The diversity of fresh water snail fauna in Kiri dam, Adamawa State, North Eastern Nigeria
1 Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Adamawa State Polytechnic Yola,
Adamawa State, Nigeria.
2 Department of Biological Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Research Article
GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2020, 11(02), 099-104.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gscbps.2020.11.2.0118
Publication history:
Received on 29 April 2020; revised on 07 May 2020; accepted on 09 May 2020
Abstract:
Freshwater Snails are crucial in assessing the ecological status of water bodies, besides their economic, public and veterinary health importance. Hence, the need to study the occurrence, and diversity of freshwater snails in Kiri dam where there is paucity of such information becomes imperative. Accordingly, this study was carried out between December, 2016 and July, 2018. Snails were searched for in the five contact sites identified using long handle metal scoop nets in accordance with standard procedure. Snails recovered were examined for natural infections. Eleven (11) different fresh water snail species were encountered including Bulinus globosus, Bulinus truncatus, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Lymnaea natalensis, Lanistes ovum, Lanistes varicus, Pila ovata, Melanoides maculata, Melanoides tuberculata, Bellamya unicolor and Gabiella tchadiensis of the eleven different snail species examined, only Bulinus globosus Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi shed schistosome cercariae. The other 8 species did not have any natural infections. The study revealed that Kiri Dam harbours diverse species of fresh water snails including those of public health importance. The presence of naturally infected snails indicates that the people engaging in various activities in the dam, are predisposed to infections harboured by these snails.
Keywords:
Freshwater snails; Kiri Dam; Adamawa State
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Copyright © 2020 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0
