1. 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)

2. 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

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

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

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

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

7. Brief family overview

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

9. 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

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

11. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18. Sarcocystis

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

20. Caryospora “caryocyst”

21. Caryospora may have two lineages
bigenetica
Caryospora
duszynskii
Caryospora
peruensis

22. 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