Ecology of Worm Parasites in South-Central New York Salamanders

Abstract

During the periods from July 19-September 17, 1950 and May 25-July 8, 1951, a total of 503 salamanders from different collection points in 5 counties (Broome, Cortland, Delaware, Tioga, Tompkins) of south-central New York were examined for helminth parasites and 220 (43.7 percent) were found infected with at least one species. In 1950 284 salamanders were examined and 219 in 1951. The late May to mid-September coverage is nearly the entire active season for salamanders in this area, except for approiximately a month on each end. Hosts examined were 105 newts (Triturus v. viridescens), 1 Jefferson's salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum), 36 red-backed salamanders (Plethodon c. cinereus), 25 slimy salamanders (Plethodon g. glutinosus), 24 purple salamaniders (Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus), 134 two-lined salamanders (Eurycea b. bislineata), and 178 dusky salamanders (Desmognathus f. fuscus). The variation in numbers of different host species examined is indicative of their relative abundance in the area studied. According to Bishop (1941), and personal observations in the field, Triturus is aquatic, while Plethodon c. cinereus and P. g. glutinosus are terrestrial; Gyrinophilus, Eurycea and Desmognathus are terrestro-aquatic. Ambystoma jeffersonianum will not be considered in the discussion in this report inasmuch as the size of the sample is wholly inadequate from which to draw any conclusions. From the hosts listed 22 different species of helminths were recovered, 10 of which were trematodes, 3 cestodes, and 9 nematodes (table 1). In an abstract of a paper read at the 26th annual meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists, Fischthal (1951) presented a preliminary discussion of the data considered in this report. Little has been done in the United States on the ecology of parasites in salamanders. Most earlier papers either described new species or considered the parasites in a few salamanders in connection with a more extensive study on other amphibians and on reptiles. To date, only two significant ecological studies have been published. Rankin (1937), in North Carolina, examined 1,010 salamanders for the most extensive of these parasite studies. Later, Rankin (1945), in western Massachusetts, presented the results of an examination of 209 salamanders for helminths. Appreciation is expressed to Dr. A. C. Walton, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, for aid in identifying some of the nematodes listed in this paper.