A checklist of helminths (Acanthocephala, Nematoda and Platyhelminthes) found in rodents (Mammalia, Rodentia) from Slovakia.

Abstract

Nearly seven decades have passed since the first records of helminths in rodents in Slovakia were published. Thereafter, the number of documented helminth species within the territory of the country has steadily increased. This checklist compiles data from 34 sources, including 27 academic articles, five unpublished reports, and two conference proceedings produced between 1955 and early 2025. Following a critical review of each source, 73 nominal helminth species from 27 species of rodents, comprising 30 nematodes, 29 cestodes, 13 trematodes, and one acanthocephalan, were included in this checklist. Information on helminth diversity is absent for only two of the 29 rodent species registered in the Slovak Republic: Myocastor coypus and Arvicola scherman. Furthermore, our findings suggest that certain rodent species remain under-researched despite the presence of some information on their helminth fauna. This checklist lays the basis for future helminthological research on rodents in Slovakia. The raw dataset generated for this article is available in the Suppl. material 1.