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Parasites of the American Muskrat (Fiber zibethicus)

1915; American Society of Parasitologists; Volume: 1; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/3270807

1937-2345

Franklin D. Barker,

Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

In previous papers!the finding of a varied and abundant parasitic fauna in muskrats in Nebraska was announced, and attention was called to the fact that with the exception of a brief note by Leidy* there are no references to or descriptions of the parasites of the muskrat.Those papers reported the finding of seven new species of trematodes, one new species of cestode, and two new species of nematodes.In more recent investigations, two additional species of trematodes, one species of cestode and one species of nematode have been found.A recent appeal to American helminthologists in the JoURNAL OF ParasiToLocy by Prof. Al.Mrazek further emphasizes the lack of information concerning the parasites of the muskrat and the desirability of more extensive data.For these reasons it has seemed advisable to publish at once this preliminary description of the parasites which we have found in American muskrats and later the more detailed descriptions.The forms recorded by others are the following:Leidy? mentions finding a number of trematodes in the small intestine of the muskrat which he placed in Echinostomum echinatum Zeder.He also found in the muskrat two specimens of a trematode which he 'says "appear to belong to Amphistomum subtriquetrum Rud."We question the correctness of the diagnosis of this trematode and suspect that they were specimens belonging to the new genus and species Wardius zibethicus.