Three Nematode Species Recovered from Terrestrial Snakes in Republic of Korea |
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| Authors: | Seongjun Choe Junsik Lim Hyun Kim Youngjun Kim Heejong Kim Dongmin Lee Hansol Park Hyeong-Kyu Jeon Keeseon S. Eom |
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| Affiliation: | 1Department of Parasitology, Medical Research Institute and Parasite Resource Bank, Chungbuk National University, School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea;2College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea;3National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon, Chungnam 33657, Korea;4Chungnam Wild Animal Rescue Center, Kongju National University, Yesan, Chungnam 32439, Korea |
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| Abstract: | The majority of parasitological studies of terrestrial snakes in Korea have focused on zoonotic parasites. However, in the present study, we describe 3 unrecorded nematode species recovered from 5 species of snakes (n=6) in Korea. The examined snakes, all confiscated from illegal hunters, were donated by the Chungnam Wild Animal Rescue Center and Korean Broadcasting System in July 2014 and February 2015. Light and scanning electron microscopies on the shapes of spicules that are either bent or straight (kalicephalids) and the presence of the intestinal cecum (ophidascarids) figured out 3 nematodes; Kalicephalus brachycephalus Maplestone, 1931, Kalicephalus sinensis Hsü, 1934, and Ophidascaris excavata Hsü and Hoeppli, 1934. These 3 species of nematode faunas are recorded for the first time in Korea. |
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| Keywords: | Kalicephalus brachycephalus Kalicephalus sinensis Ophidascaris excavata nematode snake Korea |
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