| helminths of birds and mammals of israel. viii.- skrjabinocapillaria rodentium n. sp. (nematoda capillariidae) from gerbillid and murid rodents. | skrjabinocapillaria rodentium n.sp., found in the stomach of meriones crassus, gerbillus pyramidum, g. gerbillus, g. dasyurus and acomys cahirinus, is described. it differs from the other two species in the genus, s. bakeri and s. eubursata, mainly in being larger, having a larger number of stichocytes and having a cephalic influation in the female and not in the male. | 1979 | 485042 |
| helminths of birds and mammals of israel. vii. - pneumospirura rodentium n. sp. (pneumospiruridae - thelazioidea). | pneumospirura rodentium a lung parasite of gerbillus dasyurus and meriones crassus is described. p. hainanensis wu and hu, 1938 and metathelazia servalis chabaud and biocca, 1950, have cephalic structures resembling those of p. rodentium. but the three species can be differentiated by the size of spicules, their localization, hosts and geographical distribution. | 1977 | 566075 |
| two successive years studies on phlebotomus papatasi in north sinai governorate, egypt. | no doubt, zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) is increasing in north sinai governorate. the causative agent, l. major was identified as well as two animal reservoir hosts, gerbillus pyramidum and meriones crassus. this paper was intended to study the seasonal abundance and the sex ratio of the suspected insect, phlebotomus papatasi as well as to search for natural infected in wild caught females. the c.d.c. miniature light traps were used for adult collections, dissection was used for demonst ... | 1992 | 1578184 |
| leishmania major and meriones crassus in north sinai governorate, egypt. | zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl.) now seems to be more than was once thought in north sinai. in the present study, meriones crassus (23) and m. sacramenti (10) were collected from limited foci of human cl. leishmania major (four strains) were isolated from m. crassus as indicated enzymologically by the cellulose acetate electrophoresis of nine different enzymes (mdh, 6 pgd, gd, pk, pgm, nh, gpi, me and sod). the four strains were equivalent to zymodeme lon 1 (three strains) and lon 2 (one ... | 1991 | 1875065 |
| [comparative ultrastructural-morphometric studies on parenchymatic liver cells in wistar rats (rattus norwegicus) and desert rats (meriones crassus) after a single dose of clofibrate]. | | 1972 | 4258617 |
| [comparative ultrastructural and morphometrical study of liver parenchyma cells in wistar rats (rattus norvegicus) and desert rats (meriones crassus)]. | | 1972 | 4332350 |
| leishmaniasis in israel: reservoir hosts, sandfly vectors and leishmanial strains in the negev, central arava and along the dead sea. | the reservoir animals, sandfly vectors and strains of leishmania from foci in the southern region of israel were studied. the rodent host species are: psammomys obesus, meriones crassus and probably nesokia indica. the vector species are phlebotomus papatasi, which were caught at all collecting sites and ph. sergenti, which were collected in the area of the dead sea and in the central arava. strains of leishmania major isolated from rodents, vectors and man were serologically and enzymologically ... | 1984 | 6385358 |
| an apparent association of enzymic variants of leishmania major with specific geographical areas in israel. | isolates of leishmania major from man, psammomys obesus, meriones crassus and phlebotomus papatasi from three separate areas of israel were characterised using isoenzyme electrophoresis. three enzymic variants of phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6pgd) were seen, the distribution of which is correlated with the different geographical areas. | 1983 | 6673846 |
| epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in kuwait. ii. toxoplasma gondii in the desert rodent, meriones crassus. | | 1980 | 7210127 |
| studies on zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis among a group of temporary workers in north sinai governorate, egypt. | leishmaniasis (cutaneous, cl. and visceral, vl.) is an increasing public health problem in the mediterranean region. from a practical point of view, zcl is the most important and distributed form in egypt. consequently, it was aimed to study the status of zcl among a group of temporary workers in north sinai governorate. the results showed that (i) rodent populations are more or less common in al arish city (rattus rattus and r. norvegicus), bir lehfan (gerbillus pyramidum) and abo oegela (g. py ... | 1995 | 7602176 |
| babesia infection in rodents trapped in riyadh region, saudi arabia, with a general discussion. | species of babesia are intraerythrocytic protozoal parasites of many species of mammalians in all parts of the world where the tick-vectors are found. babesiosis or piroplasmosis causes considerable damage to the livestock and other animals. human babesiosis has been documented in many countries. consequently, babesiosis is a zoonotic disease of medical, veterinary and economic importance. in this study, a total of 310 rodents of different species were trapped from different areas in riyadh regi ... | 1994 | 8169440 |
| investigation on the presence of leishmania natural infection and antibodies among rodents in riyadh, saudi arabia. | leishmaniases whether cutaneous and/or visceral are one of the public health problems in nearly all countries of the eastern mediterranean region. the prevalence and the incidence are increasing. control of the animal reservoir hosts in zoonotic forms is one of the best means of measures against leishmaniasis. this paper aimed to screen rodents for their role as reservoir for leishmaniasis. natural leishmania infection was detected in one meriones crassus out of 3 which had cutaneous lesions. th ... | 1994 | 8169446 |
