asite in only one squirrel from our sample. The iiigher prevalences of this parasite in. Putnam. County could have. 1)een the result of a local phenomenon, sucii.
Journal
A COMPARISON FROM
OF PARASITIC
TWO
SUBSPECIES
(SCIURUS Donald
NIGER)
F. Coyner,13
of
HELMINTHS
OF FOX
Wildlsfr
AND
:32(:3).m996, II
Diseas,’s, © \Vildlife
Disease
492-497
Association
1996
ARTHROPODS
SQUIRRELS
IN FLORIDA
John
B. Wooding,2
and
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA 2 Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 4005 South Main Street, Gainesville, Florida 32601, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
Donald
Medicine,
J. Forrester13 University
of Florida,
Wildlife Research Laboratory, USA University of Florida,
Tue
faummuas of parasitic helminths and arthropods of 87 Sherman’s fox squirrels (Sciuand 32 Big Cypress fox squirrels (Sciurus niger avicennia) collected from Florida (USA) over a 6-yr period (1988 to 1993) were compared. One acanthocephialan, one cestode, nimme muemuuatodes, omme flea, three sucking lice, three mites, one tick, and one dipteran larva were identified. Citellinema hifurcatum and Physaloptera fliasSiflo were new records for Florida amid Gongylonema pulchruin, Neotrombicula whartoni, and Eushoengastia diversa were muew host records. Thuree core species of nematodes (distributed widely, highly host specific, and very prevalenut) were identified from Sherman’s fox squirrels. These included Strongyloides rohu.s’tus, Heliginodendrium huas.s’alli, amid C. bifurcatum, which were higher in prevalence and intensity in Shmermuuanu’s fox squirrels than in Big Cypress fox squirrels. One core species of cestode (Raillietina hakeri) was collected from 32% of Sherman’s fox squirrels, but was not observed in ABSTRACT: i-us
niger
Big
Cypress
sherman)
fox
parasites
fromum
sqmmirrels.
words:
Key
Time
Shiernman’s
Fox
fox
number
of
squirrels
squirrel,
species,
prevalences,
greater
than those shermani,
were Sciurns
parasites,
niger
INTRODUCTION
The
intensities,
The
fox
(Scm
squirrel
tree
i-us
niger)
the
in
squirrel
spimere ammd tile nuost vari-colored in North Anmerica (Webster Hall
(1981)
squirrels, peninsular with the fox
subspecies
of
which
are
Florida (USA). largest body size
squirrel
(S.
distributed
niger
of
(Kantola
ftx
Cypress inhabits
time
squirrel Big
Water
Time Fish
Sherman’s
cies press (Wood, reviewed
Wildlife (langered
of
special fox
squirrel 1994).
Species
1990).
Time avicennia) ecosystein
(Humphrey
Florida
Commimission
Both
amld
(BCFS) as subspecies by
for
the
listing
(1957),
(GFC)
lists
the
Big
U.S.
under
Fish the
(Kinsella,
palustris) species
of
1992). However, a limited survey is known
Peromyscus with
about in
the
the exMoore parasite
Florida. Our the internal
in
asites
and
regard
In of
this
to
of
subspecies,
study,
we
information on from Florida. MATERIALS
fox
oband of in par-
with
fauna
by
squirrels
squirrels
“threatened” are being
as the (Conti cotton 1974),
Florida, the prevalences and intensities these parasites, and to assess differences the abundance and diversity of these
line
Cy-
(Oryzomys
parasite
from
such 1991), the (Kinsella,
hispidus)
of fox squirrels was to determine
season.
as a “spe-
rodents
et al.,
several
of
external
and
and
rat
of
squuirrels.
carolinensis’)
Wilson
little
fauna jective
many
studied,
(Sciurus
and
(Forrester, ception
Big
Game (SFS)
comicern”
curremitly
Service
mesic central
rice
1988)
to
which is and xeric Florida
niger
fox squirrel
the
of
been
squirrel
abundances
Cypress fox niger avicennia.
Sciurns
have
et al., 1984; rat (Sigmodon
subspecies Sherman’s
swamp
Florida
1992).
Fresh
the
(S.
Cypress
southwestern
Jodice,
and
Humpimrey,
gray
fox
endemic
The is the
tile
miorthern
amid
of
slu’rmani),
tllrougllout
habitats
of
ten
the
henui-
mammal al., 1985).
et
listed two
is
westermi
and
Big
parasites
Florida largest
from
AND
provide
parasitism
sex,
a base-
in
fox
METHODS
Eighty-seven SFS and 32 BCFS were collected from 26 counties in Florida from 1988 through 1993. Sherman’s fox squirrels were collected between 30#{176}35’N, 84#{176}40’W and 30#{176}35’N,
and En-
Act. 492
COYNER
ET AL-PARASITES
21
OF FOX
December
thromughi
her,
June,
21
I
III
(SAS used
Institute, for data
used
to
tions.
Intensity
March,
June
Cary,
20
the
Levels
Decenmuher, Systemuu USA)
was
analyses
prevalences
using
Septemum-
Carolina,
Chi-squmare
data
March
20
Analysis
North
analysis.
493
21
through
Statistical
conupare
FLORIDA
thirouugh
The
CATMOD. 0.05.
2S1K
20
21
September
respectively.
gression
FROM
through
20
and
SQUIRRELS
were
betweeni
were
analyzed
analysis
of
popula-
by logistic variance
of significance
re-
progranuu
were
set
P
at
RESULTS Eleven
N
tified
species
from
cluding
FIGURE
1.
squirrels
(A,
Collectioni
(#{149}.n
n
32)
=
87)
=
from
for
sites
amid
Big
Florida,
Shermanu’s
Cypress
1988
to
fox
fox
nine
SFS
and
asitic
squirrels
amid
the
27#{176}10’N,
north
amid
80#{176}40’W
Cypress
fox
26#{176}40’N,
81#{176}30’W
27#{176}10’N,
in the
squirrels
soutim
82#{176}28’W
(Fig.
1).
Big
were collected betweemu 26#{176}40’N, 81#{176}00’W in time
and
amid 25#{176}55’ N, 81#{176}20’W and 25#{176}45’N, 81#{176}20’\V imi the south. Animals were collected by shotgun (n = 33) and as road-kills (n 86). Taxiderniuists provided some of the carcasses collected by shotgun (n = 27); in these cases nortiu
time
skins
inuals
had
were
been
remuuoved
examuiined
Carcasses
were
for
frozen
Ectoparasites
were
and
Imence
internal
time
by
Representative
sent
to
the
Institute
Parasitology,
anmd
(Case
02).
of
brushing
Mite
retention
samples
Veterimiary
the
as
were
to
(USA), for identification er specimens (Accession One
and larval
bot
specinuuens
mu time ville, 83421 used
ter,
U.S.
National
Maryland
spring,
helminths
definied
were
Parasite (Accession
through as
of
83433). by
for
sunumuuer,
and
fall were
iden-
(P
tion
(P
distribution
were
of
Win-
as
was
with 119
season in
or
H.
SFS
tilan
was
no
sig-
sex.
He-
tiian
in
prevain
BCFS
season of collecrelated to its of
the
6,122
hassalli
SFS,
hel-
made
prevalence 34
in
SFS
more
of
Citellinema from
ro62%
host
was
Florida;
animals.
collected
and
prevalence
there
Host sex and not significantly
a total
pul-
helnminth
in
hassalli
in
as
G.
imi SFS
Both
but
collected,
miel-
comprising
0.02),
abundant
0.05). were
minths
Florida,
to
ru in,
Bob for
prevalent
greater
in
Syphi-
Strongyloides
collected.
