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Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Short Communication Parasitological findings and antiparasitic treatment of captive Jaguarundis Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Carnivora: Felidae) in a conservation center in Brazil Nárjara Veras Grossmann, Anderson Silva de Sousa, Rebecca Martns Cardoso & Estevam Guilherme Lux Hoppe 26 June 2018 | Vol. 10 | No. 7 | Pages: 11916–11919 10.11609/jot.3394.10.7.11916-11919 For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies and Guidelines visit htp://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Artcle Submission Guidelines visit htp://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct visit htp://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints contact <[email protected]> Publisher & Host Partners Member Threatened Taxa Parasitological and antparasitc treatment ofJournal captve Jaguarundisof Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2018 | 10(7): 11916–11919Grossmann et al. Parasitological findings and antiparasitic treatment of captive Jaguarundis Herpailurus yagouaroundi ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) (Carnivora: Felidae) in a conservation center in Brazil Short Communication Short ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Nárjara Veras Grossmann 1, Anderson Silva de Sousa 2, Rebecca Martns Cardoso 3 & Estevam Guilherme Lux Hoppe 4 OPEN ACCESS 1,3 “No Extncton” (NEX) Conservaton Center and Environmental Analyst at the Insttuto Brasília Ambiental - IBRAM, Fazenda Duas Pontes - BR 70, Km 34, s/n - Zona Rural, Corumbá de Goiás - GO, 72960-000, Brazil 2 Agência de Defesa Agropecuária do Tocantns, 104 Sul, Rua SE-11 - Lote-23 Conj. 03 Centro - Palmas-TO, CEP. 77.020-026l, Brazil 4 Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jabotcabal, São Paulo, CEP 14884-900, Brazil 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected], 4 [email protected] Abstract: Ex situ management of wildlife provides a possibility for Herpailurus yagouaroundi, popularly known as species maintenance, research development and environmental Jaguarundi, is a small feline of the Neotropics. It was educaton. But as captve facilites are usually much smaller than the area occupied by a species in the natural habitat, cleaning might be originally recorded from southern Texas in the United insufcient, domestc species such as cats might be in close proximity, States, where it is now believed to be extnct, to the and wild animals in captvity are inevitably stressed, animals kept in these facilites are more at risk of acquiring parasitc infectons. outskirts of Buenos Aires in Argentna (Caso 2013). This Therefore, an appropriate prophylactc protocol and consequent ant- species occurs in a variety of biomes, including tropical parasitc therapy of afected animals are fundamental for any wildlife forests, wetlands and savannas (Caso 2013). Its diet conservaton center. This report describes the procedures adopted in a conservaton center for wild felines in which four adult Jaguarundis consists largely of small mammals, and to a smaller were diagnosed with severe infecton with gastrointestnal parasites extent of birds and reptles (Oliveira 1998; Guerrero et and fea infestaton. Two animals died and based on the necropsy al. 2002; Tófoli 2009). In contrast to most other wild fndings and fecal examinatons, infectons with Ancylostoma caninum and Toxocara cat were diagnosed, as well as severe infestatons with cats, the jaguarundi has a diurnal actvity patern (Mafei Ctenocephalides felis felis feas, all common parasites of domestc et al. 2007; Caso 2013). cats. We discuss the applied therapy and the adopted environmental Jaguarundis are not considered threatened according management, along with the importance of regular health assessments and a preventve medicine program for this species in captvity. to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and were only recently included as vulnerable in the Brazilian list Keywords: Ancylostoma, captvity, Ctenocephalides, Toxocara, wild of Endangered species. The naturally low density of this felines. species in the wild and the potental efects of habitat loss and habitat fragmentaton call for intensifed DOI: htp://doi.org/10.11609/jot.3394.10.7.11916-11919 Editor: Ulrike Streicher, Cascades Raptor Center, Eugene, USA. Date of publicaton: 26 June 2018 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 3394 | Received 04 March 2017 | Final received 03 April 2018 | Finally accepted 20 May 2018 Citaton: Grossmann, N.V., A.S. de Sousa, R.M. Cardoso & E.G.L. Hoppe (2018). Parasitological fndings and antparasitc treatment of captve Jaguarundis Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Carnivora: Felidae) in a conservaton center in Brazil. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(7): 11916–11919; htp://doi.org/10.11609/jot.3394.10.7.11916- 11919 Copyright: © Grossmann et al. 2018. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this artcle in any medium, reproduc- ton and distributon by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaton. Funding: None. Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Acknowledgments: We would like to thank the head and all the staf of the NEX - No Extncton Wildlife Sanctuary. 11916 Parasitological and antparasitc treatment of captve Jaguarundis Grossmann et al. monitoring of this species (Almeida et al. 2013). Species that are difcult to study in the wild can greatly beneft from research developed in captvity. Ensuring that these animals receive the best veterinary care and husbandry, captve individuals can be used in educatonal programs, be founder animals for wildlife reintroducton projects or serve for genetc re- enforcement of wild populatons (Kleiman 2010). The present study describes the occurrence of parasitc infectons in a captve populaton of Herpailurus yagouaroundi at the “No extncton” (NEX) Conservaton Center and the procedures consequently adopted at this © Nárjara Veras Grossmann center. Image 1. Visual inspecton of deceased female Jaguarundi. Intense fea infestaton can be observed especially in the ventral area of the neck. Material and Methods The NEX Center is classifed as a conservaton center for Neotropical felines, in accordance with Brazilian legislaton (Registry number 232423). It is located at the A necropsy was performed the following day outskirts of the naton’s capital, holds most of the feline including internal and external examinaton for parasites. species of Brazil, and is constantly receiving animals The gastrointestnal tract was removed, divided into from and exchanging animals with the environmental stomach, small intestne and large intestne, and each authority of Brazil. part was individually dissected. The contents of each In 2010 two adult Jaguarundis (one male and one secton were removed and washed under running female) were brought to the NEX center from a wild water in a steel 150 mesh sieve. Internal parasites were animal rescue center in Manaus in Northern Brazil. They preserved in Raillet & Henry soluton and identfed using underwent a 30-day long quarantne that included one specifc taxonomic keys (Rep 1963; Vicente et al. 1997). parasitological and hematological screening. In April Severe fea infestaton was observed. Fleas were kept in 2011, a second pair arrived from a rescue center in Pará, 70% ethanol and identfed with the use of appropriate also in northern Brazil. The same quarantne procedures taxonomic keys (Guimarães et al. 2001) (Image 1). were implemented for this pair. In additon, fecal samples were collected from the The Jaguarundi enclosures include separate feeding remaining Jaguarundis. They were analyzed using and sleeping areas, places to hide and trunks and ropes Sheather´s sucrose fotaton method (Dryden et al. 2005) for environmental enrichment. The foor is covered and then by the MacMaster (Gordon & Whitlock 1939). with black soil. The Jaguarundis are fed once a day with a mixture of beef or pork and domestc cat food. Results Occasionally, the animals are fed live chickens. The The ectoparasites were identfed as Ctenocephalides enclosures are cleaned daily with manual removal of felis felis and were concentrated in the ventral areas of feces and washing of sleeping chambers with water the neck and chest and the inguinal area. Large amounts and soap. Once a week the furniture and toys are also of fea dirt were observed all over the fur and skin. washed with water and soap. The necropsy did not show any macroscopic Three months afer its arrival the male from Pará alteratons of the cardiovascular, respiratory and died. Due to the advanced state of decompositon of reproductve systems. A large number of parasites was the carcass at the tme of necropsy, the fndings were found in the gastrointestnal tract, many stll atached inconclusive and are not presented in this report.