The incidence of Anoplocephaline cestodes in a population of rabbits in Surrey, England

Samples of approximately five wild rabbits were obtained each week over the 4-year period 1967–70, and their intestines examined for adult tapeworms. Pour species of anoplocephalinae were found, Cittotaenia pectinata, C. denticulata, C. ctenoides and Andrya cuniculi. C. pectinata was found in 29% of the 968 rabbits examined, C. denticulata in 14%, C. ctenoides in 12% and A. cuniculi in 6%. There were 63 double infections, of which 44 involved A. cuniculi , and three triple infections. The most frequent number of worms per infection was one for C. pectinata and A. cuniculi and two for C. denticulata and C. clenoides , although the mean numbers for these species were respectively 7·2, 5·3, 2·7 and 1·8. A. cuniculi , and to a lesser extent C. ctenoides , were very restricted in distribution within the study area, occurring only on the higher, chalk downland (250–550 ft A.S.L.). This finding implies that individual rabbits usually spend their lives within relatively small areas. Considering all the material a seasonal trend in host infection rate was apparent only with C. denticulata , which increased in abundance from July to a peak in September and then declined gradually to a low level, lasting from April to June. Infections, including small specimens of any of the four species, were rare from February to June and it is presumed that infected intermediate hosts were correspondingly rare during this period. Except for C. denticulata , which was found more frequently in male rabbits than females, the sex of the host had no influence on its likelihood of infection. However, except for C. pectinata , the age of the host was important. Thus, C. denticulata and A. cuniculi were significantly more frequent in juveniles than adults whilst the reverse was true for C. ctenoides . Small (‘young’) specimens of C. denticulata and A. cuniculi were more frequent in juvenile than adult rabbits, but the difference was not significant for the other two species. It is concluded that only C. ctenoides survives for more than a year and that this species and C. pectinata are more likely to infect rabbits that are adult than are the other two species.