Helminth parasites of squirrels (Sciuridae) in Saskatchewan

Abstract

During the period March 1976 to November 1977, 377 mammals of the family Sciuridae (Rodentia) were collected in Saskatchewan and examined for helminths. Species and numbers of each were as follows: Spermophilus richardsonii (Sabine), 209; Spermophilus franklinii (Sabine), 46; Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (Mitchill), 31; Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (A. H. Howell), 64; Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw), 12; Eutamias minimus (J. A. Allen), 11; and Marmota monax (Erxleben), 4.Ten species of cestodes, 2 species of trematodes, 11 species of nematodes, and 1 acanthocephalan were represented in the collections made. New host records and (or) geographic range extensions were indicated for 10 species of helminths.In addition to taxonomic considerations of the helminths, attention has been given to parasite–host relationships involving ground squirrels. In general, male Spermophilus spp. were significantly more commonly infected than were females, and older squirrels were significantly more commonly infected than were younger ones. However, adult squirrels did not have significantly more worms than did juveniles.