HELMINTHS AND ARTHROPODS OF BLACK-AND-WHITE RHINOCEROSES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Helminths and arthropods were collected and quantified from two black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis bicornis) and one white rhinoceros (Cer atotherium simum), and ticks from an additional four black and two whi te rhinoceroses in southern Africa. The helminths of a black rhinocero s from the Republic of South Africa and one from Namibia were quantita tively measured and recorded for each compartment of the alimentary tr act. Probstmayria vivipara was the most abundant parasite in each anim al. A recently described nematode, Diceronema versterae, was found in the stomach of one animal. Draschia megastoma was present in the desce nding colon of the same animal, but it was twice the size of similar s pecimens reported from equids and the typical granulomatous lesions ca used by this nematode in horses were not observed. New records of othe r helminths from rhinoceroses include Parabronema roundi, Kiluluma sp. , Kiluluma goodeyi, Kiluluma magna, Khalilia rhinocerotis, Oxyuris kar amoja and Anoplocephala gigantea. The stomach bet, Gyrostigma pavesii, was collected from one black and one white rhinoceros. Ticks collecte d from the black rhinoceroses were Amblyomma hebraeum, Dermacentor rhi nocerinus, Rhipicephalus maculatus, Rhipicephalus muehlensi and Haemap hysalis silacea. The two white rhinoceroses were infected with A. hebr aeum, D. rhinocerinus, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipic ephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus zambeziensis.