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.
SYNOPSIS.A survey of 117 Iowa snakes, representing 18 species within 12 genera, revealed the presence of 6 species of Eimeria, 5 of which are described as new and 1 of which ( E . zamenis) is redescribed. Those species found, the average length-width dimensions of their oocysts (in micrometers), and the respective hosts from which they were isolated were as follows: E. attenuata sp. n., 22.2 x 12.6, from 1 of 25 red-sided garter snakes [Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Say)] and 1 of 14 northern water snakes [Natrix sipedon sipedon (Linnaeus)]; E. iowaensis sp. n., 17.8 x 14.5, from 1 of 25 redsided garter snakes; E. hydrophis sp. n., 15.4 X 10.9, from 5 of 14 northern water snakes and 1 of 1 diamond-backed water snake [ N . rhombifera rhombifera (Hallowel1)l; E. helmisophis sp. n., 13.8 X 10.6, from 1 of 5 western worm snakes [Carphophis amoenus vermis (Kennicott)]; E. collanuli sp. n., 33.1 X 18.3, from l of 14 prairie ring-neck snakes (Diadophis punctatus arnyi Kennicott), and E. ramenis, 31.0 x 17.0, from 1 of 6 eastern yellow-bellied racers (Coluber constrictor Paviuentris Say) and l of l eastern milk snake [Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum (LacCphde) l. The overall infection rate for the 117 snakes examined was 9.2%; these data are tabulated. In addition, the possible synonymy of E . lampropeltis with E. ramenis is considered, and the probable status of E. attenuata, E. hydrophis, E . ramenis, and E. annea, as parasites of multiple host species, is reviewed with regard to the phylogenetic relationships of the respective hosts from which they have been reported.Index Key Words: Eimeria annea, taxonomic status of; Eimeria attenuata sp. n.; Eimeria collanuli sp. n.; Eimeria helmisophis sp. n.; Eimeria hydrophis sp. n.; Eimeria iowaensis sp. n.; Eimeria lampropeltis, possible synonymy with E.
SYNOPSIS. A survey of 22 Western Painted Turtles (WPT), Chrysemys picta belli Gray; 2 Map Turtles (MT), Graptemys geographica Le Sueur; 8 False Map Turtles (FMT), Graptemys pseudogeographica Gray; 26 Illinois Mud Turtles (IMT), Kinosternon flavescens spooneri Smith; and 5 Spiny Softshell Turtles (SST), Trionyx spiniferus Le Sueur, revealed the presence of 10 species of coccidia. The species found, the shape and average length‐width dimensions (in micrometers) of their oocysts, and the respective hosts from which they were isolated were as follows: Eimeria chrysemydis Deeds & Jahn, slightly pear‐shaped (27.6 × 17.0), from 5 WPTs; Eimeria delagei marginata Deeds & Jahn, markedly pearshaped (22.1 × 17.6), from 2 WPTs, 1 MT, and 3 FMTs; Eimeria graptemydos sp. n., broadly ellipsoid to subspherical (12.6 × 11.4), from 10 WPTs, 2 MTs, and 5 FMTs; Eimeria lutotestudinis sp. n., broadly ellipsoid to subspherical (11.9 × 10.8), from 4 IMTs; Eimeria mascoutini sp. n., broadly ellipsoid to subspherical with outer surface of oocyst wall mammillated (14.0 × 11.9), from 2 SSTs; Eimeria mitraria (Laveran & Mesnil), asymmetrically ellipsoid, bearing 1 or 2 conical projections at the polar end and 2 or 3 at the antipolar end (10.0 × 7.6), from 7 WPTs, 1 MT, 3 FMTs, and 4 IMTs; Eimeria pseudogeographica sp. n., narrowly ellipsoid to slightly ovoid (19.5 × 13.5), from 5 WPTs and 3 FMTs; Eimeria tetradacrutata sp. n., spherical to subspherical with outer surface of oocyst wall mammillated (19.5 × 19.2), from 1 WPT; an Eimeria sp. narrowly ellipsoid, bearing 2 conical projections at the polar end and 2 at the antipolar end (23.8 × 13.2), from 1 MT; and Mantonella hammondi sp. n., conical to narrowly ellipsoid, bearing 1 conical projection at the polar end and 2 or 3 at the antipolar end (14.3 × 7.1), from 1 IMT. The overall infection rate for the 63 turtles examined was 54.0%.
SYNOPSIS. Pfeifferinella gugleri sp. n. was found in the liver of each of 2 land snails, Triodopsis albolabris (Say), in Iowa. The stages found, their average length × width dimensions (in μm), and their principal features were as follows: oocysts (21 × 14.5) ovoid, with micropyle and oocyst residuum; meronts (20 × 15) with 24–32 merozoites: microgametocytes (15 × 11.5) with many small microgametes; macrogametes (20 × 10.5) with 1–5 nucleoli and 1–2 wall‐forming bodies, but without a “vaginal [fertilization] tube.” This tube, originally described by Léger & Hollande, 1912, from Pfeifferinella impudica, has since been considered a principal taxonomic feature of the family Pfeifferinellidae. In the absence of this structure, the taxonomic status of this monogeneric family is reexamined with the recommendation that the family be retained as distinct, but redefined to exclude the “vaginal tube” as a valid characteristic. The discovery of P. gugleri brings to 3 the number of pfeifferinellids reported, the other 2 being P. impudica Léger & Hollande, 1912, and P. ellipsoides Wasielewski, 1904, all from gastropods.
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