Helminths of the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Western Canada

Abstract

Thirty-six Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis c. canadensis), 33 from four areas in Alberta and 3 from Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, were examined for helminths. Data from these examinations were supplemented by examination of 462 fecal samples from the same areas.Seventeen species of helminths were recovered: 3 cestodes, Moniezia expansa and Wyominia tetoni and the cysticerci of Taenia hydatigena; and 14 nematodes, Capillaria sp., Marshallagia marshalli, Nematodirus archari, N. davtiani, N. maculosus, N. oiratianus, N. spathiger, Ostertagia circumcincta, O. occidentalis, Protostrongylus rushi, P. stilesi, Skrjabinema ovis, Teladorsagia davtiani, and Trichuris ovis. The records of Capillaria sp., Nematodirus maculosus, and Teladorsagia davtiani are apparently the first from bighorn sheep. Nine other records are new for bighorn sheep in Canada.Total numbers of helminths (excluding lungworms) per bighorn ranged from 36 to 8345. There was little variation in the prevalence or the relative abundance of the different species in the areas sampled.