Endobiont ciliates in roe deer living in Yakutia

Purpose: study of endobiont ciliates inhabiting forestomachs of Siberian roe deer living in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
Materials and methods. Samples of the contents of all sections of the gastrointestinal tract were collected during post-mortem examination of carcasses of animals killed by hunters, the womb and internal organs. The samples were placed in sterilized 10 ml containers containing 10% formalin solution. Material from different sections of the gastrointestinal tract was examined microscopically in fixed smears-samples. Species affiliation, abundance and morphological parameters were determined.
Results. In the course of the work, two species of ciliates of the genus Entodinium were identified: Entodinium dubardi and Entodinium exiguum. It is noteworthy that E. exiguum is specific to roe deer and is not found in other herbivorous animals of the region, which may indicate its adaptation to the unique conditions of existence of this species. This discovery suggests the possibility of transmission of this microorganism to other animals through feces in pastures. The morphometric data of ciliates identified in the forestomachs of Siberian roe deer are as follows: the length of Entodinium dubardi is on average 36,3±2,4 μm, the width is 24,9±1,7 μm, while Entodinium exiguum has an average length of 40,4±2,51 μm and a width of 19,4±1,9 μm. The comparison showed that E. dubardi is common not only among roe deer, but also among local cattle, which indicates its versatility in the ecosystem. In addition, the studies revealed seasonal fluctuations in the number of ciliates in the forestomachs of roe deer: in summer, their number increases, while in winter there is a sharp decrease in their number, which can negatively affect the digestion process, since the similarity coefficient of individuals was KJ-M = -0.6, and the index of fauna community was about 50 %.

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