Gastrointestinal Helminths from 13 Species of Lizards from Reserva Cuzco Amazónico, Peru

Abstract

One hundred sixty-four lizards representing 13 species collected from the Reserva Cuzco Amazónico, Peru, were examined for helminths. Two species of Cestoda (Oochoristica ameivae and Ophiotaenia flava) and 18 species of Nematoda (adults of Amphibiocapillaria freitaslenti, Cyrtosomum longicaudatum, Oswaldocruzia peruvensis, Oswaldocruzia vitti, Oswaldofilaria azeuedoi, Parapharyngodon scleratus, Physaloptera retusa, Physalopteroides venancioi, Piratuba digiticauda, Piratuba lainsoni, Piratuboides zeae, Rhabdias anolis, Skrjabinelzaia intermedia, Spauligodon oxkutzcabiensis, Spinicauda spinicauda, Strongyluris oscari; larvae of Dujardinascaris sp. and Hastospiculum sp.) were found. In all, 1,617 helminths were collected from 83 (51%) of the 164 lizards examined. Of these, 15 (0.9%) were larval forms, which are thought not capable of reaching maturity in lizards. No infected lizard harbored more than 3 helminth species: 1.70 ± 0.08 (x̄ ± 1 SE) helminth species/infected lizard; 19.45 ± 2.82 helminth individuals/infected lizard. No host species harbored more than 7 helminth species: 3.23 ± 0.51 helminth species/host species. Twenty-eight new host records and 18 new locality records are reported.