Diseases of amphibians and reptiles

new genera are proposed to accomodate new and previously described species of eimerian coccidia from reptiles which undergo endogenous development either in the bile epithelium — Choloœimoria n. ge...

Description and taxonomic discussion of eimerian coccidia from African and Levantine geckoes

Four neonate bearded dragons, Pogona vitticeps, from two collections became ill and died. Multiple tissues were collected and processed for light microscopy. In hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of liver of one lizard, numerous basophilic intranuclear inclusions were observed. In three lizards, intranuclear inclusions were primarily seen within enterocytes in the small intestine. A portion of paraffin-embedded liver of one lizard and small intestine of a second lizard were removed, deparaffinized, and examined by electron microscopy. For the most part, inclusions in the liver consisted of nonenveloped viral particles 60-66 nm in diameter. Smaller nonenveloped virions 15-1 7 nm in diameter were occasionally seen in association with these particles. In the intestine, inclusions consisted only of 60-70 nm particles. Based on morphology and location, the larger particles were consistent with an adenovirus. Based on size and presence within nuclei of host cells coinfected with the adenovirus-like virus, the smaller viral agent was consistent with members of the genus Dependovirus.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/030098589603300313

Coinfection of a bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, with adenovirus- and dependovirus-like viruses

During a survey of the coccidian parasites of reptiles from Iowa, three specimens of Crotalus horridus L., the Timber Rattlesnake, and one of Sistrurus catenatus (Rafinesque), the Massasauga Rattlesnake, were found to be passing oocysts of a Caryospora, here described as C. bigenetica n. sp. Since these snakes (family Crotalidae) are known to subsist mainly on small mammals, oocysts from one of the Timber Rattlesnakes were fed to laboratory white mice (Mus musculus L.) to determine if mammals might be involved as alternate hosts in the life cycle. At necropsy, tissues of the tongue and dermis of the mice revealed a sequence of stages which included mature male and female gamonts, fully sporulated sporocysts, “excysted” sporozoites, and “resting” sporozoites that lay individually in solitary, cyst-like host cells termed “caryocysts.” A coccidia-free Massasauga that was fed an infected mouse, at a time when caryocysts in the mouse would have been present, later passed oocysts similar to those of the original inoculum. These results, along with the discovery of endogenous stages (asexual and sexual) in the intestine of the Timber Rattlesnake and the experimentally infected Massasauga, suggest that this parasite has a heteroxenous life cycle pattern, with sexual stages occurring both in the ophidian and the mammalian hosts.

Development of Caryospora bigenetica n. sp. (Apicomplexa, Eimeriidae) in Rattlesnakes and Laboratory Mice1

Five new species of Eimeria are described, viz. E. ablephari from Ablepharus boutonii (Scincidae), E. egerniae from Egernia whitii (Scincidae), E. gehyrae from Gehyra variegata (Gekkonidae), E. lampropholidus from Lampropholis guichenoti and E. leiolopismatis from Leiolopisma challengeri. The characters of these species and the other coccidia from lizards are tabulated and a host check-list is given. Gall bladder parasitism is discussed as is the significance of complete sporogony occurring within the host's body. Some ideas concerning the possible events occurring in the evolution of the Haemosporina are presented.I wish to thank Miss J. Arnold of the Zoology Department, University of Western Australia, for her identification of many of the lizards and Miss S. Curtis for her drawings. Finally I wish to thank Dr H. M. D. Hoyte, Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, for his interest and helpful criticism of the manuscript.

New coccidia from Australian lizards. II. Eimeria.

Three new species of Isospora from Australian lizards are described, viz. Isospora amphiboluri from Amphibolurus barbatus (Agamidae), I. egerniae from Egernia whitii (Scincidae), and I. ablephari from Ablepharus boutonii (Scincidae) and Heteronota bineoi (Gekkonidae). A further Isospora sp. is mentioned from Phyllurus cornutus (Gekkonidae). A table of comparative data of lacertilian Isospora is given, and also a host check-list.I would like to thank Miss J. Arnold of the Department of Zoology, University of Western Australia, for her identification of many of the lizards, and Miss S. Curtis for her drawings. Finally I wish to thank Dr H. M. D. Hoyte, Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, for his interest, and helpful criticism of the manuscript.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S003118200007205X

New coccidia from Australian lizards. I. Isospora.

A new coccidium Caryospora demansiae sp.nov. is described from the Australian snake Demansia psammophis (Elapidae). This is the first report of this genus from Australia. A host check-list of the genus Caryospora is given and the characters of the known species are tabulated. I would like to thank Mr O. Kelly and Mr J. Winter of the Zoology Department, University of Queensland, for help with supplying the snakes and to Dr H. M. D. Hoyte of the Parasitology Department, University of Queensland, for his careful reading of the manuscript.

L. R. G. Cannon

Papers

New coccidia from Australian lizards. II. Eimeria.

New coccidia from Australian lizards. I. Isospora.

Caryospora demansiae sp.nov. (Sporozoa: Eimeriidae) from the Australian snake Demansia psammophis (Elapidae).

A new species of Caryospora Léger, 1904 (Sporozoa: Eimeriidae) from an Australian snake.