Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand

Coastal Dune Ecosystem Reference Database

Accumulation of organic matter in a chronosequence of soils developed on wind-blown sand in New Zealand Journal Paper

Author
Syers, J.K.; Adams, J.A.; Walker, T.W.
Year
1970
Journal / Source
Journal of Soil Science
Volume
21
Pages
146-153
Summary
LABORATORY and field observations have been made on the real and potential role of the 32 exotic mammals established in a feral state in New Zealand in the maintenance and distribution of Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia hydatigena, T. ovis and Multiceps multiceps. The domestic dog is the only significant carnivore in the maintenance of these tapeworms. T. hydatigena infected laboratory cats, but the worms did not fully develop. T. ovis reached a gravid state in immature cats in the laboratory, but 347 cats from the field were not found infected. A diet with considerable horse meat appeared to be beneficial to the survival of T. ovis in cats. Mustelids were not infected experimentally with either E. granulosus or T. hydatigena. Hydatid infections were produced in the possum (lungs and body wall), wallaby (muscle), mouse (liver and lungs), rabbit (lungs and renal fat), and red deer (liver and lungs). One of two fallow deer became infected with only a single hydatid cyst which aborted early in development. The hedgehog. Polynesian rat, black rat and Norway rat were inherently resistant. Natural infections of E. granulosus were seen only in feral goats and feral swine, while T. hydatigena infections occurred in feral goats, feral swine, red deer, fallow deer, wapiti and thar. Rabbiters' dogs are sometimes infected with E. granulosus and T. hydatigena but the incidence of infection dropped from the first to the fifth dosing round of the current hydatid eradication campaign. Pig dogs have a particularly high incidence of E. granulosus and T. hydatigena compared with infections in farm dogs and may be related to the eating of infected sheep carrion rather than wild pigs.
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