April, 2012
DISTRIBUTION, PREVALANCE, MEAN INTENSITY, RELATIVE
DENSITY AND LIFE HISTORY IMPLICATIONS OF WORM
INFECTIONS IN COYOTES OF NOVA SCOTIA
Power, Jason, Mike O’Brien1 and Todd Smith
Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS
1
Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Kentville, NS
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are widely distributed in North
America, and were first recorded in Nova Scotia in 1977.
Common worm parasites of coyotes outside of Nova
Scotia include canine heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis),
lungworms (Oslerus osleri) and tapeworms
(Echinococcus spp.). However, the parasite fauna of
coyotes from Nova Scotia has not been investigated. The
objectives of this study were to determine geographical
range, prevalence, mean intensity and relative density of
worm parasites in coyotes from Nova Scotia, and to
investigate if prevalence, mean intensity and relative
density were consistent among different age classes of
this mammal. A total of 235 coyotes were collected from
trappers in 2010 and 2011. Hearts, lungs and gastrointestinal tracts were removed from
coyotes and examined for parasites. Teeth from lower jaws were examined to assess
the age of each coyote. Crenosoma vulpis and O. osleri, two species of lungworms,
were by far the most prevalent parasites, found in 31% and 37% of coyotes,
respectively, throughout the province. There was a mean intensity of 6.9 C. vulpis and
8.9 O. osleri in infected coyotes across all age classes, but a significant difference in the
mean intensity of either parasite was not observed among different age classes. There
was a relative density of 2.1 C. vulpis and 3.4 O. osleri in coyotes sampled across all
age classes, with a significantly higher density of each parasite in juveniles. Taenia
hydatigena (a tapeworm), Uncinaria stenocephala (a hookworm), Toxocara canis (an
intestinal roundworm) and Alaria spp. (an intestinal fluke) were present at lower
prevalences, but were still found throughout the province. The life history implications of
these novel findings will be discussed in relation to the possibility of parasite
transmission to domestic dogs.
Jason Power graduated from Northeast Kings
Education Centre in Canning, Nova Scotia in 2007. Jason
transferred to Acadia after a year at UNB and is completing
his Honours degree in Biology and Environmental Science.
Aside from graduating with Honours, Jason will also
graduate with a Cooperative Education certificate, which he
earned by completing three work placements. His
placements have included positions at the NS Department
of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division; NS Department of
Fisheries, Inland Fisheries Division, and the Department of
Biology at Acadia University. He was awarded the ENCOF
scholarship for the past two years. Along with his research
work, Jason also volunteers with Ducks Unlimited and has
started a duck box project in the Annapolis Valley. Jason has received a national
volunteer award from Ducks Unlimited while at Acadia. Jason will begin his Master’s
degree in Wildlife Ecology at Acadia next year.