Sciurus Granatensis Research Articles

LEPTOSPIRA SPECIES STATUS OF CAPTIVE NONHUMAN PRIMATES AND FREE-RANGING RODENTS AT THE BARRANQUILLA ZOO, COLOMBIA, 2013.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. Pathogenic Leptospira spp. are shed in urine of infected hosts and transmitted via ingestion of contaminated food or water, inoculation, inhalation of aerosolized urine, and absorption through mucous membranes. Leptospirosis is of particular concern in tropical and subtropical regions such as Barranquilla, Colombia. Recent reports indicate that in Barranquilla, rodents, dogs, and humans have a high leptospiral seroprevalence; and amongst zoo mammals, nonhuman primates have a high prevalence of Leptospira spp. infection. We therefore sought to determine whether primates in captivity at the Barranquilla Zoo were exposed to Leptospira spp. and whether there was a probable causal transmission link between the primates and peridomestic rodents. Samples were collected from 29 captive nonhuman primates, 15 free-ranging rats (Rattus rattus), and 10 free-ranging squirrels (Sciurus granatensis). Serum samples from primates, rats, and squirrels were evaluated via microagglutination test (MAT) vs 24 reference Leptospira serovars. Blood and urine from the primates and kidney tissue from the rats and squirrels were cultured in Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris (EMJH) medium and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of lipL32 was performed to determine whether active infection was present. Leptospiral seroprevalence was found to be 66.7% (10/15) in rats, 60% (6/10) in squirrels, and 6.9% (2/29) in neotropical primates. Ateles hybridus and Ateles fusciceps had positive titers to serogroups Cynopteri and Ictohaemorrhagiae, respectively. Of the rodents that had antibodies against Leptospira spp., 90% of the rats and 66.7% of the squirrels corresponded to the serovar australis. Interestingly, all animals were culture and PCR negative, indicating Leptospira spp. exposure in the absence of current infection. While their status as maintenance hosts needs to be investigated further, this is the first study to show leptospiral seropositivity in red-tailed squirrels (S. granatensis).

Molecular characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. coinfection in mammals of Venezuelan coendemic areas.

Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. are protozoans that cause American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis, respectively. In endemic foci where both diseases coincide, coinfection can occur. The objective of this work was the characterization of the parasites involved in coinfection in several endemic areas of Venezuela. Molecular characterization was done in 30 samples of several species of mammals (Didelphis marsupialis, Equus mulus, Rattus rattus, Canis familiaris, Felis catus, and Sciurus granatensis) from the states of Anzoategui, Cojedes and Capital District diagnosed with T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. coinfections. For the typing of T. cruzi DTUs, the markers of miniexon, 24Sa rDNA, 18Sa rDNA, and hsp60-PCR-RFLP (EcoRV) were used. Infection by Leishmania spp. was characterized by miniexon multiplex PCR for complexes of Leishmania and ITS1-PCR-RFLP (HaeIII, HhaI, and RsaI) for the identification of the species. The T. cruzi TcI was present in 100% of the coinfected mammals, which included 76.7% of triple infection by T. cruzi TcI-complex-L. (L) mexicana-L. infantum/chagasi, 13.3% of double infection by T. cruzi TcI-L. mexicana and 10% of double infection by T. cruzi Tcl-L. infantum/chagasi. These results suggest that the double or triple infection is a phenomenon existing in almost all the coendemics areas and mammals studied, which might influence the mechanisms of adaptation and pathogenicity of these parasites.

Molecular diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi/Leishmania spp. coinfection in domestic, peridomestic and wild mammals of Venezuelan co-endemic areas.

