title: Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) parasite diversity in central Mexico.
abstract: Mexico has a long history of parasitological studies in communities of vertebrates. However, the mega diversity of the country makes fauna inventories an ongoing priority. Presently, there is little published on the parasite fauna of gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus Schereber, 1775) and this study provides new records of parasites for gray foxes in central Mexico. It is a continuation of a series of previous parasitological studies conducted with this carnivore in Mexico from 2003 to the present. A total of 24 foxes in the Parque Nacional El Cimatario (PANEC) were trapped, anaesthetized, and parasites recovered. The species found were Dirofilaria immitis, Ctenocephalides canis, C. felis, Euhoplopsillus glacialis affinis (first report for gray foxes in Mexico) Pulex simulants, and Ixodes sp. Three additional gray fox carcasses were necropsied and the parasites collected were adult nematodes Physaloptera praeputialis and Toxocara canis. The intensive study of the gray fox population selected for the 2013-2015 recent period allowed for a two-fold increase in the number of parasite species recorded for this carnivore since 2003 (nine to 18 parasite species), mainly recording parasitic arthropods, Dirofilaria immitis filariae and adult nematodes. The parasite species recorded are generalists that can survive in anthropic environments; which is characteristic of the present ecological scenario in central Mexico. The close proximity of the PANEC to the city of Santiago de Queretaro suggests possible parasite transmission between the foxes and domestic and feral dogs. Furthermore, packs of feral dogs in the PANEC might have altered habitat use by foxes, with possible impacts on transmission.
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hernández-Camacho
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Raúl Francisco
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Pineda-López
authors.affiliation: Licenciatura en Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Jesús Guerrero-Carrillo
authors.affiliation: Licenciatura en Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Germinal Jorge
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cantó-Alarcón
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Robert Wallace
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marco Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreno-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Licenciatura en Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan Joel
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mosqueda-Gualito
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zamora-Ledesma
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Camacho-Macías
keywords: Fleas; Gray fox; Helminthes; Mexico; Parasites