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Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea: Mesocestoididae) from a Rough Green Snake Opheodrys Aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) in Arkansas, U.S.A

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Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea: Mesocestoididae) from a Rough Green Snake Opheodrys Aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) in Arkansas, U.S.A Comp. Parasitol. 80(1), 2013, pp. 130–133 Research Note A New Host Record for Mesocestoides sp. (Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea: Mesocestoididae) from a Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) in Arkansas, U.S.A. 1,4 2 3 CHRIS T. MCALLISTER, STANLEY E. TRAUTH, AND MICHAEL V. PLUMMER 1 Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, 2805 NE Lincoln Road, Idabel, Oklahoma 74745, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]), 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, State University, Arkansas 72467, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]), and 3 Department of Biology, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas 72143, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]) ABSTRACT: Twenty-one adult rough green snakes Opheo- Between April and September 2010, 20 adult male drys aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) were collected during (mean 6 1 SD snout–vent length [SVL], range 5 2010 and 2012 from Montgomery (n 5 1) and White (n 5 384.4 6 45.3, 282–462 mm) O. aestivus were 20) counties, Arkansas, U.S.A., and examined for helminths. collected from Bald Knob Lake (n 5 4) or at Searcy A single O. aestivus (5%) harbored a massive infection of Mesocestoides sp. This represents a new host record for (n 5 16), White County, Arkansas; a single adult Mesocestoides sp., and 1 of the rare instances that O. male (SVL 5 291 mm) was collected in April 2012 aestivus has been reported to harbor any parasite. from Black Springs, Montgomery County, Arkansas. KEY WORDS: Opheodrys aestivus, rough green snake, Snakes were taken to the laboratory and overdosed Mesocestoides sp., Mesocestoididae, Cestoidea, Arkansas, with a intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobar- Ophidia, Colubridae. bital (NembutalH). A midventral incision was made, and the viscera were examined for parasites. Sus- The rough green snake Opheodrys aestivus (Ophi- pected encapsulated cestodes were observed in the dia: Colubridae) is a slender, medium-sized colubrid coelomic cavity and reproductive organs of a single that ranges from southern New Jersey to the Florida snake. For light microscopy of plastic-embedded Keys and west to southeastern Kansas and Texas, tissues, we followed the methods of Bozzola and U.S.A., southward to Tampico and Coahuila, Mexico Russell (1999). After fixation, tissues were dehy- (Conant and Collins, 1998). It is mostly an arboreal drated in a graded series of increasing ethanol species that forages in trees and shrubs but sometimes solutions (70–100%), placed in a 50%:50% acetone/ enters shallow aquatic habitat. Although O. aestivus is plastic mixture for overnight infiltration, and then 1 of the best known ecologically of all North American embedded in Mollenhauer’s Epon-Araldite #2 snakes (see Trauth et al., 2004), very little information (Dawes, 1988). For thick sectioning (approximately is available on its helminth parasites. The first report 1 mm in thickness) and staining, we used glass of parasites in O. aestivus was by Stiles and Hassall knives on an LKB Ultratome (Type 4801A) with (1894) who reported larval trematodes, Distomum sp. LaddH multiple stain, respectively. Photomicro- Diesing, 1850; however, this identification is uncertain graphs were taken using an Eclipse 600 epifluor- (see Ernst and Ernst, 2006). The only other previously escent light microscope with a DXM 1200C digital published papers on parasites of rough green snakes (a camera (Nikon Instruments Inc., Melville, New single trematode species) was by Nicoll (1914) who York). A Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D digital single provided a description of Brachycoelium obesum (5B. lens reflex camera fitted with a ProMaster AF Macro salamandrae)fromanO. aestivus (as Contra aestiva) lens also was used to photograph macroscopic housed at the London Zoological Gardens; Harwood images. Voucher specimens of O. aestivus were (1932) who reported a Brachycoelium sp. from Texas deposited in the Arkansas State University Herpeto- O. aestivus; and Rabalais (1969) who reported B. logical Museum (ASUMZ), State University, Ar- salamandrae from specimens collected from Louisi- kansas, U.S.A., as ASUMZ 31444–31447, 31519– ana. Herein, we document the first report of a cestode in O. aestivus from specimens collected in Arkansas. 