Cross Breeds

Can wild animals get parasites from eating other wild animals?

For example if you catch a wild snapping turtle and you feed him a minnow the minnow can give him worms or some other parasites. But in the wild he eats those same minnows and he doesn't die. Do all animals in the wild just get worms and die? I am really angry because how could animals get worms if you feed them yourself but in the wild they eat the same thing and they don't get worms or parasites. Do the animals get parasites from their food on a regular basis in the wild?

Public Comments

1. yes
2. Yes, they can, just like humans.
3. Wild animals definitely get parasites. For every animal, there are numerous parasitic worms and other detrimental organisms.
4. Of course they do. For the record, parasites don't kill. It wouldn't be very smart for it to kill its host as it will limit its chances to reproduce. You've got to be careful eating roll-mop herrings as the herrings contain Anaskis roundworms. They burrow through the wall of your stomach and grow in your viscera. Parasitoids kill their host. An example of this is wasps. some wasps stun spiders and lay their eggs on the spiders' bodies. The eggs hatch and eat the spider. It gives them a good nutritious start to life. (the wasps not the spiders). Sorry- that should read anasakis roundworms
5. Parasites generally don't kill their hosts, because that would kill them too. They infest the host then pass out of the host to another one. In captivity the parasite keeps reinfecting the same host because neither can move away from the other resulting in super parasite infestations. Yes they get parasites but they also get rid of some.
6. animals get parasites yes...even without eating..e.g. wild African buffalow can get round worms and bilharzia parasites from drinking water in the wild that is bound to be infested. In the wild animals may build immunity in some way by being exposed to these parasites regularly but also recall, animals in captivity such as reptiles outlive their wild counterparts pointing to parasites as a major factor.
7. Your answers don't make much sense, this is a good question because I have a pet turtle and when i fed it a goldfish it got worms and died. Now i want to know do all animals carry parasites and how could animals survive with parasites. Every time I feed my turtle fish it will get worms??? Why, why does it get worms and how do they get the worms in the wild. Why do they get worms in the wild if they are eating animals naturally? Please someone give us a good detailed answer!