Toxascaris		Contents		Rev 10/25/2025
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Toxascaris menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Ascarididae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Class:    Chromadorea

Subclass: Chromadoria

Order:   Rhabditida 

           Suborder: Spirurina

Superfamily: Ascaridoidea

Family:  Ascarididae

                          Toxascaris

Type species of the genus:

Synonyms:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

Nematodes with general characteristics of Ascarididae.

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Distribution:

Worldwide but generally in cooler climates.

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Economic Importance:

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Hosts:

Dogs, cats, foxes

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Toxascaris

Parasites of the intestinal mucosa

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Life Cycle

• Toxascaris leonina differs from species of Toxocara in that the larvae do not migrate through the lungs; rather, the entire developmental cycle occurs in the intestine.

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Damage:

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Management:

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References:

Cruthers, L.R., Reinemeyer, C.R., Yazwinski, T.A., Marchiondo, A.A. 2020. Nematoda, Ascaridida. Chapter 2 in Marchiondo, Cruthers and Fourie (eds) Parasiticide Screening Vol 2. Academic Press

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