On parasite fauna of the European beaver

Abstract

The purpose of the research is identification of the current parasitological situation for Eurasian beavers inhabiting the Central Russia.Materials and methods. The work was carried out on hunting farms and in specially protected areas of the Central Russia. Potentially infective material was collected, recorded and preserved from animals during 2015–2021. The age of the animals was determined by their weight and physiological state of the rodents’ teeth and internal organs, and the sex was determined by their genitals. The animals were examined according to the method of complete and partial helminthological dissection per Skryabin.Results and discussion. A total of 41 animals were examined. Three forms of parasitism on animals were identified in natural habitat, namely, the trematode Stichorchis subtriquetrus, the nematode Travassosius rufus, and the ectoparasite Platypsyllus castoris. The stichorchosis causative agent localized in the animal’s large intestine was diagnosed in 35 rodents (85.4%). The helminth infection was 96% in the Eurasian beaver and 68.7% in the Canadian beaver. The nematode infection in stomach was detected in 31 animals (75.6%). The infection by T. rufus was 88% in the Eurasian beaver, and 56.3% in the Canadian beaver. The infected animals were delivered from the Vladimir, Moscow, Ryazan, Tula and Yaroslavl Regions. The beaver beetle P. castoris was found in 6 animals (14.6%). The infection rate was 8% in the Eurasian beaver, and 25% in the Canadian beaver. Animals with wingless arthropods have been identified in the Moscow and Ryazan Regions.