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Southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) is a medium-sized and gregarious mountain ungulate with populations affected by periodic outbreaks of border disease virus (BD), infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC), and sarcoptic mange (SM). Even though the impact of each disease on chamois populations has been described in detail, there is a lack of information about the potential impact of concomitant epidemics and the synzootic potential (co-occurring enzootic or epizootic processes producing worse health outcomes in wildlife) on chamois populations. Furthermore, whether a specific order of apparition of epidemics is more or less harmful for the host population is practically unknown not only for chamois but also for most mammal populations. Using a population viability analysis (PVA), we studied the consequences of multiple disease outbreaks with synzootic potential on growth rates and probabilities of extinction of virtual populations exposed to hard winters, density dependence, and co-occurring BD, IKC, and SM outbreaks. Such infections are not under cross-immunity nor density-dependent processes and thus are supposed to affect population demography independently. Heavy snowfalls are also likely to occur in our simulated populations. Our simulations showed that a second outbreak, even caused by a low virulent pathogen, causes an increase in the probability of extinction of the host population with regard to the first outbreak. IKC-BD- and SM-BD-affected populations had a higher risk of becoming extinct in 50 years confirming the extra risk of multiple outbreaks on the viability of the affected populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diet composition of ungulates is important to understand not only their impact on vegetation, but also to understand the consequences of natural and human-driven environmental changes on the foraging behavior of these mammals. In this work, we evaluated the use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy analysis (NIRS), a quick, economic and non-destructive method, to assess the diet composition of the Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica. Fecal samples (n = 192) were collected from two chamois populations in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. Diet composition was initially assessed by fecal cuticle microhistological analysis (CMA) and categorized into four functional groups, namely: woody, herbaceous, graminoid and Fabaceae plants. Regressions of modified partial least squares and several combinations of scattering correction and derivative treatments were tested. The results showed that models based on the second derivative processing obtained the higher determination coefficient for woody, herbaceous and graminoid plants (R2CAL, coefficient of determination in calibration, ranged from 0.86 to 0.91). The Fabaceae group, however, was predicted with lower accuracy (R2CAL = 0.71). Even though an agreement between NIRS and CMA methods was confirmed by a Bland–Altman analysis, confidence limits of agreement differed by up to 25%. Our results support the viability of fecal NIRS analysis to study spatial and temporal variations of the Pyrenean chamois’ diets in summer and winter when differences in the consumption of woody and annual plants are the greatest. This new use for the NIRS technique would be useful to assess the consequences of global change on the feeding behavior of this mountain ungulate and also in other ungulate counterparts.

Abstract Background Even though male-biased parasitism is common in mammals, little effort has been made to evaluate whether higher parasitic burden in males results in an extra biological cost, and thus a decrease in fitness. Body condition impairment and the augmentation of oxidative stress can be used as indicators of the cost of parasite infections. Here, we examined relationships between gastrointestinal and respiratory helminths, body condition and oxidative stress markers (glutathione peroxidase, paraoxonase-1) in 28 Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) sampled in autumn. Results Only male chamois showed a reduction in body condition and higher oxidative stress due to parasite infection, likely because of the extremely high parasite burdens observed in males. Conclusions This study made evident a disparity in the physiological cost of multiple parasitism between sexes in a wild mammal, mainly due to parasitic richness. Because of the similar life expectancy in male and female chamois, we suggest that males may have developed natural mechanisms to compensate for higher parasite loads during the rut.

