Nematode Infection of the Ventral Scales of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) in Southern Belize

Examples of nematodes parasitizing the ventral scales of Crocodylus acutus and Crocodylus moreletii in southern Belize were observed via health assessments performed on crocodiles at the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary in Punta Gorda, Belize, in August 2009. Indirect identification was based on physical imprints of the parasite on the epidermis, and zigzag scars caused by movement and egg discharge from the skin into the surrounding environment. These observations in Belize are similar to those of documented cases of Paratrichosoma Ashford and Muller 1978 (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae) found on the ventral scales of crocodiles in Mexico, Asia, and Australia.