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 × 14.9 (23-26.5 × 14-17.8) µm with a bilayered, colourless oocyst wall and lack polar granules. The ellipsoidal sporocysts average 8.6 × 4.6 (7-10.6 × 4.4-7) µm and possess a prominent, globular, sporocyst residuum. Oocysts of Caryospora regentensis sp. n. from the green mamba Dendroaspis viridis Hallowell of Kenya are spherical to subspherical, 16.8 × 16.4 (16-17.6 × 15-17.2) µm with a bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The ellipsoidal sporocysts average 13.0 × 10.3 (10.2-14 × 9.2-11) µm 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. sami is preoccupied. In addition to these findings, Eimeria bohemi Modrý, Šlapeta et Koudela, 2000 and oocysts of an unidentified spherical Eimeria sp. are reported from Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis Leach from Cameroon.
Faecal samples from 23 adult and 20 young captive Yemen chameleons, Chamaeleo calyptratus Duméril et Duméril, 1851, were examined for coccidian parasites. Two of the adult (8.7 %) and 16 (80.0 %) of the young chameleons were found to be passing oocysts of the Isospora species. Sporulated oocysts of Isospora jaracimrmani sp. n. are ellipsoidal or pyriform, 38.4 x 25.6 (35.2-42.8 x 23.8-27.0) pm, with smooth bilayered and colourless oocyst wall. A micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal to ovoid, 15.9 x 11.2 (14.8-17.0 x 10.4-12.0) pm, with dome-like Stieda and homogenous spherical substieda bodies. The posterior end of the sporocyst is draw out. Sporocyst residuum is present, consisting either of a compact mass or of scattered granules. Sporozoites, with faint transverse striations anteriorly, are vermiform, 13.1 x 3.4 (12.4-16.5 x 2.8-4.0) pm. Most oocysts are to sporulate when excreted; sporulation was completed within 12 to 24 h at 25 ± 2"C. Endogenous stages develop inside the nuclei of enterocytes in the small intestine. Prepatent period in experimentally infected young chameleon was 7 days. Comparison with other species of the genus Isospora found in chameleons indicates that it is a new species.
Seven of 12 lacertid lizards Acanthodactylus boskianus (Daiidin, 1802), passed oocysts of an Isospora species. Comparison with other species of the genus Isospora Schneider, 1881 indicated that found coccidium represented a new species, for which the name /. abdallahi is proposed. Sporulated oocysts of /. abdallahi are spherical or subspherical, 25.8 (24.5-29.0) x 23.9 (23.0-25.5) pm, shape index (length/width) being 1.07 (1.00-1.16), with a smooth, bilayered oocyst wall that is slightly yellowish, about 2 pm thick. Micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 15.4 (14.0-16.0 x 9.4 (9.0-10.0) pm, with smooth and colorless sporocyst wall, shape index 1.6 (1.5-1.8). Stieda body is dome-like, substieda body spherical to subspherical. Sporocyst residuum is composed of numerous granules of different size, scattered among sporozoites. Most oocysts are passed unsporulated; sporulation was completed within 12 h at 25'C. Endogenous development occurs inside nuclei of enterocytes in the small intestine.
A new Cryptosporidium species, C. saurophilum, is described from Schneider’s skinks Eumeces schneidert Daudin, 1802. Oocysts were fully sporulated in fresh faeces and measured 5.0 x 4.7 pm (4.4-5.6 x 4.2-5.2 pm). The new species differs from C. serpentis Levine, 1980 by having smaller oocysts, developing in a different location of intestine, and by the inability to infect snakes.
