The aim of this thesis was to elucidate the role of carbonic anhydrase (CA) in the modulation of central pH/CO2-sensitive fictive breathing (measured using in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparations) in leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) following exposure to chronic hypercapnia (CHC) and chronic hypoxia (CH). CHC caused an augmentation in fictive breathing compared to the controls (normoxic normocapnic). Addition of acetazolamide (ACTZ), a cell-permeant CA inhibitor, to the superfusate reduced fictive breathing in the controls and abolished the CHC-induced augmentation of fictive breathing. ACTZ had no effect on preparations taken from frogs exposed to CH. Addition of bovine CA to the superfusate did not alter fictive breathing in any group, suggesting that the effects of ACTZ were due to inhibition of intracellular CA. Taken together, these results indicate that CA is involved in central pH/CO2 chemoreception and the CHC-induced increase in fictive breathing in the leopard frog.

Chytridiomycosis is an emerging cutaneous fungal disease that contributes to recent global declines and extinction of amphibian species, caused by infection of the skin with a fungus known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Many species of frogs secrete antimicrobial peptides onto their skin that are capable of killing Bd. This thesis is an investigation of the effect of corticosteroids on cutaneous innate immunity in frogs, in the context of infection with Bd. The general hypothesis was that injections of glucocorticoids would impair the cutaneous synthesis of these antimicrobial peptides, thereby increasing susceptibility to Bd infection. The objective of the first experiment was to measure and compare gene expression levels of cutaneous AMP’s in frogs treated with glucocorticoids with sham-treated controls. Wild-caught Lithobates pipiens were acclimatized and administered either the corticosteroid methylprednisolone or saline every 48 hours. Norepinephrine-elicited cutaneous secretions were collected prior to the first injection of corticosteroid or saline, and then every 8 days for 40 days. Gene expression of the AMP’s brevinin and ranatuerin in the cutaneous secretions was quantified relative to the reference genes EF1-α and RPL8 using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Corticosteroid treatment was associated with a significant (P<0.027) increase in brevinin gene expression, which was most notable at 24-40 days of corticosteroid administration. Ranatuerin expression followed a similar but nonsignificant trend. The second experiment was a pilot study intended to establish a Bd challenge protocol in L. pipiens. Frogs were immersed in water containing 0, 104, 105 or 106 zoospores of Bd strain JEL 423. Cutaneous swabs were collected prior to challenge and tested for Bd by qPCR; unexpectedly, some tested positive, indicating pre-challenge infection. The analysis was complicated by an identified cross-reactivity of the assay with other fungi. The findings of the first experiment refuted the hypothesis, and suggested that corticosteroids promote rather than impair AMP gene expression in the skin of L. pipiens, under these experimental conditions. Further, the second study demonstrated that none of the frogs showed clinical abnormalities or died, despite exposure to Bd zoospores and despite molecular and histologic evidence of cutaneous Bd infection in some frogs. / NSERC Discovery Grant

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis involves research on wildlife telemetry tracking for the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT). The CLT needed a network to transfer GPS data and single frame photos from remote locations in the Cederberg to a researcher's base station. The proposed solution is an ad hoc wireless network, where nodes perform polling of leopard collars and send information via the multi-hop network to the researcher's base once it is downloaded from a collar. The literature study involved medium access control - and routing protocols for e ectively transferring information. The solution was implemented in hardware and range tests were done in the Cederberg to determine feasible locations for nodes in this network for covering most of the CLT study area. Link budgets for this area was determined with Radio Mobile to compare with actual ranges as measured. The simulation of protocols was done in OMNET++ which could be compared with actual results from the physical network. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis handel oor navorsing wat gedoen is vir die Kaapse Luipaard Trust (CLT) vir die opsporing van luipaarde. Die CLT het 'n netwerk nodig gehad wat GPS data en enkel raam fotos van afgeleë gebiede in die Cederberge na 'n navorser se basis stuur. Die voorgestelde oplossing is 'n ad hoc draadlose netwerk, waar nodisse luipaard nekbande oproep om data af te laai en dan te stuur deur die multi-hop netwerk na die navorser se basis. Die literatuurstudie handel oor medium toegangs beheer - en roete verkryging protokolle vir die effektiewe oordrag van informasie. Die oplossing is in hardeware geïmplimenteer en radio-afstand-toetse is gedoen in die Cederberge om goedgeleë posisies vir nodisse te bepaal om die grootste gedeelte van die CLT studie area te dek. Radio Mobile is gebruik om voorspellings te maak rakende die afstande verkrygbaar tussen radios om te vergelyk met die fisiese metings in die veld. Die simulasie van protokolle is gedoen in OMNET++ en vergelyk met prestasie metings op die fisiese netwerk.

