Rumen ciliate (Protista:Ciliophora) fauna of sheep (Ovis aries, 1758) in Kastamonu

In this study, the rumen ciliate fauna of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) in Kastamonu was surveyed and twenty four species and 8 morphotypes in 10 genera were detected. The average ciliate density in the rumen contents of fifteen domestic sheep is 108,2 ± 150,8 × 104 cells ml-1 and the average number of species per host is 10,7 ± 4,6. Diplodinium quinquespinosum were recorded for the first time from sheep and ruminant animals in Turkey. Infraciliature of Diplodinium quinquespinosum and Metadinium tauricum were detected for the first time with pyridinated silver carbonate impregnation method. Morphological structures of ciliates were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).