TY  - THES
TY  - BOOK
T1  - Parasites of wild Malaysian plantain squirrel (Callosciurus Notatus),  Grey-Bellied squirrel (Callosciurus Caniceps) and tree shrew (Tupala Glis)
A1  - Norman Affendi Osman
LA  - English
UL  - http://discoverylib.upm.edu.my/discovery/Record/60434
AB  - Plantain and Grey-bellied squirrels are rodents that belong to Sciuridae family, whereas the common tree shrews not rodents (order Scandentia) and they belong to Tupaidae family. Tree shrews are similar to squirrels in their appearance and habits and are usually mistaken as squirrels, the Malay word ‘tupai’ is used for both tree shrews and squirrels.  These three species are widely spread and commonly found in lowland forests, oil palm plantations, and urban environment in Malaysia.  They are very adaptable to all kinds of habitat and are also regarded as pests by farmers and fruit growers.  Plantain squirrels, Grey-bellied squirrels and common tree shrews are abundant throughout their range and are adaptable to changing habitats and the populations are not currently threatened.  Even though they play an important role in dispersing seeds and maintaining the ecosystem but they also be a source of infection for various viral, rickettsial and bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases in humans as well as in other domesticated animals such as cats, rabbits and dogs.  Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the possible transmission of  parasitic diseases to other animals species via ectoparasites and endoparasites harboured by these small mammals and to determine what are the significant  family of parasites that are found in them and their impacts to public health.  A total of 9 animals comprising 3 species of hosts were caught around suburban are in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan and examined for ectoparasites, endoparasites, endoparasites and hemoparasites.  The hosts examined were Callosciurus notatus, C. caniceps and Tupaia glis.  Of these hosts, 2 genera of ectoparasites were found in T. glis and C. caniceps which were mesostid mites (Laelaps sp. and possibly Haemolaelaps sp.), 1 genus of nematode (Spirura sp.) and 1 genus of cestode (Tupaiataenia sp.) were identified from T. gris and there were no blood parasites observed from the thin blood films and wet blood mounts of these three species.  It can be concluded that most of the specimens caught and examined were healthy because there were very few parasites found.  This is probably due to the number of samples caught that were quite low.  Therefore longer period of study is proposed in the future to gather complete documentation of parasitic prevalence in these three species.
CN  - FPV 2015 77
ER  -