Abstract
Tortoises of the genus Testudo living in Italy are Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca and Testudo marginata. Although a great deal of information has been acquired on the internal medicine and surgery on these animals, little is known of their parasitological fauna. A survey on the presence of gastro-intestinal parasitic nematodes in tortoises bred in Italy was carried out to acquire extensive epidemiological data. Stool samples of 62 tortoises (37 T. hermanni hermanni, 13 T. graeca, 6 T. hermanni boettgeri and 6 T. marginata) were macroscopically examined and subjected to qualitative (flotation and Baermann techniques) and quantitative (McMaster technique) microscopic examinations. Adult nematodes were identified using morphological keys. Eggs of oxyurids (species indistinguishable) and adults of Alaeuris numidica, Mehdiella microstoma, Mehdiella uncinata, Tachygonetria longicollis, Tachygonetria conica and Tachygonetria palearcticus (Oxyurida, Pharyngodonidae); larvae and adults of Atractis dactyluris (Ascaridida, Atractidae); and eggs and adults of Angusticaecum holopterum (Ascaridida, Ascarididae) were identified in all animals >1 year, whereas all tortoises <1 year of age were parasite-free. Moreover, this study reports for the first time A. numidica and M. microstoma in T. marginata. This work shows that nematodes affecting tortoises are diffused in Italy and highlights the need to investigate their epidemiology more in depth.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamson ML (1994) Evolutionary patterns in life histories of Oxyurida. Int J Parasitol 24:1167–1177
Adamson ML, Buck A, Noble S (1992) Transmission patterns and intraspecific competition as determinants of populations structures in pinworms. J Parasitol 78:420–426
Adamson ML, Petter AJ (1983) Haplodiploidy in pharyngodonid (Oxyuroidea: Nematoda) parasites of Testudo graeca. Ann Parasitol Hum Comp 58:267–273
Barus V, Johnson S (1973) Notes on Mehdiella microstoma from Testudo hermanni. Folia Parasitol 20:139–140
Bouamer S, Morand S (2000) Oxyuroids of Palearctic Testudines: new definition of the genus Thaparia, Ortlepp 1833 (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae), redescription of T. thapari thapari, and descriptions of two new species. Comp Parasitol 67:169–180
Bouamer S, Morand S (2002) Description of Tachygonetria combesi n. sp. and redescriptions of four species of Tachygonetria Wedl, 1862 (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae), with a new diagnosis of the genus. Syst Parasitol 53:121–139
Bouamer S, Morand S (2003) Descriptions of two new species of the genus Tachygonetria Wedl, 1862 (Nematoda–Pharyngodonidae) and discussion of the relationships among the species of the genus. Parasitol Res 91:68–73
Bouamer S, Morand S (2004) Descriptions of Tachygonetria africana n. sp. and T. pretoriensis n. sp. and redescriptions of two other species of Tachygonetria Wedl, 1862 (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae), all parasitic in Geochelone pardalis (Testudinidae) from South Africa. Syst Parasitol 58:199–208
Bouamer S, Morand S (2005) Descriptions of two new species of the genus Tachygonetria Wedl, 1862 (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae) and redescriptions of five species parasites of Palaearctic Testudinidae. Zoosystema 27:193–209
Bouamer S, Morand S, Bourgat R (2001a) Oxyuroids of Palearctic Testudinidae—new definition for Alaeuris Seurat, 1918 (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae) and redescription of Alaeuris numidica (Seurat, 1918). J Parasitol 87:128–133
Bouamer S, Morand S, Bourgat R (2001b) Redescription of Mehdiella microstoma and description of Mehdiella petterae sp. n., with a new definition of the genus Mehdiella Seurat, 1918 (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae). Folia Parasitol 48:132–138
Bouamer S, Morand S, Kara M (2003) Redescription of four species of Mehdiella from Testudinidae, with a key to the species and discussion on the relationships among the species of this genus. Parasite 10:333–342
Capelli G, Borsato E, Stancampiano L, Bozzolan G, Pietrobelli M (1998) Epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of tortoises (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in captivity. Parassitologia 40:29
Dubinina MH (1949) Ecological investigation of the parasite of the tortoises Testudo horsfieldi Gray of Tadzhikistan. Parasitol Sbor Zool Muz Akad Nauk SSSR 11:61–97
Euzeby J (1981) Diagnostic expérimental des helminthoses animales. Travaux pratiques d'helminthologie vétérinaire. Livre 1. Edition “Informations Techniques des Services Vétérinaires”, Paris, France
Forstner MJ (1960) Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis parasitischer Nematoden aus griechischen Landschildkröten. Z Parasitenkd 20:1–22
Frye FL (1991) Biomedical and surgical aspects of captive reptile husbandry. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar
Hanuskova Z, Tilc K (1975) Problems of veterinary significance concerning imported tortoises after unsuitable wintering with regard to the incidence of ophthalmic affects and oxyuridosis. Acta Vet Brno 44:407–412
Holt PE, Cooper JE, Needham JR (1979) Diseases of tortoises: a review of seventy cases. J Small Anim Pract 20:269–286
Johnson S (1973) Some oxyurid nematodes of the genera Mehdiella and Thaparia from the tortoise Testudo hermanni. Folia Parasitol 20:141–148
Markov GS, Ivanov VP, Nikulin VP, Chernobai VF (1962) Helminth parasites of reptiles from the Volga–Delta and Caspian steppe. Tr Astrakh Zap 6:145–172
Pannikar NK, Sproston NG (1941) Osmotic relations of some metazoan parasites. Parasitology 33:214–223
Petter AJ (1966) Équilibre des espèces dans les populations de nématodes parasites du colon des tortues terrestres. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris (Serie A Zoologie). Editions du museum, Paris, France
Rideout BA, Montali RJ, Phillips LG, Gardiner CH (1987) Mortality of captive tortoises due to viviparous nematodes of the genus Proatractis (family Atractidae). J Wildl Dis 23:103–108
Roca V, Galeano M, Garcia-Adell G (1988) Nematodos parasitos de la tortuga mora, Testudo graeca Linnaeus, 1758 (Reptilia: Testudinidae) en Espana. Rev Iber Parasitol 48:269–274
Saino N, Ferrari R, Romano M, Martinelli R, Møller AP (2003) Experimental manipulation of egg carotenoids affects immunity of barn swallow nestlings. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 270:2485–2489
Sprent JFA (1980) Ascaridoid nematodes of amphibians and reptiles: Angusticaecum and Krefftascaris n. g. J Helminthol 54:55–73
Acknowledgement
The authors wish to thank Ginger Robertson (Veterinary School, Louisiana State University) for revising the English language of the text. The authors declare that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Traversa, D., Capelli, G., Iorio, R. et al. Epidemiology and biology of nematodofauna affecting Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca and Testudo marginata in Italy. Parasitol Res 98, 14–20 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0019-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0019-5