Haemonchus contortus from the vaal ribbok, Pelea capreolus, and the bontebok, Damaliscus dorcas dorcas, in the Bontebok National Park.
During a survey of the parasites of antelope in the Bontebok National Park, Swellendam, Cape Province, specimens of Haemonchus contortus with exceptionally long spicules were recovered from 5 out of 8 bontebok, Damaliscus dorcas dorcas, and 3 out of 5 vaal ribbok, Pelea capreolus, but not from 4 springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis. Typically, H. contortus has spicules 0,466 +/- 0,085 mm long, but those recovered from vaal ribbok had spicules 0,581 +/- 0,02 mm long and were recovered in large numbers from this antelope only. This indicates that the nematode is probably a definitive parasite of vaal ribbok, and its occurrence in bontebok must be regarded as accidental.
D000818:Animals; D000866:Antelopes / Q000469:parasitology*; D001188:Artiodactyla / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D014251:Trichostrongyloidea / Q000033:anatomy & histology*