101 Endoparasites (Apicomplexa, Monogenoidea, Trematoda, Cestoda, Nematoda, Acanthocephala) from Eleven Reptiles (Testudines: Lacertilia: Ophidia) of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, Including the First Report of the Endogenous Stages of Eimeria robisoni (Eimeriidae) Chris T. McAllister Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Idabel, OK 74745 Charles R. Bursey Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University-Shenango, Sharon, PA 16146 Stanley E. Trauth Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University (Emeritus), State University, AR 72467 Michael A. Barger Department of Biology, Peru State College, Peru, NE 68421 Abstract: Between September 2015 and May 2018, 11 reptiles, including a razor-backed musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus), pallid spiny softshell (Apalone spinifera pallida), green anole (Anolis carolinensis), broadhead skink (Plestiodon laticeps), eastern hognose (Heterodon platirhinos), two eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster), southern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix), and timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) from various sites in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, were examined for endoparasites. Two coccidians (Eimeria robisoni and Choleoeimeria sp.), an intraerythrocytic hematozoan (Hepatozoon sp.), a monogenean (Polystomoidella oblongum), two digeneans (Dasymetra conferta and Renifer ellipticus), two tapeworms (Testudotaenia testudo and Mesocestoides sp. tetrathyridia), six nematodes (Capillaria sp. [ova], )DOFDXVWUD D৽QLV, Oswaldocruzia pipiens, Serpinema trispinosum, Spiroxys amydae [larvae] and Kalicephalus inermis coronellae) and a larval acanthocephalan (Neoechinorhynchus sp.) were harbored by these hosts. We document several new host and distributional records for these parasites, including three taxa reported from L. c. calligasterIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH:HDOVRGRFXPHQWQRYHOLQIRUPDWLRQRQWKH endogenous stages of the coccidian, E. robisoni. VXUYH\VKDYHDWWHPSWHGWRKHOS¿OODYRLGLQRXU knowledge of various parasites of Oklahoma’s Introduction amphibians and reptiles (McAllister et al. 2015, 2016, and references therein). Here, we In the last decade, our parasitological supplement some of that lack of information by Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 98: pp 101 - 111 (2018) 102 C.T. McAllister, C.R. Bursey, S.E. Trauth, and M.A. Barger reporting new host and distributional records for endoparasites from 11 reptiles from the foothills of the southwestern Ouachita Mountains and South Central Plains ecoregions of McCurtain County. In addition, we report on the endogenous stages of the coccidian, Eimeria robisoni, for the ¿UVWWLPH Methods Between September 2015 and May 2018, adult specimens of razor-backed musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus), pallid spiny softshell (Apalone spinifera pallida), green anole (Anolis carolinensis), broadhead skink (Plestiodon Figure 1. Map showing location of McCurtain laticeps), eastern hognose (Heterodon &RXQW\ 2NODKRPD DQG VLWHV Ɣ ZKHUH platirhinos), prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis reptilian hosts were collected. Abbreviations: calligaster calligaster), two eastern garter + +RFKDWRZQƔ , ,GDEHOƔ / /LWWOH snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), southern 5LYHU 0 0RXQWDLQ )RUN 5LYHU 5 5HG copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix), 5LYHU 6 6PLWKYLOOHƔ <$ <DVKDX&UHHNƔ and timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) were <1 <DQXEEHH&UHHNƔ collected by hand, snake tong, or from dead on the road (DOR) from several sites in McCurtain from the rectum was collected from all specimens County (Fig. 1), and examined for endoparasites. and examined for coccidia and helminth eggs Specimens were placed in collection bags in the following the methods of McAllister et al. (2014). refrigerator (4°C), and necropsied within 24 Intestinal tissues from A. carolinensis were hr. They were measured for snout-vent length SODFHG LQ QHXWUDOEX൵HUHG IRUPDOLQ DQG (SVL) or carapace length (CL), killed by an processed following Presnell and Schreibmann intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital (1997) for examination of endogenous coccidial (Nembutal®) following accepted guidelines stages by light microscopy. Other visceral (SIH 2004), and examined for apicomplexan organs, particularly those of the GI tract from and helminth parasites. A bone saw was used all specimens, were examined for helminths to remove the plastron from turtles to expose by removing and splitting organs lengthwise, the heart and a mid-ventral incision from mouth placing separate organs in a Petri dish with to cloaca was made to expose the same in other 0.9% saline, and their contents scanned at reptiles. Blood was obtained from all reptiles by ௅î XVLQJ D VWHUHRPLFURVFRSH 