute to community dynamics. this may happen via differential individual properties of prey animals (e.g. vigilance, escape) or via habitat effects making hunting by a predator easier and more rewarding in some habitats, or both. furthermore, community dynamics may be influenced by predator mediated apparent competition, in which an increase in one prey type has negative effects on another ... | 2008 | 21396051 |
| vole population cycles in northern and southern europe: is there a need for different explanations for single pattern? | 1. students of population cycles in small rodents in fennoscandia have accumulated support for the predation hypothesis, which states that the gradient in cycle length and amplitude running from southern to northern fennoscandia reflects the relative influence of specialist and generalist predators on vole dynamics, itself modulated by the presence of snow cover. the hypothesized role of snow cover is to isolate linked specialist predators, primarily the least weasel, mustela n. nivalis l. and t ... | 2006 | 16637987 |
| variation in predation risk and vole feeding behaviour: a field test of the risk allocation hypothesis. | many prey animals experience temporal variation in the risk of predation and therefore face the problem of allocating their time between antipredator efforts and other activities like feeding and breeding. we investigated time allocation of prey animals that balanced predation risk and feeding opportunities. the predation risk allocation hypothesis predicts that animals should forage more in low- than in high-risk situations and that this difference should increase with an increasing attack rati ... | 2004 | 14730443 |
| interaction between seasonal density-dependence structures and length of the seasons explain the geographical structure of the dynamics of voles in hokkaido: an example of seasonal forcing. | the grey-sided vole (clethrionomys rufocanus) is distributed over the entire island of hokkaido, japan, across which it exhibits multi-annual density cycles in only parts of the island (the north-eastern part); in the remaining part of the island, only seasonal density changes occur. using annual sampling of 189 grey-sided vole populations, we deduced the geographical structure in their second-order density dependence. building upon our earlier suggestion, we deduce the seasonal density-dependen ... | 2002 | 12350246 |
| population growth and habitat distribution in cyclic small rodents: to expand or to change? | habitat selection determined by intraspecific interactions (social behaviour), being either free or despotic, should result in the largest densities in the most favourable habitat at least in late increase and decline phases of cyclic populations. habitat distribution determined by interspecific effects such as herbivore-plant or predator-prey interactions may result in higher densities in inferior habitats at late peaks and/or declines due to overgrazing of preferred habitats, or invasion of su ... | 1997 | 28307483 |
| dimethyldithiolanes in the anal sac secretion of the weasel, mustela nivalis. | several dimethyl-1,2-dithiolanes are identified in the anal sac secretion of the weasel. we compare and contrast the results with previously published work. | 2009 | 2039581 |
| studies of the metabolism, food consumption and assimilation efficiency of a small carnivore, the weasel (mustela nivalis l.). | the average respiratory quotient of weasels was 0.73. there were significant differences in average daily metabolic rate (admr) between the sexes and six experimental temperatures. as temperature decreased the mean admr increased, with a relatively greater rise for females. regression equations of admr on temperature were y=483.2-9.6x kcal/kg/day for males, and y=625.3-15.0x kcal/kg/day for females. the minimum metabolic rate measured for males was 6.6 kcal/kg/h, and the maximum 25.7 kcal/kg/h. ... | 1977 | 28308972 |
| mating behavior and development of least weasels (mustela nivalis) in captivity. | | 1968 | 5670803 |
| [a case of spontaneous cutaneous leishmaniasis in a weasel (mustela nivalis l.)]. | | 2009 | 4238683 |
| do bromadiolone treatments to control grassland water voles (arvicola scherman) affect small mustelid abundance? | the use of pesticides can affect non-target species by causing population declines through indirect intoxication. small mustelids (sms; weasels, mustela nivalis l.; stoats, mustela erminea l.) consume water voles (wvs, arvicola scherman s.) and can be exposed to bromadiolone, an anticoagulant rodenticide used in some countries to reduce wv damage to grasslands. here, we investigated whether bromadiolone affected sm abundance. | 2019 | 30175431 |
| molecular detection of babesia spp. (apicomplexa: piroplasma) in free-ranging canids and mustelids from southern italy. | babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites with widespread geographical distribution and various wildlife species as reservoir hosts. the aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and assess the role of free-ranging canids and mustelids in the maintenance of babesia spp. in southern italy. pcr analysis of splenic samples targeting the 18s rrna gene revealed the presence of babesia spp. in 36 of 82 (43.9%) red foxes (vulpes vulpes) including 29 (58%) ... | 2019 | 31555669 |
