KAZI NAZRUL UNIVERSITY

PROJECT REPORT ON PARASITIC

VERTEBRATE

NAME -AARFA DARAKHSHAN

REG NO- KNUREG18101000771
CLASS- 6th SEMESTER
PAPER-PARASITOLOGY (DSE 3)
SESSION -2018-19
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that AARFA DARAKHASHAN of 6th semester

Department of Zoology, ASANSOL GIRLS’ COLLEGE has
successfully completed her project on “Parasitic Vertebrates” under
the guidance of Prof. NEELAM SABINA MURMU.

……………………
signature
INTRODUCTION
Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship between species, where
one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism,
the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this
way of life. Parasites reduce host fitness by general or
specialised pathology, from parasitic castration to modification of
host behaviour. Parasites increase their own fitness by exploiting
hosts for resources necessary for their survival, in particular by
feeding on them. Although parasitism is often unambiguous, it is
part of a spectrum of interactions between species, grading via
parasitoidism into predation, through evolution into mutualism.
Some of the example of parasitic vertebrates are –
hookworms, lice, mosquitoes, vampire bats etc.

PARASITIC VERTEBRATES
a) Vampire Bat :
Scientific name – Desmodus rotundus
Systematic Position :
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Class – Mammalia
Order – Chiroptera
Family –Phyllostomidae
Genus – Desmodus
Morphology –
The common vampire bat is short-haired, with silver gray fur on its
underside, demarcated from the darker fur on its back. It has a deeply
grooved lower lip, and a flat, leaf-shaped nose. A well developed clawed
thumb on each wing is used to climb onto prey and to assist the animal in
take off. The brain case is relatively large, but the snout is reduced to
accommodate large incisors and canines.

Life Cycle –
Vampire bats are sexually mature at 9 months of age. Mating
occurs year around, and pregnant bats roost together in a nursery group.
After a gestation of 205-214 days, female give birth to a single pup
weighting about two-tenths of an once(5-7g) twins are rare. The mother
carries the pup for the first few days of life. Pups feed primarily on the
mother’s milk for first month using specialized milk teeth. At two months of
age the pups begins feed primarily on the getting regurgitated blood. At
nine months the pup is mature, males will leave the roost, and females
stays with their mother’s roost. Vampire bats live up to 9 years is the wild
and up to 20 year in captivity.
Feeding Habit –
The vampire bat feed only on blood except as infants as they
rely only on their mother’s milk. But unlike adult they do not feeds on
blood. Vampire bat feeds by using razor shape
teeth to make a tiny puncture and then lick up
the blood from the tiny wound.

Parasitic Behavior –
It is sanguivorous, feeding on the blood of the vertebrates. It was
formerly found that they feed exclusively on birds. However, it has since
been documented that it will feed on the blood of mammals, including
humans and cattle. It also shares its food with other individuals via
regurgitation, mouth to mouth. As the mammals, it can be carrier of rabies.
It is nocturnal and roosts in sheltered area during the day.

b) White Winged Vampire Bat :

Scientific Name – Diaemus youngi
Systematic Position –
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Class – Mammalia
Order – Chiroptera
Family – Phyllostomidae
Genus – Diaemus
Species – youngi
Morphology –
Their fur is clay-colored, light brown, or dark cinnamon
brown. The outline of their wings is white, as well as the membrane between
their second and third finger. Their ears are longer than they are wide. The
anterior surface of the tragus is hairy, and its outer margin is smooth,unlike
that of the common vampire bat, which is serrated. Both males and females
have cup-shaped scent glands located in their mouths. These glands
might be an anti-predator defense. Compared to other bats, their brains are
especially large in relation to their body sizes—2.7- 2.9% by body mass.
Their eyes are also relatively large in relation to their body sizes.

Life Cycle –
They are furry, clay colored, light brown in colour. The outline
of wings is white as well as membrane between their second and third
finger. Mature at the age of 9 months approximately and they mate. Mating
occurs year around, pregnant bats roost together in a nursery group. After
a gestation days of long time, female give birth to a single pup. The mother
carries the pup for the first few days of life. Pups feed primarily on the
mother’s milk for first month using specialized milk teeth. At two months of
age the pups begins feed primarily on the getting regurgitated blood. At
nine months the pup is mature, males will leave the roost, and females
stays with their mother’s roost. Vampire bats live up to 9 years is the wild
and up to 20 year in captivity.
Feeding Habit –
White-winged vampire bats feed mostly on blood from various
bird species including free-ranging poultry species(chickens, Guinea fowl).

