Members of the genus Trichuris Roederer, 1761 (Syn. Trichocephalos Goeze, 1782; Trichocephalus Schrank, 1788) have a characteristic shape. The oesophageal portion of the body is very slender and is longer than the posterior portion, the latter being usually much stouter than the former. The eggs are lemon-shaped with a knob at each end, while the egg-shell is of a dark brown colour when seen in faeces.