| high diversity of hemotropic mycoplasmas in iberian wild carnivores. | two-hundred and thirty-one wild carnivores belonging to 10 species of in spain were analyzed for the presence of dna of hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) by means of a universal real-time pcr targeting a 16s rrna gene fragment. positive reactions were found for wolf (canis lupus: 6/37), fox (vulpes vulpes: 1/41), eurasian badger (meles meles: 49/85), pine marten (martes martes: 11/23), stone marten (martes foina: 6/9), least weasel (mustela nivalis: 4/4), european wildcat (felis s. silvestris ... | 2018 | 30396424 |
| carnivore distribution across habitats in a central-european landscape: a camera trap study. | quantitative data on local variation in patterns of occurrence of common carnivore species, such as the red fox, european badger, or martens in central europe are largely missing. we conducted a study focusing on carnivore ecology and distribution in a cultural landscape with the use of modern technology. we placed 73 automated infra-red camera traps into four different habitats differing in water availability and canopy cover (mixed forest, wetland, shrubby grassland and floodplain forest) in t ... | 2018 | 30002596 |
| causes of mortality and morbidity in free-ranging mustelids in switzerland: necropsy data from over 50 years of general health surveillance. | although mustelids occur worldwide and include a wide range of species, little is known about the diseases affecting them. mustelids have regularly been submitted for post mortem investigation in the framework of the program for general wildlife health surveillance in switzerland, which has been in place for nearly 60 years. we performed a retrospective analysis of the necropsy reports on mustelids submitted to the diagnostic service of the university of bern. the aims of this study were to pres ... | 2018 | 29921290 |
| the potential of vkorc1 polymorphisms in mustelidae for evolving anticoagulant resistance through selection along the food chain. | in response to strong selection, new mutations can arise quickly and sweep through populations, particularly, if survival and reproduction depend on certain allele copies for adaptation to rapidly changing environments, like resistance against deadly diseases or strong toxins. since the 1950s, resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in several rodents has emerged through single nucleotide mutations in the vitamin-k-epoxid-reductase-complex-subunit-1 (vkorc1) gene, often located in its exon 3. d ... | 2019 | 31465484 |
| modelling the distribution of mustela nivalis and m. putorius in the azores archipelago based on native and introduced ranges. | the aims of this study were to predict the potential distribution of two introduced mustelidae, mustela nivalis and m. putorius in the azores archipelago (portugal), and evaluate the relative contribution of environmental factors from native and introduced ranges to predict species distribution ranges in oceanic islands. we developed two sets of species distribution models using maxent and distribution data from the native and introduced ranges of the species to project their potential distribut ... | 2020 | 32764786 |
| numerical response of a mammalian specialist predator to multiple prey dynamics in mediterranean farmlands. | the study of rodent population cycles has greatly contributed, both theoretically and empirically, to our understanding of the circumstances under which predator-prey interactions destabilize populations. according to the specialist predator hypothesis, reciprocal interactions between voles and small predators that specialize on voles, such as weasels, can cause multiannual cycles. a fundamental feature of classical weasel-vole models is a long time-lag in the numerical response of the predator ... | 2019 | 31172505 |
| voles and weasels in the boreal fennoscandian small mammal community: what happens if the least weasel disappears due to climate change? | climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats for populations and a challenge for individual behavior, interactions and survival. predator-prey interactions are modified by climate processes. in the northern latitudes, strong seasonality is changing and the main predicted feature is shortening and instability of winter. vole populations in the boreal fennoscandia exhibit multiannual cycles. high amplitude peak numbers of voles and dramatic population lows alternate in 3-5-year ... | 2019 | 30811858 |
| climate change is affecting mortality of weasels due to camouflage mismatch. | direct phenological mismatch caused by climate change can occur in mammals that moult seasonally. two colour morphs of the weasel mustela nivalis (m. n.) occur sympatrically in białowieża forest (ne poland) and differ in their winter pelage colour: white in m. n. nivalis and brown in m. n. vulgaris. due to their small body size, weasels are vulnerable to attacks by a range of different predators; thus cryptic coat colour may increase their winter survival. by analysing trapping data, we found th ... | 2018 | 29795400 |
| predator recognition and differential behavioural responses of adult wood warblers phylloscopus sibilatrix. | birds often engage in nest defence against predators to improve breeding success, but defence efficiency requires the capability to assess the threat level posed by potential predators. for species with low breeding-site tenacity, which may encounter varying occurrence and density of predators in different areas, threat recognition could be compromised due to naivety, and so predator recognition may focus on broad key features to diminish the risk of misidentification. we experimentally tested t ... | 2018 | 29375193 |