High helmintic infection of the European grass snake, Natrix natrix and the dice snake, Natrix tessellate (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Iran

Abstract Objective To determine the helminth parasites of Natrix natrix Linnaeus, 1758 ( N. natrix ) and Natrix tessellata Laurenti, 1768 ( N. tessellate ) in north of Iran. Methods Eighteen snakes including nine N. natrix and nine N. tessellata from Mazandaran Province, north of Iran were collected and examined during March 2011 to October 2011 for helminth parasites. The collected specimens were fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Results All of the examined snakes (100%) were infected with parasitic helminth. The list of extracted helminths both in N. natrix and N. tessellata includes one Nematode: Rhabdias fuscovenosa (larva), one Digenea: Telorchis assula and one Cestoda: Ophiotaenia europaea . The infection rate of Ophiotaenia europaea, Telorchis assula and Rhabdias fuscovenosa (larva) from collected snakes were 100%, 83.3% and 61.1%, respectively. Moreover, in the current investigation the morphological characteristics of the collected helminths were described elaborately. Conclusions This is the first survey on helminth parasites from N. tessellata in Iran and the helminthes are reported for the first time from this host in Iran.