Common parasites of pet reptiles

摘要

As with most clinical situations in reptiles, parasite problems are often not a primary issue, but rather a combination of the presence of (often commensal or possibly even beneficial) parasites and compromised host defence mechanisms due to inappropriate husbandry. This paper reviews the major groups of parasites found in captive reptiles, their significance and possible factors underlying clinical disease. Most reptile species play host to some form of enteric ascarid or oxyurid nematodes. Oxyuridpinworms are small - usually only a few millimetres long - but may be just visible within the faeces; they pass brownish ovoid and often asymmetric ova.