Molecular Survey and Microscopic Examination of Haemoparasites Infecting Lizards from Morocco

Er-Rguibi, Omar; Harris, D. James; Aglagane, Abdessamad; Laghzaoui, El-Mustapha; Kimdil, Latifa; Abbad, Abdelaziz; Mouden, El Hassan El

doi:10.1007/s11686-023-00688-9

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 41 publications

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“…Other studies have shown remarkable diversity between species of Hepatozoon that are morphologically very similar (Tomé et al, 2019), and suggested the existence of host-specific lineages of Hepatozoon (Maia et al, 2012). The widely used 18S rRNA gene fails to differentiate many cryptic haemogregarine lineages (Er-Rguibi et al, 2023;Maia et al, 2012), so although current evidence is that the same species of Hepatozoon infects both hosts, this has not been fully confirmed. The existence of unidentified host-specific lineages in the Moledo system could be an explanation for the difference in effect of parasite infection and even parasitaemia status between the two host species, but could only be assessed through the development and deployment of additional, more variable molecular markers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Impact of haemogregarine parasite infections on the behaviour of Podarcis lizards

Faria,

Harris

2024

Preprint

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Modern studies have shown how parasites add extra complexity to species interactions with their ecosystems by the way they affect their host. Haemogregarine parasites are common in lizards, although various studies have suggested varying degrees of repercussions for the host. In this study, we investigate effects of haemogregarine infection on the boldness and aggressiveness of male lizards of two sympatric species living in North Portugal: Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis lusitanicus, known hosts of haemogregarine and coccidian parasites. We used mirror interaction tests to assess aggressiveness, which did not identify any influence of the infection on either species. Boldness was evaluated through exploratory tests, with our results suggesting P. lusitanicus parasitized with Hepatozoon sp. alter their behaviour, with an increase in their exploratory activity and willingness to expose themselves for longer periods. Infection with Hepatozoon sp. appears to be enough to cause this abrupt behavioural change, independently of intensity of infection. These changes were only identified in P. lusitanicus, with P. bocagei maintaining their behaviour independently of infection status. Our results suggest a link between the observed behavioural changes for P. lusitanicus and thermoregulation, although further experiments to clarify this hypothesis are required.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Impact of haemogregarine parasite infections on the behaviour of Podarcis lizards

Faria,

Harris

2024

Preprint

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Impact of blood parasites on the behaviour of two congeneric wall lizards (genus Podarcis)

Faria,

Megía-Palma,

Harris

2024

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Modern studies have shown how parasites add extra complexity to ecosystems through their potential effects on hosts. Blood parasites are common in lizards and various studies have suggested varying degrees of negative effects on these hosts. In this study, we investigate effects of infection by blood parasites on the boldness and aggressiveness of male lizards of two sympatric species living in North Portugal: Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis lusitanicus, known to host blood parasites of two protozoan orders: Adeleorina and Eimeriorina (Apicomplexa). We used a mirror to quantify behavioural interactions of the lizards with their specular images, which did not identify any influence of parasite infection on either species. Boldness was evaluated through exploratory tests, with an identified trend for parasitized P. lusitanicus towards higher exploratory activity and exposure time. This was independent of the intensity of infection. No such effect was found for P. bocagei. The behavioural changes for infected P. lusitanicus appear to be in the direction of increasing light exposure by spending more time directly under the light source, thus suggesting a link with thermoregulation, although further experiments to clarify this hypothesis are required. These results highlight the importance of understanding individual parasite-host relationships, as they show that the same parasites can have different effects across even closely related species. Significance statement Parasites can affect their host in a variety of ways. We used mirror-interaction and exploratory tests to assess the effects of blood parasites in the aggressiveness and boldness behavioural traits of two sympatric lizard species: Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis lusitanicus. No effect of blood parasite infection in these two behavioural traits was identified on Podarcis bocagei. Podarcis lusitanicus tended to demonstrate a response to infection by Adeleorina with an increase in boldness and willingness to increase exposure times, despite low intensity of infection. Our results show how the same parasites can differently affect closely related host taxa from the same system, and how their effects can be significant even when intensities of infection are low.

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Molecular prevalence of Hepatozoon ophisauri and Toxoplasma gondii in the blood samples of wild lizards collected from various altitudes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Ghafar,

Khan,

Khalid

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Despite of having rich reptilian fauna, the wild Pakistani lizards remained unexplored for the blood borne parasites. Hence, this study was designed to report the molecular prevalence and phylogenetic evaluation of Hepatozoon ophisauriand Toxoplasma gondii in blood samples of wild lizards (N = 101) that were trapped from various areas having different altitudes (ranging between 1200 to 2250 m above sea level) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan during March 2022 till June 2023. Molecular studies revealed that 3 out of 101 (03%) lizards were Hepatozoon spp. infected. All infected lizards were Laudakia (L.) tuberculata. Forty five out of one hundred and one lizards (45%) were positive for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii and infected lizards included L. agrorensis, L. pakistanica, L. tuberculate and Abblepharus (A.) pannonicus. DNA sequencing and BLAST analysis confirmed the presence of Hepatozoon ophisauri and Toxoplasma gondii. Phylogenetic analysis of both pathogens showed genetic diversity among the Pakistani isolates as they clustered with isolates reported from reptiles, birds and ticks reported from worldwide countries. Risk factor analysis revealed that prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii varied between the screened lizard species. Highest parasite prevalence was observed in L. agrorensis (67%) and A. pannonicus (67%) followed by L. pakistanica (45%) and L. tuberculate (43%). All other studies risk factors varied non significantly with the prevalence of each parasite. In conclusion, this is the first study from Pakistan reporting a a very high Toxoplasma gondii while low Hepatozoon ophisauri prevalence in Pakistani lizards. We recommended that similar and large-scale studies must be conducted in various geo-climatic regions of Pakistan that are unexplored for the prevalence of these pathogens among the wild lizards as well as in other wildlife to broaden our knowledge about their genetic diversity, host-parasite interactions and effective control.

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Molecular Survey and Microscopic Examination of Haemoparasites Infecting Lizards from Morocco

Cited by 3 publications

References 41 publications

Impact of haemogregarine parasite infections on the behaviour of Podarcis lizards

Impact of haemogregarine parasite infections on the behaviour of Podarcis lizards

Impact of blood parasites on the behaviour of two congeneric wall lizards (genus Podarcis)

Molecular prevalence of Hepatozoon ophisauri and Toxoplasma gondii in the blood samples of wild lizards collected from various altitudes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

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