New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts

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Internal and external parasites of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) from forest and farmland, Wanganui, New Zealand

M. STANKIEWICZ
G. H. JOWETT
M. G. ROBERTS
D. D. HEATH

AgResearch, Wallaceville Animal Research Centre
P.O. Box 40 063
Upper Hutt, New Zealand

P. COWAN

Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
Private Bag 11 052
Palmerston North, New Zealand

J. M. CLARK

Dudley Road
East Inglewood
New Zealand

J. JOWETT

Applied Statistics Group
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
P.O. Box 2526
Wellington, New Zealand

W. A. G. CHARLESTON

Department of Veterinary Pathology and Public Health
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract  The methodology and results of a parasite survey of 209 possums from Wanganui, western North Island, in the spring of 1994 are described. No somatic protozoan parasites were detected, but 23% of possums had coccidia, Eimeria sp. oocysts in their faeces. Prevalences of intestinal nematodes were: Parastrongyloides trichosuri (55%), Trichostrongylus spp. (59%), and Paraustrostrongylus trichosuri (2.4%). Only one animal was found infected with the cestode Bertiella trichosuri. It was demonstrated that prevalence of Parastrongyloides trichosuri was affected by age and habitat and Trichostrongylus spp. by habitat. Four species of external parasites were found: the mites Trichosurolaelaps crassipes (49%), Petrogalochirus dycei (65%), Atellana papilio (81%), and Murichirus anabiotus (32%). The parasite fauna of possums in New Zealand appears to be less diverse than that in their native Australia.

Keywords  possums; nematodes; coccidia; endoparasites; ectoparasites; tapeworms; protozoa; cestodes; biological control

Received 30 August 1995; accepted 23 February 1996

New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1996, Vol. 23: 345-353

0301-4223/2304-0345 $2.50/0   (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1996

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (660K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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