Morphometrical analysis of Taenia taeniaeformis and Taenia crassiceps in the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) in Vorarlberg, Austria

• Published in: Helminthologia
• Main Authors: Fuehrer, H., Siehs, C., Schneider, R., Auer, H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2012
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Parasitology; Common vole; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/s11687-012-0034-x; http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/helm.2012.49.issue-3/s11687-012-0034-x/s11687-012-0034-x.xml; http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/helm.2012.49.issue-3/s11687-012-0034-x/s11687-012-0034-x.pdf

Abstract Taenia taeniaeformis and Taenia crassiceps are cestodes with voles as intermediate hosts and Felidae, Canidae and Mustelidae as definitive hosts. To evaluate the influence of T. taeniaeformis metacestodes on voles in Vorarlberg (Western Austria), a helminthological survey was performed on 318 common voles (Microtus arvalis) and 93 water voles (Arvicola terrestris). Furthermore the metacestodes themselves were analysed by morphometric methods. Our results demonstrate that both T. taeniaeformis and T. crassiceps are endemic in Vorarlberg, and that there is a significant difference between those infected with larvae of T. taeniaeformis and uninfected voles regarding body weight, but not sex or body length.