Fecal bacterial communities of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) reflect captivity status—Implications for conservation and management  

作　　者：Ashley M.DUNGAN Jessica L.THOMAS 

机构地区：[1]School of BioSciences,The University of Melbourne,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia [2]Healesville Sanctuary,Healesville,Victoria,Australia

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2024年第6期1211-1223,共13页整合动物学(英文版)

基　　金：funded by an Environmental Microbiology Researcher Initiative Grant(to Ashley M.Dungan)。

摘　　要：The duck-billed platypus(Ornithorhynchus anatinus)is currently listed as near-threatened.A key part of the conservation strategy for this species is its captive maintenance;however,captive animals often have dysbiotic gut bacterial microbiomes.Here,for the first time,we characterize the gut microbiome of wild platypus via fecal samples using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and identify microbial biomarkers of captivity in this species.At the phylum level,Firmicutes(50.4%)predominated among all platypuses,followed by Proteobacteria(28.7%),Fusobacteria(13.4%),and Bacteroidota(6.9%),with 21“core”bacteria identified.Captive individuals did not differ in their microbialα-diversity compared to wild platypus but had significantly different community composition(β-diversity)and exhibited higher abundances of Enterococcus,which are potential pathogenic bacteria.Four taxa were identified as biomarkers of wild platypus,including Rickettsiella,Epulopiscium,Clostridium,and Cetobacterium.This contrast in gut microbiome composition between wild and captive platypus is an essential insight for guiding conservation management,as the rewilding of captive animal microbiomes is a new and emerging tool to improve captive animal health,maximize captive breeding efforts,and give reintroduced or translocated animals the best chance of survival.

关 键 词：CAPTIVITY CONSERVATION host-associated MONOTREME SYMBIOSIS 

分 类 号：Q95[生物学—动物学]