Helminth communities in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), green frogs (Rana clamitans), and leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) from New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract

Twenty-three helminth species were identified from bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, green frogs, R. clamitans, and leopard frogs, R. pipiens, in New Brunswick. Digeneans dominated adult helminth communities in the aquatic bullfrog and semi-aquatic green frog; nematodes were dominant in the more terrestrial leopard frog. In green frogs and leopard frogs, richness and abundance were greatest in adults; in bullfrogs, juveniles showed the greatest richness and abundance. An increase in vertebrates in the diet of adult bullfrogs influences helminth communities in bullfrogs. Where Glypthelmins quieta and nematodes, which infect the host by skin penetration, predominate in green frogs and leopard frogs, respectively, the increase in epidermal area with age probably influences helminth abundance. Adult female leopard frogs are larger than males and harbour greater numbers of helminths. Within the most heavily sampled component communities only larval digeneans, and less frequently nematodes with direct life cycles, were common (i.e., in > 50% of hosts); other taxa were generally present at prevalences of < 20% and intensities of < 10 helminths per frog. Although wetland characteristics and helminth transmission dynamics play a role in producing variation in helminth communities among sites, ontogenetic shifts in diet and sexual size dimorphism within these anuran species are important in shaping helminth communities in individual frog hosts.

Alternative Life Cycle Strategies and Colonization of Young Anurans by Gorgoderina attenuata in Nebraska

“…Although other European species of Gorgoderina have been reported to form metacercaria stages in tadpoles (Lees, 1953), few field studies exist on gorgoderid metacercariae in the tissue or skin of amphibians in North America; all these reports are from the eastern part of the United States and Canada, and other amphibian gorgoderid species (G. amplicava and G. simplex), along with G. attenuata, were present in bullfrogs and/or green frogs at these locations (Rankin, 1937;Goodchild, 1948;McAlpine and Burt, 1998;Muzzall et al, 2001Muzzall et al, , 2003King et al, 2007;K. King, pers.…”

Helmintos parásitos de Telmatobius jelskii (Peters) (Anura, Leptodactylidae) de Lima, Perú

“…Nuestros resultados muestran ausencia de efecto del sexo del hospedero sobre la prevalencia, intensidad media y abundancia media parasitaria. En el presente trabajo se repite el mismo patrón encontrado en anuros, donde la mayoría de las especies no mostraron diferencias en la prevalencia y abundancia media parasitaria con relación al sexo del hospedero (YODER & COGGINS 1996, MCALPINE 1997, GOLDBERG et al 2002.…”

Three Rarely Reported Digeneans Inhabiting Amphibians From Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

“…Rana catesbeiana has previously been reported as hosting M. temperatus (Stafford, 1905) Harwood, 1932(e.g, Slagle, 1966Brooks, 1977;Muzzall, 1991;Andrews et aI. , 1992;McAlpine and Burt, 1998) and M. intermedius (Hunter, 1930), Harwood, 1932(e.g., Brandt, 1936, which might be a synonym of M. temperatus.…”