| studies on cutaneous leishmaniasis in el hasana center, north sinai, egypt. | the persistent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) transmission mainly in sinai and one or two foci in the nile valley and the outbreak of cl. in nakhel center form the rationale for including leishmaniasis as one of the main health problems in egypt. in this paper, it was aimed to spot-light survey humans for cutaneous leishmaniasis in el hasana center, north sinai. also rodents were trapped from several towns and villages within the center to document the relative importance of the different speci ... | 1993 | 8308338 |
| rodents and cutaneous leishmaniasis in qasim, saudi arabia. | the past and the present studies in saudi arabia show that zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) is the most common and widely distributed form of leishmaniasis. the classic natural foci near human settlements exist in the eastern region and to less extend the central region. in the former region psammomys obesus, meriones crassus and m. libycus (?) are the animal reservoirs. in this paper, rodents were surveyed in qasim (central region) to identify the reservoir host. the results showed that m ... | 1993 | 8308341 |
| ecological studies on the brown dog tick rhipicephalus sanguineus (acari: ixodidae) in southern israel and its relationship to spotted fever group rickettsiae. | an outbreak of spotted fever group rickettsiae (sfgr) was investigated by studying free-living and parasitic stages of ticks in two settlements of equal size and population located 20 km apart in the negev desert. although high morbidity from sfgr was found in one of the settlements (kibbutz ze'elim), no clinical cases were observed in the second (kibbutz re'im). using flagging and co2-trapping, approximately 9 times more ticks were collected in ze'elim than in re'im. rhipicephalus sanguineus (l ... | 1993 | 8433318 |
| psammomys obesus cretzschmar, 1828 and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in sinai peninsula, egypt. | in the middle east, the fat sand rat psammomys obesus is the most important reservoir host of zoonotic cutaneous leishmamiasis (zcl). it is the most incriminated host in outbreaks. two p. obesus caught in wadi el gedeiret (al arish, north sinai) were found naturally infected with leishmania major as indicated by enzyme electrophoresis. in egypt, the already known reservoir hosts are gerbillus pyramidum i. geoffroy st. hilaire, 1825; meriones crassus sundevall, 1984 and meriones sacramenti thomas ... | 1996 | 8754646 |
| host-habitat relations as an important determinant of spatial distribution of flea assemblages (siphonaptera) on rodents in the negev desert. | we studied flea assemblages on rodents in different habitats of the ramon erosion cirque in the negev desert to examine whether host-habitat relations influence flea spatial distribution. eleven flea species parasitizing 12 rodent species were recorded. there was significant positive relationship between flea species richness and body mass of the host species; no relationships were found between relative richness of flea assemblage and either the number of habitats occupied by the host species o ... | 1997 | 9051922 |
| comparative histological and ultrastructural studies of the harderian gland of rodents. | the harderian glands of six rodents (the wistar rat, the gerbils psammomys obesus, gerbillus gerbillus, meriones crassus, and meriones lybicus, and the gundi, ctenodactylus vali) were investigated by means of light and transmission electron microscopy. in rodents, the harderian gland consists of branching tubules, lined by a single layer of epithelial cells and possessing myoepithelial cells within their basal lamina. the harderian gland contains porphyrins, stored as intraluminal masses. the gl ... | 1996 | 9156607 |
| habitat dependence of a parasite-host relationship: flea (siphonaptera) assemblages in two gerbil species of the negev desert. | flea assemblages of meriones crassus sundevall and gerbillus dasyurus wagner in different habitats in the negev highlands of israel were studied to determine how flea abundance and species composition on the same host change among habitats, and the environmental parameters determining specific composition of flea assemblage. fleas of the same species parasitizing different hosts responded differently to the same set of environmental variables. spatial distribution of fleas on m. crassus was dete ... | 1998 | 9615550 |
| development rates of two xenopsylla flea species in relation to air temperature and humidity. | the rate of development of immature fleas, xenopsylla conformis wagner and xenopsylla ramesis rothschild (siphonaptera: xenopsyllidae) was studied in the laboratory at 25 degrees c and 28 degrees c with 40, 55, 75 and 92% relative humidity (rh). these fleas are separately associated with the host jird meriones crassus sundevall in different microhabitats of the ramon erosion cirque, negev highlands, israel. this study of basic climatic factors in relation to flea bionomics provides the basis for ... | 2001 | 11583441 |
| the ecology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in nizzana, israel: infection patterns in the reservoir host, and epidemiological implications. | we conducted an extensive interdisciplinary study in an emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the western negev desert of israel between july 1998 and february 2000. the aims of the this study were to determine (1) the reservoir hosts, (2) the distribution of the pathogen within the host range, (3) the associations of host, vector, and pathogen within defined habitats, (4) the demographic distribution of the pathogen within the host populations, and (5) to apply the newly acquired epizoot ... | 2002 | 11812490 |
| the effect of substrate on survival and development of two species of desert fleas (siphonaptera: pulicidae). | fleas xenopsylla conformis mycerini and xenopsylla ramesis replace each other on the same rodent host (meriones crassus) in two habitats that differ in substrate texture (sand and loess-like sediments, respectively). we hypothesized that the substrate is an important factor determining flea distribution and studied survival of larvae, pupae and newly emerged adults as well as the rate of pre-imaginal development of these flea species in sand and loess rearing medium (= substrate). texture of rea ... | 2002 | 12116859 |
| annual cycles of four flea species in the central negev desert. | bionomics of fleas (siphonaptera) parasitizing rodent hosts, mostly the gerbil gerbillus dasyurus (wagner) and the jird meriones crassus sundevall (gerbillidae), were investigated in the central negev desert of israel. populations were sampled weekly (by sherman trapping of hosts) from august 2000 to july 2001. among 1055 fleas of nine species captured, four species predominated (94%). two species of pulicidae, xenopsylla dipodilli smit and x. ramesis (rothschild), reproduced perennially, wherea ... | 2002 | 12243227 |
| water balance in two species of desert fleas, xenopsylla ramesis and x. conformis (siphonaptera: pulicidae). | the role of water balance capabilities of fleas was examined in desert habitats. the fleas studied were xenopsylla ramesis rothschild and xenopsylla conformis wagner. both fleas occur on sundevall's jird, meriones crassus, in the negev highlands of israel but in different macro- and microhabitats. because m. crassus occurs in several habitats of the highlands, it was used as a model for investigating the effect of habitat parameters on species composition of fleas within a host species. water ba ... | 2002 | 12495186 |
| immune response to fleas in a wild desert rodent: effect of parasite species, parasite burden, sex of host and host parasitological experience. | we studied immune responses of the jird meriones crassus to different flea species belonging to the same family. we used jirds maintained in an outdoor enclosure (enclosure; n=18) and parasitized by fleas xenopsylla conformis mycerini and xenopsylla ramesis, and also jirds born in the laboratory to previously parasitized mothers (laboratory animals; n=23). we asked (i) whether cross-immunity to different fleas occurs, (ii) whether there is a sex difference in immune responses to flea parasitism ... | 2004 | 15235001 |
| anti-fasciola antibodies among rodents and sheep in jeddah, saudi arabia. | a total of 20 imported sheep were examined for fascioliasis natural infection by kato thick smear and by fasciola-indirect haemagglutination test (ihat). stool examination revealed infection in 13/20 (65%), but ihat identified 11/20 (55%). so, the sensitivity was 84.5%. also, five species of rodents trapped within or nearby the infected sheep farm by ihat showed positive reactions of in rattus rattus (22.4%), r. norvegicus (16.7%), meriones crassus (11.8%), juculus jaculus (zero%), acomys c. dim ... | 2005 | 16083078 |
| immunohistochemical localization of distinct angiotensin ii at1 receptor isoforms in the kidneys of the sprague-dawley rat and the desert rodent meriones crassus. | employing a purified lgg fraction of a polyclonal anti-at1 receptor anti-body, raised against a synthetic octapeptide encompassing residues 14-21 of the first extracellular domain of the at1 polypeptide, selective at1 receptor expression was immunohistochemically demonstrable within renal structures in sprague-dawley (sd) rats and the desert rodent meriones crassus. in both animal models, prominent at1 receptor labelling was evident in renal vascular elements, particularly cortical inter-lobular ... | 2006 | 16542179 |
| a search for the rodent hosts of leishmania major in the larestan region of southern iran: demonstration of the parasite in tatera indica and gerbillus sp., by microscopy, culture and pcr. | zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) caused by leishmania major occurs widely in iran, where several species of rodent serve as the parasite's 'reservoir' hosts. in an attempt to identify the rodent hosts in the larestan region, which lies in the fars province of southern iran (where the incidence of human cl has been rising), 32 rodents (20 tatera indica, eight meriones crassus, four gerbillus sp.) were caught and checked for leishmanial infection. using two detection methods (the microscopica ... | 2007 | 17524246 |
| pineal system of desert rodents and its relationship to the epithalamus. | the morphological relationships of the pineal complex to the epithalamic structures have been examined at light microscopic level in five desert rodent species, meriones crassus, meriones lybicus, gerbillus gerbillus, psammomys obesus and ctenodactylus vali. the pineal complex is classified as type abc in m. crassus and g. gerbillus, ac in m. lybicus, abetac in p. obesus and alphabetac in c. vali. in these rodent species, the pineal is an elongated organ which is dumbbell-shaped in g. gerbillus ... | 2008 | 18715300 |
| Investigation of Bartonella acquisition and transmission in Xenopsylla ramesis fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). | Bartonella are emerging and re-emerging pathogens affecting humans and a wide variety of animals including rodents. Horizontal transmission of Bartonella species by different hematophagous vectors is well acknowledged but vertical transmission (from mother to offspring) is questionable and was never explored in fleas. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the rodent flea, Xenopsylla ramesis, can acquire native Bartonella from wild rodents and transmit it transovarially. For this aim, ... | 2011 | 21692752 |
| effects of bartonella spp. on flea feeding and reproductive performance. | numerous pathogens are transmitted from one host to another by hematophagous insect vectors. the interactions between a vector-borne organism and its vector vary in many ways, most of which are yet to be explored and identified. these interactions may play a role in the dynamics of the infection cycle. one way to evaluate these interactions is by studying the effects of the tested organism on the vector. in this study, we tested the effects of infection with bartonella species on fitness-related ... | 2013 | 23542614 |
| ecology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in sinai: linking parasites, vectors and hosts. | cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) is a neglected clinical form of public health importance that is quite prevalent in the northern and eastern parts of egypt. a comprehensive study over seven years (january 2005-december 2011) was conducted to track cl transmission with respect to both sandfly vectors and animal reservoirs. the study identified six sandfly species collected from different districts in north sinai: phlebotomus papatasi, phlebotomus kazeruni, phlebotomus sergenti, phlebotomus alexandri ... | 2014 | 24821060 |