American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniases are diseases caused by protozoans of the Trypanosomatidae family. In Venezuela, although several endemic foci of both diseases coincide, there are no reports of coinfection in mammals. The molecular diagnosis of the coinfection T. cruzi-Leishmania spp. was done in 527 blood samples collected on filter paper of several species of mammals (Canis familiaris, Equus asinus, Didelphis marsupialis, Equus mulus, Rattus rattus, Equus caballus, Artibeus fraterculus, Felis catus, Sus scrofa, Bos taurus, Capra hircus and Sciurus granatensis) from the states Cojedes, Aragua, Anzoátegui, Guárico, Miranda and Capital District. The T. cruzi infection was determined through PCR amplification of DNA of kinetoplast minicircles (kDNA) and satellite DNA (sDNA). The Leishmania spp. infection was detected by Leishmania nested PCR (Ln-PCR), and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 PCR (ITS1-PCR). The percentage of infection by T. cruzi was 23.5%, by Leishmania spp. 12.9% and coinfection was 5.7%. D. marsupialis was the species with the highest percentage of infection for each parasitosis (T. cruzi 34.3%, Leishmania spp. 20.0%) and coinfection (14.3%). Anzoátegui was the state with the highest percentage of infection for each parasitosis (T. cruzi 64.9%, Leishmania spp. 64.9%) and coinfection (43.2%). Infections were determined in species not reported as natural reservoirs of T. cruzi (E. asinus and E. mulus) and of Leishmania spp. (E. mulus and S. scrofa). Coinfection was a frequent phenomenon in mammals in several co-endemic zones evaluated.

Fauna silvestre que afecta los cultivos en Boyacá y control del daño a cultivos de maíz

El trabajo tuvo como objetivos identificar las especies de fauna silvestre que afectan los cultivos en el Valle de Tenza y probar cuatro tratamientos no letales para proteger los cultivos de maíz. La identificación se efectuó durante cinco meses del año 2014. Se aplicaron 150 encuestas a campesinos de cinco municipios del Valle de Tenza por el método de bola de nieve, y se utilizaron 10 trampas Tomahawk y 30 Sherman, y cinco cámaras digitales de rastreo. La prueba de protección de los cultivos se efectuó por medio de la aplicación de cuatro tratamientos a base de repelentes, en el municipio de La Capilla, durante los meses de octubre de 2014 a enero de 2015, antes y durante la cosecha de maíz. Se aplicó un diseño completamente aleatorizado de los tratamientos y se evaluó el daño por análisis de varianza y contraste de medianas entre tratamientos.Las entrevistas indicaron que 11 especies afectan los cultivos, principalmente ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) y faras (Didelphis marsupiales). Existen diferencias altamente significativas (P<0,01) entre la cantidad total de maíz dañado y sano, sin importar el tipo de tratamiento; sin embargo, no se encontró diferencia entre tratamientos (P>0,05).

Frugivoría y dispersión de semillas de la palma Oenocarpus bataua (Arecaceae) en un bosque de los Andes colombianos

Seed dispersal is a key process that determines the spatial structure and dynamics of populations of plants, establishes the potential area of recruitment and in this way, the basis for subsequent processes such as predation, germination, competition and growth. The purpose of this research was to identify the guild of frugivores of the Oenocapus bataua palm in fragments of Andean forest, determine the effective dispersers and relate the spatial distribution of palm populations with the dispersion of seeds. To this end, between August 2005-June 2006, observations of the removal of fruits from eight clusters were done, and counting of consumption of fruits beneath 78 palms with mature fruits was undertaken; focal observations of 13 individuals during 90 hours; registration of frugivory with photographic traps during 165 days/nights for a total of 195 photographs and 144 consumption events; experiments with dispersion using 751 perforated fruits/seeds attached to strings and finally, plots to determine spatial distribution all were carried out. In the study area at least five species of mammals ate, dispersed, buried (Sciurus granatensis, Microsciurus mimulus, Dasyprocta punctata y Proechimys sp.), cover (Marmosa robinsoni) and carried the fruits of O. bataua off to caves (Marmosa robinsoni y Proechimys sp.) without damaging the seed. A 21.7% of the fruits were dispersed, 13.2 gnawed or peeled, 5.6% covered, buried and carried to caves. The average distance of removal of seeds and fruits was 3.1m although in a lesser proportion, dispersion events of >50m were recorded. The abundant production of fruits, their size and weight, their intense removal by frugivores, the short dispersion distances, the absence of large size frugivores (reduced by hunting and fragmentation), that might perform long-distance dispersion, and the increase of rodents, especially squirrels, that strongly pressure the fruit resource, generate a spatially restricted seed rain of seeds responsible for the aggregate patterns of distribution of seeds, seedlings and subsequently of juveniles and sub-adults. However the short time and high percentage of seed germination and the robustness of seeds and seedlings give O. bataua the capacity to survive in dense aggregations. Therefore, despite the limitations on dispersion, this is a dominant species in the study area. Populations of O. bataua have been reduced by intense exploitation and by the transformation and reduction of their natural habitat. The over-exploitation of the fruits or the juvenile phases of this palm can affect the age structure and population dynamics. Therefore, the management and exploitation of this palm in the future will depend to large degree on the conservation of forest habitats.

