Emergent fungal pathogens in herpetofauna are a concern in both wild and captive populations. We diagnosed dermatomycosis by Paranannizziopsis australasiensis in two panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) and suspected it in eight others captured from an established free-living nonnative population in Florida, USA. Chameleons developed skin lesions following recent exposure to cold weather conditions while housed in captivity, approximately 10 mo after capture and 12 wk after being placed in outdoor enclosures. Affected animals were treated with oral voriconazole and terbinafine until most cases resolved; however, medications were ultimately discontinued. Paranannizziopsis australasiensis has not previously been described in chameleons, nor in animals originating from a free-ranging population in the USA. Although the source of P. australasiensis infection is uncertain, we discuss several scenarios related to the pet trade and unique situation of chameleon “ranching” present in the USA.
The red-spotted tokay geckoGekko gecko(Linnaeus, 1758) is a widely distributed Asian gecko that has established outside of its native range in Florida, USA. This study used genotypic and phenotypic data to determine whether multiple, distinct forms of red-spotted tokay gecko are present in Florida, specifically the morphologically distinct "G. g. gecko" and "Form B". Two discrete mitochondrial clades (ND2) were identified in Florida tokay geckos, the native range distributions of which were found to correspond closely with the native ranges ofG. g. gecko(the Malay Archipelago) and Form B (mainland Asia), respectively. Furthermore, each mitochondrial clade was non-randomly associated with a separate nuclear (RAG-1) clade, supporting the existence of two discrete genotypic lineages, representative ofG. g. geckoand Form B. Both lineages were detected in Florida, and population-level morphological structure was non-randomly associated with genotype, confirming a genotype-phenotype link. Multiple lines of evidence thus indicate the introduction of both forms of tokay gecko to Florida, where hybridisation likely also occurs. The link between morphological Form B and a unique genotypic lineage also indicates the existence of a tokay gecko taxon distinct from the recognised subspeciesG. g. azhariMertens, 1955 andG. g. gecko(Linnaeus, 1758).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.