Are the helminth communities from unisexual and bisexual lizards different?

Roca, Vicente and Jorge, Fátima and Ilgaz, Çetin and Kumlutaș, Yusuf and Durmuș, Salih Hakan (2015) Are the helminth communities from unisexual and bisexual lizards different? ACTA ZOOLOGICA ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM HUNGARICAE, 61 (3). pp. 279-288. ISSN 1217-8837

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Abstract

Specimens of three species of parthenogenetic lizards (Darevskia uzzelli, D. bendimahiensis, and D. sapphirina) from northeastern Turkey were examined for gastrointestinal parasites. Only one species, the nematode Spauligodon saxicolae (Pharyngodonidae), was found. The extremely low infection and diversity parameters, falling among the lowest within the Palaearctic saurians, support depauperate helminth communities for these parthenogenetic lacertid lizards. Our results suggest that parthenogenetic Darevskia follow a pattern of parasitism similar to other unisexual lizards (i.e. Aspidocelis). The low rates of infection and diversity may be explained by the decreasing opportunities for interchanging helminths rather than factors of susceptibility of unisexual hosts.

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