Varanovec bornejský (Lanthanotus borneensis) patří k nejvzácnějším a nejméně známým plazům. V článku je popsána historie jeho objevů a její průběh ve 20. století, dále jeho anatomie, osteologie, morfologie a fylogeneze. Jsou podány i vzácné informace o jeho ekologii. Je v něm popsán i první nález tohoto druhu ve Východním Kalimantanu (Borneo, Indonésie) a první poznatky z chovu a chování varanovce v podmínkách terária v japonské zoo. Kameraman Stano Slušný a etnolog Miroslav Nožina viděli v roce 2001 uloveného živého varanovce ve vsi Respen na břehu řeky Sesayap v okrese Malinau na severu indonéské provincie Východní Kalimantan. Z literatury vyplývá, že šlo o první pozorování varanovce bornejského nejen v této provincii, ale v té době dokonce o první nález tohoto druhu na území Indonésie., The Earless Monitor Lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis) is one of the rarest and least known of all reptiles. This article describes the history of discoveries throughout the 20th century, as well as its anatomy, osteology, morphology and phylogenesis. Valuable information on its ecology is also provided. The first discovery of this species in Eastern Kalimantan (Borneo, Indonesia) – Respen by Sesayap river in 2001 – by Czech travellers and the first findings from breeding and rearing of these lizards in terrarium conditions at a zoo in Japan are also reported., and Ivan Vergner.
Six new species of coccidia are described from endangered Phelsuma spp. geckoes (Sauria: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mauritius, Indian Ocean. Five new species (3 Eimeria and 2 Isospora species) are described from Phelsuma rosagularis Vinson et Vinson; all lack a micropyle and an oocyst residuum, and all have a sporocyst residuum. Oocysts of Eimeria swinnertonae sp. n. are ellipsoidal, 22.2 × 17.8 (20.8-24.8 × 16.8-18.4) μm; SI 1.25; polar granule absent. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 8.8 × 7.0 (8.0-9.6 × 6.4-8.0) μm; SI 1.3; Stieda body absent. Oocysts of Eimeria stebbinsi sp. n. are ellipsoidal, 17.4 × 11.7 (16.0-19.2 × 11.2-12.8) μm; SI 1.5; polar granules present. Sporocysts are elongate-ellipsoidal, 7.7 × 4.0 (7.2-8.0 × 3.2-5.6) μm; SI 1.9; Stieda body present. Oocysts of Eimeria raleighi sp. n. are spheroidal to sub-spheroidal, 17.0 × 15.5 (16.0-19.2 × 14.4-16.8) μm; SI 1.1; polar granule present. Sporocysts are sub-spheroidal, 7.8 × 6.6 (7.2-8.0 × 6.4-7.2) μm; SI 1.2; Stieda body absent. Oocysts of Isospora cottinghamae sp. n. are ellipsoidal, 19.8 × 15.5 (17.6-21.6 × 14.4-17.6) μm; SI 1.3; polar granules present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 10.8 × 6.9 (9.6-12.8 × 6.4-8.0) μm; SI 1.6; Stieda body present. Oocysts of Isospora pearlae sp. n. are ellipsoidal, 16.0 × 11.5 (15.2-17.6 × 9.6-12.8) μm; SI 1.4; polar granule present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 8.8 × 5.4 (8.0-9.6 × 4.8-6.4) μm; SI 1.6; Stieda and substieda bodies present. One new Eimeria species is described from the blue-tailed day gecko, Phelsuma cepediana Merrem. Oocysts of Eimeria hartleyi sp. n. are sub-spheroidal to ellipsoidal, 18.2 × 14.5 (16.0-20.8 × 13.6-16.0) μm; SI 1.26; polar granules present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal to cylindroidal, 7.5 × 5.3 (6.4-8.0 × 4.8-6.4) μm; SI 1.4; Stieda body present. We report the presence of tetrazoic spheroidal to sub-spheroidal oocysts or sporocysts 10.2 × 8.5 (9.9-10.4 × 8.3-8.8) μm; SI 1.2 from an individual of P. cepediana. These oocysts or sporocysts are significantly larger than the Cryptosporidium species so far described from reptiles, and likely represent excretion of spuriously ingested sporocysts of a Sarcocystis or Adelina coccidian.