Transport of Helminths to Hawaii via the Brown Anole, Anolis sagrei (Polychrotidae) Author(s): Stephen R. Goldberg and Charles R. Bursey Source: The Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 86, No. 4 (Aug., 2000), pp. 750-755 Published by: The American Society of Parasitologists Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3284959 . Accessed: 10/09/2014 17:32 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The American Society of Parasitologists is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of Parasitology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:32:48 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions J. Parasitol., 86(4), 2000, p. 750-755 ? American Society of Parasitologists 2000 TRANSPORTOF HELMINTHSTO HAWAIIVIA THE BROWNANOLE, ANOLIS SAGREI (POLYCHROTIDAE) Stephen R. Goldberg and Charles R. Bursey* Departmentof Biology,Whittier College, Whittier,California 90608 ABSTRACT: Sixty-two brown anoles, Anolis sagrei, from Oahu, Hawaii were examinedfor helminths.Anolis sagrei was intro- duced to Hawaii, presumablyfrom the Caribbean.Two species of trematodes,Mesocoelium monas and Platynosomumfastosum, 3 species of nematodes,Atractis scelopori, Physalopterasquamatae, and Physocephalussp., 1 acanthocephalan,Acanthocephalus bufonis,and 1 pentastome,Raillietiellafrenatus, were found.Atractis scelopori and P. squamatae,previously unknown in Hawaii, are widely distributedin the Caribbeanand were most likely transportedto Hawaii with the introducedanoles. Mesocoelium monas, P. fastosum, Physocephalussp., A. bufonis, and R. frenatus have been previously reportedfrom Hawaiianherptiles; A. sagrei most likely acquiredinfections of these parasitesfrom Hawaiianpopulations. This study indicatesthat helminthscan be transportedwith their introducedhosts and become establishedin the colonized areas and that introducedlizards may quickly acquirespecies of previouslyestablished helminthes. Introduced lizards have received little attention with regard from Hawaii to compare helminths of this introduced popula- to the species of helminths harbored. Of the 137 species of tion with helminths harbored by native conspecific anoles from lizards in the continental United States and Canada, 32 have Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas and introduced conspecific been introduced (Powell et al., 1998). Of these, helminth lists anoles from Florida and Grand Cayman Island. exist for 3: the bark anole Anolis distichus, the brown anole Anolis sagrei, and the Mediterranean gecko Hemidactylus tur- MATERIALSAND METHODS cicus, (Pence and Selcer, 1988; McAllister et al., 1993; Gold- Sixty-two A. sagrei (mean snout-vent length [SVL] = 50.1 mm berg et al., 1994). Of 4 lizard species in Bermuda, 3 were in- 9.4 SD, range = 27-66 mm) were collected by handheldnoose Feb-_ troduced (Wingate, 1965), the panther anole Anolis bimacula- ruary 1999 at Kailua (21?25'N, 157045'W) Koolaupoko District, Oahu, tus, Graham's anole Anolis grahami, and savannah anole Anolis Hawaii. The anoles were killed within 4 hr of capture by an injection these 3 have been examined for helminths of sodium pentobarbital, fixed in 10% formalin, and preserved in 70% roquet; species ethanol. The was a incision from and All 18 lizard in body cavity opened by longitudinal (Goldberg, Bursey, Tawil, 1995). species vent to throat and the gastrointestinal tract was removed by cutting Hawaii have been introduced (McKeown, 1996). Four, the across the esophagus and rectum. The esophagus, stomach, small intes- green anole Anolis carolinensis, the house gecko Hemidactylus tine, large intestine, lungs, liver, gall bladder, and body cavity were the Indo-Pacific and the examined separately for helminths. Nematodes were placed in undiluted frenatus, gecko Hemidactylus garnotii, allowed to and examined under a have been examined glycerol, clear, light microscope. mourning gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris, Trematodes were stained in hematoxylin, mounted in Canada balsam, for helminths (Loo, 1971; Brown et al., 1995; Bursey and Gold- and identified. Voucher specimens were sent to the U.S. National Par- berg, 1996a; Hanley et al., 1998). These helminth lists raise an asite Collection (USNPC), Beltsville, Maryland: Mesocoelium monas, intriguing question. Are these helminths acquired after intro- 89067; Platynosomum fastosum, 89068; Atractis scelopori, 89069; Phy- duction or are they transported with the host and establish new saloptera squamatae, 89070; Physocephalus sp. (encysted larvae), 89071; Acanthocephalus bufonis, 