Gastrointestinal parasites of Peltocephalus dumerilianus (Testudines: Podocnemididae) from Jaú National Park, Brazilian Amazon

The big-headed Amazon River turtle, Peltocephalus dumerilianus, is endemic to the Orinoco and Amazon River basins. It is a food source for local communities, often unsustainably. Knowledge about P. dumerilianus' parasitological fauna and host-parasite relationships is limited. Thus, ecological...

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Published inRevista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria Vol. 33; no. 1; p. e013823
Main Authors Menegaldo, Luciana Raffi, Arias-Pacheco, Carmen Andrea, Perin, Patricia Parreira, Tebaldi, José Hairton, Hoppe, Estevam Guilherme Lux
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Portuguese
Published Brazil Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária 01.01.2024
Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
Subjects
Animals
Big-headed Amazon River turtle
Brazil
Female
Helminths
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary
Male
morphology
neotropics
Original
Parasites
PARASITOLOGY
Parks, Recreational
Turtles - parasitology
VETERINARY SCIENCES
Brazil
morfologia
parasitologia
morphology
helmintos
Cabeçudo
Big-headed Amazon River turtle
helminths
neotropics
neotrópicos
parasitology
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Summary:The big-headed Amazon River turtle, Peltocephalus dumerilianus, is endemic to the Orinoco and Amazon River basins. It is a food source for local communities, often unsustainably. Knowledge about P. dumerilianus' parasitological fauna and host-parasite relationships is limited. Thus, ecological aspects of gastrointestinal parasitism in this species were investigated. Helminths were found in the gastrointestinal tract of 21 turtles, morphologically identified, and infection descriptors calculated. All animals harbored helminths: nematodes Ancyracanthus pinnatifidus, Paratractis hystrix, Atractis trematophila, Klossinemella conciliatus indeterminate three Klossinemella species, and digeneans Nematophila grandis, Helicotrema spirale, and Telorchis hagmanni. The highest parasite load occurred in the large intestine, followed by the small intestine and stomach. Shell length directly correlated with parasite burden of heteroxenic helminths, with males having higher burden than females. This is the first record of A. trematophila, K. conciliatus, and T. hagmanni in P. dumerilianus, and new location record for A. trematophila, P. hystrix, N. grandis, H. spirale, and T. hagmanni. Three potentially new Klossinemella species are presented.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
ISSN:0103-846X
1984-2961
1984-2961
DOI:10.1590/S1984-29612024013