Observations on Turtle Acanthocephalan Abnormalities from Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Abstract

Adult acanthocephalans of the genus Neoechinorhynchus are commonly found infecting a wide range of turtle definitive hosts throughout North America. Other than reports on basic information such as intensity and species, little information exists on abnormal occurrences of acanthocephalans from turtles. We present 4 unusual cases of turtle acanthocephalans interacting with the host and other turtle parasites. Red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) were surveyed for helminths in Oklahoma, U.S.A. during 2010-2022. We observed 1) an acanthocephalan tied in a knot inside the turtle intestine, 2) an acanthocephalan attached with its proboscis to the outer serosa layer of the turtle intestine, 3) acanthocephalans embedded in the tissue of adult trematodes in the turtle intestine, and 4) nematodes attached to the tissue of acanthocephalans in the turtle intestine. These reports highlight some rare, but interesting, observations on adult acanthocephalans in their turtle hosts.