Seed dispersal and predation by Proechimys semispinosus and Sciurus granatensis in gaps and understorey in central Panama

Abstract:Seed dispersal and predation by spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus) and red-tailed squirrels (Sciurus granatensis) were studied in five forest gaps and adjacent forest understorey on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, during June and July 2003 and January 2004. Live trapping on grids was used to estimate the abundances of rats in both habitats and was conducted during 10 nights at the beginning of each field season. We captured 70 individual spiny rats (53 in forest gaps and 17 in understorey). To address the removal and dispersal of seeds, semi-permeable wire-mesh exclosures were set at randomly selected stations within the trapping grids. These exclosures allowed the entry of spiny rats, squirrels, and other small rodents but excluded larger granivorous mammals. Seeds were marked with pieces of string that were dusted with fluorescent powder and tracked at night with an ultraviolet light. A total of 304 seeds was removed (159 in forest gaps and 145 in understorey). Spiny rats removed more seeds from gaps, and squirrels removed more seeds from understorey. Both species dispersed more seeds during the rainy season than during the dry season. Squirrels dispersed seeds farther than did spiny rats. Due to their foraging behaviour and association with gaps, spiny rats may disperse seeds from forest understorey into gaps.

Éxito de la alimentación de Lutzomyia evansi (Diptera: Psychodidae) expuestos experimentalmente a reservorios mamíferos pequeños en un foco endémico de Leishmania chagasi en el norte de Colombia

Lutzomyia evansi is the vector of Leishmania chagasi in northern Colombia. Differences in feeding success were revealed, when this phlebotomine sand fly was fed on five species of small mammal hosts from an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis. In each trial, 50 female sand flies were provided access to similar-sized depilated areas of the hind foot of each of 44 individual mammals and allowed to feed for 30 minutes. The number of engorged sand flies was counted at the end of each trial and compared among host species by analysis of variance and Tukey's multiple comparisons test. Sand flies fed least successfully on Sciurus granatensis, a common squirrel in the endemic area. It has not been found infected with L. chagasi. Intermediate numbers of sand flies engorged on Heteromys anomalus and Zygodontomys brevicauda, but these two mammals have not been found infected with L. chagasi and are not expected to be important in transmission. Sand flies fed most successfully on Didelphis marsupialis and Proechimys canicollis. These are the two most abundant mammals in the endemic area and frequently are infected. Results provided further evidence that these two species are the wild mammals with the greatest impact on transmission of L. chagasi in northern Colombia.

Identification of endotrypanum species from a sloth, a squirrel and Lutzomyia sandflies in ecuador by PCR amplification and sequencing of the mini-exon gene.

PCR amplification and nucleotide sequencing of the mini-exon gene revealed that four strains isolated from a sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni), a squirrel (Sciurus granatensis) and two sandflies (Lutzomyia hartmanni) in Ecuador were indistinguishable from Endotrypanum monterogeii. Another strain isolated from Lu. hartmanni showed the high sequence similarity to E. schaudinni. Since three of these strains have been previously identified as Leishmania (Viannia) equatorensis, the results demonstrate that L. (V.) equatorensis is genetically closely related to the genus Endotrypanum. The present study also indicates that Endotrypanum species are distributed in arboreal animals and sandflies in Ecuador, and that mini-exon gene amplification is useful for epidemiological studies of Leishmania and Endotrypanum in the New World.