Body condition is a measure of the energetic reserves stored in tissues and organs of animals in anticipation of periods of special energetic demands or to attenuate food shortages. For more than half a century, the kidney fat index (KFI) has been the most common invasive method for assessing body condition in ungulates. Since KFI requires animal necropsy, other non-invasive indicators based on body measurements have been suggested to assess body condition of mammals. These include the residuals from an ordinary least squares regression of body mass and linear measure of size (OLSr), the scores from a Principal Components Analysis on body measurements (PCAsc), and the scaled mass index (SMI). These indices, however, are often difficult to interpret and little effort has been made to confirm whether they are related to direct measures of fat reserves. We used the Bland-Altman method and linear models applied to biometric data to explore whether these three biometric indices can be used to assess body condition in 94 adult male and female Pyrenean chamois ( Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica ). Animals were hunter-harvested in the Eastern Pyrenees (Spain) during two contrasting periods of food availability. We found that OLS residuals from the regression between body weight and hind foot length were the best proxy for fat reserves in both periods of the year. This simple, low cost and non-invasive biometric indicator can be used for monitoring body condition of chamois populations and probably in other ungulate species with similar life strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of the 1) season, and 2) postmortem changes on serum biochemistries related with metabolism in Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica). Serum samples from 98 animals obtained from 2009 to 2012 were included. To investigate seasonal influences on blood parameters, the Pyrenean chamois were captured in drive-nets during the feed abundant (FA; n=32) and food deficient (FD; n=35) seasons. To evaluate the possible differences in biochemistry analytes when sampling live or dead animals, we used serum samples from 32 captured animals and 31 dead animals (obtained during controlled hunting) in the FA season. Significant increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (24%), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA, 190%), total antioxidant capacity (68%), and haptoglobin (33%) were observed in FD when compared with FA seasons. Albumin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) showed statistically significant decreases of 10% and 11%, respectively, in samples taken in the FD season compared to the FA season. Statistically significant higher concentrations were found in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (22%), triglycerides (28%), acetylcholinesterase (50%), NEFA (383%), albumin (18%), IGF-1 (53%), cortisol (959%), and paraoxonase-1 (20%) in samples collected from live animals compared to samples collected from dead ones. We demonstrated that season should be taken into account when evaluating serum biochemistries in Pyrenean chamois because, in the FD season, these animals present lipid mobilization, decreased albumin and IGF-1, and increased total antioxidant capacity compared with the FA season. In addition, if samples are taken from dead animals, observed decreases in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, paraoxonase-1, acetylcholinesterase, NEFA, cortisol, IGF-1, and an increase in haptoglobin should be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating animal abundances in small areas is a difficult task and because a limited number of observations often results in low-precision estimates whose inaccuracies may even be exacerbated if surveys are focussed on clustered populations and/or are only carried out once a year. In an attempt to overcome this problem, we used point transects to monthly survey two small areas of a game reserve to assess the density of Pyrenean chamois ( Rupicapra p. pyrenaica ). The coefficient of variation associated with the density estimates after pooling observations by season was still high but decreased to reasonable values (<20%) when observations were over 29 chamois groups (clusters). Our results suggest that Distance Sampling may be a useful way of estimating the population density of mountain ungulates such as Pyrenean chamois in small rugged areas where only a small or moderate number of observations are to be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though male-biased parasitism is common in mammals, little effort has been made to evaluate whether higher parasitic burden in males results in an extra biological cost, and thus a decrease in fitness. Body condition impairment and the augmentation of oxidative stress can be used as indicators of the cost of parasite infections. Here, we examined relationships between gastrointestinal and respiratory helminths, body condition and oxidative stress markers (glutathione peroxidase, paraoxonase-1) in 28 Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) sampled in autumn. Results: Only male chamois showed a reduction in body condition and higher oxidative stress due to parasite infection, likely because of the extremely high parasite burdens observed in males. Conclusions: This study made evident a disparity in the physiological cost of multiple parasitism between sexes in a wild mammal, mainly due to parasitic richness. Because of the similar life expectancy in male and female chamois, we suggest that males may have developed natural mechanisms to compensate for higher parasite loads during the rut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 3,000 Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) died in northeastern Spain during 2005–2007. Border disease virus infection was identified by reverse transcription–PCR and sequencing analysis. These results implicate this virus as the primary cause of death, similar to findings in the previous epizootic in 2001.

Ruminant pestiviruses cause important economic losses in livestock and the epidemiological role of free-ranging sympatric wildlife is of special interest for the implementation of pestivirus eradication plans. Moreover, the emergence of high mortality outbreaks of pestivirus in Pyrenean chamois ( Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica ) since 2001 in the border between Spain and France has increased the value of knowing the hosts that role pestivirus infection. In the present study, pestivirus infection was assessed in 94 sera from wild hunted European hares ( Lepus europaeus ) collected in two different areas: Pyrenees (alpine and subalpine ecosystems) versus Non Pyrenees (non alpine and subalpine ecosystems). The presence of antibodies against Border Disease Virus (BDV) and Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) was evaluated by means of the Virus Neutralization Test and the presence of viral RNA in sera samples was assessed by Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). A total of 34 out of 94 (36.2%; CI 95 0.26–0.46) sera presented neutralizing antibodies against ruminant pestiviruses, and significant differences between BDV4 and BVDV1 titres were found in 7 hares. In the Pyrenean area not statistically significant seroprevalence was observed when comparing with the Non Pyrenean area. RT-PCR analysis of sera samples resulted all negative. The results of the present study indicate that the European hare is susceptible to pestivirus infection and that could be involved in the epidemiology of ruminant pestiviruses. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the third wild non-artiodactyl with reported antibodies against ruminant pestivirus after the rabbit and Bennet’s wallaby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In seasonal environments, birth dates are a central component for a species' life history, with potential long-term fitness consequences. Yet our understanding of selective pressures of environmental changes on birth dates is limited in wild mammals due to the difficulty of data collection. In a context of rapid climate change, the question of a possible mismatch between plant phenology and birth phenology also remains unanswered for most species., We assessed whether and how the timing of birth in a mountain mammal (isard, also named Pyrenean chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) tracked changes in plant growing season, accounting for maternal traits, individual heterogeneity and population density. We not only focused on spring conditions but also assessed to what extent onset of autumn can be a driver of phenological biological events and compared the magnitude of the response to the magnitude of the environmental changes. We relied on a 22-year study based on intensively monitored marked individuals of known age., Births were highly synchronized (80% of kids born within 25 days) and highly repeatable (84%; between-female variation of 9·6 days, within-female variation of 4·2 days). Individual phenotypic plasticity allows females to respond rapidly to interannual changes in plant phenology but did not prevent the existence of a mismatch: a 10-day advance in the autumn or spring plant phenology led to 3·9 and 1·3 days advance in birth dates, respectively., Our findings suggest that plant phenology may act as a cue to induce important stages of the reproductive cycle (e.g. conception and gestation length), subsequently affecting parturition dates, and stressed the importance of focusing on long-term changes during spring for which females may show much lower adaptive potential than during autumn. These results also question the extent to which individual plasticity along with high heterogeneity among individuals will allow species to cope with demographic consequences of climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the use of satellite-derived vegetation indices has become a powerful tool to collect information on vegetation dynamics in a broad range of ecosystems worldwide. However, the utility of these indices as indicators of the diet composition and quality of herbivore mammals has not yet been established. This work focuses on exploring such relationships analysing four years of records of monthly Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI, a MOD13 satellite-derived index) and diet composition and quality of two populations of chamois ( Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica ) in the Eastern Pyrenees (Spain). Our results revealed that 68.4% and 53.3% of diet composition and quality of chamois can be explained by EVI values in the green-up season (spring) and green senescence (winter season), respectively. In both periods, EVI was related mainly to diets low in fibre (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) and high in nitrogen due to the consumption of Festuca , Forbs and Trifolium . During the summer season however, the EVI was not significantly related to diet components of chamois. A significant inter-year variability in the diets of the chamois was also observed. To conclude, remote sensing is appropriate to assess temporal variations in dietary components of mountain ungulates, and could be used as a component of monitoring large herbivore populations in management programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[fr] Par la voie de l'observation directe nous avons étudié le grégarisme journalier chez une population d'isard (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica ) à la limite occidentale de l'aire de répartition de l'espèce. La surface complète occupée a été suivie par de trajets fixes mensuels durant un an. La taille des différents troupeaux a varié de là 54 individus. De même, la composition était également très variable et changeait d'une saison à l'autre ou d'un habitat à l'autre. De manière générale, les troupeaux étaient très petits (45% de seulement un animal, moyenne: 2 ; P75=5), c'est la caractéristique des petites populations, à basse densité et vivant en forêt. Les groupes étaient fortement conditionnés par le cycle annuel, la distribution des ressources alimentaires et le recouvrement végétal. La ségrégation spatiale entre mâles et femelles avait lieu seulement en été, moment où les mâles solitaires occupaient surtout la forêt tandis que les femelles avec les petits préféraient les pâturages ouverts. Concernant la taille et la composition des troupeaux, tous les patrons généraux ont été mis en évidence sur cette population. [es] Se estudió por observación directa el gregarismo diurno en una población de sarrio Rupicapra p. pyrenaica en el límite occidental de distribución de la subespecie. La totalidad del área ocupada fue objeto de seguimiento a partir de recorridos fijos mensuales durante un año. El tamaño de 214 grupos fue de 1 a 54 individuos. Tamaño y composición fueron muy variables y diferían entre estaciones y hábitats. Los grupos eran generalmente muy pequeños (45% de solamente un animal, mediana: 2; P75=4), lo que es característico de poblaciones pequeñas, de baja densidad y hábitat boscoso. Los grupos dependían fuertemente del ciclo anual, distribución del alimento y cobertura vegetal. La segregación espacial entre machos y hembras ocurría solamente en verano, cuando los machos solitarios ocupaban principalmente el bosque y las hembras con crías vivían en pastos abiertos. Todos los patrones generales referentes a tamaño y composición de los grupos, se observaron en la población.

