1. Duodenum 180 1 2 0 3
Number Jejunum 158 1 0 0 1
4 Ileum 134 0 0 2 2
Total 472 2 2 2 6
Parasites in Frogs & Rabbits
Samantha Templeton & Emelia Gwin | Dr. Peter Adam | Northwest Missouri State University
Parasites are organisms that live in or on their
hosts. They tend to live off of their host by extracting
its nutrients at the host’s expense. This can be fatal,
be harmful, or might not. Many species have parasites
and because of this, it is important to study and
understand parasites. Studying parasites can help us
understand their life cycle. This information will show
how a host contracts a parasite and will lead to the
knowledge of how to prevent becoming a host. In this
experiment, parasites were extracted from the entrails
of ten frogs and four rabbits. Then they were
dehydrated, mounted, and then stained on a
microscope slide. After the specimen were observed
under a microscope, they were identified.
The main objective of this experiment was to extract and identify
parasites from the frog and rabbit specimen. We then use proper slide
preparation techniques in order to identify the types of parasites.
Materials and Methods
Staining Procedure
Observations
Data
There were nematodes found in seven of the ten frogs and only two
frogs had tapeworms. Nine of the ten frogs had flukes present in their
digestive tracts.
Conclusion
The prevalence of nematodes found in the rabbits
was 100% while the prevalence of both
tapeworms and flukes was only 25%. For the
frogs, nematodes had a prevalence of 70%.
Tapeworms were the lease prevalent (20%) and
flukes were the most prevalent (90%). The mean
intensity of nematodes in rabbits was 5 and only .5
for both the tapeworms and flukes. The duodenum
and jejunum of the rabbits were the most dense
with parasites (.008 parasites/mm) and the ileum
was the least dense (.003 parasites/mm).
Works Cited
• Hagquist C. 1974. Preparation and Care of Microscope Slides. The
American Biology Teacher, 36: 414-439.
Abstract
Objective
Step 1
• Dehydration with
Ethanol
• Dehydration with
Xylene
Step 2
• Dye specimen
on slide
• Alizarin red S
Step 3
• Mount specimen
on slide
• Canada Balsam
• The parasites were extracted from the stomach and intestines of
the rabbits and frogs. They were stored in vials with 70% ethanol.
• The bottles were then drained of the 70% ethanol and then
replaced with 90% ethanol. This was done twice. Then the ethanol
was replaced with 99% three times. After 99% it is replaced with
100% ethanol. This was done twice. In order to remove the ethanol,
xylene was then added (Hagquist 1974).
• The specimens were then stained with Alizarin red S. This was
done so that the specimen can be visible under the microscope.
• The specimens were then mounted to the slides using Canada
Balsam.
• After the slides were made they were observed under a microscope
so that the specimen could be identified.
Left: Parasites were collected by
tearing apart the alimentary tract
and surveying for parasites
under a dissecting microscope.
Above: Sam and Emelia dissect American
bullfrog intestines.
Right: Sam and Emelia all geared up to
dissect the New Zealand white rabbit
intestines.
Rabbit
number
Gut
region
Length
(mm)
Number of
nematodes
Number of
tapeworms
Number
of flukes
Total
Parasites
Duodenum 690 0 0 0 0
Number Jejunum 780 8 0 0 8
1 Ileum 300 0 0 0 0
Total 1770 8 0 0 8
Duodenum 200 3 0 0 3
Number Jejunum 220 2 0 0 2
2 Ileum 220 1 0 0 1
Total 640 6 0 0 6
Duodenum 150 4 0 0 4
Number Jejunum 150 0 0 0 0
3 Ileum 150 0 0 0 0
Total 450 4 0 0 4
Left: A cross section of a nematode at 100X magnification.
Middle: A whole nematode at 40X magnification.
Right: A fluke at 100X magnification.
Frog
number
Gut
region
Length
(mm)
Number of
nematodes
Number of
tapeworms
Number
of flukes
Total
Parasites
Stomach 646 70 2 1015 1087
Numbers Sm. intest. 2862 7 1 236 244
1-10 Lg. intest. 323 11 0 14 25
Total 3831 88 3 1265 1356