Does corticosterone mediate bidirectional interactions between social behaviour and blood parasites in the juvenile black iguana, Ctenosaura similis?
Complex bidirectional interactions between host social behaviour and infectious organisms (parasites) can be mediated by alterations in host glucocorticoid [`]stress’ hormones. As a result, an animal’s social behaviour may affect its susceptibility to parasitism, and its infection status may influence its social behaviour. Our field study of behaviour, hormones and parasites in free-living juvenile male […]
Cleaner fish, Labroides dimidiatus, diet preferences for different types of mucus and parasitic gnathiid isopods
Cleaner fish, Labroides dimidiatus, prefer the mucus of the parrotfish, Chlorurus sordidus, to parasitic gnathiid isopods, the main items in their diet, indicating a major conflict between clients and cleaners over what the latter should eat during interactions. We tested whether the conflict varied with client species (and the quality of its mucus) and with […]
Faecal avoidance and selective foraging: do wild mice have the luxury to avoid faeces?
Host–parasite interactions are a key determinant of the population dynamics of wild animals, and behaviours that reduce parasite transmission and infection may be important for improving host fitness. While antiparasite behaviours have been demonstrated in laboratory animals and domesticated ungulates, whether these behaviours operate in the wild is poorly understood. Therefore, examining antiparasite behaviours in […]