Helminth Parasites of the Wild Turkey in South Dakota

Abstract

The original range of the eastern wild turkey included part of South Dakota. However, they disappeared from the state by 1920 and were not reintroduced until 1948. Up until this point, little work has been done concerning the macroscopic endoparasites of wild turkeys in any region, and no work of this nature has been undertaken in South Dakota. Therefore, the South Dakota Department of Game, fish, and parks entered into a cooperative arrangement with South Dakota State College to determine the incidence and distribution of helminths in wild turkeys of western South Dakota. In 1958, 198 turkeys harvested by hunters were examined and form the basis for this study. Of the 198 viscera collected, 85.35 per cent contained parasites. Castodes are the most common endoparasites infecting the wild turkey flock in South Dakota’s Black hills