This research deals with the challenges of the conservation of tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in the Chitwan National Park of Nepal and aims to be a model for tiger conservation in the tropical areas of other tiger range countries. Despite the high level of public concern and major investments during the last few decades for conservation, wild tigers continue to be under grave threat, and their preservation now requires, more than ever before, using reliable ecological knowledge for their conservation interventions. In this dissertation, I investigated various factors that affect on tiger conservation in this park: population status of prey, dietary patterns of tiger and its impact on sympatric carnivores (e.g., leopard) and increasing human-wildlife conflicts, effects of habitat structures and human disturbances on prey and predator species abundance and distribution.

Knowledge about a species’ reproductive parameters such as breeding behaviours is a vital building block for essential conservation actions, especially for endangered species. Despite this, there is a considerable knowledge gap about the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) maternal behaviours, as well as the timing of den independence for the cubs. It has been assumed that female snow leopards change their behaviours post-denning and that the cubs leave their den together with their mothers around two to three months of age. However, until this day no quantitative data has been used to analyse female behaviours post-denning and when the cubs leave their den. I analysed pre- and post-denning activity for seven GPS-collared snow leopard females in Tost Mountains of southern Mongolia during the years 2010 to 2019. With linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models, I found that female snow leopards with small cubs changed their behavioural patterns and space use by decreasing their monthly home range size, compared to females with older or no cubs. When the cubs became six months old, there were no detectable differences in these behaviours which suggests that the cubs started to travel continuously with their mother at the age of 5-6 months. The rate at which the collars successfully acquired positions decreased considerably during the early phase of denning when the female spent considerable time at the den sites where the collars could not communicate with the satellites. The age of the cubs when the female left the den ranged from 21-61 days (mean =44 days), suggesting that snow leopard females use their dens for 1.5 ± 0.5 months. This study provides the first estimate of the extent of den use by snow leopards, as well as the first estimates of post-denning behavioural patterns for snow leopard females and their cubs.

No description available.

Carnivore are undoubtedly among the most threatened of the mammal species in Africa because of the low density at which they occur and their large home range requirements that do not match with human propensity to develop and alter wildlife habitat. However, the degree of threat is unevenly distributed within the continent, with western and central African carnivores being the most threatened and the least studied. I estimated population size, density, and proportion of area occupied in relation to environmental factors of one medium-size (serval – Leptailurus serval) and two large carnivores (lion – Panthera leo and leopard – P. pardus) in the Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal, West Africa, using remote camera surveys and both traditional (CR), spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) techniques for servals and leopards, and non-spatial (MR) and spatial mark resight (SMR) methods for lions. Lions selected optimal sites with both high tree density and prey activity; leopards occupied areas with high tree density but with less prey activity; and servals selected habitats with more dense canopy cover where leopards were absent. The presence of lions was favorable to serval presence, as we presume leopards avoid lions, although we did not have strong evidence to support it. Moreover, the half mean maximum distance moved (½ MMDM) method under CR methods appeared to overestimate leopard and serval density while full MMDM estimates were close to SECR methods density estimates. For lions, both ½ MMDM and full MMDM methods in MR framework overestimated density whereas the SMR method resulted in more reasonable estimates, especially in light of previous assessments of lion densities in West Africa.. These results are of high importance for conservation and management purposes of the imperiled Niokolo Koba carnivore community. / Master of Science

