Little information is available concerning the nematode parasites of salamanders in California. Lehmann (1954) reported the finding of Oxyuris dubia Leidy 1856, in the rectum of 33 Ensatine e. Eschscholtzii from Sonoma County, California, and in 3 of 10 Batrachoseps a. Attenuatus, from San Francisco County, California. He also reported Oxyuris magnivulvaris Rankin 1937 in the rectum of 1 to 2 Aneides flavipunctatus, from Marin County, California and Rhabdias sp., from lungs of 2 of 12 aquatic Triturus torosus from Contra Costa County, California. Lehmann (1960) reported O. dubia from the cloaca of 1 Aneides flavipunctatus and 3 Aneides lugubris taken in Marin and Sonoma Counties, California. Several similar studies have been made in other states citing the occurrence of nematodes in various species of salamanders. There is an even greater paucity of information concerning parasitism in those salamander species inhabiting the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. This investigation is concerned with the four most common salamanders of the central California clopes, Aneides lugubris Hallowell, Batrachoseps attenuatus attenuatus Eschscholtz, Ensatina eschscholtzii platensis Espada, and Taricha torosa sierrae Twitty. Individuals of these species were collected and examined for parasites over the fall, winter and spring months, commencing in the fall of 1960 and extending through the spring of 1962. Data were collected to determine what nematode species inhabit these hosts and to ascertain the incidence and sites of infection. An attempt was also made to determine whether time of year, environmental conditions, and geographic distribution are of particular significance in the host-parasite relationships studied. A second group of salamanders which included Aneides lugubris Hallowell and Taricha torosa Rathke was examined. Both of these species were taken in a coastal region and were used as a comparison group Special attention has been directed to the study of Oxyuris dubia Leidy, 1856, with the intent of clarifying Leidy’s description of this species. This nematode is a frequent parasite of the salamanders studied, and special consideration has been given to the culturing of their eggs in an attempt to better understand the pattern of development.

To date there has been only on major study concerned with parasites of freshwater fishes of California. E. C. Haderlie (1953) summarized investigations up to that year and conducted a general survey of the monogenetic and digenetic trematodes, cestodes, nematodes, acanthocephalans, copepods, and hirudinians of fishes of Northern California. From 2010 fishes representing 36 species of 11 families examined over a three-year period, he obtained a total of 59 species of helminth parasites, copepods, and hirudinians, which include 20 species of digenea and 16 species of cestodes. In addition to the taxonomic study, Haderlie attempted to correlate the relative occurrence of the parasites with various ecological habitats. These data are incomplete, except for a general ecological discussion of the parasites taken from Clear Lake and its contributing streams. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin area the monogenetic trematodes are the only group that has been extensively studied. This work has been done by Dr. J. D. Mizelle of Sacramento State College. The primary purpose of the current investigation is to gain some knowledge of the species of endoparasites of fishes of the San Joaquin Delta. Two hundred and thirty sic fish were examined, including diadromous, potamodramous, anandromous, and territorial species of San Joaquin Delta. This has resulted in the recovery of two previously described and one new adult digenea, three metacercariae, two adult and three larval cestodes,and two cestodarians. Not included in this study are the Acanthocephala and Nematoda. A few cestodes are also not included because of their poor condition. The Host-Parasite List (p. 49) of this paper gives a summary of the fishes examined by Haderlie (H) and the present author (E) with the number of each species examined and the species of trematodes and cestodes recovered.

This research was performed to determine; (1) the prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies among starlings in Northern California, (2) if such starlings can transmit the disease, and (3) if tissues from seropositive starlings contain encysted forms of T. gondii.