Parasitic Fauna of Some Amphibians (Anura: Ranidae, Bufonidae) From Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Amphibians especially frogs still used as important
model in scientific researches, and are conventional used in several branches of biomedical research and teaching process, including toxicology, physiology, phylogenetic relationship, and reproductive biology. The principal purpose of the current study is to recognize the parasites of Bufo viridis, B. regularis and Rana pipiens, which collected from Erbil city in Kurdistan region- Iraq. A total of 29 frogs (14 of Bufo viridis, 12 of B. regularis and 3 of Rana pipiens) were gathered by hand from various places of Sami
Abdul-Rahman Park in Erbil city, Kurdistan Region-Iraq, during
the period from November 2020 to the end of April 2021. The frogs were inspected for ecto- and endoparasites. The study exhibited the presence of seven parasite species (with a total prevalence of 89.6%) comprising: three protozoan species (Cepedea dimediata, Protoopalina intestinalis and Opalina ranarum), one cestode species (Proteocephalus sp.), two nematode species (Cosmocercoides variabilis and Rhabdias bufonis) and one species of monogena (Polystoma integerrimum). Cepedea dimediata and Protoopalina intestinalis as protozoa were recorded for the first time among frogs of the species B. regularis and R. pipens respectively in the Kurdistan Region, Bufo regularis considered as a new host for Polystoma integerrimum, Proteocephalus sp. and Cosmocercoides variabilis.