• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2011

Siberian chipmunks, Tamias sibiricus, are one of several popular companion animals found in the pet shops of South Korea. At present, however, there have been no studies done in South Korea examining their origin even though they could be potential carriers of zoonotic diseases, and are a species of concern for efficient conservation and management strategies. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140 bp) were determined to investigate the origin of Siberian chipmunks sold in four South Korean pet shops through comparison with sequence data from animals of known locality. Nine Siberian chipmunks were collected from pet shops in South Korea, which resulted in nine haplotypes. One (AR) of these coincided with the haplotype previously described. Phylogenetic and network analyses using 53 haplotypes including 45 haplotypes from GenBank showed three phylogenetic groups in South Korea, almost concordant to locality, designated as northern, central, and southern parts as described in a previous study. Of the nine individuals examined from the pet shops, eight were clustered into the northern phylogroup but one (cgrb9153) was grouped with the southern phylogroup, implying that at least the Siberian chipmunks examined in this study did not originate from other countries. It is likely that most individuals sold in the pet shops of Seoul were caught in the wild in Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do, or are maternal descendants of captive-bred individuals originating from the northern part of South Korea. It is recommended that conservation and management units of Korean chipmunks should be examined in further detail.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.737-743
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• 2015

In order to examine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in wild rodents and insectivores of South Korea and to assess their potential role as a source of human cryptosporidiosis, a total of 199 wild rodents and insectivore specimens were collected from 10 regions of South Korea and screened for Cryptosporidium infection over a period of 2 years (2012-2013). A nested-PCR amplification of Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene fragment revealed an overall prevalence of 34.2% (68/199). The sequence analysis of 18S rRNA gene locus of Cryptosporidium was performed from the fecal and cecum samples that tested positive by COWP amplification PCR. As a result, we identified 4 species/genotypes; chipmunk genotype I, cervine genotype I, C. muris, and a new genotype which is closely related to the bear genotype. The new genotype isolated from 12 Apodemus agrarius and 2 Apodemus chejuensis was not previously identified as known species or genotype, and therefore, it is supposed to be a novel genotype. In addition, the host spectrum of Cryptosporidium was extended to A. agrarius and Crosidura lasiura, which had not been reported before. In this study, we found that the Korean wild rodents and insectivores were infected with various Cryptosporidium spp. with large intra-genotypic variationa, indicating that they may function as potential reservoirs transmitting zoonotic Cryptosporidium to livestock and humans.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2013

This study investigated mammal fauna in the sabbatical area of Mt. Unmun, Kyungsangbuk-do from December, 2007 to September, 2009. A total of 24 species belonging to 11 Families, 6 Orders, were identified in the survey area. Dominant species were as follows: Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis), Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), Korean mole (Mogera wogura), and East Asian field mouse (Apodemus peninsulae). Especially, four Legal Protection Species specified as National Monument (NM) and Endangered Species (ES) found in this survey were as follows: Flying squirrel (Petromys volans; NM #328 and ES level II), Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra; NM #330 and ES level I), Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis; ES level II) and Marten (Martes flavigula; ES level II). These results on the geographical distribution of various mammal species and Legal Protection Species indicate that this area is a valuable ecosystem for native mammal species. On the other hand, many feral cats were also found and specified as a management species. The results of this study show that further long-term investigation and management plan are needed to protect against harmful species and maintain the native ecosystem of Mt. Unmun.