Helminth Parasites of Selected Amphibians and Reptiles from the Republic of Ecuador

Fourteen amphibians (7 species) and 37 reptiles (25 species) collected from 3 sites in the Pastaza Province of the Republic of Ecuador were examined for helminths. A total of 6 (42.7%) individual amphibians and 18 (48.6%) individual reptiles were infected. Five (71.4%) of the amphibian species (4 frogs, 1 toad) and 10 (40.0%) of the reptile species (4 lizards, 6 snakes) were found to harbor 1 species of helminth; 1 amphibian species (14.3%) and 5 reptile species (13.2%) harbored 2 species of helminths each. One species of cestode and 16 species of nematodes, together representing 11 families, were found in the herpetofauna surveyed. Twenty-five new host and 15 new geographic records are documented. When compared to other South American countries, the majority of parasites reported herein for Ecuador have been reported previously in herpetofauna from Brazil.