@article{Olsson_Bergström_Stéen_Sandegren_1995, title={A STUDY OF ELAPHOSTRONGYLUS ALCES IN AN ISLAND MOOSE POPULATION WITH LOW CALF BODY WEIGHTS}, volume={31}, url={https://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/877}, abstractNote={<p>We studied prevalence of <em>Elaphostrongylus alces </em>(Protosyrongylidae; Nematoda), weights, mandible lengths, and mandible marrow fat in a moose population (<em>Alces alces</em>) at Utö in the Stockholm archipelago from October 1989 to November 1994. The moose population at Utö before culling was relatively dense (2.0/km<sup>2</sup>). Annual prevalence of infection with <em>E. alces </em>(adult worms, and/or eggs/larvae in the meninges) varied between 58% and 71%. The moose calves at Utö were smaller (mandible length 294±18 mm <em>n</em> = 73) and had lower processed carcass weights (45.4±10.4 kg <em>n</em> = 85), (bled, without viscera, skin, skill, and lower legs) than calves on the mainland. Low weights could not be statistically related to infection with <em>E. alces</em>, nor were there indications that low calf weights were related to lack of browse. However culling of moose calves and yearlings over a three year period results in a trend of reduced infection with <em>E. alces</em>. In a total of 2025 snails and slugs examined over 5 summers, 20 (1 %) were infected with elaphostrongyline larvae. Seven species (<em>Arion subfuscus, Deroceras agreste, D. reticulatum, Limax cinereoniger, Succinea </em>spp., <em>Vitrina pellucida, </em>and <em>Zonitoides nitidus</em>) were found naturally infected, with a mean of 4.3±5.2 larvae/gasgtropod. <em>Succinea</em> spp. was the most abundant gastropod, and together with <em>Deroceras agreste, D. reticulatum, </em>and <em>Arion subfuscus</em> was the most probable source of <em>E. alces</em> infection. Further study is required to follow and evaluate the effects of the culling on <em>E. alces</em> as well as on the moose population at Utö.</p>}, journal={Alces: A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose}, author={Olsson, Ign-Marie and Bergström, Roger and Stéen, Margareta and Sandegren, Finn}, year={1995}, month={Jan.}, pages={61–75} }