Parasitic fauna of captive mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) in south India

Rajesh, NV; Devi, R Kalpana; Jayathangaraj, MG; Raman, M; Sridhar, R

doi:10.21608/eajbsz.2014.13484

Parasitic fauna of captive mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) in south India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, TANUVAS, Chennai -07, Tamilnadu, India

² Department of Botany and Microbiology, A.V.V.M Sri Pushpam College, Bharathidasan University (Affiliated), Poondi – 613 503, Tamilnadu, India

³ Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, TANUVAS, Chennai -07, Tamilnadu, India

10.21608/eajbsz.2014.13484

Abstract

Coprological samples of captive mugger Crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) were randomly collected (102 Nos) from Snake Park, Guindy (36 Nos), Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur (44 Nos) and Amaravathy Crocodile farm (22 Nos) and screened for evidence of parasitic fauna using fecal sedimentation technique. Parasitic fauna evidenced trematode egg, Renifers which were predominant in Snake Park, Guindy and Amaravathy Crocodile farm and nematode eggs, Dujardinascaris sp. in samples from Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur. Among the study, Dujardinascaris sp. was predominant and mixed infections of Renifers and Ophiotaenia sp. were limited. However Polydelphis sp. was observed only in Amaravathy farm. Renifers and Dujardinascaris sp. were found in mugger crocodiles from all these three locations. No ectoparasites were encountered in mugger crocodiles during this study. Snake Park, Guindy and Amaravathy Crocodile farm had the habit of feeding fishes to this reptile encountered the presence of trematode and cestode eggs in these areas. Captivity provides the condition in such a way that ectoparasites could not be ruled out in this study unlike free-ranging habitat.

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