The dilemma of endangered animal parasites

Parasites are special types of organisms that live on or within other life forms, slowly feeding on them but generally not killing them, but simply reducing their physical state to some extent. This is a much more discreet way of surviving than killing or biting off entire parts, as predators (both carnivores and herbivores) do. However, unlike these creatures, parasites are often considered unpleasant and annoying. However, the parasitism is the most common way of obtaining food in nature.

The rhino tick is one such example, rhinos are endangered, a common practice to improve the reproductive fitness of rhinos is to remove their ticks, but this may end up driving the rhino tick to extinction.

The louse Coleocephalum californici

This has already happened with other parasites, such as the louse Coleocephalum californici which was a parasite of the condor alone California condor Gymnogyps californianus. To save the condor, a common practice among veterinarians working with conservationists was to release the birds and, as a result, this louse is now extinct. However, the damage the louse caused to the condor was so small that its extinction was not necessary at all, as it was nothing more than a case of negligence and lack of empathy for a species small and uncharismatic.

The louse Rallicola ( Aptericola) pilgrimi has also disappeared forever during conservation campaigns to save its host, the small spotted kiwi, Apteryx owenii in another failed action.

Another group of parasites facing extinction are fleas. The species Xenopsylla nesiotes was endemic to Christmas Island along with its host, the Christmas Island rat, Rattus macleari. The introduction of the black rat, Rattus rattus on the island led to a rapid decline of the population of the Christmas Island rat, which became extinct in the early 20th century and, of course, the flea went extinct with it.

It is likely that the flea Acanthopsylla saphes also is now extinct. It was a parasite of the eastern quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus.in mainland Australia. The eastern quoll is today only found in Tasmania, as the mainland Australian population became extinct in the mid-20th century. However, the flea was never found in Tasmanian populations, so it is likely to have become extinct in mainland Australia along with the local population of its host.

But things have changed recently and, fortunately, opinion on the parasites is improving. A recent assessment was carried out on the population of another flea, the Manx shearwater flea, Ceratophyllus (Emmareus) fionnus . This flea is host-specific, and is found only on shearwater. Puffinus puffinus. Although the Manx shearwater is not a endangered species and has many colonies along the North Atlantic coast, the flea is endemic to the Isle of Rùm, a small island off the west coast of Scotland.

Due to the small population of its host on this island, the flea has been assessed as vulnerable. If the Manx shearwater population on the island were stable, things would be fine, but, as you may have guessed, things are not fine. As happened on Christmas Island, the black rat has also been introduced to Rúm Island and has become a predator of Manx shearwater, attacking their nests.

Some ideas have been suggested to protect the flea from extinction. One is to eradicate the black rat from the Island or at least manage its population near the Manx shearwater colonies. Another proposal is to move some fleas to another island to create additional populations in other Manx shearwater colonies.

But why bother protecting the parasites?

Well, there are many reasons. First, they comprise a large part of the biodiversity and its loss would have a major impact on any ecosystem. Secondly, they are an essential part of the evolutionary history of their host and are thus promoters of diversity by natural selection. Eliminating parasites from a host would eventually decrease its variability. genetics and would make it more vulnerable to other new parasites. Because of its co-evolution with the host, the parasites are also a valuable source of knowledge about the ecology and the evolutionary history of the host, as they help us to understand its population dynamics. We can even find ways to deal with our own parasites by studying the parasites of other species.

Parasites can be annoying but they are necessary. They may seem to weaken their host at first but, in the long run, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

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