We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Attraction of the land snail Anguispira alternata to fresh faeces of white-tailed deer: implications in the transmission of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis.
- Authors
Bird, Jacqueline; Garvon, Jason M.
- Abstract
Terrestrial gastropods serving as intermediate hosts of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (Dougherty, 1945) are infected either by crawling over infected faeces or by contact with larvae washed off faecal pellets onto surrounding soil. Some studies have concluded that gastropods avoid faeces; therefore, transmission must occur from soil. During two trials, Anguispira alternata (Say, 1816) were offered a choice of two types of larva-free (U) white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) faeces (trial 1) and a choice of larva-containing (L) or larva-free (U) WTD faeces (trial 2) in a laboratory setting. The snails were observed in proximity to U faeces 2.5 times more than expected in trial 1. They were found on faeces 3.4 times more than expected in trial 2, but showed a preference for U faeces, frequenting U faeces 3.1 times more than expected, while frequenting L faeces 1.7 times more than expected. In addition, we feel that this laboratory design could be a useful tool for further investigation of the epizootiology of P. tenuis in important intermediate host species.
- Subjects
ANGUISPIRA; ENDODONTIDAE; SNAILS; DEER; FECES; PARELAPHOSTRONGYLUS tenuis
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2005, Vol 83, Issue 2, p358
- ISSN
0008-4301
- Publication type
Article