Helminth Parasites of Anolis Carolinensis (Reptilia: Lacertilia) from Southeastern Louisiana

OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME 51, NUMBER 2, JULY 1984 367

with feral dogs (Canis familiaris) or coyotes, the 1947, J. Parasitol. 33:23-24), and 38% of 24 fox- latter of which are rare in Alachua County. By es in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Geor- contrast, a high prevalence (71%) of hookworms gia (Miller and Harkema, 1968, op. cit.). That identified as A. caninum was reported from gray only 12% of the gray foxes in Florida were in- foxes in other southeastern states (Miller and fected with Taenia spp. (T. pisiformis and a Harkema, 1968, Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. species resembling T. macrocystis) suggests that 35:118-125). gray foxes in this area do not prey as heavily Two gray foxes, one red fox, and one coyote upon rabbits as in other localities. However, fox- were infected with the heartworm, Dirofilaria es are omnivores that probably exhibit variations immitis. Only female heartworms from the coy- in their parasitic faunas as a result of the seasonal ote contained microfilariae. The overall preva- and geographical availability of certain food lence (12%) was typical of the findings of many items, especially intermediate hosts (Dyer and other studies on wild canid populations (Sim- Klimstra, 1982, op. cit.). Data from a small sur- mons et al., 1980, J. Wildl. Dis. 16:225-228). vey such as this should be interpreted with cau- The role of foxes and coyotes in the epizootiology tion in the absence of better seasonal and geo- of dirofilariasis is uncertain. Simmons et al. (1980, graphical data. op. cit.) stated that wild canids should not be Appreciation is expressed to P. P. Humphrey, considered as reservoir hosts for heartworms be- G. W. Foster, and R. M. Anderson for examining cause some studies have shown that populations foxes and coyotes. Special thanks are due B. B. of foxes with a low occurrence of heartworms Nickol for identifying the Acanthocephala, R. L. exist in areas where heartworms are prevalent in Rausch for identifying the species of Taenia, J. local dog populations. Although this may be true R. Lichtenfels for assistance with the species of for foxes, coyotes appear to be quite suitable as Ancylostoma, and D. J. Forrester, C. H. Court- potential reservoir hosts of canine heartworm as ney, E. C. Greiner, and M. D. Young for their reported by Weinmann and Garcia (1980, J. helpful suggestions in the preparation of this note. Wildl. Dis. 16:217-221). Supported in part by grants number 977-G, 1270, Taenia pisiformis appears to be a common hel- and 1270-G from the Florida Game and Fresh minth of gray foxes, reported from 70% of 543 Water Fish Commission. A contribution of Fed- foxes in Illinois (Dyer and Klimstra, 1982, Trans. eral Aid to Wildlife Restoration, Florida Pitt- 111. State Acad. Sci. 75:289-295), 57% of 112 man-Robertson Project W-41. Florida Agricul- foxes in Texas (Buechner, 1944, J. Mammal. 25: tural Experiment Stations Journal Series No. 185-188), 88% of 17 foxes in Mississippi (Ward, 4776.

Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 51(2), 1984, pp. 367-369

Research Note Helminth Parasites of Anolis carolinensis (Reptilia: Lacertilia) from Southeastern Louisiana

DAVID BRUCE CONN AND FRANK J. ETGES Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221

The green anole, Anolis carolinensis, is a com- Between November 1981 and October 1983, mon iguanid lizard throughout the southeastern 543 anoles (398 $, 145 $) vere examined for para- United States. As a diurnal, primarily arboreal sitic helminths. Anoles were hand-collected at species, it feeds mostly on insects and other ar- night by flashlight within a 20-mi radius of La thropods (Schmidt and Inger, 1957, Living Rep- Place, Louisiana and shipped the next day by air tiles of the World. Hanover House, Garden City, freight to our laboratory (pers. comm., The Snake New York. 287 pp.). Farm, La Place, Louisiana 70068). The snout-

Table 1. Helminths collected from Anolis carolinensis in southeastern Louisiana.

No. (%) Intensity Site* hosts Helminth in host infected Mean ± SE Range

Nematoda Oswaldocruzia pipiens SI 54 (9.9) 1.3 ± 0.09 1-4 Cosmocercoides sp. LI 6(1.1) 3.8 ± 2.23 1-16 Camallanus sp. larvae SI 3 (0.6) 3.0 ± 1.63 1-7 Unidentified free larvae BC; SI 9(1.7) 1.0 ± 0.00 1 Unidentified encysted larvae P 8(1.5) 1.3 ± 0.15 1-2 Cestoda Mesocestoides lineatus tetrathyridia BC; M; F 2 (0.4) 174.0 ± 115 10-338 Oochoristica anolis SI 2 (0.4) 27.0 ± 17.0 3-51 Proteocephalid plerocercoids BC 1 (0.2) 4.0 ± - 4 Trematoda Allopharynx multispinosa SI 2 (0.4) 3.5 ± 1.77 1-6 Unidentified plagiorchioids SI 2 (0.4) 1.0 ± 0.00 1 Acanthocephala Unidentified cystacanths M 4 (0.7) 1.5 ± 0.43 1-3

