Natural infection by intestinal cestodes: variability and effect on growth in Greater Snow Goose goslings ( Chen caerulescens atlantica )

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Righi, Mohamed, Gauthier, Gilles
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2002
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Nunavut; Bylot Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-089; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z02-089

We determined the species of intestinal helminths in Greater Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens atlantica) goslings and examined annual variability in infection levels over a 5-year period on Bylot Island, Nunavut. The intestines of 112 wild goslings collected when near fledging were examined. We also evaluated the effect of intestinal parasites on growth and behaviour of captive goslings in a controlled experiment. In 2000, one group (n = 11) was treated with anthelmintic drugs (Piperazine 52 for nematodes and Droncit ® for cestodes) and the other (n = 14) was used as a control. Four hymenolepidid cestodes were identified: Drepanidotaenia lanceolata, Hymenolepis barrowensis, Microsom acanthus setigera, and Retinometra longivaginata. No nematodes were detected. Prevalence of intestinal cestodes in wild goslings was 100% but their abundance varied among years (from 28.9 ± 2.7 to 175.2 ± 49.7 (mean ± SE) cestodes per host) and individuals. Captive goslings treated with anthelmintic drugs were free of parasites, whereas all control goslings were parasitized when sacrificed at 36 d, although cestode abundance in the latter group was much lower (4.2 ± 0.7) than in wild goslings. There was no difference in growth rates between treated and control captive goslings until they were 36 d of age. However, treated goslings spent more time feeding than control ones, which suggests an effect of cestodes on host behaviour.