Gastrointestinal Helminths of Raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Ossabaw Island, Georgia

Abstract

An exceedingly high number of raccoons (Procyon lotor) inhabit one of the coastal islands of Georgia (Ossabaw). This area constitutes approximately 25,000 acres of high-ground in addition to an abundance of marshland, which affords an excellent habitat for many forms of wildlife. The privately owned island is 1 mile from the nearest adjacent land (St. Catherine's Island) and about 7 miles from the mainland. A swift tidal current prevails between these areas which probably prohibits the crossing of most terrestrial mammals. On Ossabaw Island there is an abundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), fox squirrels (Sciurus niger), grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), mink (Mustela vison) and a few otter (Lutra canadensis). This island is void of opossums (Didelphis marsupialis), bob-cats (Lynx rufus), skunks (Mephitis mephitis), beavers (Castor canadensis), black-bears (Euarctos americanus) and foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus or Vulpes fulva), which commonly inhabit the remote coastal plain regions. Some domestic livestock, including cattle, swine, horses and dogs is maintained and produced on the island. In view of the rather unusual circumstances and mammalian fauna of the described area, a helminth survey was made. This report is presented as a contribution to the existing knowledge on parasitism in wildlife and its ecological relationship to P. lotor.