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Heteroxenous coccidia increase the predation risk of parasitized rodents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 1998

P. VOŘÍšEK ,
J. VOTÝPKA ,
K. ZVÁRA  and
M. SVOBODOVÁ
P. VOŘÍšEK
Affiliation:
Czech Society for Ornithology, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00 Prague, 10, Czech Republic
J. VOTÝPKA
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
K. ZVÁRA
Affiliation:
Department of Probability and Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Sokolovská 83, 186 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic
M. SVOBODOVÁ
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Abstract

We have investigated the influence of heteroxenous coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriorina) on the predation risk of intermediate hosts. Voles infected with Frenkelia spp. were found more frequently in buzzards' (Buteo buteo) prey than among snap-trapped rodents. To eliminate the possibility of traps selecting for uninfected rodents, a laboratory experiment was performed. Mice experimentally infected with Sarcocystis dispersa seemed to be more likely caught by the final host, the long-eared owl (Asio otus); this result was confirmed by a mathematical model. Field data confirmed the adaptive value of parasite-induced changes. The increase of predation is directed towards the specific final host only or is non-specific. In the populations studied the probability of predation of parasitized individuals by the specific predator was increased.

Keywords

FrenkeliaSarcocystis dispersacoccidiapredationmanipulation hypothesisbirds of prey
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 117 , Issue 6 , December 1998 , pp. 521 - 524
Copyright
1998 Cambridge University Press

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