Dynamics of Leishmania chagasi infection in small mammals of the undisturbed and degraded tropical dry forests of northern Colombia

The infection rate with Leishmania chagasi and the population dynamics of small mammals were studied in an undisturbed forest reserve (Colosó) and an area of highly degraded forest (San Andrés de Sotavento [SAS]) in northern Colombia, both endemic for visceral leishmaniasis. Live trapping of mammals was done every month, and species, age, sex and reproductive status determined. L. chagasi was detected in samples of skin or spleen by the polymerase chain reaction, after extraction of deoxyribonucleic acid using specific primers (DB8/AJS3), and dot blood hybridization. Didelphis marsupialis was found to be infected in Colosó ( 3 21 , 14·3%) and SAS ( 13 137 , 9·5%); its relative abundance was higher in SAS ( 93 113 , 82% of the captures). Although Proechimys canicollis was also found to be infected in Colosó ( 3 34 , 8·8%) and SAS ( 2 4 ), its relative abundance was much lower (4%) in SAS than in Colosó (56% of 77 animals captured). Sciurus granatensis, Marmosa robinsoni, Heteromys anomalus, Zygodontomys brevicauda and Metachirus nudicaudatus were less common, and no L. chagasi infection was detected in them.

Predation by Rodents and Bruchid Beetles on Seeds of Scheelea Palms on Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Predation by rodents on seeds of Scheelea zonensis was studied on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, during the latter half of this palm's fruiting season. The number of Scheelea bearing fruit declined steadily during this period. The proportion of both intact and bruchid-infested seeds among those accumulated under fruiting Scheelea declined, while the proportion of gnawed seeds increased. By early October, 87 percent of the Scheelea seeds sampled had been gnawed by rodents, and few intact or bruchid-infested seeds remained below parent palms. From August through October, agoutis, Dasyprocta punctata, visited Scheelea less and less frequently, while visits by squirrels, Sciurus granatensis, did not dedine. To learn the fate of late-falling Scheelea seeds, we placed small piles of thread-marked seeds, each similar to a small Scheelea fruit crop, in the forest during three successive months, a total of 400 seed each month. Of these 1200 thread-marked seeds, 57.2 percent were retrieved within 20 m of their piles 7 days after placement. Of the retrieved seeds, 22.2 percent were gnawed within 1 m of their pile, 70.6 percent were carried between 1 and 20 m before gnawing, and 7.2 percent were cached (not gnawed, but buried in the ground or covered with litter). More seeds were gnawed, and fewer cached, in September and October than in August. On Barro Colorado Island, intense seed predation by rodents on Scheelea correlates with a previously documented forestwide low in availability of fruits of all kinds, and with a decline in egg laying by bruchids.

Description of Leishmania equatorensis sp. n (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), a new parasite infecting arboreal mammals in Ecuador.

Characterization is given of a new parasite, Leishmania equatorensis sp. n., which was isolated from the viscera of a sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) and a squirrel (Sciurus granatensis), captured in humid tropical forest on the Pacific Coast of Ecuador. Data based on biological and molecular criteria, as well as numerical zymotaxonomical analysis, indicate that this parasite is a new species of the L. braziliensis complex. L. equatorensis is clearly distinguishable from all other known species within this complex, using the following molecular criteria: reactivity patterns with specific monoclonal antibodies, isoenzyme electrophoresis, and restriction-endonuclease fragment patterns of kinetoplast DNA (k-DNA).

Observations on Syntheosciurus brochus (Sciuridae) in Volcan Poas National Park, Costa Rica

