First-stage larvae of Protostrongylus spp. were more numerous in the core of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadiensis canadiensis) pellets than near the surface. As a result, only 22% could be extracted from whole pellets and the numbers collected did not reflect the total number of larvae present in samples. Crushing semi-dried pellets yielded seven times as many larvae and numbers collected were correlated with totals present. The use of tissue, in addition to a screen filter in a beaker extraction method, produced a cleaner sample and did not affect larval collection or the correlation. By comparison, most first-stage larvae of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were near the surface of fecal pellets where they may be removed readily by water.
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1 October 1997
Extracting Protostrongylus spp. Larvae from Bighorn Sheep Feces
Sean G. Forrester,
Murray W. Lankester
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 33 • No. 4
October 1997
Vol. 33 • No. 4
October 1997
Beaker method
extracting nematode larvae
fecal examination
Protostrongylus rushi
Protostrongylus stilesi