Abstract
The ecological analysis of the helminth fauna of the Dice snake Natrix tessellata from different habitats of the Astrakhan region in 2004, 2005, 2008 was carried out. The helminth community of the reptile includes 21 species of parasitic worms: 11 trematodes, 1 cestode, 8 nematodes and 1 acanthocephalan. Of these, 11 species are found in all the studied localities and form the basis of N. tessellata helminth fauna. Dominant and subdominant helminth species are found in snakes in all habitats as a result of the implementation of its main trophic relationships. Comparison of the helminth composition from different study sites showed a relatively high degree of similarity. Differences in the helminth fauna of the dice snake from different habitats are insignificant and relate to rare and accidental parasite species. Significant differences in the infection level of snakes with certain species of helminths were revealed. Most of the helminth species that parasitize the water snake have a complex life cycle. The infection of reptiles by them is determined to a large extent by biotic factors: fauna and the number of invertebrates (intermediate hosts of helminths) and vertebrates (paratenic and final hosts) in biocenosis.
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