A preliminary study of diversity, prevalence and mean intensity of haemoparasites in green bellied lizards (Darevskia chlorogaster) from north of Iran

摘要

Reptiles are exposed to inter and intracellular apicomplexan blood parasites mainly haemogregarines and haemosporidians, as well as inter cellular kinetoplastida and microfilarians. In the present study diversity, prevalence and intensity of haemoparasites in 50 specimens of Darevskia chlorogaster from north of Iran were investigated. The specimens were captured, blood collected, thin blood smears prepared, stained with Giemsa, and screened with light microscope. According to the morphological characteristics 4 group of apicomplexan blood parasites were detected which belong to haemogregarines and haemosporidians. The prevalence and intensity of apicomplexan blood parasites were consistent with infection of European lacertid lizards. Moreover, we detected one species of trypanosome in red blood cells. To our knowledge this is the first report of trypanosome in Darevskia genus. Molecular methods are needed to identify of apicomplexan parasites as well as trypanosome species due to complexity in life cycle, flexibility in shapes of parasites and few useful characters to differentiate between species.