Academic literature on the topic 'Bufo Himalayans'

Background: The objective of the study is to investigate antigenic property of soluble antigens of Nematodes Cosmocercoides dukae isolated from infected Bufo himalayanus (Class Amphibia, order: Anura) and to investigate the nature of protective immune response in laboratory rats. Bufo himalayanus is a species found in the districts of Darjeeling, Sikkim and adjoining hills of the sub-Himalayan belt, at an altitude of 6000 ft. above the sea level and known to be heavily infested by natural gut dwelling nematode infections. The present study is a small step towards protection and conservation of this amphibian species. Results: study of morphology of the nematode parasite confirmed it to be Cosmocercoides dukae. A crude whole body homogenate (antigenic protein) of the parasite was injected in healthy non-infected rats, spleen histo-architecture of treated rats differed from control rats. Humoral immune response assay by Gel Diffusion Precipitin (GDP) Test revealed that the parasite antigen invoked very little to no response. Study of the crude nematode antigenic protein extract concentration was 6.09 mg/ml and protein profile assay by SDS-PAGE showed seven major and several minor bands. Discussion: Though humoral immune response assay of parasite in experimental rats evoked very little or no immune response, this would not mean absence of antibodies, rather the antibody titers were presumably very low. It is to be noted that spleen of treated rats showed a distinctive histological feature. GDP test with infected toad serum also showed negative result. But protein profile assay of antigenic protein by SDS-PAGE showed many bands of proteins, which could be isolated and tested for further characterization. Conclusion: In order to maintain the Himalayan biodiversity, this amphibian species needs protection from such natural infective nematode parasites. If we are able to focus any light to this area, this knowledge might help the future research workers to plan for the protection of this species.

Abstract Different categories of social calls may be used in a variety of behavioral contexts and may have different functions. Here, we show that Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats emit two types of calls: bent upward frequency modulated (bUFM) calls emitted during agonistic interactions between two bats that have perched close to each other and stepped upward frequency modulated (sUFM) calls emitted by a roosting individual when a free-flying bat approached. There were significant differences in acoustic parameters between bUFM calls and sUFM calls. Moreover, we tested different choices of Hipposideros armiger to playback of bUFM calls and sUFM calls. The bats avoided the location of bUFM call playbacks independent of the simultaneous playback of echolocation pulses, silence, or sUFM calls. The bats also avoided approaching the side of the flight room where sUFM calls were broadcast when also presented with playbacks of echolocation pulses, but not when simultaneously presented with silence. The results suggest that bUFM calls may serve the function of territorial defense, while sUFM calls may convey warning information. Our results, therefore, imply that the two types of calls have different functions depending on behavioral context. These differences in function suggest that bats can detect context-dependent modifications of acoustic cues across the two types of social calls.

A buff-yellow-pigmented bacterium, strain K22-20T, which was isolated from a cold desert of the Indian Himalayas, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Phenotypic and chemical properties of strain K22-20T were consistent with its classification in the genus Ornithinimicrobium. The major fatty acids of the strain were iso-C17 : 1 ω9c (cis-15-methyl 7-hexadecenoic acid), iso-C15 : 0 (13-methyl tetradecanoic acid), iso-C16 : 0 (14-methyl pentadecanoic acid) and iso-C17 : 0 (15-methyl hexadecanoic acid). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 71 mol%. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain K22-20T was closely related to Ornithinimicrobium humiphilum HKI 0124T (97.7 %). However, genomic relatedness between strain K22-20T and O. humiphilum MTCC 6406T, as revealed by DNA–DNA hybridization, was 64.5 %. Based on the polyphasic data, strain K22-20T (=MTCC 6545T=DSM 17687T=JCM 12763T) represents a novel species of the genus Ornithinimicrobium, for which the name Ornithinimicrobium kibberense sp. nov. is proposed.

Spatial and temporal diversity of the diet of the tawny owl (Strix aluco) The author compared diet of eight owl species in Slovakia, out of which four species prey in the non-forest environment (Bubo bubo, Tyto alba, Asio otus and Athene noctua), while the other four species prey mostly in the forest (Glaucidium passerinum, Aegolius funereus, Strix uralensis and Strix aluco). Tawny owl (Strix aluco) has shown the highest degree of adaptability when it comes to various types of environment and broad diversity of prey. Appendix 1 presents material of total 225,441 pieces of diet, which contains 69 species of mammals and at least 147 species of birds. While B. bubo diet is typical especially for high presence of bigger prey species within mammals and birds (66 diagnostic taxa), diet of S. aluco is characterized by as many as 89 taxa with higher share than the average of all eight compared owls (taxa with values 1+ and 2+ in blocks as marked by full line). Based on the analysis of 68,070 pieces of S. aluco diet collected in Slovakia, it is possible to differentiate seven basic diet types: A - from lower mountains, B - from middle montane locations, C - from colder and more humid parts of mountains, D - characterized by high share of bats (Chiroptera), E - characterized by high share of slugs (Limacidae), F - from floodplain forests, and finally G - from environment strongly influenced by humans. Diagnostic species for one or several diet types are characterized by markedly higher share than Slovak average. By the large amount of analyzed samples of S. aluco diet it is possible to gain the knowledge about structure of several animal groups from relatively little disrupted forest ecosystems and those from environment to some degree influenced by humans. Diet types represent simplified models, which are understood in a different sense than plant communities. Individual disposition for specific food preference (e. g. Chiroptera) also plays an important role by some tawny owl's specimens. Some types of prey can be further divided into undertypes (e. g. undertypes G1 and G2 in Table 1). Diet of S. aluco has been examined more in detail and over a longer period of time especially in following national parks: Slovenský kras, Muránska planina and Veľká Fatra Mts. Samples from other parts of Slovakia are also presented here according to their relevance to particular diet types. Pellets of S. aluco were collected over a longer period of time (up to 30 years) in several sites and it is chronological periodicity in presentence of diagnostic species, which stands in focus. Long-term changes in S. aluco diet during Holocene were examined in two parts of Veľká Fatra Mts, which are influenced by climatic changes as well as human activity (deforestation and pasture). The author has occasionally collected pellets of S. aluco in several mountains of Europe between Western Alps and Caucasus and from northern border in S. aluco areal, from Trondheim area in Norway. Furthermore, the author presents hereby his own material from pellets of S. aluco from the Middle East to Himalaya (in particular countries of Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal).