Author Institution: Department of Velerinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Orego

Panitz, Eric

The Ohio Journal of Science

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ENTERIC PROTOZOA OF SOME AMPHIBIANS OF THE ELKMOUNTAINS, COLORADO.—A survey was made of the enteric protozoaof amphibians of the Elk Mountains, in the vicinity of Crested Butte, Colorado.Fifty-seven specimens were collected from six localities: six adult and eightlarvae of Bufo boreas (Baird and Girard), thirty-six adult Ambystoma tigrinumGreen and seven adult Rana pipiens (Schreiber). All collections were made atelevations above 9500 feet. Water temperatures recorded at the time of collectionwere below 7°C at all locations.The results of this investigation are summarized on Table 1. All specimenswere infected with one or more of the protozoa indicated. All identifications wereTABLE 1Distribution of protozoan parasites in some Colorado amphibiansHost parasiteEuglenamorpha hegneri (Wenrich)Hexamita (sp. ?)Opalina (sp.?)Oxymonas grandis (Cleveland)Proteromonas (sp. ?)Protoopalina mitotica MetcalfRetortamonas (sp. ?)Tetramitus rostratus PertyTritrichomonas augustaTritrichomonas batrachorum (Perty)B.A1620002260066boreasL8I3000000088R. pipiensA70000070077A. tigrinumA360130003363636lA = adult, L = larvae.2Number examined.3Number positive.made according to Kudo (1954). Fecal material was mixed with 5% methylcellulose and the protozoa tentatively identified under bright field. Coverslipsmears were fixed in Schaudinn's fixative and stained with Heidenhain's ironhaematoxylin for confirmation of genera and species. I was unable to identifyfour genera to the species level.Only one specimen of A. tigrinum, from those taken from a large populationwas infected with Hexamita (sp. ?). Frandsen and Grundman (1959) recorded thisgenus from B. boreas and R. pipiens in Utah, but listed no species. Wenyon(1926) notes that H. ovata and H. batrachorum have been recorded from theamphibian intestine. One specimen was infected with Tetramitus rostratus.Three specimens were each infected with Opalina (sp.?) and Retortamonas (sp.?).Frandsen and Grundman reported 0. carolinensis from B. boreas and R. pipiensin Utah. Cairns (1953) reported R. dobelli from B. boreas and experimentallytransmitted it to R. pipiens. Euglenamorpha hegneri was found in one B. boreaslarvae. Oxymonas grandis and Proteromonas (sp.?) occurred in each of two B.boreas adults from two locations. P. longifila has been recorded from A. tigrinum(Cairns; Frandsen and Grundman), B. boreas and R. pipiens. O. grandis isnormally xylophagous, restricted to termites and wood roaches. This may be anaccidental occurrence. T. rostratus is normally considered parasitic in rats, butapparently is indigenous to A. tigrinum in the Elk Mountains, as it was found inall specimens examined. Tritrichomonas augusta and T. batrachorum were foundTHE OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 67(1): 55, January, 1967.56 ERIC PANITZ Vol. 67in all specimens examined"; Protoopalina mitotica was found only in B. boreas andR. pipiens. No coccidia were observed in any specimen examined. This isbelieved to be the first time any of these protozoa have been reported for amphibiansin Colorado. ERIC PANITZ, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon SlateUniversity, Corvallis, Oregon.LITERATURE CITEDCairns, John Jr. 1953. Transfaunation Studies on Host Specificity of the enteric protozoa ofAmphibia and various other vertebrates. Proc. Phila. Acad. Sciences 105: 45-69.Frandsen, J. and A. Grundmann. 1959. The Parasites of some Amphibians of Utah. J.Parasit 678Kudo, R. R. 1954. Protozoology. C. C. Thomas, Springfield, Ill. 966 pp.Wenyon, C. M. 1926. Protozoology. Wm. Wood and Co., New York. 1563 pp.

Enteric Protozoa of Some Amphibians of the Elk Mountains, Colorado

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Enteric Protozoa of Some Amphibians of the Elk Mountains, Colorado

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