The Korean Journal of Parasitology  2016;54(2):205-213

doi:10.3347/kjp.2016.54.2.205

Three Nematode Species Recovered from Terrestrial Snakes in Republic of Korea.

Seongjun CHOE 1 ; Junsik LIM ; Hyun KIM ; Youngjun KIM ; Heejong KIM ; Dongmin LEE ; Hansol PARK ; Hyeong Kyu JEON ; Keeseon S EOM

Affiliations

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Keywords

Kalicephalus brachycephalus; Kalicephalus sinensis; Ophidascaris excavata; nematode; snake; Korea

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

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.