Ascaridia numidae (Leiper, 1908; Travassos, 1913) in Rock Partridge (Alectoris chukar) in Turkey

This report present first case of Ascaridia numidae isolated from three dead rock partridges (Alectoris chukar) with stressing morphological characteristics and its responsiveness to the medical treatment. A. numidae was confirmed by presence of one papilla on the posterior region of the preanal sucker and a total of 10 pairs of the caudal papillae. In necropsy, a total of 680 (282 male and 3,988 female) A. numidae and 289 (147 male and 142 female) Heterakis dispar were isolated from all partridges. Females were 11.20 mm longer and 0.22 mm wider than males. There was no difference in length of oesophagus (2.27 mm). Lengths of the spikules were equals and ranged from 2.08 to 2.93 according to the body size. Vulva was located in medial line and the mean egg size was 0.10 x 0.06 mm. Faecal samples from live birds from the same farm contained Ascaridia spp. and Heterakis spp. eggs. No eggs were encountered 1 week after oral administration of a single dose of levamisole (30 mg/kg), but 3 months post-medication. In conclusion, this is the first case reporting A. numidae in exotic birds in Turkey. A. numidae has unique papillae that are distinguishable from the other ascarids and is responsive to medical treatment as long as hygienic conditions are maintained.