Journal of Environmental Biology

Macroenvironmental influence on Hepatozoon lacertilis

infectivity to lizard Hemidactylus flaviviridis

Author Details

N. Gupta

(Corresponding author)

Department of Animal Science, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly - 243 006, India

e-mail: guptagrawal@rediffmail.com

M. Bhaskar

Department of Animal Science, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly - 243 006, India

D.K. Gupta

Department of Zoology, Bareilly College, Bareilly - 243 005, India

Publication Data

Paper Received:

23 July 2009

Revised received:

25 May 2010

Accepted:

15 July 2010

Abstract

Hemidactylus flaviviridis Ruppell, 1835 (n= 199) sampled during different seasons from Bareilly, (Uttar Pradesh, India) were infected with a sporozoan parasite belonging to the genus Hepatozoon Miller, 1908. Four morpho-variants of the parasite, Type I, II, III and IV were identified on their growing pattern. When compared with earlier reported species, the parasite could be characterized taxonomically by its comparatively greater length 17.35 (13.57-21.30) mm and width 7.51 (5.59-10.11) mm, unusual larger size of parasite nuclear length 8.86 (4.75-15.83) mm and width 3.55 (2.14-5.11) mm and cytomorphological differences. These characteristics warrant creation of a new species and was named Hepatozoon lacertilis ?sp. nov. The morpho-variants, their effect on host cell and host nuclei are clearly illustrated. The influence of macroenvironmental factor (host sex) on parasitic infectivity indicated that it was 7.14% prevalant in male and 6.25% in female Hemidactylus flaviviridis.

Key words

Hemidactylus flaviviridis, Macroenvironment, Hepatozoon lacertilis

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