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Seasonal rainfall drives temporal niche partitioning in the helminth community of scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) from Marajó Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2026

D.F. Conga Open the ORCID record for D.F. Conga [Opens in a new window] ,
J. Helen Costa Open the ORCID record for J. Helen Costa [Opens in a new window] ,
V. Bejarano Alegre Open the ORCID record for V. Bejarano Alegre [Opens in a new window] ,
A. Magalhães Bezerra Open the ORCID record for A. Magalhães Bezerra [Opens in a new window]  and
A. Maciel de Castro Cardoso Jaques Open the ORCID record for A. Maciel de Castro Cardoso Jaques [Opens in a new window]
D.F. Conga*
Affiliation:
Grupo de Medicina da Conservação e Saúde Única, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Estrada do Bexiga, Tefé, Brazil Laboratório de Patologia Animal, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal (ISPA), Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belem, Brazil
J. Helen Costa
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Patologia Animal, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal (ISPA), Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belem, Brazil
V. Bejarano Alegre
Affiliation:
Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia e Conservação de Felinos na Amazônia, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá , Estrada do Bexiga, Tefé, Brazil
A. Magalhães Bezerra
Affiliation:
Museu de Zoologia, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal (ISPA), Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belém, Brazil
A. Maciel de Castro Cardoso Jaques
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Patologia Animal, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal (ISPA), Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belem, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: D.F. Conga; Email: daket17@gmail.com
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Abstract

The alternation between wet and dry seasons in tropical regions can dramatically affect parasite infection dynamics by influencing larval survival, intermediate-host density, definitive-host foraging behaviour, and host immune function. Freshwater chelonians are excellent models for studying parasite-host ecology. Their longevity, site fidelity, and dietary breadth make them valuable sentinel species for aquatic ecosystem health. Here, we identified the gastrointestinal helminth fauna of scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) from Marajó Island and evaluated seasonal effects on parasite community dynamics. We observed a 71% reduction in parasite load during the dry season and substantial compositional shifts, in addition to species-specific responses: Spiroxys figueiredoi exclusively during floods and Nematophila grandis peaking during dry periods. Parasite species with flexible transmission pathways may thrive while specialists decline. Kinosternon scorpioides and its parasites function as sentinels, and monitoring helminth community composition could more accurately track ecosystem health than measuring host abundance alone.

Keywords

scorpion mud turtleparasiteNematodaBrazilian Amazon

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Type
Research Paper
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 100 , 2026 , e15
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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