A non-lethal method to sample gastrointestinal parasites from terrestrial salamanders

Abstract

The usual method to obtain gastrointestinal parasites from amphibians is dissecting sacrificed animals (e.g. Pritchard and Kruse, 1982; Goater and Goater, 2001 and references therein). However, the recent worldwide decline of amphibian populations (e.g. Daszak et al., 2003; Stuart et al., 2004) and the raising conservation concern about endangered and rare species strongly demand the finding of alternative and less disruptive methods that may reduce the overcollection of amphibians from their natural habitats. This is especially the case of endangered species that are in need of protection, such as European cave salamanders belonging to the genus Speleomantes Dubois, 1984 (Amphibia, Urodela, Plethodontidae). These fully terrestrial salamanders, found in SW France and Italy including Sardinia (Lanza et al., 1995), are totally protected by the European Union 92/43 directive for the conservation of biodiversity, known as “Habitat and Species”. Little is known about gastrointestinal parasites of Speleomantes (Ricci, 1988; Ben Slimane and Durette-Desset, 1995) and, recently, a new species of Distoichometra (Cestoda, Nematotaeniidae) was described from preserved specimens of S. strinatii studied for the first time by Pastorino (1974) (Buriola et al., in press). Thus, the examination