Helminths infecting the lizard Enyalius bilineatus (Iguanidae; Leiosaurinae) from an Atlantic Rainforest area in Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

We studied the helminth assemblage of a population of the iguanian lizard Enyalius bilineatus from an Atlantic forest area in Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil. Eighteen of the 27 individuals examined (66.7%) harbored helminths. A total of six helminth species were found, including acanthocephalan cystacanths (Centrorhynchidae), and five species of nematodes: Physaloptera lutzi, P. retusa, Oswaldocruzia benslimanei, Rhabdias sp. and larvae of an indeterminate species of Acuariidae. In the context of helminth assemblages from Neotropical iguanian lizards, that of E. bilineatus was similar in some parameters (such as species richness and number of core species) to those of other forest-dwelling species, but generally poorer when compared to open-habitat hosts.

Lung infection rates in two sympatric Tropiduridae lizard species by pentastomids and nematodes in northeastern Brazil

“…Rhabdias has been reported in the Neotropical region in host species of the genera Anolis (Polychrotidae) (Bundy et al, 1987;Dobson et al, 1992;2004), Enyalius (Leisosauridae) (Vrcibradic et al, 2007) and in Tropidurus (Tropiduridade) in the present study. Rhabdias is a parasite less frequently found in the lungs of lizards (Bursey et al, 2003).…”

“…Rhabdias is a parasite less frequently found in the lungs of lizards (Bursey et al, 2003). However, it is important to stress that due to the low numbers of studies on endoparasites of lizards in South America (Vrcibradic, 2007), many groups of lizard from so many distinct environments still need to be more fully investigated. The current knowledge of infections by Rhabdias in lizards in Brazil is based on two studies that reported the presence of parasites in the lizards Norops fuscoauratus (Goldberg et al, 2006) and in Enyalius bilineatus (Vrcibradic et al, 2007).…”

“…However, it is important to stress that due to the low numbers of studies on endoparasites of lizards in South America (Vrcibradic, 2007), many groups of lizard from so many distinct environments still need to be more fully investigated. The current knowledge of infections by Rhabdias in lizards in Brazil is based on two studies that reported the presence of parasites in the lizards Norops fuscoauratus (Goldberg et al, 2006) and in Enyalius bilineatus (Vrcibradic et al, 2007). The former species presented prevalence values of 1.8% and mean intensity of infection of 2.0 ± 0.0 (Goldberg et al, 2006), values somewhat similar to those found to T. hispidus (2.5%; range of infection was 1-2), in the present study.…”

“…However, the recent reports of parasite occurrence, the new species descriptions, and the information concerning new host records have added knowledge on pentastomid-lizard interactions (Vrcibradic et al, 2002a;Dias et al, 2005;Anjos et al, 2007;2008;Almeida et al, 2008a;2008b;2009). On the other hand, reports concerning lung infections by Rhabdias have been relatively less frequent -and only an infection in the lizard Enyalius bilineatus (Duméril and Bibron, 1837) (Leiosaurinae) from an area of Atlantic Rainforest in Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil (Vrcibradic et al, 2007) and an infection of Norops fuscoauratus (d'Orbingy, 1837) (Polychrotidae) in northern Brazil (Goldberg et al, 2006) have been previously reported.…”

Helminths of the Lizard Salvator merianae (Squamata, Teiidae) in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil

“…Salvator merianae has been well reported as a host for the nematodes of the family Physalopteridae in Brazil, as follow: P. bainae (Pereira et al, 2014); P. lutzi (Brito et al, 2014b); P. retusa , and P. tupinambae (Pereira et al, 2012). In addition, P. lutzi also infects the stomach of the following lizards: Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758) (Ribas et al, 1998); C. abaetensis Dias, Rocha andVrcibradic, 2002 (Dias et al, 2005); (Ribas et al, 1995); Enyalius bilineatus Duméril and Bibron, 1837 (Vrcibradic et al, 2007); Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Rodrigues, 1981) (Fontes et al, 2003); Tropidurus itambere (Rodrigues, 1987) (Van Sluys et al, 1994; T. torquatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1820) (Vrcibradic et al, 2000); T. oreadicus Rodrigues, 1987Rodrigues, (Ávila et al, 2011. According to Anderson (2000), nematodes of the family Physalopteridae use a wide variety of insects as intermediate hosts.…”