The intestinal helminths of the red fox and some other carnivores in Southwest Germany

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Abstract
In south-west Germany between 1975 and 1980, 3,573 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 84 badgers (Meles meles), 47 stone martens (Martes foina), and 387 cats (Felis catus) were examined for intestinal helminths. In foxes the extent of infections was:Taenia crassiceps 24%,T. polyacantha 8%,T. taeniaeformis 0.6%,T. serialis 0.5%Mesocestoides leptothylacus 20%,Mesocestoides sp. 0.2%,Toxocara canis 32%,Toxascaris leonina 3%,Uncinaria stenocephala 26%. One to three foxes harbouredT. hydatigena, T. pisiformis, T. martis, Dipylidium caninum, Diphyllobothrium sp.,Alaria alata, andAncylostoma caninum (Echinococcus multilocularis will be dealt with in a separate paper by the second author). Results are compared with those of other European countries. Seasonal dynamics were exhibited byM. leptothylacus (rare in late summer),U. stenocephala (more frequent in summer than in winter), and, to a lesser extent, byT. canis (slightly less in spring and autumn than in winter and summer). Infections in fox cubs were comparable to those of adults in summer. Of the badgers, 2% harbouredTaenia martis, 15.5%Atriotaenia incisa, and 4%Uncinaria criniformis; of the stone martens 6% harbouredT. crassiceps and 36%.T. martis; of the cats 1% were infected withT. crassiceps, 29% withT. taeniaeformis, 2% withMesocestoides leptothylacus, 30% withToxocara cati and 2% withU. stenocephala.