Sarcoptic mange, caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei, causes a substantive burden of disease to humans, domestic animals and wildlife, globally. There are many effects of S. scabiei infection, culminating in the disease which hosts suffer. However, major knowledge gaps remain on the pathogenic impacts of this infection. Here, we focus on the bare-nosed wombat host (Vombatus ursinus) to investigate the effects of mange on: (i) host heat loss and thermoregulation, (ii) field metabolic rates, (iii) foraging and resting behaviour across full circadian cycles, and (iv) fatty acid composition in host adipose, bone marrow, brain and muscle tissues. Our findings indicate that mange-infected V. ursinus lose more heat to the environment from alopecia-affected body regions than healthy individuals. Additionally, mange-infected individuals have higher metabolic rates in the wild. However, these metabolic demands are difficult to meet, because infected individuals spend less time foraging and more time inactive relative to their healthy counterparts, despite being outside of the burrow for longer. Lastly, mange infection results in altered fatty acid composition in adipose tissue, with increased amounts of omega-6 acids, and decreased amounts of omega-3 acids, a consequence of chronic cutaneous inflammation and inhibition of anti-inflammatory responses. These findings highlight the interactions of mange-induced physiological and behavioural changes, and have implications for the treatment and rehabilitation of infected individuals.

Infrared cameras are now used universally to study wildlife. In this study camera traps were used to report the use of bare-nosed wombat Vombatus ursinus burrows by other species. Eleven species were captured using camera traps. The species observed utilising wombat burrows included wombats, rabbits, macropods, possums, murids, foxes, cats and birds. The utilisation of wombat burrows by these species included entry into the burrow for shelter and hunting, and exploitation of the burrow entrance and spoil for foraging and potentially geophagic purposes.

Background Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of vertebrate hosts and transmit the widest range of pathogenic organisms of any arthropod vector. Seven tick species are known to feed on bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), in addition to the highly prevalent Sarcoptes scabiei mite which causes fatal sarcoptic mange in most bare-nosed wombat populations. Little is known about the pathogens carried by most wombat ticks or how they impact wombats affected by sarcoptic mange.Methods Wombat ticks were sourced from wildlife hospitals and sanctuaries across Australia and identified to species level using taxonomic keys. Genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from a subsample, and following the amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 hypervariable region, next generation sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina MiSeq platform was used to assess the microbial composition.Results A total of 447 tick specimens were collected from 47 bare-nosed wombats between January 2019 and January 2020. Five species of ticks were identified comprising Bothriocroton auruginans (n = 420), Haemaphysalis bancrofti (n = 10), H. longicornis (n = 1), Ixodes tasmani (n = 12), and I. holocyclus (n = 4). Tick infestations ranged from 1 to 73 ticks per wombat. B. auruginans was the most prevalent tick species comprising 94% of the total number of samples and was present on 97.9% (46/47) of wombat hosts. NGS results revealed the 16S rRNA gene diversity profile was predominantly Proteobacteria (55.1%) followed by Firmicutes (21.9%) and Actinobacteria (18.4%). A species of Coxiella sharing closest sequence identity to C. burnetii (99.07%), was detected in 72% of B. auruginans and a Rickettsiella endosymbiont dominated the bacterial profile for I. tasmani.Conclusions A new host record for H. longicornis is bare-nosed wombats. One adult male and two engorged adult female specimens were found on an adult male wombat from Coolagolite in NSW and more specimens should be collected to confirm this host record. The most prevalent tick found on bare-nosed wombats is B. auruginans confirming previous records. Analysis of alpha-diversity showed high variability across both sample locations and instars, similar to previous studies. The detection of various Proteobacteria in this study highlights the high bacterial diversity in native Australian ticks.