First record of Crepidobothrium sp. (Cestoda, Proteocephalidae) in Bothrops atrox (Serpentes, Viperidae) in Amazonian Brazil.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to document the infection by cestodes Crepidobothrium sp. in Bothrops atrox, which are from the Tapajós National Forest, located in the western part of Pará state, Brazil. Thirty-six specimens of B. atrox were examined, of which 13 individuals (36%) were infected by Crepidobothrium sp. and a total of 147 parasites were collected from these hosts. The mean abundance of these endoparasites was 4.1 and the mean infection intensity was 11.3. In relation to parasitic infection sites, 88.4% of these cestodes were found in the small intestine, 9.52% in the large intestine and 2% in the stomach of the hosts. This was the first report of Crepidobothrium sp. in B. atrox in the Brazilian Amazon.