| transmission dynamics of bartonella sp. strain oe 1-1 in sundevall's jirds (meriones crassus). | a high prevalence of bartonella infection is found in many natural systems; however, the transmission dynamics leading to observations of these infections is not fully understood. the capability of xenopsylla ramesis fleas to serve as competent vectors of bartonella sp. oe 1-1 (a strain closely related to the zoonotic bartonella elizabethae) to meriones crassus jirds was investigated. naïve x. ramesis fleas were placed for 72 h on naïve jirds or jirds that were either experimentally or naturally ... | 2013 | 23241972 |
| effects of parasitism on host reproductive investment in a rodent-flea system: host litter size matters. | parents may alter offspring phenotype depending on the type of environment they encounter. parasitism is a common stressor; therefore, maternal reproductive investment could change in response to parasitic infection. however, few experiments have investigated the relationship between parasitism and maternal investment, whereas earlier field studies provided contradictory evidence. we investigated number, sex ratio, and growth of offspring in two rodent species, solitary altricial meriones crassu ... | 2017 | 27900542 |
| experimental evidence of negative interspecific interactions among imago fleas: flea and host identities matter. | we investigated interspecific interactions between two flea species (parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis) via evaluation of their feeding success (the size of a blood meal and time to death after a single blood meal) when they exploited rodent hosts [acomys cahirinus (a characteristic host of the former) or meriones crassus (a characteristic host of the latter)] in single-species or mixed-species groups. we predicted that the negative interactions between the two fleas will result in sma ... | 2016 | 26555877 |
| fitness responses to co-infestation in fleas exploiting rodent hosts. | to understand mechanisms behind positive interspecific co-occurrences in flea infracommunities, we asked whether co-infestation results in an increase of flea fitness (quantity and/or quality of the offspring). we studied reproductive performance of xenopsylla ramesis and parapulex chephrenis when they exploited their characteristic host (meriones crassus and acomys cahirinus, respectively) either alone or together with another species. we used egg production, the number of new imagoes, pre-imag ... | 2015 | 26283316 |
| ectoparasitism and stress hormones: strategy of host exploitation, common host-parasite history and energetics matter. | parasites are thought to have numerous negative effects on their hosts. these negative effects may be associated with stress in a host. we evaluated the effects of four species of flea ectoparasites (parapulex chephrenis, synosternus cleopatrae, xenopsylla conformis and xenopsylla ramesis) on non-specific responses of eight species of rodents (meriones crassus, gerbillus dasyurus, gerbillus andersoni, gerbillus pyramidum, gerbillus nanus, acomys cahirinus, acomys russatus and mesocricetus auratu ... | 2014 | 24661039 |
| energy expenditure for egg production in arthropod ectoparasites: the effect of host species. | we studied the energy cost of egg production in two flea species (parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis) feeding on principal (acomys cahirinus and meriones crassus, respectively) and auxiliary (m. crassus and a. cahirinus, respectively) rodent hosts. we predicted that fleas feeding on principal as compared with auxiliary hosts will (a) expend less energy for egg production; (b) produce larger eggs and (c) live longer after oviposition. both fleas produced more eggs and spent less energy p ... | 2013 | 23659324 |
| digesting blood of an auxiliary host in fleas: effect of phylogenetic distance from a principal host. | fleas are haematophagous ectoparasites that exhibit varying degrees of host specificity. flea abundance is highest on principal hosts and lower on auxiliary hosts but may vary greatly among auxiliary hosts. we investigated the feeding and energy expenditure for digestion in two flea species parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis on a principal host (acomys cahirinus and meriones crassus, respectively) and eight auxiliary host species. we predicted that fleas would perform better - that is ( ... | 2012 | 22442362 |
| feeding performance of fleas on different host species: is phylogenetic distance between hosts important? | we asked if and how feeding performance of fleas on an auxiliary host is affected by the phylogenetic distance between this host and the principal host of a flea. we investigated the feeding of 2 flea species, parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis, on a principal (acomys cahirinus and meriones crassus, respectively) and 8 auxiliary host species. we predicted that fleas would perform better (higher proportion of fleas would feed and take larger bloodmeals) on (a) a principal rather than an ... | 2012 | 21996472 |
| between-host phylogenetic distance and feeding efficiency in hematophagous ectoparasites: rodent fleas and a bat host. | we hypothesized that a parasite exploits most effectively its principal host, less effectively a host that is phylogenetically close to its principal host, and least effectively a host that is phylogenetically distant from its principal host. we tested this hypothesis by quantifying the feeding efficiency of two flea species (parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis) on two rodents, acomys cahirinus, the specific host of p. chephrenis, and meriones crassus, a preferred host of x. ramesis, and ... | 2007 | 17297629 |
