کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
2470271 | 1555724 | 2011 | 4 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
![عکس صفحه اول مقاله: A new blood parasite within the relict endemic New Zealand gecko Hoplodactylus duvaucelii A new blood parasite within the relict endemic New Zealand gecko Hoplodactylus duvaucelii](/preview/png/2470271.png)
Duvaucel geckos (Hoplodactylus duvaucelii) are large endemic lizards that have been extirpated from the New Zealand mainland due to introduced mammalian predators. This species has subsequently become the subject of species translocation conservation management in an endeavour to increase the number of populations and as a part of island ecological restoration. Blood sampling of a captive adult male after tail autotomy led to the discovery of a Rickettsia-like organism within this gecko's erythrocytes. We conclude that this infection was acquired at the gecko's source location, a remote island closed to the general public and lacking potential invasive parasite reservoir reptiles. The likely vector is the native mite Geckobia naultina. This finding represents valuable new baseline information about the health parameters of this threatened species. Particularly in the light of the paucity of reported blood parasitism in New Zealand reptiles, the conservation management of this species through relocation and captive-breeding, and the on-going concerns regarding the introduction of novel parasites to New Zealand.
Journal: Veterinary Parasitology - Volume 179, Issues 1–3, 30 June 2011, Pages 199–202