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How much do we know about wild canid (Carnivora: Canidae) ectoparasites in Mexico? Current state of knowledge

  • Cesar Francisco Hernández-Urbina ORCID logo , Jesús A. Fernández ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Mieke Titulaer ORCID logo , Nelson G. Aguilar-Palma ORCID logo , Roxana Acosta ORCID logo and Angela A. Camargo-Sanabria ORCID logo
Published/Copyright: January 23, 2025
Mammalia
From the journal Mammalia Volume 89 Issue 3

Abstract

Environmental degradation has altered animal population dynamics, making the monitoring of parasitic communities in wildlife relevant because of their potential impact on environmental and public health. Through the compilation of ectoparasite data in three wild canids of Mexico, an updated list of ectoparasite species recorded on them in Mexico is reported. The goal is to understand the current state of knowledge about the taxonomic composition of ectoparasite communities in wild canids, specifically which taxa are currently known, locations been recorded, and sites yet to be sampled. Using electronic databases, geographical coordinates were obtained for localities with records of wild canids and their ectoparasites. The records for the canid species and their respective collected ectoparasites were mapped in Mexico. Urocyon cinereoargenteus has the greatest number of ectoparasite species, followed by Canis latrans and Vulpes macrotis. A total of 14 flea species from three families were recorded. The family Pulicidae was the most abundant, followed by Rhopalopsyllidae and Ceratophyllidae. Regarding ticks, only three species of the family Ixodidae were found. No louse records were found. It is recommended to conduct further studies on the composition and structure of ectoparasite communities in carnivores because it provides fundamental data for species conservation.

Keywords: Canis latrans ; fleas; lice; ticks; Urocyon cinereoargenteus ; Vulpes macrotis
Corresponding author: Jesús A. Fernández, Departamento de Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Periférico Francisco R. Almada Km. 1, 31453 Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the support provided by Ph. D. J. Prieto and Dr. N. Hernández, Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua for the preparation of maps. We also thank professors and students of the FZyE who contributed ideas and corrections during research seminars to improve this project.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study, or their legal guardians or wards.

  3. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: We appreciate the financial support received through the Papiit Project No. IN218520 granted to J. J. Morrone and R. Acosta, and to the scholarship provided to CFHU by CONAHCyT, for the development of this research project.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-10-23
Accepted: 2024-12-13
Published Online: 2025-01-23
Published in Print: 2025-05-26

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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  2. Conservation
  3. Tickell’s bat, Hesperoptenus tickelli (Blyth, 1851), in Sri Lanka with new records after 58 years and roosting ecology notes
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  5. New ecological aspects of the pacarana (Dinomys branickii) in southeastern Peru
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  9. How much do we know about wild canid (Carnivora: Canidae) ectoparasites in Mexico? Current state of knowledge
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  13. First record of Andersen’s leaf-nosed bat, Hipposideros gentilis, and hairy-faced myotis, Myotis annectans from Bangladesh
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  15. Temperature and pups influence daytime roosting behavior of the great fruit-eating bat, Artibeus lituratus, in an urban southern Brazilian habitat
  16. Taxonomy/Phylogeny
  17. On the phylogenetic position of Rhinolophus sakejiensis (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae)
  18. New geographical records of Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera) for the Brazilian Caatinga, with taxonomic notes
  19. Complete mitogenome of Prionailurus bengalensis alleni and taxonomic revisions of leopard cat subspecies
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https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2024-0151
Keywords for this article
Canis latrans; fleas; lice; ticks; Urocyon cinereoargenteus; Vulpes macrotis

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Conservation
  3. Tickell’s bat, Hesperoptenus tickelli (Blyth, 1851), in Sri Lanka with new records after 58 years and roosting ecology notes
  4. Ecology
  5. New ecological aspects of the pacarana (Dinomys branickii) in southeastern Peru
  6. Variation in mammal ecological patterns in response to seasonality in a Brazilian tropical dry forest
  7. Niche partitioning between two marsupials inhabiting the Yungas of Northwestern Argentina: overlapping diets in non-overlapping lifestyles?
  8. Characteristics of tree hollows used by Nilgiri marten Martes gwatkinsii in the Western Ghats, India
  9. How much do we know about wild canid (Carnivora: Canidae) ectoparasites in Mexico? Current state of knowledge
  10. First and new records of albinism and leucism in Jaculus orientalis and Jaculus jaculus (Rodentia, Dipodidae)
  11. Biogeography
  12. The first record of the long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus Gmelin, 1770) in Lebanon
  13. First record of Andersen’s leaf-nosed bat, Hipposideros gentilis, and hairy-faced myotis, Myotis annectans from Bangladesh
  14. Ethology
  15. Temperature and pups influence daytime roosting behavior of the great fruit-eating bat, Artibeus lituratus, in an urban southern Brazilian habitat
  16. Taxonomy/Phylogeny
  17. On the phylogenetic position of Rhinolophus sakejiensis (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae)
  18. New geographical records of Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera) for the Brazilian Caatinga, with taxonomic notes
  19. Complete mitogenome of Prionailurus bengalensis alleni and taxonomic revisions of leopard cat subspecies
  20. Karyotype of the lesser gymnure Hylomys maxi and comparison with its Vietnamese congeners (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Erinaceidae)
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