Zhou Wenliang, Gao Kai, Ma Yingjie, Wang Le, Wang Meng, Wei Fuwen, Nie Yonggang
Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Conserv Physiol. 2020 Sep 28;8(1):coaa085. doi: 10.1093/conphys/coaa085. eCollection 2020.
Many factors, including the inner status of the individuals and external environment, can influence the parasite infections and stress physiology in mammals. Here, we explored the influence of the sex, age, reproductive season and seasonal food availability on the parasitism and stress physiology in wild giant pandas () through nutrient and steroid hormone analysis and parasitic infection measurement. Diet composition had significant influences on the faecal cortisol levels and parasite load of wild giant pandas. The seasonal dynamic of the cortisol levels and parasite load in faeces co-vary with the seasonal nutrient intake levels of the pandas, which concurrently arrived the peaks at the wood bamboo shoot-eating period in May (parasite infection intensity, 41.47 ± 12.11 eggs/g of wet faeces; cortisol levels, 619.34 ± 70.55 ng/g dry faeces) that the nutrition intake by wild pandas was the highest (protein/fibre, 69.23 ± 9.93). Meanwhile, age class is also as an important factor to affect the parasite load and stress physiology of wild giant pandas. Cubs and sub-adults suffered more helminth burden and stress physiology than adults and old individuals. This is the first study to evaluate the inner and external factors influence on parasitism and stress physiology in wild giant pandas. The findings facilitate a better understanding of how environmental factors might influence the physiology, behaviour and health of pandas and other species and have implications for the conservation and management of the endangered species.
许多因素，包括个体的内在状态和外部环境，都会影响哺乳动物的寄生虫感染和应激生理。在此，我们通过营养和类固醇激素分析以及寄生虫感染测量，探讨了性别、年龄、繁殖季节和季节性食物可获得性对野生大熊猫寄生虫感染和应激生理的影响。饮食组成对野生大熊猫的粪便皮质醇水平和寄生虫负荷有显著影响。粪便中皮质醇水平和寄生虫负荷的季节性动态与大熊猫的季节性营养摄入水平共同变化，它们在5月食用木竹笋的时期同时达到峰值（寄生虫感染强度，41.47±12.11个卵/克湿粪便；皮质醇水平，619.34±70.55纳克/克干粪便），此时野生大熊猫的营养摄入量最高（蛋白质/纤维，69.23±9.93）。同时，年龄也是影响野生大熊猫寄生虫负荷和应激生理的一个重要因素。幼崽和亚成体比成年个体和老年个体承受更多的蠕虫负担和应激生理。这是第一项评估内在和外在因素对野生大熊猫寄生虫感染和应激生理影响的研究。这些发现有助于更好地理解环境因素如何影响大熊猫和其他物种的生理、行为和健康，并对濒危物种的保护和管理具有启示意义。
