# Nematode?



## Fenrir (Jul 30, 2007)

Found alot of these guys crawlin around my Leucomelas viv. What are they? Are they Nematodes? I plan to run fecals on my frogs ASAP w/ the site of these. The Leucs have been in the viv for 2 weeks now so they r still new and i wasnt sure if these came before the leucs were put in.


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Unless it is a free living adult lungworm, then it probably isn't a parasitic nematode however, you should have gotten the fecals run before you put the frogs in the terrarium because if it is a free living adult lungworm you will have to toss everything from the terrarium that cannot be throughly disinfected and start over. 

Ed


----------



## Fenrir (Jul 30, 2007)

I just got a Fecal done at a local vet which said they saw some sort of mites? They have a vet there who was not there today who tends for the local zoo's dart frogs so im going to set up an appointment w/ him to double check but they said they saw no sort of parasites. I now have a predicament how do i get my frogs to the vet w/o stressing them? They have to be examined in order for meds of any kind to be prescribed due to FL law. Btw the worms or w/e they are are less then 1 inch in length and i read that lungworms are 3 inches? I just hope they arent harmful but will update asap once they are seen by vet tuesday i hope.


----------



## MartyA (Apr 18, 2006)

Looks like a nemertean, Alan wrote a good article on them here.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.cann/ ... teans.html


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Mites in the fecal are unlikely to be parasitic..... 

The lungworms to worry about are of the genus Rhabdias in which if I remember correcty the anuran parasites don't get much bigger than about 5 mm.. 

Ed


----------



## Fenrir (Jul 30, 2007)

Thank you Marty and thank you Ed.

The "mites" they saw I think are maybe springtail larvae or other microfauna? Not sure what they look like but I havent noticed any mites elsewhere, could it be due to the fact the fecals where collected after sitting in the viv awhile?

The "worms" are over 5mm for sure in fact I just saw one that could be an inch long. I think they may be nemerteans after seeing the article w/ the pictures and I have noticed a definite drop in my springtail population. I used to have hundreds but now I dont see almost any. I have definitely learned a lesson I wont forget from this , have fecals taken before frogs are put in the viv even if they are healthy.


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Detrivore mites are very common and this is probably what they saw in the fecal as they would quickly begin to scavenge it. 

Ed


----------



## BBDfrog (Aug 26, 2007)

It looks like a blackworm. I feed them to my killifish.


----------

