Oesophageal and stomach nematode communities in three sympatric macropodid species in coastal and montane environments in southeastern New South Wales

The parasitic nematode communities are described from the oesophagi and stomachs of eastern grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus (Shaw), red-necked wallabies, Notamacropus rufogriseus (Desmarest) and swamp wallabies, Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) from coastal and montane habitats in southeastern New South Wales. The number of nematode species recorded for each macropodid species was similar to that recorded in previous studies in Victoria. Overall diversity of nematode communities was greatest in N. rufogriseus and greater in montane than in coastal localities in both N. rufogriseus and M. giganteus. Community similarity between coastal and montane localities was highest in N. rufogriseus compared to M. giganteus and W. bicolor. Few nematode species were shared between host species. There were more significant differences in species prevalences than intensities of infection in M. giganteus between coastal and montane localities, less so for N. rufogriseus but these were not calculated for W. bicolor due to small montane sample size. Community differences between macropodid species were attributable primarily to host-specific parasite species. This is the first comparison of helminth communities in macropodids in a replicated study in different habitats at similar latitudes.