| sex-biased parasitism, seasonality and sexual size dimorphism in desert rodents. | we investigated seasonality of gender differences in the patterns of flea infestation in nine rodent species to test if sex-biased parasitism in terms of mean abundance, species richness, prevalence and the level of aggregation (a) varies among hosts and between seasons, and (b) is linked to sexual size dimorphism. sexual size differences were significant in both summer and winter in acomys cahirinus, gerbillus pyramidum and meriones crassus, and in winter only in acomys russatus, gerbillus dasy ... | 2005 | 16025350 |
| sex-biased parasitism is not universal: evidence from rodent-flea associations from three biomes. | the distribution of parasites among individual hosts is characterised by high variability that is believed to be a result of variations in host traits. to find general patterns of host traits affecting parasite abundance, we studied flea infestation of nine rodent species from three different biomes (temperate zone of central europe, desert of middle east and tropics of east africa). we tested for independent and interactive effects of host sex and body mass on the number of fleas harboured by a ... | 2013 | 23636459 |
| the harderian gland of desert rodents: a histological and ultrastructural study. | this study describes the structure of the harderian gland in desert rodents: 3 gerbillidae species (gerbillus gerbillus, meriones crassus, psammomys obesus) and 1 ctenodactylidae species (ctenodactylus vali). in all these species the gland consists of tubules lined by a single layer of epithelial cells and possesses myoepithelial cells within their basal laminae. the gland contains porphyrin which is stored as solid intraluminal deposits. the glandular epithelium presents a single cell type (typ ... | 1992 | 1487439 |
| desert gerbils affect bacterial composition of soil. | rodents affect soil microbial communities by burrow architecture, diet composition, and foraging behavior. we examined the effect of desert rodents on nitrogen-fixing bacteria (nfb) communities by identifying bacteria colony-forming units (cfu) and measuring nitrogen fixation rates (ara), denitrification (da), and co2 emission in soil from burrows of three gerbil species differing in diets. psammomys obesus is folivorous, meriones crassus is omnivorous, consuming green vegetation and seeds, and ... | 2013 | 23857378 |
| use it or lose it: reproductive implications of ecological specialization in a haematophagous ectoparasite. | using experimentally induced disruptive selection, we tested two hypotheses regarding the evolution of specialization in parasites. the 'trade-off' hypothesis suggests that adaptation to a specific host may come at the expense of a reduced performance when exploiting another host. the alternative 'relaxed selection' hypothesis suggests that the ability to exploit a given host would deteriorate when becoming obsolete. three replicate populations of a flea xenopsylla ramesis were maintained on eac ... | 2012 | 22587845 |
| the effect of larval density on pre-imaginal development in two species of desert fleas. | we studied the effect of density of larvae on pre-imaginal development in 2 flea species (xenopsylla conformis and xenopsylla ramesis) parasitic on 2 desert rodent species (dipodillus dasyurus, adult body mass 20 g and meriones crassus, 80 g). we predicted a decrease in duration of development with an increase in density of larvae. in general, in both flea species, duration of larva-to-pupa development decreased with an increasing larval density. in addition, this stage of development was longer ... | 2010 | 20619065 |
| evidence for a negative fitness-density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals. | we tested the hypothesis of negative fitness-density relationships and predicted that an increase in the density of parent fleas would result in lower survival rates and longer development time of pre-imagoes as well as shorter time to death from starvation of newly emerged imagoes. these predictions were experimentally tested on xenopsylla conformis wagner and xenopsylla ramesis rothschild feeding on two rodent species, meriones crassus sundevall or dipodillus dasyurus wagner. survival of larva ... | 2008 | 18498616 |
| density-dependent host selection in ectoparasites: an application of isodar theory to fleas parasitizing rodents. | parasites should make the same decisions that every animal makes regarding fitness reward. they can maximize reproductive success by selection of those habitats that guarantee the greatest fitness output. we consider the host population as a habitat of a parasite population. consequently, hosts (=habitats) that differ quantitatively or qualitatively will support different numbers of parasites. the nature of habitat selection can be detected by isodars, lines along which habitat selection yields ... | 2003 | 12647144 |
| effects of host diet and thermal state on feeding performance of the flea xenopsylla ramesis. | we examined feeding performance of the flea xenopsylla ramesis on three different hosts: its natural, granivorous, rodent host, sundevall's jird (meriones crassus); the frugivorous egyptian fruit bat (rousettus aegyptiacus); and an insectivorous bat, kuhl's pipistrelle (pipistrellus kuhlii). because these fleas are not known to occur on bats, we hypothesized that the fleas' feeding performance (i.e. feeding and digestion rates) would be higher when feeding on their natural host than on either of ... | 2012 | 22496278 |
| reproductive success in two species of desert fleas: density dependence and host effect. | we tested the hypothesis that a negative fitness-density relationship exists in haematophagous ectoparasites. we studied the effect of flea density on the number of blood meals necessary for starting oviposition and egg production in xenopsylla conformis and xenopsylla ramesis when exploiting two rodent hosts, meriones crassus and gerbillus dasyurus. the number of blood meals taken by a flea prior to first oviposition was similar in both flea species but was dependent on flea density and differe ... | 2007 | 17562885 |
