The relationship between grooming behavior and parasite infections in wild Tibetan macaques

doi:10.16829/j.slxb.150856

Abstract

Abstract: Social grooming is the most extensive and frequent social interaction pattern within non-human primates, while accumulating evidence points that social grooming is not a low-cost investment given the potential health risks associated with parasite infection during the grooming process. This study aimed to investigate the potential health costs of social grooming by estimating the associations between the amount of social grooming given and the type and infection risk of parasites in wild Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in MT. Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. Our results showed that a total of 11 species of parasites were found, the highest risk of infection is the Capillaria spp. / Trichostrongylus spp. and Balantidium coli (93%), followed by the Trichuris trichura (54%). As the durations of social grooming initiated increased, the higher the risk of infection with Balantidium coli, while the risk of infection with Ascaris spp. decreased with the increase in social grooming received. In addition, we noted that the risk of infection with Balantidium coli also showed an increasing tendency with the node strength increase in social grooming networks. In general, our results provided empirical evidence for the risk of parasite infections in wild Tibetan macaques, while also offering a new perspective on the trade-off between the benefits and costs of social grooming in non-human primate societies.

Key words: Tibetan macaque, Wild, Grooming, Parasite, Balantidium coli

摘要： 理毛行为是灵长类动物群体中普遍存在且频繁发生的行为模式，越来越多的研究证实，对理毛者来说为其他个体理毛不再是一种低代价的投资，其主要原因是理毛行为能够增加寄生虫感染的潜在风险。然而，理毛行为感染何种类型寄生虫及其感染风险如何仍值得进一步研究。本研究以栖息于安徽黄山的野生藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana)为研究对象，采集动物个体的粪便样品并检测其中寄生虫的种类，通过分析理毛行为与寄生虫感染的关系，探讨理毛者在理毛投资过程中的潜在风险。结果显示，野生藏酋猴共感染了11种寄生虫，感染线虫(Capillaria spp.,Trichostrongylus spp.)和结肠小袋纤毛虫(Balantidium coli)的风险最高(均为93%)，感染鞭虫(Trichuris trichura)的风险次之(54%)。基于两两个体之间的理毛关系，研究发现，发起理毛行为时间越长感染结肠小袋纤毛虫的概率越高；接收理毛行为时间越长，感染蛔虫的概率越低。基于理毛行为网络的分析发现，理毛网络中节点强度较高的个体感染结肠小袋纤毛虫的概率最高。本研究不仅有助于认识和理解野生藏酋猴寄生虫感染状况，也为深入理解理毛行为的风险代价及其功能结果提供更多科学依据。

关键词: 藏酋猴, 野生, 理毛行为, 肠道寄生虫, 结肠小袋纤毛虫

CLC Number:

Q958.12⁺2.3

ZHANG Jie, CHEN Shiwang, TIAN Hongwei, SUN Binghua, WANG Xi, XIA Dongpo. The relationship between grooming behavior and parasite infections in wild Tibetan macaques[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2024, 44(1): 50-57.

张洁, 陈仕望, 田红卫, 孙丙华, 王希, 夏东坡. 野生藏酋猴理毛行为与肠道寄生虫感染的关系[J]. 兽类学报, 2024, 44(1): 50-57.

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