Comparative Analysis of How the Fecal Microbiota of Green-Winged Saltator (<i>Saltator similis</i>) Diverge among Animals Living in Captivity and in Wild Habitats
2024
Larissa Caló Zitelli | Gabriela Merker Breyer | Mariana Costa Torres | Luiza de Campos Menetrier | Ana Paula Muterle Varela | Fabiana Quoos Mayer | Cláudio Estêvão Farias Cruz | Franciele Maboni Siqueira
The microbiota’s alteration is an adaptive mechanism observed in wild animals facing high selection pressure, especially in captive environments. The objective of this study is to compare and predict the potential impact of habitat on the fecal bacterial community of <i>Saltator similis</i>, a songbird species that is a victim of illegal trafficking, living in two distinct habitats: wild and captivity. Nine wild and nine captive <i>S. similis</i> were sampled, and total bacterial DNA was obtained from the feces. Each DNA sample was employed to the amplification of the V4 region of the 16S rDNA following <i>high</i>-throughput sequencing. The most predominant phyla in all songbirds, irrespective of habitat, were <i>Firmicutes</i>, <i>Bacteroidota</i>, <i>Proteobacteria</i>, and <i>Actinobacteriota.</i> Interestingly, a microbiota profile (phylogenetic and abundance relationship) related to habitat was identified. The genera “Candidatus <i>Arthromitus</i>”, <i>Acinetobacter</i>, <i>Kocuria</i>, and <i>Paracoccus</i> were exclusively identified in animals living in captivity, which can be a potential biomarker associated with birds in captive environments. This study presents the first description of the fecal bacterial community composition of <i>S. similis</i> living two different lifestyles. Finally, our results suggest that the lifestyle of <i>S. similis</i> birds significantly impacts the composition of the fecal microbiota. The animals living in captivity showed dysbiosis in the microbiota, with some bacteria genera being indicated as biological markers of environmental behavior. Thus, the present research provides a new concept of life quality measure for songbirds.
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