ИСТИНА

There are rather few studies on the parasite fauna of endemic arctic fox (V.l. beringensis) on Bering Island. Due to possible influence of parasite load on Bering arctic fox mortality and subsequent population dynamics, analysis of the species composition and the prevalence of parasites in the population is needed. Arctic fox feces were collected on the northern part of Bering Island in the summer of 2015 (3 samples) and the spring of 2017 (85 samples). The prevalence of helminth eggs was 71.6%, and 9 helminth species were found. Dominant species – cestodes Diphillobothrium sp. (prevalence 23.9%), Taenia sp. (Echinococcus multilocularis?) (19.3%) and nematode Toxascaris leonina (22.7%); subdominant spp. – nematodes Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, Spirocerca arctica (17%, 14.8% and 9.1% respectively); rare spp.– nematodes Toxocara canis (2.3%) and Physaloptera sibirica (1.1%). Anisakis sp. larvae were found at the incomplete helminthological autopsy of a single fox. More than one species were recorded in 27.3% of all the samples (more often - 2 species, less often - 3 species). A. caninum, S. arctica, T. canis and P. sibirica were found in V.l. beringensis for the first time. The possible belonging of the taeniid type eggs to the E. multilocularis is based on the fact of the previously described high prevalence of this species in Bering arctic fox, with accidentally introduced northern red-backed vole Myodes rutilus as intermediate host. Species predominated in the Bering arctic fox are specific for the Yakut arctic fox helminth faunal complex. This can be related to certain biotopic features.