CILIATE PROTOZOA IN THE FORESTOMACH OF THE DROMEDARY CAMEL, (CAMELUS-DROMEDARIUS), IN EGYPT, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES

The composition of ciliates obtained from the forestomachs of eleven d romedary (one-humped) camels in Egypt was examined. As a result, eight genera containing 24 species with 11 forms were identified. Of them, one species was concluded to be new, then described as Dasytricha kaba nii n. sp. This new species was clearly distinguished from D. ruminant ium, the other species of the genus, by its lack of somatic cilia on t he posterior one-fifth of the body surface. Entodinium nanellum and Ep idinium ecaudatum f. candatum were found in all camels examined. Altho ugh the percentage composition of respective species varied with the i ndividual camel, the rate of Entodinium spp. was high in general. Tota l ciliate density in forestomach fluid was 1.9 x 10(5)/ml on average. Ciliate composition in Egyptian camels was similar to that in Bactrian camels, Camelus bactrianus, in China reported previously. However, mo re Entodinium species were detected from Egyptian camels than from Bac trian camels.