31522, 31533–31536, 31539–31542, and 31551– 31554. A voucher of Mesocestoides sp. was deposited in the United States National Parasite 4 Corresponding author. Collection (USNPC), Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A. 130 RESEARCH NOTES 131 A single snake was found to be infected with many Geographic range: The genus is cosmopolitan encapsulated plerocercoid metacestodes (tetrathyri- (Schmidt, 1986). dia) identified as Mesocestoides sp. Type species, type host, and type locality: Meso- cestoides ambiguous (Mammalia: Carnivora), small- Cestoidea spotted genet, Vivera genetta, Africa (Vaillant, 1863). Cyclophyllidea: Mesocestoididae Specimens deposited: USNPC 105790 (slide). Mesocestoides sp. Vaillant, 1863 (Figs. 1–4) Remarks: Adult Mesocestoides spp. are parasites of birds and placental mammals, and although rare, Host and locality: Rough green snake, Opheodrys humans also can serve as hosts (Padgett et al., 2012); aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766) (ASUMZ 31539, adult apparently the first mention of tetrathyridia as male, SVL 5 291 mm) collected on 17 July 2010 accidental or paratenic parasites was in a European from Bald Knob Lake, White County, Arkansas, green lizard, Lacerta viridis, collected in France U.S.A. (35u209210N; 91u359240W). (Valenciennes, 1844). Twenty-seven species of Mesocestoides are recognized by Schmidt (1986), Prevalence and intensity: 1/21 (5 ) overall; 1/4 % and the number of these species is far from settled, (25 ) Bald Knob Lake, 0/16 (0 ) Searcy, 0/1 (0 ) % % % but given their variability, synonomies most likely Black Springs; too numerous to count. exist. There are no morphological characteristics that Site of infection: Cysts in coelomic cavity. allow assignment of tetrathyridia to a given species, and 7 species have been identified within the U.S.A. Additional Arkansas records: Caudata: Ouachita The only species reported definitively from Arkansas dusky salamander Desmognathus brimleyorum in reptiles (via prairie lizard–hamster transmission) is (McAllister, Bursey, Upton et al., 1995); spotted Mesocestoides lineatus (McAllister et al., 1992). dusky salamander Desmognathus conanti (McAllister The life cycle of Mesocestoides spp. is a con- et al., 2013). Anura: pickerel frog Lithobates tinuing enigma; however, Rausch (1994) suggests it palustris (as Rana palustris, McAllister, Trauth, requires at least 3 hosts (i.e., a vertebrate definitive Bursey, 1995); wood frog Lithobates sylvaticus (as host, a vertebrate second intermediate host, and a Rana sylvatica, McAllister, Upton, Trauth et al., supposed arthropod first intermediate host). Encap- 1995). Sauria: eastern collared lizard Crotaphytus sulated and free tetrathyridia are often found in the collaris (McAllister and Trauth, 1985); and prairie body cavity and various organs of amphibians, lizard Sceloporus consobrinus (as Sceloporus un- reptiles, and rodents (Padgett and Boyce, 2004). dulatus hyacinthinus, McAllister et al., 1992). Because O. aestivus feeds on a variety of arthropods, including spiders (mostly), odonates, orthopterans, Additional reports, Nearctic colubrid snakes: East- and lepidopterans (Plummer, 1981; Trauth et al., ern glossy snake Arizona elegans (Goldberg and 2004), opportunity exists for infection with Meso- Bursey, 2001); eastern indigo snake Drymarchon cestoides sp. couperi (as D. corais couperi, Foster et al., 2000); We document herein a new host record for Meso- common kingsnake Lampropeltis getula (Goldberg cestoides, the first report of a cestode parasite from and Bursey, 2004); western coachwhip Masticophis rough green snakes, and 1 of the few reports of any flagellum testaceus (Conn and McAllister, 1990); helminth from O. aestivus. Although a trematode (B. striped racer Masticophis lateralis (Goldberg and salamandrae) has been reported commonly from this Bursey, 2001); long-nosed snake Rhinochelius le- snake (Nicoll 1914; Harwood, 1932; Rabalais, 1969), contei (Goldberg and Bursey, 2001); and western no nematodes or acanthocephalans, to our knowl- terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans (Voge, edge, have been reported previously from O. aestivus. 1953). In addition, at least 8 Nearctic viperid snakes Interestingly, a trematode and 2 species of nematodes (Crotalus spp.) have been reported previously as have been reported from smooth green snakes, hosts (see Bursey et al., 2012). Opheodrys vernalis (Chu, 1936; Fantham and Porter, Other reported herptile hosts: See recent summary 1954; Kuzmin et al., 2003). Additional surveys of O. by Bursey et al. (2012). It includes many hosts, aestivus are certainly warranted, especially from other including amphibians and reptiles from the Asian, parts of its range. Australo–Papuan, Ethiopian, Nearctic, Neotropical, We thank the Arkansas Game and Fish Commis- and Palearctic regions. sion for providing scientific collecting permits to 132 COMPARATIVE PARASITOLOGY, 80(1), JANUARY 2013 Figures 1–4. Mesocestoides sp. from Opheodrys aestivus. 1. Macroscopic view showing clusters of tetrathyridia in coelomic cavity (arrows). 2. Close-up view of tetrathyridia (arrows). 3. Microscopic view of 2 tetrathyridia in host-derived fibrotic capsule. 4. Higher magnification of tetrathyridium showing holdfast (arrows) and calcareous corpuscles (CC) with solid hindbody. S.E.T. and M.V.P., and P. Pilitt (USNPC) for expert Central American anoles (Sauria: Polycrotidae:
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