The intestinal helminths of the red fox and some other carnivores in southwest Germany

Abstract

In south-west Germany between 1975 and 1980, 3,573 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 84 badgers (Meles meles), 47 stone martens (Martes foina), and 387 cats (Felis catus) were examined for intestinal helminths. In foxes the extent of infections was: Taenia crassiceps 24%, T. polyacantha 8%, T. taeniaeformis 0.6%, T. serialis 0.5%, Mesocestoides leptothylacus 20%, Mesocestoides sp. 0.2%, Toxocara canis 32%, Toxascaris leonina 3%, Uncinaria stenocephala 26%. One to three foxes harboured T. hydatigena, T. pisiformis, T. martis, Dipylidium caninum, Diphyllobothrium sp., Alaria alata, and Ancylostoma caninum (Echinococcus multilocularis will be dealth with in a separate paper by the second author). Results are compared with those of other European countries. Seasonal dynamics were exhibited by M. leptothylacus (rare in late summer), U. stenocephala (more frequent in summer than in winter), and, to a lesser extent, by T. canis (slightly less in spring and autumn than in winter and summer). Infections in fox cubs were comparable to those of adults in summer. Of the badgers, 2% harboured Taenia martis, 15.5% Atriotaenia incisa, and 4% Uncinaria criniformis; of the stone martens 6% harboured T. crassiceps and 36% T. martis; of the cats 1% were infected with T. crassiceps, 29% with T. Taeniaeformis, 2% with Mesocestoides leptothymacus, 30% with Toxocara Cati and 2% with U. stenocephala.