Syntheosciurus brochus, the mountain squirrel, is a little-known Central American tree squirrel found above 1,900 m elevation in the Cordillera Central of Costa Rica and Panama (Heaney and Hoffman, 1978). The population on Volcan Poas was formerly considered a separate species, S. poasensis, but has since been united with S. brochus (Hall, 1981). The sparse literature on Syntheosciurus has dealt mainly with taxonomic problems, which are summarized in Wells and Giacalone (1985). The only information previously available concerning the ecology and behavior of this species was provided in a short note by Enders (1980). We report on the habitat, foraging behavior, courtship, and other aspects of the biology of S. brochus in Volcan Pois National Park (VPNP), Costa Rica. The squirrels were studied from 7 January to 23 March 1984, during the dry season. Several trails in and near the park were walked regularly to determine the squirrels' distribution. Observations on squirrel ecology and behavior were made through binoculars and were concentrated at feeding and nesting sites. Feeding bouts were defined as a squirrel feeding on one type of food, irrespective of length of time involved. When a squirrel switched to a different food type, a new bout was scored. Plant specimens were collected to verify identification of foods eaten by the squirrels. Two trails, one in undisturbed forest and another in disturbed forest, were indexed with distance markers and used to obtain standardized trail census estimates (Glanz, 1982). Observers walked these trials at a rate of 1 km/h for a total of 68 km. All trail census estimates in this paper are given as sightings/km. A total of 302 sightings of four squirrel species was made at VPNP. Syntheosciurus brochus accounted for 170 (56.3%) of the sightings, Sciurus granatensis 84 (27.8%), Sciurus variegatoides 15 (5.0%), and Microsciurus alfari 1 (0.3%). Identifications were based on body size, coloration, and relative lengths of ears and tails. Only 32 sightings (10.6%) were too fleeting to permit reliable identification. Not all sightings were made during designated census walks; therefore, the sum of the figures given below for specific habitats on the indexed census trails will not equal the total sightings. Squirrels were found in four types of habitats between 2,400-2,640 m: undisturbed forests, disturbed forests, shrublands, and edges. The mature, undisturbed forest where squirrels were found was situated south of the Laguna del Poas, at about 2,500 m altitude, and was classified as Lower Montane Wet by Macey (1975). Its relatively unbroken canopy was dominated by Quercus (three or more unidentified species), Clusia odorata, Didymopanax pittieri, Podocarpus sp., and Brunellia costaricensis. This forest had many trees of large girth, which were often composed of two to four species intertwined into composite trunks. Branches carried heavy loads of bromeliads, orchids, mosses, and liverworts. Sighting frequencies in squirrels/km were: S. brochus 0.46, S. variegatoides 0.02, and S. granatensis 0.42. For all squirrels combined, the sighting frequency was 1.4/km. Disturbed forest occurred on windswept slopes on the southwest side of the Laguna del Poas and the south side of the active crater, between 2,500 and 2,600 m. This forest was also regarded by Macey (1975) as Lower Montane Wet Forest. These areas were frequently subjected to volcanic gases, which may explain the low tree species diversity and the absence of bromeliads in some parts of this habitat. The dominant tree species were C. odorata, D. pittieri, Weinmannia trianea, and unidentified Quercus. Forest canopy was not continuous, and squirrels were relatively easy to see in and near tree-fall gaps. Sighting frequencies were 0.44/km for S. brochus and 0.06/km for S. granatensis. The rate for S. brochus was nearly the same in both forest habitats, but for all squirrels combined was considerably lower in disturbed forest (0.50) than in undisturbed forest (1.4). Both S. variegatoides and M. alfari were seen in disturbed forest, but not during census walks. Shrublands above 2,500 m had been created by volcanic activity, road construction, and clearing for pastures. These large patches and strips of habitat fit Macey's (1975) categories termed arrayan and pasture edge. They contain shrub species, such as Vaccinium consanguineum, V. poasanum, Myrica February 1987 145

Distribution of Palm Fruits on a Rain Forest Floor: Why White-Lipped Peccaries Forage near Objects

Litter and soil disturbance in the wake of white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) herds in southeastern Peru indicates that these animals often forage intensively at the bases of such as trees, exposed roots, logs, and lianas. I sampled the litter and soil near such objects on the forest floor, and found that fruits of the common palm trees were encountered more frequently near objects than in the open. This pattern was especially well marked for seeds of an Astrocaryum palm having a very restricted fruiting season. Where had recently foraged, densities of some fruit types were significantly reduced near objects. Apparently the peccaries are consuming palm fruits that have been scatterhoarded by rodents. WHITE-LIPPED PECCARIES (Tayassu pecari) occur in larger groups than any other terrestrial mammal in neotropical rain forests. Their herds, which may contain over 100 individuals, leave broad areas of overturned litter and disturbed soil wherever they have foraged. During a study of white-lippeds in southeastern Peru, I invariably noted that soil and litter disturbance in the wakes of herds was concentrated near certain objects-at the' bases of plant stems, along logs and exposed roots, and beneath lianas and low shrubs with dense foliage. One possible explanation for this observation was that the were searching for invertebrates in such places, as Ewer (1970) suggested to explain similar habits of the African forest hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni. However, the extent of the disturbance seemed disproportionate to the small amounts of invertebrate body parts found in white-lipped stomachs (Kiltie 1980). Another possibility was that the peccaries were searching for fruits with hard endocarp at these places, since stomach contents, feeding experiments with captive animals, and anatomical evidence (Kiltie 1980) indicated that are distinguished by their ability to masticate very hard fruits and seeds. This explanation was further suggested by the fact that elsewhere in the neotropics, agoutis (Dasyprocta punctata) and squirrels (Sciurus granatensis) have been observed scatterhoarding fruits along tree bases, logs, roots, and beneath lianas (Smythe 1978: 26; Heaney and Thorington 1978; Morris 1962). Thus it was conceivable that were exploiting hard fruits that had been stored by rodents. The study described in this report was designed to see if palm fruits were more abundant near objects than elsewhere on the forest floor and to see if whitelipped peccaries were harvesting such fruits.

