Preliminary survey on endoparasitism in Ophiophagus hannah (Reptilia: Serpentes: Elapidae) in Mizoram, India

Abstract

There is no record on the prevalence of parasites of snakes in Mizoram. This study was undertaken in an attempt to identify common gastrointestinal parasites in the king cobra Ophiophagus hannah. In this preliminary survey, necropsy was performed on four individuals collected from different localities within Mizoram during January 2015 to June 2016. Of the 4 snakes examined, 1 was found infected with cestode, nematode and acanthocephalan. The Capillaria sp. and Kalicephalus sp. collected from O. hannah in the present study was morphologically identified but molecular identification could not be done due to insufficient specimen. Acanthocephalan cystacanths were collected from the intestinal lining and were morphologically identified as belonging to the family Giganthorhynchidae. Metacestode of Taenia sp. was collected from the body cavity and was morphologically identified while molecular characterization could not be done as only a single specimen was collected. Accurate identification is very important in understanding the geographical distribution and biodiversity of parasites. However, the identification of parasites to the species level based solely on morphological analysis might be risky.

Polyploidization of Indotyphlops braminus, evidence from Isoform-sequencing

“…In China, this snake is found mainly in provinces in the south of the Yangtze River [7,8]. The successful worldwide invasion of I. braminus may be partially attributed to the potted plant business and the parthenogenetic mode of reproduction [3,[9][10][11][12].…”