Helminth Parasites of an Introduced Invasive Carnivore Species, the Raccoon (Procyon lotor L.), From the Warta Mouth National Park (Poland)

We evaluated helminth parasites of the introduced North American raccoon (Procyon lotor L.) in Poland. From June 2006 to May 2007, 91 raccoon fecal samples were collected in the Warta Mouth National Park situated in western Poland near the Polish-German border. Coprological analyses involved flotation and sedimentation. In total, 7 helminth taxa were identified in the feces: Ancylostoma spp., Baylisascaris procyonis, Capillariidae, Placoconus lotoris, Spirocerca lupi, Strongyloides procyonis, and Echinostoma sp. The parasite assemblage in the raccoon exhibited a low diversity. The results were compared with data from other European and North American studies and suggest a lower prevalence of parasites in newly invaded areas, compared with earlier invaded areas or the native range.