ABSTRACT
Amphibians are unique among vertebrates because they are major and key components of both the aquatic and terrestrial food web and by extension, the ecosystem. Despite this significance, the diversity of amphibian is highly threatened by a variety of anthropogenic factors. The study was aimed at reporting the anurans diversity in the rubber plantation as well as the helminth parasites present in the adult and juvenile anurans.
Amphibians were captured manually using the visual and acoustic encounter approach sampling techniques (VAES). Collected specimens were conveyed to the laboratory in plastic bottles with perforated corks, while Hoplobatrachus occipitalis and Sclerophrys maculata were conveyed to the laboratory in a properly covered basket. At the laboratory, the identified anurans were euthanized, measured and dissected with the gastro-intestinal tracts and associated organs removed and examined for helminth infection. The recovered helminth parasites were thereafter preserved.
A total of 257 anurans were collected which spread across eight (8) families, ten (10) genera and thirty one (31) species. The families encountered included the Arthroleptidae, Bufonidae, Dicroglossidae, Hyperoliidae, Hemisotidae, Pipidae, Ptychadenidae, and Rhacophoridae. Out of the 257 anuran specimens (224 adults and 33 juveniles) sampled and examined, 150 specimens (132 adults and 18 juveniles) were infected with one or more helminth parasites with an overall prevalence of 58.9% among adult hosts and 54.5% for the juveniles. A total of 28 helminth parasites belonging to four taxa: Cestoda, Monogenea, Trematoda and Nematoda were recovered from the anuran hosts. The overall prevalence of helminth parasites of male and female anurans was compared and the prevalence of parasitic infection in female (59.4%) was greater than that of the male (58.2%). However, the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). The seasonal prevalence of helminth parasite infection in wet and dry season was 59.6% and 57.7% respectively, which was also not statistically significant (P >0.05).This study has provided detailed checklist of anurans as well as the diversity of helminth parasites infecting the anurans in RRIN, Iyanomo. The results of the present study have also added significantly to the knowledge of the distribution, prevalence, mean intensity of helminth infections of anurans of the studied area and have shown the effect of monocultural plantation on diversity and infection of anurans. Also, the data base on amphibian diversity and helminth parasitic infection has been enriched both locally and internationally.
