The Occurrence of Protozoan Parasites (Schellackia sp. Reichenow, 1919, Tritrichomonas sp. Kofoid, 1920, and Proteromonas sp. Kunstler, 1883) in Lacertid Lizards from Selected Localities in Europe

Abstract

Reptiles often serve as hosts for various endo- and ectoparasites including protozoan blood and intestinal parasites. In this study, we report the occurrence of protozoans belonging to three families: Trichomonadidae, Proteromonadidae, and Lankesterellidae, in lizard blood samples. A total of 738 individuals of 4 lizard species (Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Podarcis muralis, and Zootoca vivipara) captured from 4 European countries (Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia) were examined. One blood smear obtained in 2008 from L. agilis (Odolanow, Poland) was found to be infected with trophozoites representing three genera: Karyolysus lacazei, Tritrichomonas sp., and Proteromonas sp. Moreover, Proteromonas sp. were detected by molecular methods in another individual of Lacerta agilis exigua (Romania, Vadu), which revealed 100% similarity with the isolate of Proteromonas lacertae isolated from the American Type Culture Collection (GenBank accession number U37108). Sporozoites of Schellackia sp. were detected in blood smears from 2 individuals of L. viridis from Slovakia. Molecular detection revealed the occurrence of Schellackia sp. in 2 individuals, L. viridis (Slovakia) and Lacerta agilis erythronota (Romania) and showed 99% and 90% similarity, respectively, with isolates of Schellackia-like parasites obtained from Lacerta schreiberi (GenBank acc. no. JX984675, JX984674) and Podarcis hispanica (GenBank acc. no. X984676, JQ762306, KJ18938) from Portugal and Spain. This study represents documentation of multiple infections (trophozoites of Karyolysus sp., Tritrichomonas sp., and Proteromonas sp.) detected in a sand lizard from Poland, and the first report of Schellackia in populations of a green lizards (Slovakia) and sand lizards (Romania), as well as the first evidence of Proteromonas sp. from the Romania population of sand lizards.