Helminths communities of rock partridge (Alectoris Graeca) in Western Alps : effect of age and sex

Alpine rock partridge (Alectoris græca) populations are drastically decreasing since 50ies. That is mainly ascribed to land-use change and progressive habitat degradation. Here we investigate their helminths communities, as population health index in relation to age classes and gender. This study considers 208 rock partridge from Lepontine Alps (VB) gathered during seven hunting seasons (2003-09), with details collected on culling site, age classes, sex and weight. The intestinal contents of the total sample (90 adults, 39 males and 51 females, and 118 young), have been examined for helminths. In females and young were identified respectively: Ascaridia compar (prevalence (p)=12%, mean intensity (i)=2,5 and p=15%, i=2), Heterakis gallinarum (p=76%, i=6,5 and p=63%, i=7) and Aoncotheca caudinflata (p=24%, i =1,7 and p=18%, i=2,3). In males two species were recorded with lower intensities and prevalence H. gallinarum (p=58%, i=11,7) and A. caudinflata (p=7%, i=1). These data suggest a possible health impact on young, even if any effect has been observed on weight. The adult females higher infestation could be related to an immune-mediated effect consequent of hatching and post hatching energy expenditure. Moreover females raise chicks taking care of their feeding involving earthworms which are responsible for the transmission of the three helminths species, and the parasitological difference observed could be ascribed to a different feeding behavior. This is supported by the total absence of A. compar in males, despite the habitat shared by the three host groups.