The helminths of wolves and coyotes from the forested regions of Alberta

Abstract

Ninety-eight wolves and 75 coyotes from the forested regions of Alberta were examined for helminths. Fourteen species (2 trematodes, 8 cestodes, and 4 nematodes) were recovered from wolves, with a mean of 2.6 and a maximum of 6 species per wolf; 18 species (3 trematodes, 8 cestodes, and 7 nematodes) were recovered from coyotes, with a mean of 2.0 and a maximum of 6 species per coyote. Helminths common in wolves were Taenia hydatigena (79% of the wolves infected), Echinococcus granulosus (72%), Taenia krabbei (52%), Toxascaris leonina (14%), and Taenia pisiformis (13%), Toxascaris leonina (52%), Alaria americana (33%), Taenia pisiformis (31%), Uncinaria stenocephala (16%), and Filaroides osleri (15%) were common in coyotes. Metorchis conjunctus, Taenia omissa, and T. taeniaeformis appear to be new records for wolves and M. conjunctus, Taenia twitchelli, Diphyllobothrium sp., and Capillaria aerophila appear to be new for coyotes.High indexes of similarity (and comparable indexes of diversity) suggest that the helminth faunas of wolves in various regions of North America are basically similar. This similarity is probably due to similar food habits of wolves from various regions.The helminth fauna of coyotes appears to vary extensively in diversity and in species between the regions studied. The fauna from the coyotes from the area around Lac la Biche, Alberta, differed markedly from that of the other samples, with a generally richer fauna of different species, more equitably distributed. The helminths, particularly the cestodes, from coyotes from Minnesota and from Banff National Park were as similar to those of wolves as they were to those of coyotes from other areas. These features may be due to the food habits of the host coyotes.