First record of gastrointestinal parasites of African otters

Abstract

Parasites are found in many mammalian species, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. They can spread from one species to another and cause severe diseases in some species. Parasite spread is especially important between wild and domestic animals because it can affect human health. In this study, the first record of gastrointestinal parasites in African otters is reported from South Africa. The two otter species investigated were the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis). We identified the parasite species in collected faeces and examined the differences in parasitic loads between the species and two distinct habitats. Scats were collected from latrine sites in two areas (a rural nature reserve and an urban park) and examined using Teleman’s concentration-sedimentation formalin/ether method. Parasites were identified up to the species level where possible, and loads were calculated. As we only found African clawless otter faeces in the natural area and spotted-necked otter faeces in the urban reserve, we could not determine if the results were caused by differences in habitat or inherent to the host species. Therefore, our results only provide the first record of parasites in these two species. The findings revealed that the parasite species varied between the two areas (or species), although there was no significant difference in parasite loads.