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Acta Parasitologica, Vol.43, No. 3, 1998, 128-136
Rodriguez Alejandro (1), Carbonell Enrique (2) - Gastrointestinal parasites of the Iberian lynx and other wild carnivores from central Spain.

(1) Department of Applied Biology, Estacion Biologica de Donana, CSIC, Avda. Maria Luisa s/n, 41013 Sevilla; (2) Departament de Parasitologia Animal, Universitat de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjasot; Spain
ABSTRACT

Between 1991 and 1995 fresh fecal samples from Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), wildcats (Felis silvestris), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and other carnivore species were collected in two areas of central Spain for isolation of parasite eggs and larvae. Twenty-three gastrointestinal coccidia, cestoda and nematoda species were identified. Common (>=20% prevalence) species were Isospora felis, I. rivolta, Ancylostoma spp., Toxascaris leonina, Toxocara cati, Aelurostrongylus spp., and Physaloptera spp. for the wildcat, I. felis, Taenia spp., Ancylostoma spp., T. leonina, and Toxocara canis for the Iberian lynx, and I. canis, I. vulpis, and Physaloptera spp. for the red fox. In contrast to the pattern found in most similar studies, the distribution of parasitic forms among individual hosts was not overdispersed. Differences in prevalence between host populations were only detected for Physaloptera spp. in the wildcat. Sexual differences in occurrence, prevalence and intensity were not found in any host. The number of parasite species per individual was significantly higher in adult than in subadult hosts, and negatively correlated with a rough index of host body condition. The consistence of parasite species across samples of the same individual host taken at different times was low. In this paper we provide the first data on intestinal parasites for the rare Iberian lynx.


KEY WORDS: wild carnivores, coccidia, cestoda, nematoda, population indices
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