A description of two new species of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from African reptiles with nomenclatural corrections for two Caryospora and one Eimeria species from snakes. 2001

P Daszak, and S J Ball
Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2403, USA. daszak@aol.com

Two new species of coccidian parasites are described from African reptiles. Oocysts of Eimeria foulshami sp. n. from the plated lizard Gerrhosaurus major bottegoi Del Prato of Sudan are ellipsoidal, 24.1 x 14.9 (23-26.5 x 14-17.8) microm with a bilayered, colourless oocyst wall and lack polar granules. The ellipsoidal sporocysts average 8.6 x 4.6 (7-10.6 x 4.4-7) microm and possess a prominent, globular, sporocyst residuum. Oocysts of Caryospora regentensis sp. n. from the Eastern green mamba Dendroaspis augusticeps Smith, 1849 [corrected] of Kenya are spherical to subspherical, 16.8 x 16.4 (16-17.6 x 15-17.2) microm with a bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The ellipsoidal sporocysts average 13.0 x 10.3 (10.2-14 x 9.2-11) microm and possess a Stieda and substieda body and a prominent globular sporocyst residuum. Oocysts of Caryospora legeri Hoare, 1933 are reported from a hissing sand snake, Psammophis sibilans sibilans L. from Nigeria, representing a new geographical record. The oocysts are slightly larger than the type, but otherwise identical. Caryospora psammophi Bray, 1960 and C. hermae Bray, 1960 from Psammophis sibilans phillipsi, oocysts of which are morphologically similar to and overlap in dimensions with C. legeri Hoare, 1933, are synonymised with the latter species. Eimeria samiae Iskander et Tadros, 1979 is emended to E. samyadeli to reflect the gender of the person the species was named after and because E. sani is preoccupied. In addition to these findings, Eimeria bohemi Modrý, Slapeta et Koudela, 2000 and oocysts of an unidentified spherical Eimieria sp. are reported from Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis Leach from Cameroon.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007630 Kenya A republic in eastern Africa, south of ETHIOPIA, west of SOMALIA with TANZANIA to its south, and coastline on the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Nairobi. Republic of Kenya
D008116 Lizards Reptiles within the order Squamata that generally possess limbs, moveable EYELIDS, and EXTERNAL EAR openings, although there are some species which lack one or more of these structures. Chameleons,Geckos,Chameleon,Gecko,Lizard
D005243 Feces Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
D000349 Africa The continent south of EUROPE, east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN and west of the INDIAN OCEAN.
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000836 Animals, Zoo Animal population groups or individual animals that reside in captivity at a zoological park. Animal, Zoo,Zoo Animal,Zoo Animals
D012911 Snakes Limbless REPTILES of the suborder Serpentes. Serpentes,Ophidia,Snake
D013397 Sudan A country in northeastern Africa. The capital is Khartoum. Republic of the Sudan
D021743 Eimeriidae A large family of parasites in the order EIMERIIDA. They cause COCCIDIOSIS in a number of vertebrates including humans.

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