Helminthic infection in three native rodent species from a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem

Abstract Helminth parasites are still not a well-known component of animal biodiversity. In this study, we describe and compare the endoparasite assemblages of three native rodent species from a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem. A total of eight species of gastrointestinal helminth parasites were d...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrea Yáñez-Meza, Carlos Landaeta-Aqueveque, Nicol Quiroga, Carezza Botto-Mahan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
Series:Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-29612019000100119&lng=en&tlng=en
Description
Summary:Abstract Helminth parasites are still not a well-known component of animal biodiversity. In this study, we describe and compare the endoparasite assemblages of three native rodent species from a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem. A total of eight species of gastrointestinal helminth parasites were detected. The endoparasitic communities of the rodents Phyllotis darwini (5 species), Octodon degus (4 species), and Abrothrix olivaceus (3 species) were described in terms of their prevalence and mean abundance. In addition, endoparasite records by rodent species were submitted to rarefaction analyses to verify sampling robustness and used to compare richness and similarity among rodent species. O. degus presented the highest prevalence and parasitic load, but was of low diversity, while P. darwini presented the highest diversity, but had a low prevalence rate. Conversely, A. olivaceus presented the lowest prevalence and diversity. This study contributes to the existing knowledge of the endoparasitic fauna of rodent species from semiarid Mediterranean zones.
ISSN:1984-2961