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1 January 2011 EFFECTS OF RAINFALL, HOST DEMOGRAPHY, AND MUSTH ON STRONGYLE FECAL EGG COUNTS IN AFRICAN ELEPHANTS (LOXODONTA AFRICANA) IN NAMIBIA
M. I. Thurber, C. E. O’Connell-Rodwell, W. C. Turner, K. Nambandi, C. Kinzley, T. C. Rodwell, C. T. Faulkner, S. A. Felt, D. M. Bouley
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Abstract

Wild African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are commonly infected with intestinal strongyle parasites. Our objective was to determine baseline fecal strongyle egg counts for elephants in the northeast region of Etosha National Park, Namibia and determine if these numbers were affected by annual rainfall, elephant demography (age of individuals and composition of groups), and hormonal state of males. We found that matriarchal family group members have significantly higher fecal egg counts than male elephants (bulls). Among family group members, strongyle egg counts increased with age, whereas among bulls, strongyle egg counts decreased with age. Years of higher rainfall were correlated with decreased numbers of strongyle eggs among bulls. Finally, bulls were not affected by their physiologic (hormonal) status (musth vs. nonmusth). These results suggest that infection by strongyle parasites in Namibian African elephants is a dynamic process affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors including host demography and rainfall.

M. I. Thurber, C. E. O’Connell-Rodwell, W. C. Turner, K. Nambandi, C. Kinzley, T. C. Rodwell, C. T. Faulkner, S. A. Felt, and D. M. Bouley "EFFECTS OF RAINFALL, HOST DEMOGRAPHY, AND MUSTH ON STRONGYLE FECAL EGG COUNTS IN AFRICAN ELEPHANTS (LOXODONTA AFRICANA) IN NAMIBIA," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 47(1), 172-181, (1 January 2011). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-47.1.172
Received: 17 June 2010; Accepted: 1 September 2010; Published: 1 January 2011
KEYWORDS
African elephant
Etosha National Park
intestinal parasites
Loxodonta africana
Namibia
strongyle nematodes
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