Helminth parasites of Galápagos mammals: a new cestode of the genusfrom the endemic rice ratand a summary of parasites from both endemic and invasive rodents.

Abstract

In this first report of endoparasites from endemic land-mammals of the Galápagos Islands, we describe a new species of cestode of the genus(Cyclophyllidea: Davaineidae) from a species ofand summarize the extent of helminth parasitism in both oryzomyine endemics and introduced species of. Up to the current time, no helminth parasites have been reported from rodents of the Galápagos, and little work has yet been done describing and synthesizing Galápagos parasite diversity. In historical times, several species of autochthonous rodents have occupied the islands including:Heller 1904,Hutterer and Hirsch 1979,Orr, 1938, and(Waterhouse, 1839). Colonization of the islands by humans brought 3 known species of synanthropic rodents:, andwhich are suspected to have caused the extinction of at least 3 other oryzomyines in historical times.