12/21/2023 0 Comments Wolf worm![]() Moose catch brainworm from deer poop after snails and slugs on the forest floor consume the deer droppings and then climb up trees and shrubs where moose tend to forage for food. ![]() Over the past three decades, grey wolf numbers have exploded due to white-tailed deer ranges expanding into moose territory. Warm winters with less snow have made it easier for white-tailed deer to migrate further north. Because brainworm is such an important cause of adult moose mortality in Minnesota, we can now see that the impact of wolves on moose is a bit more nuanced." "But this suggests that wolves may provide a protective benefit to adult moose from a parasite-transmission perspective. "We often think of wolves as bad news for moose because they kill a lot of calves," said study co-author Tiffany Wolf, an expert in veterinary population medicine at the University of Minnesota, in a statement. More wolves were linked to less overlap between deer and moose, reducing the risk of parasite transmission, reports John Myers for Twin Cities' Pioneer Press. It may be a critical factor as to why Minnesota's northern moose populations have declined significantly.Ī study published in Science Advances in December 2021 shows grey wolves may help moose populations by keeping infected deer at bay. While harmless to white-tailed deer, the parasite ( Parelaphostrongylus tenuis) causes disorientation, extreme weakness, and the inability to stand in moose. As deer entered moose habitats, they brought brainworm, a fatal parasite to moose. However, the biggest threat may be migrating white-tailed deer. The population had 8,800 individuals in 2006, and since then, numbers in the northeastern part of the state alone have fallen by 64 percent, reports Liz Scheltens for Vox. Warmer, shorter winters, tick infestations, liver issues, wolves, and parasites all contribute to declines in remnant Minnesota moose populations, reports Dennis Anderson for the Star Tribune. ![]() In Minnesota, moose used to roam the boreal forests by the thousands. ![]()
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