7KH OLYHU making a small incision in their heart and taking and other suspected infected tissues from the a sample using ammonium heparinized (75 mm turtle and mesenteries from two eastern garter ORQJ FDSLOODU\WXEHV7KLQ¿OPVZHUHVPHDUHG snakes were also biopsied and specimens RQWR JODVV VOLGHV DLUGULHG ¿[HG IRU PLQ LQ processed for examination by light microscopy absolute methanol, stained for 20–30 min with following Presnell and Schreibman (1997). The Wright-Giemsa stain, and rinsed in phosphate conjunctival sac and blood of both turtles were EX൵HU S+ 6OLGHVZHUHVFDQQHGDWî examined for polystomatid monogenes and RU î DQG ZKHQ LQIHFWHG FHOOV ZHUH IRXQG spirorchiid trematodes, respectively, per Snyder photographs were taken and length and width and Clopton (2005). Monogeneans, trematodes /î: PHDVXUHPHQWVZHUHPDGHRQJDPRQWV DQG FHVWRGHV ZHUH ¿[HG LQ QHDUO\ ERLOLQJ WDS RIDQLQWUDHU\WKURF\WLFSDUDVLWH Q XVLQJD water without coverslip pressure, stained with FDOLEUDWHGRFXODUPLFURPHWHUXQGHUDîRLO acetocarmine, dehydrated in a graded ethanol immersion lens and are reported in micrometers series, cleared in methyl salicylate or xylene and as means ±1SD followed by the ranges. Feces mounted in Canada balsam. Nematodes were Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 98: pp 101 - 111 (2018) Endoparasites from Eleven Reptiles of McCurtain County, Oklahoma 103 ¿[HGLQKRWWDSZDWHUDQGVWXGLHGDVWHPSRUDU\ Connior, 2014. ௅6SRUXODWHGRRF\VWV )LJ) mounts on a microscopic slide in a drop of of E. robisoni (HWML 139886) were found to glycerol. Acanthocephalans were placed in a be passing in the feces of a single adult (53 mm Petri dish with tap water overnight to allow for SVL) A. carolinensis collected on 18 September their proboscides to evert, after which they were 2016 from Hochatown (34° 09’ 55.152”N, 94° transferred to 95% (v/v) DNA grade ethanol. 45’ 35.8776”W). Four other A. carolinensis from Host vouchers are deposited in the Arkansas the same site collected between March 2013 and State University Museum of Zoology (ASUMZ) April 2014 were not passing oocysts. These Herpetological Collection, State University, oocysts matched the description of E. robisoni Arkansas, or the Henderson State University from Arkansas (see McAllister et al. 2014) quite Herpetological Collection (HSU), Arkadelphia, well. The endogenous stages of E. robisoni from Arkansas. Actual vouchers or photovouchers WKHLQWHVWLQHDUHUHSRUWHGKHUHIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH of parasites are deposited in the Harold W. )LJV$௅( +RZHYHUWKHVHVWDJHVDSSHDUWR Manter Laboratory of Parasitology (HWML), be developing in the area of the brush border of University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska. epithelial cells (Figs. 2B–D) pushing out into the OXPHQ$VVXFKWKH\DSSHDUWR¿WQLFHO\LQWR Results and Discussion the genus Acroeimeria (rather than Eimeria) where localization of endogenous development Fifteen taxa of endoparasites, including is reported to occur in the microvillus zone of three apicomplexans, one monogenean, two intestinal epithelial cells of reptiles (see Paperna digeneans, two tapeworms, six nematodes, and Landsberg 1989). Further work will be and an acanthocephalan were harbored by 11+ necessary to resolve this placement including hosts. An annotated list of the parasites found molecular analyses. Nevertheless, this eimerian and the host data follows. has now been reported in A. carolinensis from Oklahoma and, as such, we suggest that Apicomplexa: Coccidiasina: Eucoccidiorida: additional populations of this anole in other Eimeriidae states may as well be infected with the coccidian. Eimeria robisoni – McAllister, Seville, and )LJXUHV$௅)(QGRJHQRXVVWDJHVIURPWKHLQWHVWLQDOHSLWKHOLXPDQGDVSRUXODWHGRRF\VWRI Eimeria robisoni from feces of Anolis carolinensis$0L 0LFURJDPRQW VFDOHEDU P% 0D 0DFURJDPRQW VFDOHEDU P&= ]\JRWH VFDOHEDU P'0L PLFURJDPRQW VFDOHEDU P(8Q 8QVSRUXODWHGRRF\VW VFDOHEDU P)6SRUXODWHGRRF\VW2: RRF\VWZDOO 3* SRODUJUDQXOH 63 VSRURF\VW VFDOHEDU P Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 98: pp 101 - 111 (2018) 104 C.T. McAllister, C.R. Bursey, S.E. Trauth, and M.A. Barger Choleoeimeria VS ௅ Unsporulated and VSRUXODWHGRRF\VWV )LJV$௅% RIDQXQNQRZQ choleoeimerian (HWML 139887) were found in the feces of a 550 mm SVL A. c. contortrix collected on 21 September 2015 from near <DQXEEHH&UHHNMXVWQRUWKRI%URNHQ%RZR൵ US 259 (34° 03’ 45.9216”N, 94° 44’ 17.955”W). Coccidians have not been previously reported from any taxon of copperhead (Duszynski and Upton 2009). Since we do not have endogenous )LJXUHV $௅% 3KRWRPLFURJUDSKV RI stages from gall bladder tissues of this DOR KHPDWR]RDQV IURP Lampropeltis calligaster snake, we are reporting this coccidian here calligaster. A. Six gamonts (*) in a single with some hesitance. It could represent a PLFURVFRSLF ¿HOG DW î VKRZLQJ SDUDVLWH pseudoparasite from a prey item of this viperid LQWHQVLW\VFDOHEDU P%6LQJOHJDPRQW (perhaps a skink) that was just