The article monitors for pestivirus antibodies and border disease virus (BDV) in wild ungulates in Andorra and investigates an episode of mortality in chamois between 2009 and 2010. Antibodies against pestivirus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in four of the 69 chamois. The virus neutralization test (VNT) confirmed three of these chamois were infected with a BDV. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detected viral RNA in three chamois.

Two political jurisdictions in northern Spain, Navarre, where the Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica is categorized as Vulnerable, and Aragon, where it is huntable, coordinated management for the recovery of this subspecies at the western limit of its range. After an estimate of only a small population in 1992–1993 hunting was banned in Aragon and, in 1995–1996, monitoring of both populations began. In the two massifs where the subspecies lives, which lie across the border of the two jurisdictions, chamois populations increased from 33 to 136 and from 144 to 455 by 2007 (average annual increases were 15 and 11%, respectively). The subspecies was also located on a third massif, in 2002. After the recovery the ban against hunting was lifted in Aragon, in 2006, with a sustainable hunting quota based on 5% of the estimated minimum population size. We conclude that coordinated management between agencies in two jurisdictions has fostered the recovery of the Pyrenean chamois. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between group size, activity patterns, and time of day were studied during a mild winter in a protected population of Isard or Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) in open montane pastures in the bottom of a central valley, bordered by a beech forest. The size and the total number of groups increased progressively from dawn to the middle of the afternoon. Nearly half of the animals foraged early in the morning, while about two out of five were moving. As the day proceeded, the allocation of time for foraging increased regularly until approximately 3/4 of the animals were observed foraging at about 17:00. Foraging increased initially at the expense of moving, and later to both moving and standing. Then, just before dusk, both group size and time devoted to foraging decreased, as individuals returned to the beech forest to rest during the night in a sheltered habitat. The relative influence of weather conditions and of the digestive physiology of Pyrenean chamois on this spatiotemporal process is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The diet composition of ungulates is important to understand not only their impact on vegetation, but also to understand the consequences of natural and human-driven environmental changes on the foraging behavior of these mammals. In this work, we evaluated the use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy analysis (NIRS), a quick, economic and non-destructive method, to assess the diet composition of the Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica . Fecal samples ( n = 192) were collected from two chamois populations in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. Diet composition was initially assessed by fecal cuticle microhistological analysis (CMA) and categorized into four functional groups, namely: woody, herbaceous, graminoid and Fabaceae plants. Regressions of modified partial least squares and several combinations of scattering correction and derivative treatments were tested. The results showed that models based on the second derivative processing obtained the higher determination coefficient for woody, herbaceous and graminoid plants (R 2 CAL , coefficient of determination in calibration, ranged from 0.86 to 0.91). The Fabaceae group, however, was predicted with lower accuracy (R 2 CAL = 0.71). Even though an agreement between NIRS and CMA methods was confirmed by a Bland-Altman analysis, confidence limits of agreement differed by up to 25%. Our results support the viability of fecal NIRS analysis to study spatial and temporal variations of the Pyrenean chamois' diets in summer and winter when differences in the consumption of woody and annual plants are the greatest. This new use for the NIRS technique would be useful to assess the consequences of global change on the feeding behavior of this mountain ungulate and also in other ungulate counterparts.