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Effects of the Parasite Eimeria Arizonensis on Survival of Deer Mice (Peromyscus Maniculatus)
Author(s) -
Fuller Claire A.,
Blaustein Andrew R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/2265712
Subject(s) - peromyscus , biology , deer mouse , parasite hosting , muridae , eimeria , zoology , ecology , world wide web , computer science , microbiology and biotechnology
Few experimental studies have documented the negative effect of parasites on fitness of hosts under natural or seminatural conditions. We studied the effect of Eimeria arizonensis (Protozoa) on recruitment, winter survival, and change in body mass in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). In field observations, the presence of E. arizonensis was negatively related to recruitment in females and to over—winter survival in males. Experimental manipulation of E. arizonensis in large field enclosures also showed that infection negatively affected over—winter survival of males. There was no relationship between the body mass of deer mice and the presence of either natural or experimental infection. Thus, the mechanism through which E. arizonensis affects survival remains unclear.