The cage was designed for holding and breeding rabbits, and can also be used for holding cats for short periods. Single cages can be joined back to back: this larger cage can also be used for breeding rabbits, and the longer-term holding of cats. When not in use cages fold into compact units, saving storage space and labour, as many cages may be autoclaved, boiled or steamed at once. Repair, ma...

1. Ticks (Ornithodoros capensis Neumann) were most abundant on incubating host African penguins (Spheniscus demersus Linnaeus) at 24.00 hours and least abundant during 09.00-12.00 hours during 4 day periods in May and October at 3 h intervals. 2. Ticks were three times as abundant in May, the start of the breeding season, as in October, at its end. 3. Air temperature and humidity appear less im...

Based on the calculation of selection and genetic parameters main indicators sperm production Holstein bulls in different age periods, an assessment their own productivity under influence various factors was carried out. The "year" "year birth" have a significant effect volume ejaculate (n=2.4-4.0%***), total number spermatozoa (?=3.7-2.8%***), concentration (?=1.4-2.4%***). factor "age bull" a...

Filoviruses Ebolavirus (EBOV) and Marburgvirus (MARV) cause haemorrhagic fevers with high mortality rates, posing significant threats to public health. To understand transmission into human populations, filovirus dynamics within reservoir host populations must be understood. Studies have directly linked filoviruses to bats, but the mechanisms allowing viral persistence within bat populations ar...

During the course of our history, humankind has been through different periods of agricultural improvement aimed at enhancing our food supply and the performance of food crops. In recent years, it has become apparent that future crop improvement efforts will require new approaches to address the local challenges of farmers while empowering discovery across industry and academia. New plant breed...

It remains largely unknown which factors affect the innate immune responses of free-living birds. Nevertheless, the degree of innate immunity may play a crucial role in an individual's survival as it procures the first defence against pathogens. We manipulated the ectoparasite load of great tit (Parus major) nests by infesting them with hen fleas (Ceratophyllus gallinae) before egg laying. We s...

When species competing for the same resources coexist, some segregation in the way they utilize those resources is expected. However, little is known about how closely related sympatric breeding species segregate outside the breeding season. We investigated the annual segregation of three closely related seabirds (razorbill Alcatorda, common guillemot Uriaaalge and Brünnich's guillemot U. lomvi...

Few microhabitats have been previously identified as natural breeding places for phlebotomine sand flies so far, and little is known about the influence of climate variables in their density. The present study was conducted in a dry region with a semiarid climate, where visceral leishmaniasis occurs in humans and dogs. The occurrence of breeding places in specific microhabitats was investigated...