Scar-free wound healing and regeneration are uncommon phenomena permitting the near complete restoration of damaged tissues, organs and structures. Although rare in mammals, many lizards are able to undergo scarless healing and regeneration following loss of the tail. This study investigated the spontaneous and intrinsic capacity of the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) tail to undergo scar-free wound healing and regeneration following two different forms of tail loss: autotomy, a voluntary and evolved mechanism of tail shedding at fracture planes; and surgical amputation, involuntary loss of the tail outside the fracture planes. Furthermore, I investigated the ability of the regenerate tail to regenerate by amputating a regenerate tail (previously lost by autotomy). To investigate these phenomena I imaged wound healing and regenereating tails daily (following autotomy and amputation) to document gross morphological changes. I used histochemistry to document tissue structure and immunohistochemistry to determine the tissue/cellular location of my five proteins of interest (PCNA, MMP-9, WE6, α-sma, TGF-β3). Each of these proteins of interest has been previously documented during wound healing and/or regeneration in other wound healing/regeneration model organisms (e.g. mice, urodeles, lizards, zebrafish). Scar-free wound healing and regeneration occurred following autotomy, amputation of the original tail and amputation of the regenerate tail, indicating that the leopard gecko tail has an instrinsic scar-free wound healing and regenerative capacity that is independent of the mode of tail loss (autotomy or amputation). Furthermore immunohistochemistry revealed a conserved sequence and location of the expression of the five proteins of interest following both forms of tail loss. These results provide the basis for further studies investigating scar-free wound healing and regeneration in a novel amniote model, the leopard gecko. / NSERC

Single-species research dominates the field of ecology; however there is a growing appreciation of the importance of a multi-species approach to holistic conservation. Carnivores exert a top-down control on other species, and are vital components of stable ecosystem functioning. Physiologically adapted for predation upon other animals, competition between carnivores can be particularly aggressive; frequently resulting in mortality, and even population suppression. Big cat research has historically focused on those species that are most easily observable; in particular the lion Panthera leo. The majority of the Felidae however are secretive and elusive, and receive relatively little scientific attention. In particular, there are few data available that measure the effect of direct intraguild interactions between carnivores. Using leopards Panthera pardus as a model species, this research aimed to investigate the impact of lions on the behavioural ecology of a socially subordinate carnivore. Leopards are the most abundant large carnivore in Africa, and have the largest global range of all felids; their ecological niche overlapping with that of both lions and tigers. The knowledge gained from examining their competitive interactions is therefore widely relevant, and may be applicable to other subordinate carnivore species that remain unstudied. Biotelemetry and camera-trap data were modelled using novel algorithms to show that lions impact on leopard population density, demographics and spatial ecology. Faecal analyses suggest that dietary niche segregation may facilitate sympatry. These results indicate the level of impact that large carnivores can exert over smaller species, and the potential for a focus on single-species conservation to undermine holistic conservation. The manifestation of intraguild competition has a significant influence on an animal’s ecology; leopards are generalist species that cope with persecution by adapting their behaviour and niche. Ecological specialists may not fare as well under competitive pressure, and proactive conservation initiatives may be required for endangered species.

Although the opportunistic feeding habits of leopards were evident in this study, scat analysis showed that ungulates were by far the predominant food, with impala being the most frequent item. The fact that cattle calves were only taken up to ± 100 days old, emphasize the relevance of a proper stock management program to prevent stock losses. In addition, where such measures were impractical, temporary physical barriers such as electric fencing showed potential for application. Modification on different capture techniques were investigated not only to capture leopards for radio collaring but also for the elimination of problem leopards. The effective home range size of a resident male and female leopard in the Naboomspruit area were calculated at 303 km2 and 157 km2 respectively. A density of one leopard per 53 km2 are suggested for the Naboosmpruit study area. Both leopards were predominantly nocturnal with some crepuscular activity. Translocation experiments revealed different results. The conducting of translocations in farming areas, where problem leopards are involved are however not suggested. Leopard density and distribution patterns showed that numbers are relative safe, and that populations are currently to a large extent linked, which makes natural gene flow a possibility. Although suitable areas for leopards thus exist, these may not be available as homogenous units in the future, due to increasing human pressure. / Dissertation (MSc (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted