COCCIDIAN BLOOD INFECTIONS OF LIZARDS IN EGYPT

Abstract

The infection rates of coccidian blood parasites in the common lizards (Gekkonidae: Ptyodactylus hasselquistii, Tarentola annularis, Hemidactylus turcicus; Scincidae: Chalcides ocellatus, Chalcides sepsoides, Mabuya quinquetaeniata; Varanidae: Varanus niloticus and Lacertidae: Acanthodactylus boskianus) in Qena (Egypt) were investigated; 67 lizards (42%) out of 161 lizards were infected. The infection rate was 49% among males and 37% among females. The highest infection rate was found in the Gekkonidae P. hasselquistii (100%) and T. annularis (74%). However, 17% of H. turcicus, were parasitized. Meanwhile, in the Scincidae C. ocellatus, C. sepsoides and M. quinquetaeniata the percentage of the infection was 23%, 17% and 14%, respectively. Only one V. niloticus (Varanidae) was infected. None of A. boskianus (Lacertidae) were parasitized. Seasonal variations of infection rates seem to occur in T. annularis, in which high rates were found in summer (100%) and winter (77.8%). All P. hasselquistii were infected with Karyolysus sp., and 56% contained a mixed infection with Plasmodium sp., resulting in parasitaemia up to 14%. About 30% of T. annularis infections were due to Lankesterella sp., the others were due to Haemogregarina sp., both together infecting up to 6%. Lankesterella species was found in 0.02% of H. turcicus. The parasitaemia in Scincidae were 75% in C. ocellatus and 0.02% in C. sepsoides. In M. quinquetaeniata, up to 12% of blood cells possessed Hepatozoon sp. and in V. niloticus up to 0.5% was infected with Haemogregarina sp.