| density dependence of feeding success in haematophagous ectoparasites. | we studied the effect of density on feeding success of 2 fleas, xenopsylla conformis and xenopsylla ramesis, when exploiting rodents meriones crassus and gerbillus dasyurus. we tested 2 alternative hypotheses: (i) that intraspecific interference competition occurs and, thus, feeding success of a flea decreases with an increase in density and (ii) that facilitation via suppression of a host defence system occurs and thus, feeding success of a flea increases with an increase in density. the mean s ... | 2007 | 17445332 |
| flea fitness is reduced by high fractional concentrations of co₂ that simulate levels found in their hosts' burrows. | nidicolous ectoparasites such as fleas and gamasid mites that feed on small and medium-sized mammals spend much of their time in their hosts' burrows, which provide an environment for living, and often feeding, to their pre-imaginal and/or adult stages. thus, these ectoparasites should be adapted to environmental conditions in burrows, including high fractional concentrations of co2 (f(co2)). we examined how a high f(co2) (0.04) affected survival and reproductive success of a hematophagous ectop ... | 2015 | 26582933 |
| transient-state mechanisms of wind-induced burrow ventilation. | burrows are common animal habitations, yet living in a burrow presents physiological challenges for its inhabitants because the burrow isolates them from sources and sinks for oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor and ammonia. conventionally, the isolation is thought to be overcome by either diffusion gas exchange within the burrow or some means of capturing wind energy to power steady or quasi-steady bulk flows of air through it. both are examples of what may be called 'dc' models, namely steady ... | 2015 | 25609780 |
| host reproductive status and reproductive performance of a parasite: offspring quality and trade-offs in a flea parasitic on a rodent. | we investigated offspring quality in fleas (xenopsylla ramesis) feeding on non-reproducing, pregnant or lactating rodents (meriones crassus) and asked whether (a) quality of flea offspring differs dependent on host reproductive status; (b) fleas trade off offspring quantity for quality; and (c) quality variables are inter-correlated. emergence success was highest when parents exploited pregnant hosts, while development time was longest when parents exploited lactating hosts. male offspring from ... | 2014 | 24552649 |
| ectoparasite performance when feeding on reproducing mammalian females: an unexpected decrease when on pregnant hosts. | reproduction is an energy-demanding activity in mammalian females, with increased energy requirements during pregnancy and, especially, during lactation. to better understand the interactions between parasitism and host reproduction, we investigated feeding and reproductive performance of fleas (xenopsylla ramesis) parasitizing non-reproducing, pregnant or lactating gerbilline rodents (meriones crassus). based on energetic considerations, we predicted that feeding and reproductive performance of ... | 2014 | 24311805 |
| transgelin: an androgen-dependent protein identified in the seminal vesicles of three saharan rodents. | during the breeding season, a major androgen-dependent protein with an apparent molecular weight of 21 kda was isolated and purified from the seminal vesicles of three saharan rodents (mlvsp21 from meriones libycus, msvsp21 from meriones shawi, and mcvsp21 from meriones crassus). the 21-kda protein was isolated and purified from soluble seminal vesicle proteins of homogenate by one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page). using polyclonal antibodies directed against posvp21 (ps ... | 2013 | 23906482 |
| reproductive consequences of host age in a desert flea. | we tested for the effect of age of a rodent host (meriones crassus) on reproductive performance of fleas in terms of number and quality of offspring and predicted that fleas would perform better on juvenile and old than on subadult and adult hosts. the number of flea offspring was evaluated via egg and new imago production, while their quality was estimated via duration of development, resistance to starvation and body size. although fleas produced more eggs when they exploited adults than when ... | 2013 | 23253937 |
| the effect of host age on feeding performance of fleas. | we asked whether the age of a rodent host affects the feeding performance of fleas. we predicted that fleas would perform better on young and old than on adult rodents. to test this prediction, we determined bloodmeal size, rate of digestion and time of survival after a single bloodmeal in xenopsylla ramesis feeding on meriones crassus of different ages. fleas took less blood from subadult and adult than from juvenile and old animals. fleas digested blood of old hosts at the highest rate and blo ... | 2011 | 21767433 |
| host gender and offspring quality in a flea parasitic on a rodent. | the quality of offspring produced by parent fleas (xenopsylla ramesis) fed on either male or female rodent hosts (meriones crassus) was studied. the emergence success, duration of development, resistance to starvation upon emergence and body size of the flea offspring were measured. it was predicted that offspring of fleas produced by parents that fed on male hosts (i) will survive better as pre-imago, (ii) will develop faster, (iii) will live longer under starvation after emergence and (iv) wil ... | 2010 | 20833922 |
| effect of host gender on blood digestion in fleas: mediating role of environment. | we investigated mechanisms of male-biased parasitism by studying the rate of digestion and survival time after a single blood meal in fleas xenopsylla ramesis parasitizing males and females of the rodent meriones crassus. assuming that male hosts represent better patches for fleas than female hosts, we predicted that fleas (1) will digest blood of a male host faster than blood of a female host and (2) will survive longer after a single blood meal taken from a male host. to understand the possibl ... | 2009 | 20162839 |
