Parasites of the relict fauna of Ceylon. V. New species of nematodes from uropeltid snakes.
Two new species of nematodes have been found in endemic snakes of the family Uropeltidae which is restricted to montane regions in India and Sri Lanka. A trichostrongylid, Oswaldocruzia gansi sp. nov., is described from the small intestine of Rhinophis drummondhayi from Watawala (1 075 m) and the Namunukula area (1 200-1 300 m), R. philippinus from Pallatenne (618 m), and Uropeltis melanogaster from Kandy (800 + m). It is distinguished from other species of the genus chiefly by the trifurcate nature of the distal end of its dorsal ray and the number of terminal processes of each spicule. A cosmocercid, Aplectana uropeltidarum sp. nov., is described from the rectum of the same hosts as well as of Uropeltis phillipsi from Gammaduwa (720 m), and Rhinophis blythi from Talawakele (1 016 m). It was also found in the rectum of Teretrurus sanguineus from the Nalumukku Estate, Mandjolai (1 524 m) in S. India. It differs from all other species of the genus, especially in the number and arrangement of the caudal papillae of the male.
D000818:Animals; D001197:Ascaridia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology; D012911:Snakes / Q000469:parasitology*; D013188:Sri Lanka; D014251:Trichostrongyloidea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*