Helminth parasites of the spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum and red-backed salamander Plethodon c. cinereus from Northwestern Wisconsin

Twenty spotted salamanders Ambystoma maculatum and 20 red-backed salamanders Plethodon c. cinereus were collected from NW Wisconsin in May 1996 and examined for helminth parasites. Two species of helminths infected the spotted salamanders, while 3 species infected the red-backed salamanders. The nematode Batracholandros magnavulvaris had the higest prevalence in spotted salamanders (45%), while the nematode Rhabdias sp. had the highest prevalence in red-backed salamanders (30%). The trematode Brachycoelium salamandrae had the highest mean intensity in both hosts, 3.3 in A. maculatum and 2.0 in P. c. cinereus. This is the first report of B. magnavulvaris from Ambystoma maculatum as well as the first report of it from Wisconsin.