Open AccessHigh helmintic infection of the European grass snake, Natrix natrix and the dice snake, Natrix tessellate (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Iran
Author(s) -
Mohammad Reza Yossefi,
Reza Nikzad,
Mohammad Nikzad,
Ali Mousapour,
Shahab Ramazanpour,
Mohammad Taghi Rahimi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of tropical disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.208
H-Index - 33
ISSN - 2222-1808
DOI - 10.1016/s2222-1808(14)60452-7
Subject(s) - natrix , biology , colubridae , zoology
Objective: To determine the helminth parasites of Natrix natrix Linnaeus, 1758 (N. natrix) and\udNatrix tessellata Laurenti, 1768 (N. tessellate) in north of Iran.\udMethods: Eighteen snakes including nine N. natrix and nine N. tessellata from Mazandaran\udProvince, north of Iran were collected and examined during March 2011 to October 2011 for\udhelminth parasites. The collected specimens were fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol.\udResults: All of the examined snakes (100%) were infected with parasitic helminth. The list\udof extracted helminths both in N. natrix and N. tessellata includes one Nematode: Rhabdias\udfuscovenosa (larva), one Digenea: Telorchis assula and one Cestoda: Ophiotaenia europaea. The\udinfection rate of Ophiotaenia europaea, Telorchis assula and Rhabdias fuscovenosa (larva) from\udcollected snakes were 100%, 83.3% and 61.1%, respectively. Moreover, in the current investigation\udthe morphological characteristics of the collected helminths were described elaborately.\udConclusions: This is the first survey on helminth parasites from N. tessellata in Iran and the\udhelminthes are reported for the first time from this host in Iran