Field Projects International

This protocol begins with blood stored in Longmire's solution and has as its goal, the sequencing of genomic DNA from several individuals onto a single MinION sequencing run. It is based on a protocol outlined by Thrasher et al. (2018) for the same process on a large number of warbler samples, but it differs from this original protocol in a few key ways: Since we ultimately were targeting sequencing by a MinION sequencer, the ultimate processing steps reflect library preparation for runs on this device, instead of Illumina sequencers. For the same reason, we also size selected larger fragments than can be sequenced on a MiSeq platform. This protocol is also meant to only analysed a few individuals (20 or less) since the MinION read coverage is lower than that of a MiSeq. The entire protocol was carried out in a field laboratory in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon, and therefore many of the luxuries a institutional laboratory can afford were not present to us We used gel-based size selection in the absence of methods such as Blue Pippin. We stored blood on FTA cards and in Longmire's solution in our sampling program. We discovered that yields from FTA cards, regardless of including large numbers of hole punches per extraction, simply were too low for the sequencing goals of this project. Therefore, we include the protocol of a WGA amplification step for these low samples. Longmire's solution produced higher yields, but some times, multiple extractions might need to be pooled together with an SPRI bead cleanup to be fully effective.

Abstract Noninvasive monitoring of gastrointestinal parasites from wild primates demonstrates that parasite-host relationships are altered during habitat or climatic disturbances. Interpreting changes in parasite measures for population health monitoring is problematic, since wild primates are infected with multiple parasites that fluctuate temporally and seasonally. Individual parasite infection data from two wild populations of New World primates, the saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarin, were collected over three years to: 1) establish baseline levels of parasite species richness (PSR) and variation across demography; 2) test for non-random associations of parasite co-occurrence; and 3) test hypothesized relationships between group size and PSR. Ten distinguishable parasite taxa were identified from 288 fecal samples by light microscopy following centrifugation and ethyl-acetate sedimentation. These samples represented 105 unique individuals (71 saddleback and 34 emperor tamarins), across 13 saddleback and seven emperor groups. Of the parasites identified in this study, none were confirmed as host specific, and only two parasites had statistically different prevalence between the host species. With few exceptions, individual infection status remained relatively unchanged over the study period. Considering yearly pair-wise parasite associations, we detected no marked differences between expected and observed levels of co-infection, nor did we detect statistically significant associations between group size and parasite species richness over 30 group-years. Logistic models of individual infection status did not identify a sex bias; however, age or species predicted the presence of four and three parasite taxa, respectively. Our model found higher PSR for saddleback tamarins. Considering the two most common parasites, one is typically pathogenic and the other is not, reinforcing caution when translating clinical findings of pathology to real-world systems. We now have reliable baseline data for future monitoring of these populations. Next steps should involve the molecular characterization of these parasites, and the exploration of linkages with health parameters.


 
 
 While primate trapping is a widely used field methodology, there are substantial health, safety and social risks to handling wild primates, necessitating sharing of best-practice methods to minimize such risks. Yet, comprehensive capture-and-release protocols are rarely published, and updated even less frequently, despite advances that significantly elevate animal safety. Here, we propose a modified capture and release protocol for small primates and demonstrate its effectiveness on free-ranging populations of Saguinus weddelli (the saddleback tamarin) and Saguinus imperator (the emperor tamarin) in southeastern Peru. This study was conducted over seven years, from 2009 to 2015, and resulted in 346 capture instances with recaptures of the same individuals over years. We present a modified trap design that is lighter, locally produced, easy to set up and maintain, and is safer for animals. We provide data on how a ‘caller animal’ may dramatically increase the success of a new trapping program, but is not necessary on an ongoing basis. We also propose a conversion from previously used single-step anesthetization methods, which are more likely to result in loss of habituation or potential injury, to a novel dual-phase anesthetization process with no delays in processing times or increases in the amount of anesthetic administered. We discuss modifications to traditional trapping strategies that decrease distress to the animals before, during and after trapping. This method ensures high recapture rates and sustained animal habituation to trap sites and observers while also prioritizing animal safety.
 
 

Dio of Prusa. The Philosopher and His Image.