Locomotor behavior and feeding ecology of the panamanian tamarin (Saguinus oedipus geoffroyi, callitrichidae, primates)

The Callitrichidae are a family of New World primates that exhibit a complex of behavioral and morphological characters reputedly similar to those of tree squirrels of the genus Sciurus.In particular, the locomotor behavior of tamarins and marmosets has been described as “squirrel-like. ” In this paper I describe a field investigation of the locomotor behavior and ecology of the Panamanian tamarin (Saguinus oedipus geoffroyi)and the redtailed squirrel (Sciurus granatensis).From January through August 1978, a total of 1200 hr was spent observing freeranging populations of tamarins and tree squirrels in an area of secondary forest on the Pacific Coast of Panama. Observations were made using an instantaneous time sampling technique. Individual activity records were collected on focal animals and recorded at 2.5-min intervals throughout the day. The following information was collected: (a) nature and structure of the substrate exploited, (b) activities on these supports and/or types of resources procured, and (c) body posture involved in the use of these supports. Data presented indicate major differences in substrate preference and positional behavior in tamarins and tree squirrels. Unlike squirrels, tamarins avoid vertical and sharply inclined supports during travel. Movements through the canopy is accomplished by a series of long leaps which begin and end on thin terminal supports. However, the Panamanian tamarin spent numerous hours clinging to large vertical trunks while feeding on plant exudate. Gums comprise 23.O% of the noninsect portion of the tamarin diet. The relationships between small body size, claw-like nails, substrate preference, and positional behavior are discussed. Claw-like nails enable this primate to exploit a food resource that would otherwise be inaccessible. The interrelationship between environment, behaviour, and morphology provides a frameworks from which to understand callitrichid adaptations. These adaptations are not convergent with those of the sciurid rodents.

Ecology of Neotropical Red-Tailed Squirrels, Sciurus granatensis, in the Panama Canal Zone

Journal Article Ecology of Neotropical Red-Tailed Squirrels, Sciurus granatensis, in the Panama Canal Zone Get access Lawrence R. Heaney, Lawrence R. Heaney Museum of Natural History and Department of Systematics and Ecology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 20560 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Richard W. Thorington, Jr. Richard W. Thorington, Jr. Museum of Natural History and Department of Systematics and Ecology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 20560 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 59, Issue 4, 24 November 1978, Pages 846–851, https://doi.org/10.2307/1380149 Published: 24 November 1978 Article history Received: 02 March 1978 Accepted: 01 May 1978 Published: 24 November 1978

Cerebral nematodiasis in a red squirrel.

Necropsy of a South American red squirrel (Sciurus granatensis), with clinical signs of neurological disease, disclosed multifocal parasitic granulomata in the brain, lung and myocardium. Lesions were noted in the cerebral hemispheres and subcerebellar white matter. The parasite was identified as a larval ascarid. History of close contact with excreta from raccoons suggested the larvae were that of Ascaris columnaris, an intestinal nematode of the raccoon.

Ixodes tiptoni, a New Species of Tick from Panama (Acarina-Ixodidae)

The new species here described was first discovered among ticks collected in 1960 in Chiriqui Province, Republic of Panama, from squirrels (Sciurus granatensis chiriquensis), by Major Vernon J. Tipton, MSC, U. S. Army. Additional specimens from the same host species and in the same Province were collected in 1961 by Major Tipton and by Drs. Conrad E. Yunker and James M. Brennan of the Rocky Mountain Laboratory and the Middle America Research Unit, U. S. Public Health Service. All measurements are given in milli-