First report of leech parasitism in freshwater turtles for Turkish wetlands

Abstract

Research on the diversities of parasites and hosts, as well as their relationship, can provide significant contributions to understanding, utilizing, conserving, and properly managing aquatic ecosystems. The freshwater mud turtle Emys orbicularis and Balkan turtle Mauremys rivulata, as well as the leech Placobdella costata, are distributed; however the relations between these organisms are not well-known in Turkish wetlands. In this study, the parasitism of Glossiphonid leech P. costata on freshwater turtles, E. orbicularis, and M. rivulata was assessed for the first time through field observations and laboratory examinations in Turkish wetlands. The infection prevalence in turtles was found to be 76%, with an intensity of 5.00 and an abundance of 3.82, all of which were higher in females. Although the infection prevalence was similar for both E. orbicularis and M. rivulata, infection intensity and abundance were higher in M. rivulata. Leeches were mostly sampled from the plastron and least from the head. The condition of the parasitic leech was found to be high, and P. costata preferred to feed on and parasitize predominantly female individuals of both turtle species.