| is the feeding and reproductive performance of the flea, xenopsylla ramesis, affected by the gender of its rodent host, meriones crassus? | male-biased parasitism is commonly found in higher vertebrates and is most likely to be a result of higher mobility and lower immunocompetence of male hosts than female hosts. the latter would result in higher fitness of parasites exploiting males rather than females. to test this hypothesis, we investigated foraging and reproductive performance of fleas (xenopsylla ramesis) parasitizing male and female meriones crassus, a gerbilline rodent. we allowed fleas to feed on groom-restricted rodents a ... | 2009 | 19411535 |
| b cell lymphoma causing splenomegaly in a sundevall's jird (meriones crassus subspecies perpallidus). | | 2008 | 18390857 |
| ultimate mechanisms of age-biased flea parasitism. | mechanisms that cause nonrandom patterns of parasite distribution among host individuals may influence the population and evolutionary dynamics of both parasites and hosts, but are still poorly understood. we studied whether survival, reproduction, and behavioral responses of fleas (xenopsylla conformis) changed with the age of their rodent hosts (meriones crassus), experimentally disentangling two possible mechanisms: (a) differential survival and/or fitness reward of parasites due to host age, ... | 2007 | 17828558 |
| host defence versus intraspecific competition in the regulation of infrapopulations of the flea xenopsylla conformis on its rodent host meriones crassus. | mechanisms that regulate parasite populations may influence the evolution of hosts and parasites, as well as the stability of host-parasite dynamics but are still poorly understood. a manipulation experiment on the grooming ability of rodent hosts (meriones crassus) and flea (xenopsylla conformis) densities on these hosts successfully disentangled two possible regulating mechanisms: (i) behavioural defence of the host and (ii) intraspecific competition among parasites, and revealed their importa ... | 2007 | 17362966 |
| level of energy intake affects the estrous cycle in sundevall's jird (meriones crassus). | effects of energy intake on the estrous cycle of the desert gerbillid, sundevall's jird (meriones crassus; 80 g; n=22) were studied. females were offered either maintenance or below maintenance levels of millet seeds and ad lib. atriplex halimus leaves and stems; drinking water was not available. vaginal smears were used to determine sexual stage. we hypothesized that the estrous cycle ceases at low levels of energy intake and commences when sufficient energy is available. females lost body mass ... | 2003 | 10893164 |
| presence of cerium-cytochemical reactions of glomerular phosphatases of normal gerbil meriones crassus: an ultrastructural localization study. | phosphatase cytochemical activity in the normal glomerulus of the desert gerbil meriones crassus was demonstrated using cerium ions as capturing agents. three major enzymes have been recognized: sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (na(+)-k(+)-atpase), alkaline phosphatase (alpase) and acid phosphatase (acpase). however, cytochemical staining for these markers to map their localizations and distributions reveal a high positivity of na(+)-k(+)-atpase. this appeared as uniform dense precipita ... | 1997 | 9178576 |
| cytochemical localization of na(+)-k(+)-adenosine triphosphate activity in the proximal convoluted tubule cells of the gerbil meriones crassus. | the present work describes the cytochemical localization of na(+)-k(+)-atpase in the proximal convoluted tubule cells of the gerbil meriones crassus. by using cecl3 as capture agent, a fine, uniform reaction product was distributed mainly across the basolateral membranes and at the apical surface. this study provides evidence that the atpase enzyme studied is actually na(+)-k(+)-atpase because acetate buffer (bleaching agent) had no decalcifying effect, nor did the subsequent application of leva ... | 1996 | 8741097 |
| ultrastructural localization of alkaline phosphatase activity in the proximal convoluted tubule cells of the gerbil meriones crassus using a cerium-based method. | histochemical activity of alkaline phosphatase in the proximal convoluted tubule of the gerbil meriones crassus has been detected. the reaction product was strongly marked at both the apical surface and the basal part of the cells comprising the basal infoldings with their extended tips and the profiles of the membrane-bound bodies that were easily recognisable by their rounded shape. the reaction product was in the form of fine, uniform deposits in response to cerium chloride as a capture agent ... | 1995 | 7549018 |
| possible biogenesis of the membrane-bound bodies of the thick basal laminae of the proximal convoluted tubule cells of the gerbil meriones crassus. | the ultrastructural findings on the kidney cells of the gerbil meriones crassus have shown the presence of finger-like projections emerging from the basal part of the epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubules into the matrix of the thick basal laminae and that structure like membrane-bound bodies are commonly seen in continuity with these processes. such findings would give clues for the possible biogenesis of the membrane-bound bodies from the epithelial cells. such an origin is consi ... | 1992 | 1529676 |
| [effect of vasopressin and indomethacin on provoked diuresis in pregnant and non-pregnant meriones crassus]. | the dynamics of induced diuresis was studied in meriones crassus, a desert rodent species, during estrus and pregnancy. in response to hydration, pregnant meriones crassus excrete excess water more rapidly than non pregnant females. diuresis appears earlier in pregnant females indicating a more rapid inactivation of vasopressin. the possible interaction between vasopressin and prostaglandins, and its effect on renal excretion during pregnancy, was studied during arginine-vasopressin treatment an ... | 1991 | 1878152 |
