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Identification of the Tibetan fox ( Vulpes ferrilata ) and the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) by copro‐DNA diagnosis
Author(s) -
JIANG WEIBIN,
WANG XIAOMING,
LI MIN,
WANG ZHENGHUAN
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
molecular ecology resources
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.96
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1755-0998
pISSN - 1755-098X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2010.02906.x
Subject(s) - vulpes , echinococcus multilocularis , biology , mitochondrial dna , feces , cytochrome b , zoology , parasite hosting , ecology , echinococcosis , gene , genetics , predation , world wide web , computer science
Abstract Studies on feeding habits based on faeces dissecting are imperative to understand the natural history of Tibetan foxes and their functions in the transmission of a lethal zoonotic parasite, Echinococcus multilocularis . However, Tibetan foxes and red foxes live sympatrically on the Tibetan plateau, China. Therefore, the faeces of Tibetan foxes must be distinguished from those of red foxes. We established a diagnostic method to distinguish the faeces of the two species by amplifying a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene ( cytb ) and digesting with the restriction enzymes Bam HI and Ssp I, to produce specific diagnostic banding patterns. This PCR‐RFLP assay enabled rapid, accurate and easily performed identification and differentiation of the two species.