Survey of Hemoparasites in Scaled Quail from Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Brewster County, Texas

Abstract

There is limited information on blood parasites in scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) from Texas.  In August 2002, 48 scaled quail, representing 10 fledged hatch-year juveniles, 12 subadults, and 26 adults, were collected at Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Brewster County, Texas.  Two thin blood smears were made from each bird using heart blood.  Smears were stained in DiffQuik® and examined for 15 minutes each (30 minutes per bird) with a light microscope at 1,000x magnification.  No blood protozoans were observed, but 12 (25%) scaled quail were infected with microfilariae.  Microfilarid prevalence was 20%, 17%, and 31% in hatch-year, subadult, and adults, respectively.  Microfilarid prevalence between scaled quail <1 year old (hatch-year and subadult; n = 22) and adults (n = 26) were similar (P = 0.32).   Based on these findings, hematozoan infections were absent or at least not actively occurring in this population of scaled quail during the period in which host collections were made, whereas infections by microfilarids were evident.