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Serologic Survey of the Island Spotted Skunk on Santa Cruz Island

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Serologic Survey of the Island Spotted Skunk on Santa Cruz Island Western North American Naturalist Volume 66 Number 4 Article 7 12-8-2006 Serologic survey of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island Victoria J. Bakker University of California, Davis Dirk H. Van Vuren University of California, Davis Kevin R. Crooks Colorado State University, Fort Collins Cheryl A. Scott Davis, California Jeffery T. Wilcox Berkeley, California See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan Recommended Citation Bakker, Victoria J.; Van Vuren, Dirk H.; Crooks, Kevin R.; Scott, Cheryl A.; Wilcox, Jeffery T.; and Garcelon, David K. (2006) "Serologic survey of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 66 : No. 4 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol66/iss4/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Serologic survey of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island Authors Victoria J. Bakker, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Kevin R. Crooks, Cheryl A. Scott, Jeffery T. Wilcox, and David K. Garcelon This article is available in Western North American Naturalist: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol66/iss4/7 Western North American Naturalist 66(4), © 2006, pp. 456–461 SEROLOGIC SURVEY OF THE ISLAND SPOTTED SKUNK ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND Victoria J. Bakker1,6, Dirk H. Van Vuren1, Kevin R. Crooks2, Cheryl A. Scott3, Jeffery T. Wilcox4, and David K. Garcelon5 ABSTRACT.—Two rare endemic carnivores occur on California’s northern Channel Islands: island spotted skunks (Spi- logale gracilis amphiala) and island foxes (Urocyon littoralis). As insular carnivores, both may be particularly vulnerable to novel pathogens. We tested sera from 31 island spotted skunks on Santa Cruz Island, where both skunks and foxes occur sympatrically, to establish their exposure to disease agents. One skunk (3%) tested positive for canine heartworm, and 3 skunks (10%) tested positive for canine parvovirus. None showed evidence of exposure to canine adenovirus, canine distemper virus, canine herpesvirus, Leptospira bacteria (serovars pomona, canicola, and icterohaemorrhagiae), or pseudorabies virus. Spotted skunks on Santa Cruz Island apparently have low susceptibility or exposure to these pathogens and are unlikely to be reservoirs of these diseases for island foxes. Key words: Spilogale gracilis amphiala, island spotted skunk, Santa Cruz Island, canine heartworm, canine parvo- virus, canine adenovirus, canine distemper virus, canine herpesvirus, Leptospira, pseudorabies virus. Islands typically support few terrestrial (Timm et al. 2000, Roemer et al. 2001, USFWS mammals because they have poor capacity for 2004), consistent with the profile of a naive overwater dispersal. Insular carnivores are island species. Currently, the health of island especially rare because their low carrying foxes is closely monitored (T. Coonan personal capacities increase their risk of extinction when communication). land area is limited (Heaney 1984, Purvis et In contrast, relatively little is known about al. 2000). Thus, California’s Channel Islands the population dynamics and health status of are unusual in supporting 2 endemic carni- island spotted skunks, which inhabit the 2 vores—the island fox (Urocyon littoralis) and largest Channel Islands (Santa Cruz and Santa the island spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis Rosa), where they are sympatric with island amphiala). Taxa on islands evolve in isolation foxes. Prior to the decline of the fox, island and frequently lack natural defenses to preda- spotted skunks were very rare (Laughrin 1980, tors and pathogens, further elevating extinc- Crooks 1994). Although they are still uncom- tion risk (Van Riper et al. 1986, Bowen and mon and remain a state-listed species of spe- Van Vuren 1997, Roemer et al. 2001), and carni- cial concern (Williams 1986, Crooks and Van vores appear particularly susceptible to diseases Vuren 2000), their numbers have increased (Young 1994, Macdonald 1996). Consequently, concurrent with the decline of the fox (Crooks diseases are a primary conservation concern and Van Vuren 2000, Roemer et al. 2001), pre- for both island foxes and island spotted skunks. senting an opportunity to perform health Within the last 10 years 4 island fox sub- screening essential for the conservation of species have declined drastically, resulting in both foxes and skunks on the Channel Islands. their federal listing as endangered (USFWS Previously, skunks were so rare that acquiring 2004) and necessitating captive propagation to adequate sample sizes was difficult (Crooks avert their extinction (Coonan 2003). Preda- 1994, Crooks and Van Vuren 1995). Thus, base- tion by Golden Eagles (Aguila chrysaetos) and line hematologic and serum chemistry param- the recent appearance of canine distemper are eters and data on ectoparasite loads have assumed to be the primary causes of this decline emerged only recently (Crooks et al. 2003, 1Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616. 2Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. 3Box 73842, Davis, CA 95617. 41474 Rose Street, Berkeley, CA 94702. 5Institute for Wildlife Studies, Box 1104, Arcata, CA 95518. 6E-mail: [email protected] 456 2006] DISEASES OF ISLAND SPOTTED SKUNKS 457 Crooks et al. 2004). Such basic health informa- the remainder was placed in sterile serum- tion is important both because skunks may separator tubes, allowed to clot for ≥2 hours, serve as reservoirs for diseases that threaten and then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for up to 10 island foxes and because, as a vulnerable insu- minutes. On the same day as centrifugation, lar endemic subspecies, they have conserva- serum was extracted from clotted samples tion value in their own right. with Pasteur pipettes and placed in 1.5 mL The goal of this study was to establish base- Eppendorf vials. Serum samples were main- line disease status by conducting a serological tained at approximately 4°–6°C for 1–4 days analysis to assess exposure of the island spot- prior to analysis. Each skunk was released ted skunk to pathogens on Santa Cruz Island. unharmed at the point of capture. We tested for disease agents previously detected We used a commercially available micro- in island foxes that are known to cause mor- well enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay bidity or mortality to canids, including canine (ELISA) to detect heartworm antigen in skunk heartworm, canine adenovirus, canine distem- sera (DiroChek Synbiotics Corporation, San per virus, canine herpesvirus, canine parvo- Diego, CA), with testing performed by Home- virus, and Leptospira bacteria (Garcelon et al. Vet Hospice (Davis, CA). All other testing was 1992, Crooks et al. 2001, Roemer et al. 2001). conducted by personnel at the Animal Health In addition, we tested for pseudorabies virus, Diagnostic Laboratory, Cornell University a disease of swine, because feral pigs were (Ithaca, NY), who used serum neutralization present on the island. All these disease agents tests to screen samples for antibodies to canine appeared capable of infecting mephitids or distemper virus, canine adenovirus 1 (infec- mustelids (Trainer and Karstad 1963, Keymer tious canine hepatitis), and canine herpesvirus and Epps 1969, Karstad et al. 1975, Barker et and agglutination assays to detect antibodies to al. 1983, Snyder et al. 1989, Kimber et al. canine parvovirus (hemagglutination inhibi- 2000, Leighton and Kuiken 2001). tion), pseudorabies virus (latex agglutination), and Leptospira (micro-agglutination). We tested for 3 Leptospira serovars: pomona, present in METHODS sea lions and pigs in California; canicola, Santa Cruz Island, located 40 km south of occurring in dogs; and icterohaemorrhagiae, Santa Barbara, California, experiences a mari- detected in island foxes on Santa Cruz Island time Mediterranean climate with periodic cool (Roth 1970, Garcelon et al. 1992, Gulland et winter rains typically beginning in November al. 1996). Starting dilutions for distemper, ade- and hot, dry summers beginning in May. We novirus, herpesvirus, and parvovirus tests were 1:10 with the exception of 1 distemper and 3 live-trapped skunks in August 2000 and Janu- herpesvirus samples started at 1:20 because ary 2001 throughout most of the island with sera showed toxicity at lower dilutions. Pseudo- single-door box traps baited with commercial rabies and Leptospira dilutions were 1:4 and cat food and fruit paste (Nick Wyshinski, Ber- 1:100, respectively. wick, PA). Animals were temporarily marked so that individuals could be identified within RESULTS sampling periods. Trap location, sex, weight, and other distinguishing characteristics were We collected blood from 31 different skunks. used to identify individuals between sampling Serologic testing revealed positive results for periods. We assumed all captured skunks were only 2 pathogens (Table 1). One skunk (n = young adults or adults based on typical late- 31) tested positive for canine heartworm anti- spring litter production (Howard and Marsh gens. Three skunks (n = 30) exhibited anti- 1982) and age-specific weight criteria (Crabb bodies to canine parvovirus at titer levels of 1994, Crooks 1994). All captured
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