* Site abbreviations: BC = body cavity, F = muscle fascia, LI = large intestine, M = mesenteries, P = peritoneum of stomach, SI = small intestine. vent length of each anole was measured upon carolinensis, which probably is an accidental or examination (x=53.42 mm; SD = 8.13); the paratenic host. mean for this study was within the normal range Oochoristica anolis Harwood, 1932 was first for adults of this species. Each anole was killed described from a single specimen collected by by decapitation and a thorough search for hel- Harwood (1932, Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus. 81:1-66) minths was made of all viscera, muscles, and from 1 of 30 anoles in Texas; it was reported subcutaneous tissues under a dissecting micro- from 2 of 200 anoles in northern Louisiana (Sell- scope. Nematodes and acanthocephalans re- ers, 1971, op. cit.) and from 2 of 50 anoles from covered were fixed in Travassos' solution and La Place, Louisiana (Carter and Etges, 1973, J. mounted unstained in glycerol gelatin. Cestodes Parasitol. 59:1140-1141). The Mesocestoides and trematodes were fixed in AFA, stained with lineatus (Goeze, 1782) tetrathyridia reported here Semichon's aceto-carmine and mounted in da- are from the same population reported by Conn mar. et al. (1984, J. Parasitol. 70:68-77). Specific Of 543 anoles examined, 82 (15%) were in- identification of these tetrathyridia was made fected with at least one helminth; this included from experimentally obtained adults. The large 62 (16%) of the males and 20 (14%) of the fe- number of tetrathyridia in one lizard apparently males. Of the 82 anoles infected, 72 (88%) were resulted from ingestion of a large number of in- infected by 1, 9 (11%) by 2, and 1 (1%) by 3 fective-stage worms, because they showed no sign helminth species. A total of 11 helminth species of asexual proliferation during many intraperi- was found (Table 1). toneal transfers between experimental hosts. This Oswaldocruzia pipiens Walton, 1929 was by observation is not surprising, because asexually far the most common helminth in the present proliferative tetrathyridia are encountered only study. Sellers (1971, J. Parasitol. 57:355) re- rarely in field collections. The proteocephalid ported O. pipiens from 1 of 200 anoles collected plerocercoids reported here were identified by in northern Louisiana. The present report is a their prominent apical organs and large scoleces, new host record for Cosmocercoides sp., a com- but otherwise were morphologically similar to mon nematode genus in many North American the tetrathyridia. Harwood (1932, op. cit.) re- amphibians and reptiles. Camallanus sp. larvae ported an immature adult Proteocephalus sp. from also are reported here for the first time from A. the intestine of 1 of 30 anoles in Texas.

The present report is the first for the plagior- from Georgia by Byrd (1950, Trans. Am. Mi- chiid fluke, Allopharynx multispinosa (Bennett, crosc. Soc. 69:280-287). 1935), since its original description from anoles Some specimens collected in the present study in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Bennett, 1935, J. were deposited in the USNM Helminthological Parasitol. 21:83-90). The unidentified plagior- Collection, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, chioid trematodes reported here were very small with the following accession numbers: O. pipiens (< 1.0 mm long) and were damaged during pro- (78127), Cosmocercoides sp. (78128), Camal- cessing so that more definite identification was lanus sp. (78129), M. lineatus adult (78124), te- not possible. trathyridia (78123), A. multispinosa (78125), Helminths previously reported from A. caro- cystacanth (78126). linensis, but not found in the present study, in- We thank John L. Crites of Ohio State Uni- clude Urotrema wardi Perez Vigueras, 1940, re- versity for verifying the identifications of the ported from Florida by Sellers (1971, op. cit.) nematodes. and Alloglyptus crenshawi Byrd, 1950, reported

Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 51(2), 1984, pp. 369-370

Research Note Helminths of Desert Cottontail Rabbits (Sylvilagus auduboni (Baird)) Inhabiting Prairie Dog Towns in Eastern New Mexico

DERIK DE BRUIN AND GARY S. PFAFFENBERGER Department of Life Sciences, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico 88130

The desert cottontail, Sylvilagus auduboni, is were fixed in AFA, cleared in methyl salicylate, a common mammal of the southwestern United and stored in FGA. Representative specimens States and is found in close association with the are deposited in the USNM Helminthological black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). Collection, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 Fourteen desert cottontails were collected from (nos. 77824-77826). three active prairie dog towns (towns P, D, and The results of this study are shown in Table C) near Portales, Roosevelt Co., New Mexico (see Pfaffenberger et al., 1984, Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 51, in press). The rabbits were in- Table 1. Helminths of desert cottontails inhabiting fected with one species of Nematoda (Derma- prairie dog towns in eastern New Mexico. toxys veligera (Rudolphi, 1819) Schneider, 1866) and two species of Cestoda (Raillietina retractilis Prevalence No. Stiles, 1925 and Taenia pisiformis (Bloch, 1780) infected/ Intensity Hall, 1919). no. Range Necropsy was done with the aid of a stereo- Helminth Town examined (mean) microscope. All body cavities, internal organs, Nematoda and gastrointestinal contents were examined. Dermatoxys P, C, D 4/14 1-19 Nematodes were placed in acetic acid, cleared in veligera* (6.3) a 70% ethanol/5% glycerin mixture followed by Cestoda pure glycerin, and then stored in FGA. Raillietina P, C, D 6/14 1-26 Cestodes were relaxed in cold distilled water, retractilis* (9.5) fixed in AFA, stained with either Semichon's Taenia C 3/14 5-15 aceto-carmine or Celestine blue B, dehydrated pisiformis^ (10) with absolute ethanol, cleared in methyl salicy- * Small intestine. late, and mounted in Canada balsam. Cysticerci f Intestinal mesenteries and liver.