Volume 48/Number 1/Abstract 07
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Acta Parasitologica, Vol.48, No. 1, 2003, 47-54
Siaka O. Aisien*, Francisca B. Ajakaiye and Kareem Braimoh - Helminth parasites of anurans from the savannah-mosaic zone of south-western Nigeria
Laboratory of Parasitology Research, Department of Zoology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: aisien@uniben.net
ABSTRACT

Helminth parasites of anurans from five locations in the savannah-mosaic and one in the transitional vegetation zone of Edo State of Nigeria were investigated. Amphibian hosts examined included Bufo regularis, B. maculatus, Dicroglossus occipitalis, Ptychadena oxyrhynchus, P. mascareniensis, P. pumilio, P. schubotzi, Xenopus muelleri, Silurana tropicalis, Rana galamensis and Leptopelis viridis. Some of the parasites infecting amphibians in the rainforest and the mangrove such as Cephalochlamys namaquensis, Mesocoelium monodi, Haematoloechus exoterorchis, Diplodiscus fischthalicus, Prosotocus exovitellosus, Ganeo africana, Rhabdias bufonis, Cosmocerca ornata, Camallanus dimitrovi, Amplicaecum africanum and Batrachocamallanus xenopodis also infected anurans of the savannah-mosaic. Others including Baerietta sp., Polystoma prudhoei, P. galamensis, Polystoma sp., Pleurogenoides tener, Haematoloechus micrurus, Ophidiscus sp., Folleyelides sp., Abbreviata sp. (larva), and larval ascaridoids were only recorded in the anurans of the savannah-mosaic zone. Since the polystomes were not recorded in the humid environment of the rainforest and the mangrove, we presume that these are preferentially parasites of anurans residing in drier environments such as prevail in the savannah. Polystoma prudhoei which was originally described from P. oxyrhynchus was recorded in B. regularis in this investigation. This represents a new host record for this parasite. The larval ascaridoid found in a number of the anuran hosts and the larvae of Abbreviata sp. found in D. occipitalis are most probably parasites of snakes and other reptiles that use amphibians as transport hosts.


KEY WORDS: Helminth parasites, anurans, savannah-mosaic, Nigeria

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