<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Snakes have diverse feeding and living habits, being exposed to a variety of endoparasite communities. However, more studies are still necessary to document these relationships. We examined 18 specimens of the cat-eyed snake Leptodeira annulata from a semi-arid region in Northeast Brazil. Eight taxa of parasites were found, with higher prevalence of cystacanths (Acanthocephala). Five nematode species (Hexametra boddaertii, Oswaldocruzia sp., Oxyascaris sp., Physaloptera sp. and Raillietnema spectans) and the pentastome Raillietiella furcocerca represent a new parasitism record for the host studied. Our results also showed that L. annulata could act as paratenic host for acanthocephalans. These results contribute to the knowledge of the helminth fauna of L. annulata.</p></abstract>

Snakes have diverse feeding and living habits, being exposed to a variety of endoparasite communities. However, more studies are still necessary to document these relationships. We examined 18 specimens of the cat-eyed snake Leptodeira annulata from a semi-arid region in Northeast Brazil. Eight taxa of parasites were found, with higher prevalence of cystacanths (Acanthocephala). Five nematode species (Hexametra boddaertii, Oswaldocruzia sp., Oxyascaris sp., Physaloptera sp. and Raillietnema spectans) and the pentastome Raillietiella furcocerca represent a new parasitism record for the host studied. Our results also showed that L. annulata could act as paratenic host for acanthocephalans. These results contribute to the knowledge of the helminth fauna of L. annulata.

Helminths infecting the cat-eyed snake Leptodeira annulata Linnaeus 1758 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in a semiarid region of Brazil

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Snakes have diverse feeding and living habits, being exposed to a variety of endoparasite communities. However, more studies are still necessary to document...

Helminths infecting the cat-eyed snake Leptodeira annulata Linnaeus 1758 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in a semiarid region of Brazil

Published Online: Oct 27, 2018

Page range: 281 - 285

Received: Mar 01, 2018

Accepted: Jul 03, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2018-0027

Keywords
parasites, nematoda, neotropical, Pentastomida, snakes, reptiles

© 2018 E. F. Fernandes De Carvalho, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Helminths infecting the cat-eyed snake Leptodeira annulata Linnaeus 1758 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in a semiarid region of Brazil

Published Online: Oct 27, 2018

Page range: 281 - 285

Received: Mar 01, 2018

Accepted: Jul 03, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2018-0027

Keywordsparasites, nematoda, neotropical, Pentastomida, snakes, reptiles

© 2018 E. F. Fernandes De Carvalho, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
parasites, nematoda, neotropical, Pentastomida, snakes, reptiles