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.
Australotaenia de Chambrier et de Chambrier, 2010 has been proposed to accommodate two species of proteocephalidean cestodes from hylid frogs (Litoria spp.) in Australia. Recently, apparently congeneric cestode, for which the name A. bunthangi sp. n. is proposed, was found in the homalopsid snake Enhydris enhydris (Schneider) (Serpentes: Homalopsidae) from South-East Asia (Cambodia). This finding indicates a much wider range of definitive hosts of species of this genus, i.e. amphibians and reptiles, which is exceptional among proteocephalideans. Postcyclic parasitism, i.e. predation of the definitive host infected with sexually mature parasites, cannot be excluded but does not seem to be probable. In addition, the occurrence of A. bunthangi in the former Indochina extends the range of the geographical distribution of the genus to another zoogeographical region. The new species differs from both species of Australotaenia in the relative size of an apical organ, the diameter of which equals to that of suckers (versus much smaller in the remaining species, in which the width of the apical organ represents less than 2/3 of the diameter of the suckers), much smaller scolex and suckers (width 150 μm and diameter of suckers 50-55 μm versus 245-420 μm and 100-140 μm, respectively), and longer body (224 mm versus 57-121 mm). In addition, A. bunthangi differs from A. hylae (Johnston, 1912) (type-species of the genus) by the number of testes (46-64 versus 74-106 in A. hylae) and by the ovary width/proglottis width ratio (55-65% versus 68-71% in A. hylae). Australotaenia bunthangi differs from A. grobeli de Chambrier et de Chambrier, 2010 by relative size of the cirrus-sac (its length represents 18-24% of the width of the proglottis versus 27-33% in A. grobeli) and by the diameter of the embryophore (25-27 µm versus 18-23 µm in A. grobeli).
Parasitological examination of two ornate Nile monitors Varanus ornatus (Daudin, 1803) imported from Benin revealed the presence of a new species of Caryospora. Oocysts of Caryospora varaniornati sp. n. are spherical to slightly subspherical, 12.0 (11-12.5) × 11.5 (11-12) µm, without a micropyle and oocyst residuum, and occasionally possessing one small polar granule. Sporocysts are broadly ellipsoidal, 8.8 (8.5-9.5) × 6.7 (6.5-7) µm; a lentil-like Stieda body is present, ca. 0.5 × 1 µm; substieda body not visible. Experimental infection of a closely related host, Varanus niloticus (L.), did not lead to the oocyst excretion despite the fact that one of the experimentally inoculated monitors was immunosuppressed by dexamethasone. Histological examination did not reveal stages of coccidian development. Therefore, it is possible that C. varaniornati is strictly host specific.
Parasitological examination of faeces of 26 snakes kept in Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Watamu, Kenya revealed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 in Telescopus semiannulatus Smith, 1849. Oocysts of Eimeria arabukosokokensis sp. n. are cylindrical 26.8 (25-29) × 15.1 (14-16) µm with smooth, bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The broadly ellipsoidal sporocysts average 9.3 (8.5-10) × 7.1 (6.5-7.5) µm and possess single-layered wall composed of two plates joined by longitudinal suture. Caryospora cf. regentensis Daszak et Ball, 2001 is reported from Dendroaspis angusticeps (Smith, 1849) and two additional forms of Caryospora Léger, 1904 are reported and morphologically characterised from a single specimen of Psammophis orientalis Broadley, 1977. Systematic status of Caryospora spp. in sub-Saharan Psammophis Boie, 1827 is discusses and all species reported by various authors to date are suggested to be treated as species inquirendae until more detailed data on these parasites and their hosts are available.
Between September and November 1991, 12 Owen Stanley skinks, Papuascincus stanleyanus (Booulenger) were collected from various localities on Papua New Guinea and examined for coccidians. Six (50%) were found to harbour four eimerians that we describe here as new. Oocysts of Eimeria burseyi sp. n. were elongate to ellipsoidal with a bilayered wall and measured (length × width, L × W) 36.0 × 24.0 µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.5. Both micropyle and oocyst residuum were absent, but a polar granule was present. Oocysts of Eimeria goldbergi sp. n. were ellipsoidal, with a bilayered wall, and measured 21.4 × 16.1 µm; L/W ratio was 1.3. Both micropyle and oocyst residuum were absent, but a single or fragmented polar granule was present. Oocysts of Eimeria boulengeri sp. n. were spheroidal to slightly subspheroidal, with a thin, single-layered wall that readily collapses, and measured 16.0 µm, L/W ratio was 1.0. Both micropyle and oocyst residuum were absent, but usually one (sometimes two) polar granule(s) were present. Oocysts of Eimeria niuginiensis sp. n. were oblong to tapered with a bilayered wall, and measured 20.0 × 13.1 µm; L/W ratio was 1.5. A micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule were absent. To our knowledge, these represent the only coccidians ever described from P. stanleyanus.
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.