Alaria mesocercariae in the tails of red-sided garter snakes: evidence for parasite-mediated caudectomy.

ABSTRACT: Trematodes of the genus Alaria develop into an arrested stage, known as mesocercariae, within their amphibian second intermediate host. The mesocercariae are frequently transmitted to a non-obligate paratenic host before reaching a definitive host where further development and reproduction can occur. Snakes are common paratenic hosts for Alaria spp. with the mesocercariae often aggregating in the host's tail. In the current study, we used morphological examination and molecular analyses based on partial sequences of nuclear large ribosomal subunit gene and mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 gene to identify larvae in the tails of red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) as mesocercariae of Alaria marcianae, Alaria mustelae, and Alaria sp. as well as metacercariae

SUBMITTER: Uhrig EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4605875 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature