Seasonal Shedding of Multiple Cryptosporidium Genotypes in California Ground Squirrels ( Spermophilus beecheyi )

Seasonal shedding of multiple Cryptosporidium genotypes in California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi).

Twelve percent of 853 California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) from six different geographic locations in Kern County, Calif., were found to be shedding on average 44,482 oocysts g of feces(-1). The mean annual environmental loading rate of Cryptosporidium oocysts was 57,882 oocysts squirrel(-1) day(-1), with seasonal patterns of fecal shedding ranging from <10,000 oocysts squirrel(-...

Quantitative shedding of two genotypes of Cryptosporidium parvum in California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi).

Sixteen percent of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) were found to be shedding an average of 53,875 Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts/g of feces. Male squirrels had a higher prevalence and higher intensity of shedding than did female squirrels. The majority of C. parvum isolates matched a bovine-murine genotype, with a few isolates resembling a porcine genotype. Higher intensitie...

The effects of wind turbines on antipredator behavior in California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi)

Electricity-generating wind turbines are an attractive energy source because they are renewable and produce no emissions. However, they have at least two potentially damaging ecological effects. Their rotating blades are hazardous to raptors which occasionally fly into them. And wind turbines are very noisy when active, a feature that may interfere with the lives of animals beneath them. We stu...

Individual variation in the antisnake behavior of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi)

Do California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) use ritualized syntactic cephalocaudal grooming as an agonistic signal?

Animal communication theory holds that many signals have evolved from nonsignal precursors. This field and laboratory study of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) provides evidence for the coexistence of such a precursor with its derived display. The precursor is an ancient, endogenously sequenced (syntactic) pattern of cephalocaudal grooming movements (CCGs) shared by all roden...