Trichuris cervicaprae, Kreis, 1935

Zvegintsova, N. S., Kharchenko, V. A. & Kuzmina, T. A., 2018, Helminths Of Exotic Even-Toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla) In The Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine, Vestnik Zoologii 52 (6), pp. 471-494 : 480-485

Tr. cervicaprae Kreis, 1935

Hosts: common eland (P = 21.1 %; I = 23 (1–83)); markhor (P = 18.2 %; I = 17.5 (2–33)); blackbuck (P = 25 %; I = 14.5 (12–17)).

Site of infection: caecum.

Tr. skrjabini (Baskakov, 1924)

Hosts: American bison (P = 9.1 %; I = 21); Barbary sheep (P = 40 %; I = 21 (1–41)), European mouflon (P = 10 %; I = 2), markhor (P = 18.2 %; I = 20 (12–28)); banteng (P = 100 %; I = 12).

Site of infection: caecum.

Trichuris sp.

Hosts: guanaco (P = 100 %; I = 9.3 (1–25)); llama (P = 66.7 %; I = 20 (7–33)); nilgai (P = 57.1 %; I = 5 (3–9)).

Site of infection: caecum.

D i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e h e l m i n t h s p e c i e s a m o n g u n g u l a t e s

The distribution of helminth species amount their ungulate hosts from different families was unequal ( tabl. 2). Ungulates from the family Bovidae were found to be the most infected with helminths — 36 species were documented in the bovids; from 1 to 18 (mean = 7.5) species parasitized one host species. In the family Camelidae , 15 helminth species were found; from 3 to 10 (mean = 7.3) species parasitized one host species. In Cervidae , 9 helminth species were found; from 1 to 6 species (mean = 3.3) per host. The number of helminth species was also distributed unevenly among ungulate species ( fig. 1 ).

Analysis of the occurrence of different helminth species, especially, nematodes, showed that nematodes of the genus Trichuris parasitized 15 species of ungulates; nematodes of the genus Nematodirus — 13 species, Trichostrongylus — 12, Oesophagostomum — 11, of the genera Heamonchus and Camelostrongylus — 9, Cooperia — 8 ungulate species. The most widespread cestodes were from the genus Moniezia which were found in 11 species of ungulates, and Taenia – in 7 host species ( table 2). All of these helminths are typical parasites of domestic ruminants.

The ungulates introduced from the regions with natural and climatic conditions similar to those of the southern Ukraine were found to possess a greater helminth diversity comparing to the ungulates introduced from more arid or more humid regions of the world ( tables 1, 2).

H e l m i n t h c o m m u n i t y o f B o v i d a e

In 16 ungulate species from the family Bovidae included in our study ( table 1), 260,955 helminths of 35 species were found. The largest helminths diversity was record- ed in saiga antelopes (19 species), Barbary sheep (18 species), European mouflons (18), markhors (17), American bisons (12), blackbucks (10) and common elands (9) ( fig. 1 ). The structure of the helminth communities in all these ungulates was found to be disrupted; commonly 1–3 of the most abundant species composed the “core” of the community, and consisted of 50 % to 80 % of the total helminth number; while the intensity of other species was low ( fig. 2).

Ten most abundant species ( H. contortus , Nematodirus sp. , A. bovis , M. expansa, Oe. venulosum , O. circumcincta , T. axei , T. colubriformis , T. probolurus , Tr. ovis ) were found in more than 30 % of the animals. These species are all typical parasites of domestic ruminants in southern Ukraine ( Trach, 1986; Ivashkin et al., 1989). One introduced species Ca. mentulatus , typical for camels, saigas, and small domestic ruminants in Asia ( Hilton et al., 1978) infected six species of Bovidae ; it was the dominant species in the parasite community of blackbucks. Two species of nematodes ( C. verrucosa and T. cervicaprae ) that had been introduced into the Askania-Nova with common elands ( Zvegintsova & Treus, 2007), infected different species of exotic bovids ( table 2).

Exotic Bovidae species introduced from Africa, Central and South-East Asia (blue wildebeest, African buffalo, gayal, sitatunga, banteng, Siberian ibex) had the lowest helminth diversity, from one to three species were found in these ungulates ( fig. 1 ).

H e l m i n t h c o m m u n i t y o f C e r v i d a e

Nine species of helminths were found in four species of Cervidae : one species of trematodes, two species of cestodes, and six species of nematodes ( table 2). From one to four species parasitized simultaneously one host species; two Pere David’s deer examined were not infected with any helminths. All the species found are typical parasites of domestic ruminants; helminths specific for Cervidae in their natural habitats were not found.

Helminth community of Camelidae

Fifteen species of helminths were found in four species of Camelidae : two species of cestodes and 13 species of nematodes ( table 2); from three to 10 species parasitized one host species. The largest species diversity (10 species) was recorded in guanacos and llamas ( fig. 3). The structure of the helminth community in the Camelidae was also disrupted — nematodes of the genus Nematodirus , typical for domestic ruminants, made up the “core” of both parasite communities and composed more than 75 % of the total helminth number in guanacos and llamas. Camelostrongylus mentulatus , a typical parasite of camels in Asia, was found in three species: Bactrian camel, guanaco and llama; its prevalence was high only in the Bactrian camel, up to 600 specimens per host.

Prevalence, % Proportion in community, % Prevalence, % Proportion in community, % Prevalence, % Proportion in community, % Prevalence, % Proportion in community, % Prevalence, % Proportion in community, % Prevalence, % Proportion in community, % Prevalence, % Proportion in community, %

A n a l y s i s o f t h e s i m i l a r i t y o f t h e p a r a s i t e f a u n a s i n d i f f e r e n t u n g u l a t e s

The Bray-Curtis cluster analysis of the species diversity of ungulates revealed that Barbary sheep and markhors had the highest similarity within the parasite faunas; saiga antelopes and European mouflons were similar to them ( fig. 4 ). Exotic ungulates such as gayal, banteng, sitatunga and blue wildebeest had the lowest similarity of their parasite faunas with other ungulates. Two species of Cervidae , fallow deer and sika deer, had severely impoverished parasite communities — only one and three species, respectively, were found in these hosts; thus their parasite faunas were also significantly different from those of other ungulates.

Figures

Fig. 1. Number of helminth species found in various species of ungulates in the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine.

Fig. 4. Bray-Curtis cluster analysis of the species diversity in 23 species of ungulates from the Askania Nova Reserve, Ukraine.