Incidence of Telorchis assula (Dujardin, 1845) (Digenea: Telorchiidae) in two Colubrid snakes in Baghdad city, Central Iraq

Abstract

The grass snake, Natrix natrix and the dice snake, Natrix tessellata are present throughout Iraq. They act as definitive hosts for the trematode Telorchis assula. Thirteen out of 18 snakes (72.22%) were found infected with 20 specimens of T.assula. The description and the meristic characters of the trematode were provided. The total infection rate in the two Natrix spp. was compared with those of the same snakes in two adjacent countries. The different infection rates for males and females of the two snakes also were given with discussing the role of diets and the probable intermediate hosts of the trematode in their infection. T. assula is recorded here for the first time from the two Colubrid snakes, N. natrix and N. tessellata for Iraq.