| [osmolality and secretion of vasopressins during pregnancy in meriones crassus]. | endocrine and renal parameters were measured in a desert rodent, meriones crassus. in virgin females, the urine and plasma osmolality was 2018 +/- 136 and 325 +/- 3 mosm/kg (m +/- sem), the level of circulating vasopressin, 162 +/- 22 pg/ml and the plasma renin activity 14.3 +/- 0.9 ng/ml per h. during pregnancy, the renin-angiotensin system was activated, and the plasma vasopressin values remained similar to those of virgin animals in spite of a lower blood plasma osmotic pressure. during this ... | 1991 | 1768312 |
| presence of vesicular bodies and thick basal laminae in the nephron of the desert gerbil meriones crassus. | kidney samples of the adult gerbil meriones crassus were aldehyde fixed and epon embedded for studies of the general features of various parts of the nephrons, with particular attention to their basal laminae in all regions. results obtained showed the presence of thick basal laminae (2-6 microns) in the parietal layer of bowman's capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, thin loop of henle and distal convoluted tubule. with the aid of the electron microscope, extracellular vesicular bodies were obse ... | 1990 | 2161610 |
| breeding and reproductive physiology of the desert gerbil, meriones crassus. | meriones crassus were bred under laboratory conditions. the mean gestation period was 21.6 days, with a range between 21 and 24 days. the mean litter size was 4.4. mean litter size varied from 3.4 in october to 5.6 in april. studies of vaginal smears revealed four phases of the estrous cycle, and the mean length of this cycle was 2--8 days. most females experienced postpartum estrus, and the majority of postpartum matings were fertile. mating was not observed during lactation. implantation was d ... | 1978 | 703248 |
| on thermoregulation in psammomys obesus, meriones crassus and meriones tristrami. | | 1976 | 977312 |
| [on the presence of a fluorescent pigment of porphyrin type in the harderian gland of meriones crassus sundevall, of m. shawi duvernoy, of m. vinogradovi heptner and of gerbillus pyramidium geoffroy (rodents, gerbillidae)]. | | 1961 | 13862695 |
| [modifications of the pars intermedia in meriones crassus during dehydration tests or after ingestion of dextrose solutions]. | | 1960 | 13760353 |
| [study of oxidizing enzymes in the digestive tube of meriones crassus sundeval (gerbilidae)]. | | 1957 | 13585714 |
| can we predict the success of a parasite to colonise an invasive host? | to understand whether a parasite can exploit a novel invasive host species, we measured reproductive performance (number of eggs per female per day, egg size, development rate and size of new imagoes) of fleas from the negev desert in israel (two host generalists, synosternus cleopatrae and xenopsylla ramesis, and a host specialist, parapulex chephrenis) when they exploited either a local murid host (gerbillus andersoni, meriones crassus and acomys cahirinus) or two alien hosts (north american h ... | 2018 | 29797081 |
| faunistic study of the rodents of north khorasan province, north east of iran, 2011-2013. | rodents are one of the most important hosts for some zoonotic diseases and also act as a reservoir of some ectoparasites and endoparasites. they cause damage to the farms and inflict public health. the aim of this study was to investigate the faunal composition of rodent in north khorasan province, northeast of iran. | 2018 | 30123806 |
| systematics, distribution and ecological analysis of rodents in jordan. | distributional and ecological data were given to all rodents of jordan. the rodent fauna of jordan consists of 28 species with 20 genera in eight families (cricetidae, dipodidae, gliridae, hystricidae, muridae, myocastoridae, sciuridae,and spalacidae), including four introduced species.keys for families and species were provided, along with diagnosis for each species and cranial illustrations for most species. habitat preference and zoogeographic affinities of rodents in jordan wereanalyzed, as ... | 2018 | 29690341 |
| systemic control of cutaneous leishmaniasis sand-fly vectors: fipronil-treated rodent bait is effective in reducing phlebotomus papatasi (diptera: psychodidae) female emergence rate from rodent burrows. | the strong dependency of some vectors on their host as a source of habitat can be viewed as a weak link in pathogen's transmission cycles using the vertebrate host as a 'trojan horse' to deliver insecticides directly to the vector-host point of contact (hereafter 'systemic control'). this could, simultaneously, affect the survival of blood-feeding females and coprophagic larvae. sand-flies, vectors of leishmaniasis worldwide, are often dependent on their bloodmeal host as a source of habitat and ... | 2020 | 33155657 |
| the potential of systemic control of sand flies using fipronil in the novel leishmania major (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) reservoirs meriones tristrami (rodentia: muridea) and meriones crassus (rodentia: muridea). | leishmania major (yakimoff & schokhor, 1914), an important causative agent of old world cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl), is transmitted by sand flies among a limited number of gerbilline reservoir-species. we can take advantage of this strong dependency to break the pathogen transmission cycle by using systemic insecticides that render the host toxic to the blood-feeding vector. we evaluated the potential of this approach with two novel reservoir species, incriminated for cl expansion in several si ... | 2020 | 33155653 |
| effects of maternal and grandmaternal flea infestation on offspring quality and quantity in a desert rodent: evidence for parasite-mediated transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. | parasites can cause a broad range of sublethal fitness effects across a wide variety of host taxa. however, a host's efforts to compensate for possible parasite-induced fitness effects are less well-known. parental effects may beneficially alter the offspring phenotype if parental environments sufficiently predict the offspring environment. parasitism is a common stressor across generations; therefore, parental infestation could reliably predict the likelihood of infestation for offspring. howev ... | 2019 | 30986404 |