Record of Haementeria acuecueyetzin (Oceguera-Figueroa, 2008) in Morelet's Crocodiles from Quintana Roo, Mexico

Abstract

abstract: Herein, we present the first Mexican record of Morelet's crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii, as a host for the proboscis-bearing leech, Haementeria acuecueyetzin. From November 2004 to October 2017, we captured 111 crocodiles during spotlight surveys in lagoons of the Dziuché ejido, municipality of José María Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Twenty-one (18.9%) individuals had leeches identified as H. acuecueyetzin. It is the first report of H. acuecueyetzin for the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico, and the northernmost record of the species. This is also the second case of leech parasitism in C. moreletii. Haementeria acuecueyetzin likely parasitize a large array of vertebrates, and its role as a potential vector of blood parasites in C. moreletii requires further investigation.