Some endohelminths from the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta from Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

An examination of three specimens of the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta (Schoepf) from a small lake in central Yucatan revealed the presence of the following four helminth species parasitic in the digestive tract: Telorchis attenuata Goldberger, 1911 (Trematoda), Serpinema trispinosum (Leidy, 1852), Spiroxys contortus (Rudolphi, 1819) and Falcaustra affinis (Leidy, 1856) (all Nematoda). Telorchis corti (Stunkard, 1915) and T. dissimilis (Caballero, 1938) are considered junior synonyms of T. attenuata and Camallanus magnorugosus Caballero, 1939 a junior synonym of Serpinema trispinosum. Macrocyclops albidus (Jurine) (Copepoda) was found as a suitable experimental intermediate host of S. trispinosum; third- and fourth-stage larvae of this nematode species from turtles are described. Serpinema, Spiroxys and Falcaustra larvae are known to occur in local fishes, serving as paratenic hosts; these are probably conspecific with adult nematodes recorded from T. scripta. All species of helminths are briefly described and some problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy and geographical distribution are discussed.

Keywords :

• Helminths
• parasites
• turtle
• Yucatan
• Mexico