nematode and trematode parasites of the American alligator A key to some pentastome

Seventy-five American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were obtained from southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Necropsy revealed the presence of one species of pentastome (Sebekia mississippiensis), three species of nematodes (Dujardinascaris waltoni, Brevimulticaecum baylisi, Brevimulticaecum tenuicolle) and eight species of trematodes (Acanthostomum coronarium, Acanthostomum loossi, Acanthostomum pavidum, Archaeodiplostomum acetabulata, Crocodilicola pseudostoma, Dracovermis occidentalis, Polycotyle ornata and Pseudocrocodilicola georgiana). All of these parasites have been previously reported in the literature, but were dispersed among numerous sources. As part of this study, a concise key including all of the endohelminths reported during this study of the American alligator was compiled from existing sources.

A key to some pentastome, nematode and trematode parasites of the American alligator Academic Article