Porocephalus species (Pentastomida) infecting Boa constrictor (Boidae) and Lachesis muta (Viperidae) in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Brazil has a great diversity of snakes, but there are few published works concerning parasitism in these animals. The present paper examined pulmonary infection by pentastomids in large snakes from northeastern Brazil, including six specimens of Boa constrictor and two examples of Lachesis muta from the Serpentarium of the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil, all of which were collected in the Atlantic Coastal Forest. One specimen of B. constrictor was infected by Porocephalus sp. (intensity of infection 5.0) and one specimen of L. muta was infected by P. stilesi (intensity of infection 15.0).

Keywords

• endoparasites
• Pentastomids
• snakes
• Neotropical Region