Parasitic Behavior –
White-winged vampire bats
have not been observed locomoting on the ground in the wild. However,
they are morphologically similar to common vampire bats, suggesting that
they may be capable of walking on the ground. To feed, these bats select
their prey, then cautiously moves across a branch until they are close
enough to extract blood from the preys feet. An incision is made after
preliminary licks have been made on one of the digits, and blood is
extracted by further licking the wound. Anticoagulants from the bat’s saliva
ensure that blood flows freely. Feeding time lasts around 15 minutes, then
the bat flies away.

c) Hairy-legged Vampire Bat :

Scientific Name – Diphylla ecaudata
Systematic Position :
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Class – Mammalia
Order – Chiroptera
Family – Phyllostomidae
Genus – Diphylla
Species - ecaudata
Morphology –
It is similar in appearance to the common vampire bat. It differs, however,
in its broad, short ears; padless, short thumb; and large, shiny eyes. It also
has more teeth than the common vampire bat (26 compared to 18).
Additionally, its brain is smaller than that of the common vampire bat, at
two-thirds the size by mass. Its uropatagium is narrow and very furry; as
its species name indicates, it lacks a tail. The fur on its back is dark brown,
while the fur on its ventral surface is lighter in color. Its fur is soft and long.
Its nose-leaf is greatly reduced in size relative to other leaf-nosed bats.
There are no lingual grooves under the tongue, but it does have a groove
along the roof of the mouth which may serve as a "blood gutter".

Life Cycle –
Diphylla ecaudata is sexually mature at 9 months and
reproductively active throughout the year. Common months of pregnancy
for females have been reported to be in March, July, August, October, and
November. Gestation is 6 to 8 months. The
number of embryos per female is normally
one and they may produce a single offspring
one or two times a year.

Feeding Habit –
Hairy-legged vampire bats feed
on the blood of warm-blooded vertebrates, mostly birds, including
domestic chickens. Through the use of heat sensor on their nose, these
vampire bats can seek an area of the prey’s skin where there is a good
amount of blood close to the surface. They lick the skin to soften the bite
area and to rid it of hair or feathers. They then bite a small, V-shaped
wound. When feeding on birds roosting in trees, these bats grip a branch
with their hind feet and thumbs. They
then situate themselves underneath a
bird make an incision.

Parasitic Behavior –
Hairy-legged vampire bats are nocturnal.
They roost either alone or in small
groups of 12 or less. In one study, D. ecaudata was observed to be more
solitary and did not gather into groups when in the presence of other bats
in a cave. They have a structured society in which they build strong social
bonds with other bats in the colony. They are intelligent mammals.
Diphylla ecaudata groom each other and help other bats in need. By learn-
ing to recognize other bats in a colony through voice and smell, bats can
communicate with each other when necessary. A bat can beg for food and
another bat who has built a strong bond with that bat will regurgitate blood
for it to eat, demonstrating reciprocal social behavior. These bats are shy,
quick to take flight, and seem to rapidly vacate roosts once they have been
disturbed by humans.

d) Hood Mocking Bird :

Scientific name –Mimus macdonaldi

Systematic Position :
Phylum – Chordata
Class - Aves
Order – Passeriforms
Genus – Mimus
Species – macdonaldi

Morphology –
Hood
mocking birds has a mottled
gray and brown plumage with a white underbelly. A long tail and legs
give the bird its distinctive appearance. The species has a long, thin
beak, useful for tapping into the eggs of seabirds. The species has the
largest bill of any of any other mockingbirds.

Life Cycle –
The hood mocking bird lives in a group of 8-10 adults where
there is usually one breeding pair. They is an established hierarchy
within the group. A typical behavior, a begging display indicating
submissions, maintains the hierarchy. They are co-operative breeders,
with non breeding members helping in territory defence and nesting
 duties. They can be extremely aggressive. They occur in large groups of
up to 40 individuals outside the breeding seasons. The breeding season
takes place in February, April. The cup-shaped nest is placed in cactus or
sometimes in shrubs. The female lays 2- 4 eggs, sometimes only one.
Both sexes are similar in plumage, but the female is smaller than male.

Feeding Habit –
The species has an omnivorous diet, but is mainly a predator
or scavenger. The species will eat the eggs of seabirds nesting on the
island, as well as eat from dead animals and kills made by other
predators. Sometimes, just like a vampire
finch, they will feed on blood of
wounded seabirds.

Parasitic Behavior –
The hood mockingbird will typically
feed on insects, fruits, berries, marine arthropods and small vertebrates,
but will also eat carrion from the carcasses of seabirds, lizards and sea
lions. Damaged seabird eggs are readily consumed, and it will also use its
powerful bill to eat intact eggs and to pluck ticks from the backs of marine
and land iguanas. A unique feature of the hood mockingbird is its blood-
drinking habit. It commonly drinks blood, especially in the dry season, from
wounds on living sea lions, from sea lion placentas, and even from wounds
on the legs of humans.
 Conclusion
Vampire bats hunt only when it is fully dark. The common
vampire bat feeds primarily on the blood of mammals
(occasionally including humans), whereas both the hairy-legged
vampire bat and white-winged vampire bat feed primarily on the
blood of birds. Once the common vampire bat locates a host, such
as a sleeping mammal, it lands and approaches it on the ground. It
then likely uses thermoception to identify a warm spot on the
skin to bite. They then create a small incision with their teeth and
lap up blood from the wound.
The hood mocking bird is extremely aggressive and
curious, and has no fear of humans whatsoever. The bird will
chase after tourists in search of food, drink, or any unusual object.
In some cases, the species will attempt to obtain water from
tourists by pecking at their water bottles.
The birds have a strong social structure organized into
family groups. Highly territorial, these groups will cooperatively
hunt within their area as well as defend it against other groups.
Lower-ranking members of the group will assist in caring for the
young.