Male Vs. Female Ancylostoma Caninum

Ancylostoma caninum, a parasitic hookworm, lives in the intestines of dogs. The structure and physiology of the male and female of this species differ in various respects.

  1. Difference in Appearance

    • The male and the female hookworm have similar worm-like bodies. But whereas the rear of the female tapers to a point, the male has an enlarged terminal portion adapted to holding the female while mating, according to Bioweb of the University of Wisconsin.

    Difference in Motility

    • In an experiment conducted by Marcel Roche of the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Investigations, males crawled a greater distance than females when implanted in the duodenal area of dogs. Males exhibited greatest motility when females were implanted in the same dog at a distance from the males, probably attracted by secretions emitted by the female, according to Experimental Parasitology.

    Consumption of Blood

    • Both males and females digest blood, but females consume more blood than males, according to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

    Expression of Genes

    • According to an experiment conducted by the Department of Genetics of the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, the female is a more efficient parasite than the male because she makes more frequent use of the genes that synthesize products necessary for parasitism, according to BMC Genomics.