Helminths of saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica L.) in the “Askania Nova” Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine

Abstract

Analysis of the species composition and community structure of helminths in saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) was performed using multi-year (1979-2013) data collected from the “Askania Nova” Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine. During this period, 31 saiga antelopes of different ages (7 calves, 24 adults) were examined; totally, more then 63,900 helminth specimens were collected and identified by morphological criteria. Levels of saiga infection by nematodes were from 39 to 671 EPG (207±132 SD); seasonal fluctuations in saiga infections were insignificant (Mann-Whitney test; p>0.05).

Keywords

• helminths
• cestoda
• nematoda
• saiga tatarica
• prevalence-frequency distribution
• askania nova
• ukraine