89072; Raillietiella frenatus, 89073. populations? Anoles were deposited in the herpetology collection of the Natural His- Anolis sagrei Dum6ril and Bibron, 1837 is native to Cuba, tory Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM nos. 145346-145388, Jamaica, and the Bahamas and has been introduced to Florida, 145460-145478). Grand Cayman Island, and Hawaii (Schwartz and Henderson, 1991; McKeown, 1996). The origin of the Hawaiian (Oahu) RESULTS population is unknown, but it is believed that these anoles are Fifty-five anoles (89%) harbored helminths. Two species of descendents of released pets; they were first noticed as part of Trematoda, M. monas (Rudolphi, 1819) and P. fastosum Kos- the herpetofauna in 1980 (McKeown, 1996). On Oahu, Hawaii, sack, 1910, 3 species of Nematoda, A. scelopori (Gedoelst, A. sagrei is found in urban areas where it is sympatric with the 1919), P. squamatae Harwood, 1932, and Physocephalus sp., cane toad Bufo marinus, A. carolinensis, H. frenatus, L. lugub- 1 species of Acanthocephala, A. bufonis 1903), and 1 ris, and the metallic skink Lampropholis delicata. Helminths of (Shipley, species of Pentastomida, R. frenatus Ali, Riley, and Self, 1981, native A. sagrei have been reported, i.e., Cuba (Coy Otero, were found. Prevalence, mean intensity, range, and site of in- 1970; Coy Otero and Baru', 1973, 1979), Jamaica (Bundy et fection for these helminths are given in Table I. al., 1987), and the Bahamas (Goldberg et al., 1994), as well as from introduced populations, e.g., Florida (Price and Under- DISCUSSION wood, 1984; Sellers and Graham, 1987; Goldberg et al., 1994) and Grand Cayman Island (Goldberg, Bursey, and Cheam, General observations 1995). The purpose of the present study was to examine A. sagrei All helminths found in the present study have previously been reported from other hosts. Of these helminths, M. monas, P. fastosum, and Physocephalus sp. have a somewhat cosmo- Receieved 15 November 1999; revised 20 January 2000; accepted 20 distribution (Alicata, 1935; Loo, 1971; Nasir and Diaz, January 2000. politan * Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Shenango 1971). Atractis scelopori and P. squamatae are known previ- Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146. ously only from the western hemisphere (Baker, 1987). Acan- 750 This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:32:48 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions GOLDBERGAND BURSEY-TRANSPORTOF HELMINTHSTO HAWAII 751 TABLEI. Site of infection, prevalence, mean intensity, and range of infection of 7 helminth species in 62 Anolis sagrei. Prevalence Helminth species Site of infection (%) Mean intensity + SD Range Trematoda Mesocoelium monas Small, large intestine 3 1.0 Platynosomum fastosum (larvae) Gall bladder 2 9.0 Nematoda Atractis scelopori Large intestine 39 179.3 + 108.9 45-425 Physaloptera squamatae Stomach 61 18.0 + 322.5 1-120 Physocephalus sp. (larvae) Stomach wall (cysts) 50 9.6 + 13.1 1-51 Acanthocephala Acanthocephalus bufonis Small intestine 2 1.0 Pentastomida Raillietiella frenatus Lung 8 2.2 ? 2.7 1-7 thocephalis bufonis and R. frenatus have an oriental distribution waii feral pigs are the primary host for Physocephalus sexala- (Ali et al., 1981; Barton and Pichelin, 1999). A helminth list tus. Given the life cycle of P. sexalatus, it is reasonable to for native A. sagrei is given in Table II. A helminth list for assume that infection of A. sagrei in Hawaii is a byproduct of introduced A. sagrei is given in Table III. Known helminths of the anole's diet, and infection could be expected in any insec- lizards from Hawaii are listed in Table IV. However, Loo's tivorous Hawaiian lizard. Hanley et al. (1998) reported encap- (1971) observation that helminth parasites resembling tape- sulated larvae of Physocephelus sp. from H. frenatus of Hawaii worms, roundworms, and lungworms are found in Hawaiian (Table IV). Brown et al. (1995) found encapsulated nematodes geckos is not recorded in Table IV. Some comments may be in stomach walls of H. frenatus and L. lugubris but did not made about the helminth species harbored by A. sagrei on Ha- attempt identification. Although we have not seen the speci- waii from these distribution patterns. mens, we believe there is a high probability that they are Phy- socephalus sp. and have assigned them to this genus in Table Cosmopolitanspecies IV. Mesocoelium monas is a of the intestine of parasite amphib- Westernhemisphere species ians, mainly anurans, and reptiles in tropical and subtropical regions (Prudhoe and Bray, 1982). Mesocoelium monas (=Me-