Methods for collection, preservation, and sporulation of snake fecal stages to help resolve what we still don’t know about snake coccidia Steve J. Upton (Kansas State University) Donald W. Duszynski (University of New Mexico)

Snake coccidia are usually treated like most other coccidia 1-3% potassium dichromate in Petri dish. Check daily You may have problems with some Sarcocystis spp. problems with some thin-walled eimerians

seem have been examined “extensively” for coccidia Only 4 snake families seem have been examined “extensively” for coccidia Boidae Colubridae Elapidae Viperidae

Several coccidian genera are easily recognizable in snakes sporocysts/sporozoites Caryospora Leger 1904 (1 and 8) Eimeria Schneider 1875 (4 and 8) Isospora Schneider 1881 (2 and 8) Sarcocystis Lankester 1882 (2 and 8)

Cylindrical eimerian oocysts are common in all families of snakes Eimeria bitis (Bitis arietans) Eimeria papillosum (Salvadora grahamiae) Eimeria “zamenis” (Coluber contrictor)

All known ‘elongate’ species develop in gall bladder epithelium They can accumulate in the gall bladder in very large numbers

Brief family overview

Boidae (19 host genera) A. Caryospora epicratesi B. Eimeria boae D, E. Eimeria pythonis F. Eimeria samyadeli C. Tyzzeria boae

Elapidae (63 host genera) A. Caryospora cobrae B. Caryospora constanciae C. Caryospora micruri D. Caryospora regentensis E. Eimeria micruri F. Eimeria najae G. Caryospora demansiae

Viperidae (Crotalinae) A. Caryospora bigenetica B. Caryospora jararacae C. Caryospora jararacae D. Eimeria amarali E. Eimeria amareli F. Eimeria bothropis G. Eimeria cascabeli

Viperidae (Viperinae) A. Caryospora maculatus B. Caryospora matatu C. Caryospora simplex D. Caryospora simplex E. Caryospora maxima F. Eimeria atheridis G. Eimeria bitis H. Eimeria cerastes I. Isospora gursae

Colubridae (331 host genera) Genera named species Caryospora 30 Eimeria 40 Eimeria (elongate) 15+ Isospora 4

Few (true) isosporans seem to exist in snakes Most described species are either Sarcocystis or avian isosporans

from Hierophis viridiflavis (syn. Coluber viridiflavis) Isospora colubris from Hierophis viridiflavis (syn. Coluber viridiflavis) from Matuschka (1986) Parasitol Res 72: 549-551 Isospora wilsoni from the colubrids Tantilla gracilis & T. relicta from Upton et al (1992) TAMS 111:50-60

Vipera lebatina (Viperidae) Isospora guersae Vipera lebatina (Viperidae) (from Yakimoff & Matschoulsky 1937) Isospora guzarica Platyceps karelini (Colubridae) (from Davronov 1985)

Some Sarcocystis described as isosporans “Isospora minuta” DasGupta 1938 Naja naja (Elapidae) “Isospora lenti” Pinto 1934 Bothrops jararaca (Viperidae)

More recent Sarcocystis descriptions Sarcocystis ameivamastigodryasi Lainson & Paperna, 2000 Ameiva (Teiidae) / Mastigodryas (Colubridae) Sarcocystis atheridis Slapeta et al 1999 Lemniscomys (Muridae) / Atheris (Viperidae)

Sarcocystis

Caryospora Develop in snake intestine Develop in rodent dermal tissues Form transmissible “caryocysts” (I)

Caryospora “caryocyst”

Caryospora may have two lineages bigenetica Caryospora duszynskii Caryospora peruensis

Summation of snake coccidia Tends to be higher prevalence and diversity in tropical (higher humidity) areas Most snake coccidia tolerate 1-3% aqueous potassium dichromate Gall bladder eimerians common in all taxa Caryospora / Sarcocystis common in all taxa