Presentation Details
Behavioral Drivers of Disease Transmission in Declining Oldfield Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus) 

Geethika P.Harischandra, Richard Buchholz.

University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA

Abstract


Habitat loss reduces biodiversity and increases disease risk, pushing populations towards an extinction vortex. A critical but overlooked mechanism is how community composition influences animal behavior and disease transmission. Once widespread, the Oldfield mouse (OFM; Peromyscus polionotus) range in mainland Mississippi has shrunk to two populations, while other co-occurring rodents in the same habitats have not declined. I propose to test the hypothesis that declining populations in fragmented habitats fall into a behavioral trap whereby social interactions increase disease exposure, furthering decline. Due to species-specific monogamy and habitat specialization, I predict OFM will show higher intraspecific social connectivity and less interspecific avoidance behavior with higher parasite burden than other rodents. I will monitor individuals in OFM populations using RFID tagging, video cameras to record visit frequency, co-feeding events and avoidance. Fecal samples are analyzed for gastrointestinal parasites. By linking behavioral and parasitic data to population decline, this work shows how behaviors can drive species toward an extinction vortex through disease transmission.

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