Prevalence of helminth partasites in rainbow lizard, Agama agama L. (Squamata: Agamidae) in Nsugbe, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was under taken to determine the prevalence of helminthiasis in the rainbow lizard, Agama agama, in Nsugbe, Anambra State, Nigeria. Two hundred and fifty lizards comprised of 160 males and 90 females, 191 adult and 59 juvenile were caught by hand at night, in their roosting places, and were killed with chloroform in air tight killing jars. The oesophagus, stomach, small, intestine, rectum, visceral cavity, liver and lungs of the lizards were searched for helminths. Four species of helminths namely, Strongyloides brevicaudata, Parapharayngodon awokoyai, Foleyella candezei, (Nematoda) and, Oochoristica truncata (Cestoidea) were recovered from infected lizards. Two hundred and seventeen (217) (86.80 %) of the lizards were infected by helminthes. One hundred and thirty nine (139) (86.88 %) of male lizards and 78 (86.67 %) of females were infected, while 182 (95.29 %) and 35 (59.32 %) of adult and juvenile lizards respectively were infected. Strongyloides brevicaudata, had a prevalence of 85.60 %, followed by P. awokoyai (55.60 %), O. truncata (6.80 %) and F. candezei (2.00 %). Prevalence, abundance, mean abundance and mean intensity of infection did not differ significantly (p=0.05) with sex of lizard but all differed significantly with age of hosts (p=0.05). Two species concomitant infection occurred in 134 (92.41%) of the lizard sample while three species concomitant infection occurred in 11 (7.59 %). Infection of the same lizard by S. brevicaudata and P. awokoyai accounted for 49.20% of multiple infections and was the most frequent of coinfections. Most of S. brevicaudata (98.95 %) and P. Awokoyai (99.85%) inhabited the rectum, while 76.19 % of F. candezei inhabited the visceral cavity and 89.04% of O. trucanta occurred in the small intestine. The rectum was the most parasitized organ. Strongyloides brevicaudata, and P. awokoyai were recorded for the first time in A. agama in south-east Nigeria. It is suggested that S. brevicaudata is the most prevalent helminth parasite of A. agama in Nigeria, and that more studies on the helminth parasites of Nigerian reptiles should be under taken.

Keywords: Agama agama, Nsugbe, helminth parasite, concomitant infection