Challenges of copro-parasitological surveys in wild Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) populations addressed through a combination of molecular and statistical tools

Copro-parasitological surveys in wildlife face challenges due to the secretive nature of many species and the unknown performance of the diagnostic tests employed. To overcome these issues, we used a combination of hierarchical models (site-occupancy and N-mixture models) applied to copro-parasitological data obtained from faecal samples assigned to the host species by molecular methods in the Iberian ibex in north-western Iberian Peninsula. The aims were to compare the performance of four diagnostic tests (Mini-FLOTAC, McMaster, Willis flotation, and natural sedimentation) and to use this methodological approach (molecular analysis with hierarchical models) to better estimate positivity proportion and shedding intensity in a wild ibex population. Pooled faecal samples were collected, and those confirmed by molecular analyses to be the host species in question were included in the study. Hierarchical models confirmed different performances of each diagnostic test, with Mini-FLOTAC showi..., ,