0000000000527900
AUTHOR
Gerardo Garcia
Preliminary health screening and possible pathogen determination in aBufo bufo(Linnaeus, 1758) (Amphibia: Bufonidae) population
The population of the common toad, Bufo bufo, on Jersey (Channel Islands, UK) has undergone a marked decline over recent years. Hypothesized causes for this decline include land use change, pollution, climate change and predation. We examined the carcasses of 97 wild adult common toads for gastrointestinal and pulmonary helminths. In addition, 31 adult toad carcasses were examined for the presence of ranavirus infection, and 212 wild common toads were examined for the presence of infection with the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Three nematode species Rhabdias bufonis, Aplectana macintoshii and Oswaldocruzia filiformis, and one species of cestode, Nematotaenia dispar, were identifie…
Examination of the Helminth Fauna of the Bermuda Skink, Plestiodon longirostris (Scincidae), Utilizing Faecal Analysis
Plestiodon longirostris is a critically endangered endemic skink living in the Bermuda archipelago. To know their intestinal parasites and evaluate the role that they may have in the conservation of the species, we have carried out a faecal analysis of some samples obtained from several populations. This type of analysis is presented as the most suitable for threatened species. The results show that P. longirostris has incorporated parasites from introduced species in Bermuda, and it is a competent host for these parasites. Nevertheless, the low prevalence of infection of these parasites suggests that they are not actually a threat to the endemic skink populations.
First Record of the Nematode Physaloptera squamatae in the Helminth Community of the Introduced Anole Anolis grahami (Polychrotidae) on Bermuda
The gastrointestinal helminth communities of five populations of Anolis grahami, an introduced anole on Bermuda, were surveyed to determine the prevalence, abundance, and species diversity of parasites in these reptiles. Only three nematode species were found, Atractis scelopori, Parapharyngodon cubensis, and Physaloptera squamatae. This species, P. squamatae, is recorded for the first time in Anolis grahami on Bermuda, probably introduced through its arthropod intermediate host. The role of the host A. grahami as a “spillover” agent for these parasites is discussed.