Helminth parasite communities in four species of sympatric macropodids in western Victoria.

The article discusses a study which examined Helminth parasites of Macropus fuliginosus, Macropus giganteus, Macropus rufogriseus and Wallabia bicolor in a region of western Victoria. A discussion of the sympatric distribution of the host species is provided, which showed evidence in support of the hypothesis that the differences between parasite communities of Macropus fuliginosus-Macropus giganteus compared with Macropus rufogriseus and Wallabia bicolor are due to parasite specificity rather than to host ecological differences. The study concluded that the extent to which parasite communities differ between macropodid species is determined by host specificity.