Keywords

1 Introduction

Predators or scavenger carnivores occupy a very important trophic position in the biocenosis by participating in the regulation of the animal populations and the maintenance of ecosystem balance. This ecological and economic importance has guided many studies on mammals in North Africa [1, 2].

Wild mammals represent an important reservoir of many endoparasites. Indeed, more than 75% of human diseases are of wildlife-related zoonotic origin [3]. Therefore, our study aimed at the copro-parasitological study of three wild mammals in the Chrea National Park, namely the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the African golden wolf (Canis Anthus) and for the first time in Algeria the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena).

The objective of this investigation is to highlight the prevalence of intestinal parasites, which are excreted in the faeces of these animals.

2 Methods

This study took place in the Chrea National Park, located 50 km southwest of Algiers, extends in a scarf over 26,587 ha along with the central parts of the Atlas Tellien range.

The coprological study was done by analyzing the excrement of three carnivorous mammals, namely, the red fox, the African golden wolf, and, for the first time in Algeria, the Striped Hyena. The collection of dung took place in several stations from different altitudes. The dung was harvested between February and the end of May 2018. In total, 48 faecal samples were collected over the entire territory. The faeces were then labeled and returned to the laboratory. The samples were measured, weighed, and decorticated for prey identification and parasitological analysis.

3 Results

3.1 Results of the Copro-parasitological Analysis

The coprological study and the parasitological diagnosis made possible to reveal and quantify the presence of helminth eggs, oocysts of coccidia, and protozoan in the excreta of three wild mammals. Our analysis shows that striped Hyena faeces were infested by 5 genera of parasitic species and 7 species for both red Fox and the African golden wolf. The results showed that the nematodes (e.g., Ankylostoma spp., Toxocara Canis, Strongylus spp.) were the most commonly found endoparasites in all tested mammals (Table 1).

Table 1 The parasite species found in the excrement of the three mammals
Full size table

In striped hyena, the most dominant parasites were the embryonated eggs of Ankylostoma spp. (84%). In the red Fox, the most common parasites were Toxocara canis with 32%. While in the African golden wolf, Ankylostoma sp. eggs 54% were most prevalent.

3.2 Results of the Diet Analysis

The composition of the prey species was the highest in the African golden wolf (6 species), followed by hyena (5 species) and the foxes (2 species). Hyena samples showed the presence of small vertebrates (Gallus spp. and Atelerix algirus), while wolves had parts of other mammals and insects such as Oryctes spp. and Anotylus spp. (Table 2).

Table 2 Prey species and plant species found in the excrements of the three mammals
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4 Discussion

The analysis of the 48 faecal samples allowed us to identify 11 species of parasites. The reason behind the dominant presence of nematodes and protozoa in all these wild animals may be related to the climatic conditions of the study area because most of the samples were collected near the water points. Le Bihan [4] has explained that protozoa live exclusively in water or at least in the humid earth. The dominance of nematodes is related to the corporal aspect of the parasite [5].

The trophic spectrum of the hyena is versatile and broad consisting of vertebrates, insects, plants, and human wastes. This variability has been reported by Kruuk [6] and Wagner [7], which emphasizes the generalist nature and trophic opportunism of this carnivore. The red fox consumes more plants, including fruit (99.64%) than insects (0.36%). This is consistent with the findings of several researchers [8, 9], who describe the fox as omnivorous, opportunistic, and generalist. Few studies on the diet of the African golden wolf were carried out in Algeria [10]. It adopts a heterogeneous diet and eats mainly mammals. When conditions are difficult, their diet varies according to the resources available on the site [11, 12].

5 Conclusions

In this study, we were able to provide for the first time a coprological data and diet composition of the newly described African golden wolf, the red fox, and the striped hyena from Chrea national park. The coprological study revealed the presence of nematodes (Ankylostoma spp., Toxocara Canis), and protozoa (Cryptosporidium spp. Isopora spp.). The results of diet composition show the generalist character of the striped hyena as well as the opportunistic resource used by African golden wolf and the red fox.