Endoparasites of Crotalus tzabcan (Serpentes: Viperidae), with a checklist in rattlesnakes

Abstract

The helminth and pentastomid fauna of 50 specimens of from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico is documented. The examination revealed the presence of three nematode species (, , and), and one pentastomid (). The threee nematode species had the same prevalence (2%), while the pentastomid had a higher prevalence (8%). The pentastomid was the most abundant and intense parasite, although it was only found in four snake hosts. acts as definitive host for the adult helminths and pentastomids, with rodents as the probable intermediate hosts. This work represents the first systematic survey on the parasitic helminth and pentastomid fauna of , and includes four new geographical records. Additionally, a checklist of helminths and pentastomids reported for and is provided. To date, a total of 32 helminth and 7 pentastomid species have been recorded as parasites of rattlesnakes. Nematoda possessed the highest species richness. The genera with the highest number of host species were and , followed by. The rattlesnake species with the highest number of reported parasites was (18 nematodes and 2 pentastomids).

Intestinal obstruction associated with helminth parasitic infection in a wild-caught Pope’s Green Pitviper, Trimeresurus popeiorum Smith 1937

“…in American rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp.) (Carbajal-Márquez et al 2018). This report represents the first case of an Ophidascaris infection in T. popeiorum, and the first reported case of fecal impaction in this arboreal crotalid.…”