Table Of ContentNEMATODA PARASITIC W NORTH AMERICAN SQUAMATIC REPTILES
WITH A DESCRIPTION OF Strongyluris riversidensis
n. sp* AND Pharyngodon meamsi n, sp.
A Thesis
Presented to
the. Faculty of the Department of Zoology
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
Raymond Henry Edgerly
August 1950
UMI Number: EP67191
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part Page
I# Nematodes Parasitic in North. American Squamatic 1-16
Reptiles
II* List of Parasitic Nematodes in North American 17-21
SQUAMATA
III* A Description of Two New Species (NEMATODA) 22-38
IF. Literature Cited 39-42
" V* Explanation and Key to the Figures 44-45
VI* Figure I* Strongyluris riversidensis 46
VII• Figure II. Strongyluris riversidensis 47
VIII* Figure III. Pharyngodon meamsi 48
NEMATODES PARASITIC IN NORTH AMERICAN SQDAMATIC REPTILES
Research concerning the nematodes parasitic in North American
Squamata has "been very limited and little is known of their geograph
ical distributions* life cycles, or host-parasite relationships*
It was the author*s hope in undertaking this literature survey that
the data would be useful to others conducting such research*
Contributions to the knowledge of nematodes in reptiles of
North America have, in the main, been made by Leidy, Harwood,
Caballero, and Walton* Others have, on occasion, contributed
important publications*
Leidy, in the middle part of the nineteenth century, began
collecting, personally and through contributions, many parasites
from numerous hosts* Nematodes from squamatic reptiles were in
cluded in this collection* Unfortunately, Leidy seldom indicated
type species and often failed to keep even the specimens of the new
species which he established* His descriptions are meagre and his
illustrations are scarce* It was possible for Walton (1927) by
means of a revision of the Leidy collection to designate, in a few
cases, type material of the species, although, even in these cases
the evidence was largely circumstantial in that the date of collect
ing, the host, and the name of the collector were the only available
data*
A few surveys have been made which encompass nematodes of
reptiles and amphibians of North America. One of the most extensive
surveys of this type has been carried out by Caballero, who has
published results of investigations of the nematodes of reptiles in
Mexico in a series of papers appearing from 1938 to 1944 {the latest
date to the author*s knowledge)# Harwood has conducted surveys of
this nature in the United States, including in these studies the
regions of Houston, Texas, and vicinity (1932), and Tennessee (1934
and 1935). Also, in the southeastern United States, Reiber et al,
i
(1940) studied the nematode parasites of reptiles and amphibians in
various localities of Georgia and Florida, In the northern United
States, Rankin, as recently as 1945 made a taxonomic and ecological
survey of the helminths parasitic in amphibians and reptiles of
western Massachusetts and vicinity.
In the following survey the nematode classification is based on
York and Maplestone* s "Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates" (1926)
with the exception of subsequent additions and changes made necessary
by later research#
The classification of the squamatic reptiles has undergone many
revisions since they have been reported as parasitic nematode hosts
by the various workers. In this survey the author has reported both
the originally applied nomenclature of the squamatic host, in paren
thesis, and the presently accepted nomenclature according to Smith
and Taylor (1945), Smith (1946), and Stebbins (1948),
Phylum: NEMA3HSXMXNEHES Vogt (Quoted by Carus, 1863)
Glass: NEMATODA Rudolphi, 1808 (emend. Diesing, 1861)
Order: EUNEMA.TQDA Ward, 1916
3
Superfamily: RHAJBDIASOIDEA Railliet, 1916
Family: HHABDIASIDAE Railliet, 1915
Genus: Rhabdias Dujardin, 1845
Species: R. vellardla Pereira, 1928
Parasitic in the lungs of Heterodon contortrix,
Storeria dekayi, Haldea striatula (Potamophis
striatulus), Thamnophls sauritus proximus
(Thamnophis proximus). Reported locality:
Houston, Texas and vicinity. (Harwood, 1932).
Species: R. fascovenosa var. catanensis (Rizzo,
1902) GhUi 1936
Parasitic in the lungs of Thamnophis sirtalis
and Natrix sipedon pictiventris. Reported local
ity: Melbourne Prairie, Florida. (Reiber et al,
1940).
Species: R. ranae ; Walton, 1929
Parasitic in Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum
and Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis. Reported local
ity: western Massachusetts and vicinity. (Rankin,
1945).
Species: R. serpent!cola Linstow, 1904
Parasitic in the lungs of Heterodon contortrix
(Heterodon platyrhinos) • Reported locality:
Unknown, except North America. (Linstow, 1904).
4
Super family: TRICHUR03DEA Raillet, 1916
Family: TRIC5HIMEILIDAE Stiles and Crane, 1910
Subfamily; TRICHURINAE Ranson, 1911
Genus: Capillaria Zeder, 1800
Species: (3* heterodontiis Harwood, 1932
Parasitic in the rectum of Heterodon contortrix.
Reported locality: Houston, Texas and vicinity.
(Harwood, 1932).
Species: Capillaria sp. Rankin, 1945
Parasitic in the foregut of Coluber constrictor
constrictor and Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum.
Reported locality: western Massachusetts and
vicinity. (Rankin, 1945).
Species: (3. xochimilcensis Caballero, 1943
Parasitic in the intestine of Thamnophis
angustirostris melanogaster. Reported locality:
San Gregorio, Atlapulco, D. F. (Caballero, 1943).
Superfamily: STRONGYLOLDm Weinland, 1858 (Hall, 1916)
Family: DIAPHANOGEHIALIDAB Travassos, 1919
Genus: Kalicephalus Molin, 1861
Species: K. agkistrodontis Harwood, 1932
Parasitic in the stomach of Agkistrodon mokasen.
Heterodon contortrix. Pituophis sayi, Matrix
rhombifera, Matrix sipedon fasciata, Lampropeltis
5
getulus holbrooki, Thamnophis sauritus proximus
(Thamnophis proximus), and Micrurus fulvius.
Reported locality: Houston, Texas and vicinity*
(Harwood, 1932).
Species: K. agkistrodontis flagellus Harwood,
1932
Parasitic in the stomach of Masticophis
flagellum (Coluber flagellum) and Coluber
constrictor flaviventris * Reported locality:
Houston, Texas and vicinity* (Harwood, 1932).
Parasitic in the intestine of Coluber constric
tor constrictor and-Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis*
Reported locality: western Massachusetts and
vicinity* (Rankin, 1945).
Species: K. tennessensis Harwood, 3.934
Parasitic in Coluber constrictor. Reported
locality: Tennessee. (Harwood, 1954).
Parasitic in Coluber constrictor constrictor
and Thamnophis sirtalis* Reported locality:
Kissimmee, Florida. (Reiber et al, 1940).
Parasitic in Masticophis flagellum flagellum*
(Coluber flagellum flagellum). Reported locality:
Athens, Georgia. (Reiber et al, 1940).
Parasitic in the stomach and esophagus of
Lampropeltis getulus nigra* Reported locality:
