COMPARISON OF HELMINTHS OF 3 SPECIES OF MICE, PODOMYS-FLORIDANUS, PEROMYSCUS-GOSSYPINUS, AND PEROMYSCUS-POLIONOTUS, FROM SOUTHERN FLORIDA

The helminths of 102 Florida mice, Podomys floridanus, 86 cotton mice, Peromyscus gossypinus, and 41 old-field mice, Peromyscus polionotus, from the Lake Wales ridge of southern Florida were studied. Nineteen s pecies of helminths were found, and high indexes of similarity were fo und among the three host species. A trichostrongylid nematode, Carolin ensis peromysci, and a pinworm, Syphacia peromysci, were common to all three hosts and accounted for 80% of all helminths collected. A liver fluke, Zonorchis komareki, and Carolinensis peromysci were more preva lent in mice from bayhead habitats, and two spirurid nematodes, Pteryg odermatites peromysci and Gongylonema sp., were more prevalent in mice from flatwoods habitats. Other helminth species included four apparen tly derived from the cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus, two from the easte rn cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, and two from the raccoon, Procyo n lotor. The helminth fauna of these three mice, which live in relativ ely xeric habitats, was dominated by nematodes.