Factors Affecting Infection Levels in the Salamander Host Desmognathus amphileucus by a Digenetic Trematode Within Appalachian Headwater Streams

Herpetologica, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 80(2)

Published: March 11, 2024

Headwater streams are critical, fragile ecosystems that supply food and nutrients for an array of organisms vital to the overall health a stream. As dominant vertebrates in headwater southern Appalachian Mountains, plethodontid salamanders critical healthy communities. However, neglected feature these is community parasites infect salamanders. The digenetic trematode Metagonimoides oregonensis uses aquatic snail Elimia proxima as its first intermediate host salamander Desmognathus amphileucus second host. In series streams, we tested hypothesis variance prevalence intensity infection hosts related respective densities species. Infection was 100% across all streams. There strong relationship between density infection-intensity level with not important, finding conflicts results parasitological studies involving lentic marine systems. influence this on ecology resident has been underappreciated, number aspects remain unknown.

Language: Английский

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Ecological consequences of hidden pathology by larval digeneans in South American mollusks

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 206, P. 108158 - 108158

Published: June 24, 2024

Language: Английский

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