Nematode Parasites of Some Reptiles (Sauria: Testudines: Ophidia) From the Northern and Western Cape Provinces, South Africa (original) (raw)

2010, Journal of Parasitology

One hundred and seven reptiles (11 families, 32 species) from the Northern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa were examined for helminths. Twenty-three (22%) individual reptiles were found to harbor at least 1 species of nematode; 3 (7%) reptiles harbored multiple infections of 2 nematode species. Eight species within 5 families of Nematoda were found in the reptiles surveyed including 1 atractid, 1 diaphanocephalid, 1 heterakid, 3 pharyngodonids, and 2 physalopterans. Ten new host records are reported. A summary of the nematode parasites identified from South African reptiles is provided. South Africa has a relatively long history of reptile nematology. The first record, to our knowledge, was reported by von Linstow (1899) of the nematode Ascaris attenuata (currently Polydelphis anoura) recovered from the puff adder, Bitis (5Vipera) arietans, collected at Port Natal (Durban), KwaZulu-Natal Province. The first summary of South African nematodes was provided by Fantham and Porter (1950). Hering-Hagenbeck and Boomker (2000) included South African hosts in their checklist of southern African nematode parasites. More recently, La Grange et al. (2009) reported Trichinella zimbabwensis from the Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus, from South Africa. We provide herein a summation of reports of nematodes from reptiles collected in South Africa (Table I) and document 10 new host records of nematodes from a survey of 107 reptiles collected in the

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